The Butterfly Room

by Lucinda Riley

  ‘Then as a married woman, my advice is never to let these arguments fester. Is Nick at his mother’s in Southwold tonight?’

  ‘Yes, at least that’s what he told me.’

  ‘Well, if I were you, I’d get in your car, drive up there this evening and see him. It’s pointless going through all this agony for a moment longer than you need to. Go and sort it out.’

  ‘Maybe,’ shrugged Tammy, ‘but I’ve never run after a man in my life.’

  ‘This isn’t any man, Tam. It’s the man you want to spend the rest of your life with. So swallow your pride and go and talk to him. That’s my advice anyway,’ said Jane. ‘Now, let me be completely sad and show you the picture of the baby they gave me at my scan.’

  Tammy arrived back at the shop and found Meena valiantly fielding four customers at the same time. They were manic for the next couple of hours, then, at four o’clock, the shop suddenly emptied and by a quarter to five, not a soul had walked in since.

  ‘I’m going to close up early, Meena,’ Tammy yawned. ‘I feel completely exhausted.’

  ‘You have been working too hard. Now, you make sure you have a good rest tomorrow, young lady. It’s been a busy time for you.’

  ‘It sure has,’ Tammy replied as she switched off the till and began to help Meena count the takings.

  Half an hour later, pacing around her house, Tammy couldn’t settle.

  ‘Bugger it!’ she said, then stuffed a wash-bag and a change of clothes into a holdall, left the house and headed towards her car. On the journey to Southwold, she dialled Nick’s mobile, which, as usual, was on voicemail. Gritting her teeth, she left a message.

  ‘Hi, it’s me. Just to say I’m sorry about the other night. I was being selfish. I’m driving to Southwold now because I want to see you and sort things out. I’ll be there at around eight. Let me know if it’s not convenient. Okay, bye.’

  As Tammy finally steered up the drive towards Admiral House, her heart beat hard against her chest. She was terrified of what she might discover. At least someone was in, as she could see the lights on. She walked to the front door and knocked on it loudly.

  ‘Hello, Tammy, what are you doing here?’

  It was Amy who opened the door, not Posy.

  ‘I . . . well, I came to see Nick.’

  ‘Nick?’ Amy frowned. ‘But he’s not here, Tammy.’

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘Come in, anyway, it’s lovely to see you,’ Amy smiled as they walked across the entrance hall towards the kitchen. ‘I’ve been here working on the drawing of the house that’s going on the front of Posy’s Christmas cards.’

  Sebastian sat at the kitchen table, a glass of wine in hand.

  ‘Tammy, what a pleasant surprise. Would you like a glass of wine? I was just keeping Amy company whilst she finished up.’

  The fact it had been dark for at least three hours, not to mention the over-explanation from both of them, confirmed what Tammy had suspected on the night of her party.

  ‘Yes, I’d love a drink,’ she said, slumping into a chair and feeling completely drained. ‘Where’s Posy?’

  ‘Out to supper with her gentleman friend, Freddie,’ said Amy. ‘You’ve only missed her by ten minutes or so.’ Amy poured her a large glass of wine and handed it to her. ‘There.’

  ‘Right, I’m back up to work,’ said Sebastian. ‘I’ll leave you girls to it. Nice to see you again, Tammy, and thanks for the invite to the party, I enjoyed myself. Bye, Amy,’ he added with a nod.

  ‘Bye, Sebastian.’

  Tammy tried not to smile at their exaggerated formality. She took a hefty gulp of her wine.

  ‘So Posy wasn’t expecting Nick here tonight?’

  ‘She didn’t say so, but he’s probably got a key and might have told Posy he’d let himself in.’ Amy glanced at the Aga, knowing that if someone had been coming to stay, however late he or she was arriving, something would have been cooked by Posy and left for them to heat up. The top of the Aga was empty.

  ‘Nick told me he was staying here last night.’

  ‘He might have been, Tammy, I didn’t arrive here until after lunch. That art dealer friend of his, Paul, was here and left about three. I’m so sorry but it looks like you’ve had a wasted journey.’

  ‘Yes,’ she grimaced. ‘I’ve obviously got my wires crossed.’

  ‘Never mind. It’s lovely to see you anyway, and I’m sure Posy wouldn’t mind a bit if you stayed the night.’

  ‘Oh no, I think I’ll head straight back to London.’

  Amy could read the misery in Tammy’s expressive green eyes. ‘Look, I don’t mean to interfere, but would it help to talk about it?’

  ‘There’s nothing to talk about, really. I thought Nick said he was coming here for the weekend. I clearly . . . got it wrong.’ The emotion of the past few days was catching up with her and she felt a lump rise in her throat and tears well in her eyes. ‘Shit! I’m sorry, Amy. I’ve no right to pour my troubles onto you.’

  ‘Don’t be silly. Here.’ Amy passed a box of tissues to Tammy, who blew her nose. ‘I’m just going to call Sam and say I’ve been delayed, then we can talk, okay?’

  Whilst Amy spoke to Sam, Tammy tried to gather herself together.

  ‘So I presume the two of you have had an argument of some description?’ Amy sat back down at the table.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Can I ask what it was about?’

  ‘Nothing really,’ Tammy replied with a shrug. ‘I mean, it was caused by me getting suspicious about something, which led to insecurity, which inevitably led to the argument.’

  ‘Well, I’m amazed you’d be suspicious of Nick. He adores you.’

  ‘That’s what everyone says,’ sighed Tammy. ‘Amy, I need to ask you something. Do you know someone called Evie Newman?’

  ‘I know her, yes, but not well. I’d just started going out with Sam, but I was still living in London. By the time I married him and moved permanently to Southwold, Evie had upped and left.’

  ‘But now she’s back.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Was Nick in love with her?’

  ‘From what I’ve heard, yes, he was,’ Amy confirmed. ‘I’m so sorry, Tammy.’

  ‘It’s okay, my friend Jane has already told me. Doesn’t it strike you as strange that Evie appears back in Southwold just at the same time as Nick returns from Perth?’

  Her heart sinking, Amy remembered driving past Evie’s house with Posy and seeing Nick’s car parked outside. ‘I . . . well, I suppose it is, yes.’

  ‘I think he’s seeing her again. A couple of days ago, I took a call on his mobile from someone whose initials were “EN”. When I said hello, the caller rang off, but I noticed it was a Southwold number. It has to be her, doesn’t it?’

  ‘Well, it is a coincidence, yes.’

  ‘So you don’t think I’m being paranoid?’

  Amy shook her head sadly. ‘No, I don’t.’

  ‘And then Nick told me he was staying here at Admiral House this weekend. Why? Why did he lie to me?’

  ‘I honestly don’t know.’

  ‘It must be because he’s with her.’

  Amy couldn’t reply as she had to agree. It must have shown on her face, because Tammy said, ‘Please tell me if you know anything. It’s much better I find out now than go on in the dark and end up looking like a complete idiot.’

  ‘I . . . well, a couple of weeks ago, Posy and I drove past Evie’s house and we both saw a red Austin Healey parked outside. But that doesn’t mean it was Nick, does it? It might have been a coincidence . . .’

  ‘Well,’ Tammy’s eyes filled with tears, ‘we both know it’s not. How many bright red vintage Austin Healeys are likely to be hanging around Southwold?! Christ! How could he do this to me?!’

  ‘You don’t know for certain, please. You must talk to him – there might be a reason why he’s had to see her, to do with his business or something,’ pleaded Amy.

  Tammy was up from the table. ‘Amy, I
want you to do me a big favour; will you come with me into Southwold and show me where Evie Newman lives?’

  ‘If you really want me to, yes.’

  ‘I do,’ Tammy said firmly and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Amy to follow in her wake. They got into Tammy’s car and she turned the engine on, then sped out of the drive.

  ‘Turn right, here, then first left,’ directed Amy. ‘Okay, it’s the house on the corner, just there.’

  Amy could hardly bear to look as Tammy slowed down and they crawled towards Evie’s house. She breathed a sigh of relief when the road in front of it was empty of cars.

  ‘You see? It was probably a coinci—’

  ‘There!’ Tammy was pointing to the other side of the road, thirty yards along from the house. She drove past the car slowly, reading the number plate to double-check. ‘That’s Nick’s car, all right.’

  Tammy pulled the car to an abrupt halt further along the road and the two women sat in silence.

  Eventually, Amy spoke. ‘I’m so sorry, Tammy. I still think you must speak to Nick. There could be some innocent explanation for this. Nick just isn’t that sort of a ma—’

  ‘Would everybody stop telling me what kind of man Nick is, when it’s patently bloody obvious he’s a complete SHIT!’ Tammy thumped the steering wheel and burst into tears. ‘Sorry for shouting, Amy. It’s not your fault.’

  ‘Don’t worry, please. I completely understand. Let’s drive back to Admiral House and have another glass of wine and a chat.’

  ‘No, thanks.’ Tammy reached for a tissue from the glove box and blew her nose. ‘Just now, I never want to enter any premises that Nick Montague’s feet have crossed before me. I’ll drop you off there and then head straight back to London.’

  They drove back to Admiral House in silence, Amy knowing it was pointless to try to offer any trite words of comfort. Tammy pulled the car to a halt.

  ‘Are you sure you’ll be okay driving back?’

  ‘Fine.’

  ‘I’m so sorry, Tammy.’

  ‘So am I.’

  ‘Can I call you in the next couple of days to see how you are?’ Amy said quietly as she opened the door to climb out.

  ‘Yes, of course. And thanks for being so great. Bye.’

  Amy watched the car do a U-turn and screech back down the drive. She then glanced up and caught Sebastian standing at his upstairs window, looking out at the disappearing taillights of Tammy’s car.

  Having just witnessed the pain moral deceit such as hers could cause, Amy wasn’t up to going inside to explain. She took her car keys out of her handbag, climbed into her own car and drove home to her children and her husband.

  Chapter 27

  Posy arrived home from dinner with Freddie feeling exhausted. Even though she was used to his mood swings – at one moment warm and effervescent, the next, distant and almost secretive – tonight he’d been unusually monosyllabic and she’d had to drag conversation out of him

  On top of that, Paul Lyons-Harvey, Nick’s friend, had been to look at the paintings in the house. Even though she’d thought she was resigned to the sale, hearing him talk of their value – or in most cases, the lack of it – had been the first real manifestation of the enormity of what she was about to do.

  She was surprised to see Nick’s car parked in the drive. She hadn’t been expecting him until tomorrow morning and for once, she didn’t relish her son’s presence. All she wanted to do was to make herself a hot water bottle and climb into bed.

  ‘Mum!’ A wild-eyed Nick was pacing round the kitchen. ‘Thank God you’re back. Has Tammy been here tonight?’

  ‘I’ve been out, Nick, but why should she have been?’

  ‘Because she left me a message on my mobile earlier saying she was coming here to see me, that she’d arrive about eight. I only listened to it about fifteen minutes ago and came straight here.’

  ‘I see. Well, Amy was here, and Sebastian. You’d better go up and ask him if Tammy arrived.’

  ‘No, Mum, I don’t like to disturb him.’

  ‘He rarely sleeps before one or two,’ said Posy.

  ‘That’s me, the vampire who comes out at night,’ chirped Sebastian, entering the kitchen with his mug. ‘I came down for some cocoa. Hello, Nick. Blimey, it’s like Piccadilly Circus in this kitchen tonight.’

  ‘Sebastian, was Tammy here earlier?’ Nick followed him to the Aga as he heated some milk in a saucepan.

  ‘Yup,’ he nodded. ‘She got here just after eight.’

  ‘Was she okay?’

  ‘I’m not sure. I left Amy talking to her and scarpered upstairs to do some work. She did seem pretty surprised to see you weren’t here, though. I think she was under the impression you would be.’

  ‘Shit! How long did she stay?’ Nick ran a hand distractedly through his hair.

  ‘Oh, about fifteen minutes. Then both she and Amy went tearing off in her car. They arrived back here half an hour later. I’m afraid I snooped from my window and saw Amy get out of Tammy’s car, then get into her own and they both left separately. That’s all I know.’

  ‘How very odd,’ mused Posy.

  Nick looked at his watch. ‘It’s ten o’clock now. Amy will still be up, won’t she?’ he asked no one in particular as he walked over to the telephone, leafed through Posy’s address book and began to dial. ‘Amy? Yes, it’s Nick. I hear you saw Tammy tonight. Would you mind if I just popped round to yours now to have a word? Okay, thanks. See you in a few minutes.’ Nick slammed down the phone, grabbed his keys and headed for the door. ‘Bye, Mum, I’ll be in touch about tomorrow, but under the circumstances, I may have to drive to London tonight so don’t wait up for me.’

  ‘I won’t. Just keep in touch.’

  ‘I will, Mum. Bye.’

  Sebastian raised an eyebrow as they both heard Nick’s car fly over the gravel as it sped back down the drive. ‘And here’s me trying to make up fiction whilst the real-life plot thickens around me.’

  ‘Do I want to know what has happened?’ asked Posy tentatively.

  ‘I couldn’t say, I’m as much in the dark as you. Want some cocoa? You look frazzled.’

  ‘Yes please, and I am,’ agreed Posy.

  ‘Want to talk about it?’ suggested Sebastian.

  ‘Not tonight, no, but thank you for asking.’ Posy filled her hot water bottle. ‘Honestly, you’d think that when one got older, life would become less complicated.’

  ‘It doesn’t?’ he said, handing Posy her cocoa.

  ‘Unfortunately, it doesn’t. Goodnight, Sebastian.’

  Amy answered the door to Nick in her dressing gown.

  ‘Hi, Amy, sorry to drop in so late. Is Sam in?’ he asked.

  ‘No, he’s still out at the pub. He had to look after the kids until I got back here so I said he could go. Come in,’ she said, and he followed her into the tiny sitting room. ‘Sit down, Nick.’

  Nick did not sit down. He paced the room. ‘Amy, what happened with Tammy tonight?’

  ‘I don’t think it’s up to me to tell you. I think you’d better talk to Tammy.’

  ‘Where is she?’

  ‘She said she was going back to London, so I presume she went home.’

  ‘Christ! How was she when she realised I wasn’t at Admiral House?’

  ‘Upset. Very.’

  ‘Did you go looking for me?’

  Amy nodded silently.

  ‘And did you find me?’

  ‘Yes, Nick, we did. I’m sorry.’

  ‘But how . . .?’ he shook his head. ‘You didn’t tell her, did you?!’

  ‘No, I didn’t! The reason Tammy came down to Southwold was because she suspected something was up beforehand. She knew about Evie. She’d taken a call on your mobile from her and put two and two together.’

  ‘So I presume Tammy asked you to show her where Evie lived? Where she suspected I might be?’

  ‘Yes, she did, and she – we – saw your car. What could I do? I had no idea whether you’d be there
or not.’ Amy was beginning to feel upset and more than a little angry. ‘This situation is nothing to do with me and I really don’t want to be blamed or involved.’

  ‘No, of course not.’ Nick slumped into a chair. ‘I’m sorry I shouted at you. Oh Amy, what on earth do I say to her? How do I make her understand?’

  ‘I don’t know, Nick. I thought you loved Tammy.’

  ‘I do, I do. But there’s a situation . . . oh God . . .’ He shook his head helplessly. ‘There’s nothing I can do.’

  ‘Look, it’s absolutely none of my business what you do in your private life, but it’s obvious that you were with Evie tonight. Perhaps if you try and explain the reason you were there, Tammy will understand. I know she loves you very much, but you’ve hurt her, badly.’

  Nick stared into the distance. ‘Maybe it’s for the best. I mean, how did I ever think I could have it all? It would never have worked. How could it?’

  Amy watched him, confused. ‘Nick, you’re not making any sense.’

  ‘No, I’m sure I’m not.’ He stood up. ‘Sorry to bother you, Amy. It’s late. I’d better go. Thanks for telling me.’

  ‘Are you going back to London now?’ she asked as she led him to the front door.

  Nick shrugged. ‘There’s no point. I can’t even begin to explain, and as I said, there’s absolutely nothing I can do. See you.’

  Amy let him out of the front door, not understanding why, when it was obvious what he had done, she felt a wave of sympathy for him.

  Chapter 28

  On Monday morning, Sebastian knocked on the door of Freddie’s cottage.

  ‘Hello, Sebastian, what are you doing here?’ Freddie asked as he led him into the sitting room.

  ‘I thought I’d drop by on the off-chance to tell you that my contact on my old news desk has come up with some very interesting stuff on Ken Noakes. He ran his surname through his computer and past his sources.’ Sebastian pulled some sheets of paper from his pocket and unfolded them. Then he searched for his reading glasses and put them on. ‘Kenneth Noakes was the sole director of a property company in the late nineties. He was building a few smart houses on some land he’d bought from a local school in North Norfolk. He took the deposits but then, a few months later, declared himself bankrupt. The properties were only at foundation stage and the creditors received little or nothing in recompense.’