by Karen Aldous
‘Is your assistant manager here? I’d like to speak to him or her?’
His squinting eyes, along with the mushed up nose and mouth, expressed it all. ‘But it is impossible. Only possible Wednesday at eleven o’clock.’
‘Right. Wednesday at eleven o’clock.’ Closing her eyelids, she let her breath go as she said it.
Evie looked up at the sky and pedalled faster. It was becoming darker, as grey clouds turned to gun-metal and the wind whipped them speedily overhead. Lightning struck close by, too close. Automatically, her head swung back to check Charlotte, also wrapped in waterproofs. Thunder crashed after it, followed by the splash of the downpour. Passing the crew site, she saw Ravi and several of the cameramen running in various directions with water-proof covered equipment. They’d obviously heard the imminent storm. It wouldn’t stop her though; she raced ahead, the rain beating into her face, eager to get her daughter home. Boats climbed the Fonserannes Lock, many were mooring, two chugging towards her.
‘What the…’ She wobbled but kept pedalling, her eyes veering over to them whilst trying to look where she was going. A small group crowded the front of the second boat and two of them, hair soaked, included Ben and Seb. Her gut wrenched. They appeared to be in conversation and Seb was bashing Ben’s shoulder in a brotherly way like they were great pals… or was it something more sinister? Fear rushed through her. Seb could be looking to pick a fight. Ben might also, aware that Seb was now planning a wedding, and not to her. Evie swallowed hard, it felt as though abrasive grit was stuck in her throat. It was a sickening sight, and she desperately needed to speak to Seb! She couldn’t stop and how could she speak to him from here? In her waterproofs, a heat intensified as nausea rumbled violently through her. This was surreal. Ben knew exactly what a slimy manipulating bastard Sebastian Wilde was, so she was sure Seb hadn’t been invited. Furiously, she scrambled through the rain imagining a trail of steam to be snaking from her ears. Her body was hot, wet and exhausted, as well as angry and baffled.
Opening the latch, which was now broken, she entered, pulling the bike through and, resting her eyes on a slip of paper on the edge of the post box, she pushed the gate to, and rested Charlotte and the back of the bike against her body.
Sorry I missed you. Will try and call back later. X
The handwriting was rushed, uneven like the writer had penned it on a wall.
Steering the bike to the front porch and releasing Charlotte from her chair to the ground, Evie took her hand and led her to the kitchen door on the side of the house. Once in, she took off Charlotte’s raincoat and sat her on the sofa with her dolly
‘Mummy’s just going to the post box, poppet.’
Grabbing the post box key, she slipped off her helmet, pushed up the hood of her jacket and ran out to the box. She gathered the contents – several pizza delivery flyers and only four letters in four weeks – that just about summed up how much responsibility she had – but also, two set of keys. The one’s she’d left on the island, and a spare. She scooted back to the house, letting herself in the front door with the spare set of keys. They worked. So Seb had been back. She whipped off her coat and hung it up, noticing at the bottom of the stairs the case, bags and jackets she had taken to the villa on the island. Also among them, three boxes. She threw down the letters and shifted the jackets on top of the pile. She picked up the top box and removed an outer sleeve.
‘Blimey, a camera,’ she said, and from their boxes identified a new phone and a brand spanking new laptop. ‘Jeez.’ She jumped as the gate bell rang. ‘That has to be Seb.’ Running into the kitchen, she locked the side door and checked Charlotte was ok, before gathering her composure for what was going to be another fight. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.
Chapter 38
‘Ben,’ she said. It was more of a squeal. She cleared her throat. ‘Are you on your own?’
‘Yes. You ok?’ She drew the door back and he stepped in.
‘What were you doing with Seb? I saw you on the canal earlier. Have you been playing some kind of…’
‘What, hey, no, don’t be ridiculous, calm down,’ he said, wiping the wet from his face with his hand. ‘I saw you go past. I’ll explain, but I came to check you’ve got everything… and to apologise.’
Evie took his wet jacket and hung it next to hers. ‘What do you mean, have I got everything? Apologise? Oh, Charlotte’s on her own, come through.’
Ben slipped off his shoes and followed her to the kitchen. Evie stood at the breakfast bar, arms folded. Charlotte had clambered off the sofa and was wheeling her pushchair around the sitting room. Seeing Ben, she ran up with gusto.
‘Baby Cally, look.’ She shoved the doll into his ear as he bent down to greet her. ‘She crying.’
Ben laughed. ‘Poor baby Cally, do you think she wants a cuddle?’ he asked, kissing Charlotte’s forehead and squeezing her waist. Charlotte turned away, swaying her body as she rocked her dolly.
Evie paced, twirling her damp hair around. ‘Well. I can’t wait to hear how Seb wormed his way into Ben’s world?’
He scooped his fingers through dripping locks. His eyebrows did a dance as his eyes met hers. ‘It’s a long story but…’
‘Try me?’ She met his eyes for a few seconds but he looked away, rubbing his knuckles.
‘Evie, I’m sorry, I tried to stay out of it.’
A chill ran through her. ‘What do you mean?’ she asked.
Ben leant his hip against the breakfast bar. ‘I was so mad. It’s not like me to be impulsive but I felt so bad not telling you what I’d seen.’
She steadied herself on the back of a chair. ‘What, Ben, tell me?’
‘I saw Seb with this other woman.’
‘Yes, he’s engaged.’
Ben shuffled his feet, raising a brow. ‘So you know?’
‘On the way back from London, I saw it on Cally’s phone. An article. So, you were right about him being guilty… but you knew, didn’t you?’
‘I didn’t know who she was. I saw them coming out of an apartment block near me. I couldn’t say anything, not until I knew who she was. It could have been a sister, a colleague. I don’t even know if it was the same woman. I didn’t say anything to you because I could have been wrong, and you’ve only have accused me of meddling. That’s why I challenged him.’
Evie eyed him, frowning with suspicion.
‘Oh, Evie, if only you knew how angry I was. I was going to go along to the apartment block. It turned out, that same morning at the studio’s, he came into the gents when I was washing my hands. He must have been working in one of the other studios. He didn’t look good; I reckon on the verge of a mental breakdown. As soon as he saw me he started swearing and making accusations, which I put him straight about, by the way. Anyway, I couldn’t hold my tongue. Every word that gushed out of my mouth I couldn’t repeat here,’ he glanced at Charlotte, ‘I think you can guess anyway. Anyhow, I told him I wasn’t letting him out until he gave me some answers. He naturally said it was none of my business, and that I should leave you alone.
Ben paused, scratching his ear. ‘I told him I would personally go to the press if I didn’t get answers. I think he thought I was bluffing but I took my phone out and captured his face and his hand resisting me. He tried to take my phone but I pointed out to him we had footage of him, his ‘private detective’, of you, his villa on the island, and a sworn testimony from a witness seeing you being carried, to the island unconscious on the night you were drugged. I didn’t tell him who the witness is, but the helicopter pilot provided it. Seb mentioned he’d seen you in London and you had lawyers ready to pounce. Which I guess is what Cally implied.’
Instantly Evie clutched her arms at the enormity of the risk Ben had proposed. ‘Ben, I won’t let you risk everything.’
‘I don’t care. That man is menacing and has to be locked up. I tried to speak to you, that’s when Cally told me you had given him an ultimatum and deadline and to let you deal with it. I kicked
myself for getting involved. But,’ he squeezed his collarbone, ‘I was pretty bent out of shape when I left you that night, I couldn’t sleep. I wanted to offer you the flat to stay in until you have somewhere to go but I realised you’d want to do this your own. Anyway, the crux of all this is, he came here to see you earlier – to tell you he’d sorted everything…’
‘Well no, he hasn’t,’ she interspersed.
‘He was looking for you when I saw him at the harbour in Colombiers, we were just untying the ropes and he asked if I’d seen you. He’d been here and couldn’t find you.’ Ben straightened his back. ‘I wondered if he was seeking your co-operation to drop charges before he authorises things… but he said he had sorted everything’
‘He’s been. He left a note and our bags.’
Ben looked to the floor, squinting. ‘Oh shit. If they’ve got him, it could take a while. I’ve done it again!’ Ben clenched his jaw. ‘I rang the police to tell them he was down on the canal. So, what happens now, who knows. Where’s the note?
Evie twisted her mouth and pointed a finger. She ambled out to the hall.
Ben followed. ‘He seems to think his legal team are smart enough to keep him out of trouble but I think he’s deluded. I also asked what the hell he was thinking, leaving you the way he did on the island and putting you and Charlotte in such jeopardy.’
‘Oh, this will be interesting.’ Evie held onto the rail at the bottom of the stairs.
‘Sorry, but you’re not going to like this. Apparently, he says it was only when he fell in love with this American girl earlier this year that he began to panic. He said he didn’t know what to do. When the pressure got too much he thought it a good idea you disappear until the news of his engagement had broken. He said it all got out of hand. Anyway, he said he’d left you a note of apology.’
‘Noble of him.’ ‘I can’t believe he would ask me to drop charges. I think we all know what the answer to that would be. Christ, there’s no way I’m letting him off the hook.’
Ben’s smile melted into her, but she solidified quickly as something dawned. ‘Oh my God. You didn’t tell him about me staying at the flat?’
‘Credit me with some intelligence.’
‘Well he might have changed his mind if he found out.’
‘No of course not. So you paid a visit to a lawyer on Friday?’
She puckered her lips. ‘No, but he thinks I did. God knows how I convinced him.’ Evie took a deep breath. ‘But, yes, when I left your flat that morning, he walked past. I gave Seb an ultimatum. He was supposed to authorise an account for me. I was at the bank this morning. That’s why I missed him. But,’ she dug her hand into her coat pocket, ‘the bank hasn’t issued anything, so I still haven’t got my account. I can’t see the bank manager until Wednesday so I’ve still no idea.’
She handed him the note and headed back to the kitchen. Ben read it as he sauntered behind her.
As she entered the kitchen, Evie jumped as white light flashed before them, then a clap of thunder. Ben reached for her.
‘You ok?’
‘Yes, made me jump, that’s all,’ She felt the hairs rise on her skin at his touch.
He put the note on the side. ‘So he was coming back. I can only think he wants you to drop charges before he authorises the bank account. A sort of blackmail on blackmail.’
‘Possibly, but he has left me a new phone and laptop. They’re in the hall. Actually, I’ll get them.’
‘I can get them.’ Ben returned to the hall.
‘Thanks. I would rather have received an account number though. Do you want tea?’ she called, reaching for the kettle. Bloody bank manager. But, hey, what she’d invented on the hoof seemed to have kicked him into action. But now what was Seb up to?
Ben strode in with the boxes and placed them down on the kitchen table. ‘There’s some letters there too.’
‘Yes, I collected my post,’ she said, taking cups from the cupboard.’ ‘All our bags and clothes from the island were in the hall when I got back from Beziers. And my keys.’
‘Must have been him.’
Evie poured the hot water into the cups and headed for the fridge. She gazed down at the letters, puzzled. One was in a larger envelope, its appearance unusual. Picking it up, she tore through the top with her finger. Inside was thick parchment paper and as she slid it out, she let out a gasp.
‘Aahhheek. Oh my God, it’s here.’ Her lips curled up as her eyes widened. ‘My account number and bank card. Cheque books to follow. ‘Oh, brilliant, and… what’s this?’ She flipped the top page over, her fingers shaking. ‘A letter from a solicitor?’ Creasing her eyes, she read it through, trying to keep her hands from trembling, then gazed up at Ben. ‘The house will remain my property until Charlotte is twenty-one and then will automatically revert to her.’ She peered back at the letter. ‘We will get an allowance of… well, that’s generous, and I have full custody of Charlotte. Oh jeez, and,’ she flipped the page, ‘deeds to the house.’ She paused for breath. ‘It was here all the time. I didn’t even need to go to the bank. This was posted on…’ she checked the postmark. ‘Tuesday.’
‘So Seb was too late to negotiate. The manager had already posted it.’
‘So it seems.’ She couldn’t keep the smile from her lips. ‘Maybe he didn’t intend to. Or he wanted you to know so you wouldn’t go to the press. It doesn’t matter. Oh, Charlotte, we’re free.’
Charlotte looked up from her book. ‘We free, Mummy.’ Evie rushed over to kiss her child and wrapped her arms around her. ‘Oh poppet, Mummy will be in charge now. She won’t let anything happen to you.’
‘Oh Ben, I don’t know how I stood up to him but it worked. Well, plus your input of course. My own bank account. My independence. My mind back… well, that’s debateable but I can cope with that. I must charge my phone and tell Cally. Oh, do you have her number?’
‘Yes, here, on my phone. I’ll write it down.’
‘I’ve just realised. I could have rung him if I’d charged my phone. I have Seb’s number somewhere.’
‘Lose it. You don’t need it.’
She tilted her head mischievously. ‘Oh, I’m so happy.’
Ben smiled, ‘And you deserve to be.’ He trod tentatively towards her, holding out his arms. ‘Congratulations,’ he said drawing her into his arms. ‘You did amazingly.’ He leaned back to question her. ‘Quite the blagger, aren’t you?’
She scrunched her nose. ‘That is highly confidential information and I’d have to kill you if I told you.’
‘You have such hidden depths. And so modest. That’s what I love about you.’ He wrapped his arms tighter around her and Evie immediately felt her defences drop. His warmth and fragrance ricocheted through her. He was so genuine and noble; prepared to risk his whole future for her. He slipped his hands to her waist, his fingers smoothing the small of her back ‘Seb Wilde is completely bonkers. How did he not see you for what you are? I’d have killed to have been in his shoes.’
She glared at his lips, her head dizzy. They were so close. How easily she could reach them. ‘Oh, tea,’ she guffawed, stealing herself away and rushing to the stewing tea bags. Whoa that was close. ‘Do you like strong tea?’
Ben stepped back to the breakfast bar, momentarily closing his eyes. ‘Yep, oh and talking of strong, I forgot to mention how impressed I was with your full script. I’m learning so much from you and your talents.
‘Oh, good, you liked it,’ She beamed to herself as she added droplets of milk to steaming mugs. ‘Samantha asked me to meet up with her for the Mary Wollstonecraft project, so thank you for recommending me.’
‘Brilliant. You have such a rare talent. Everyone who’s read it is enthralled. I think it will be a huge hit. Our audience will be much wider and, who knows, it could be a box office hit. A classic even.’
‘Oh jeez, I…’ She handed him a mug, placing her own on the breakfast bar. ‘I must stop saying that, but, really? I know you’re being kind. It was your vision
and your script. I’ve only tweaked a few lines.’ Evie clenched her fists, urging herself back to earth. This was way more than she envisioned for her future.
Hearing an unusual beating sound, she frowned at Ben.
Ben rolled his eyes and put down his mug too. ‘Don’t underestimate what power Maria Mendoza’s character has,’ he said pulling out a wallet and then, grappling with the other pocket, pulling out his phone. ‘Excuse me,’ he said, pressing the phone screen. ‘Hi. Yes, what can I do for you? Well you can…’
Evie perched on a stool studying Ben as he listened, his brows rose, then knitted, his cheek twitched. Was this bad news? Something was sure to ruin this beautiful moment. Although she wasn’t going to allow any man to ruin her future again. She wasn’t going to be like Riquet’s wife, forced to do things just because her partner wanted her to. Nor was she going to be like the peasants, denied of recognition. She would be Maria, Riquet’s mistress, knowing her own mind, having her own identity. She had now removed the unscrupulous man and influence from her life, and Evie Grant was now calling her own shots… and Charlotte would hopefully be equipped to do the same. Thanks to the vision and strength Ben Aiden had somehow gifted her, she now had enough faith in herself to be an independent woman.
She leaned across and sipped her tea. Ben searched her eyes, stoking her heart.
He gave a final nod. ‘Thank you, inspector.’ He switched off the phone and placed it on the worktop. ‘That was the inspector I met here. They have arrested Seb Wilde and will be pressing charges. He says they probably have enough evidence to convict him of malicious intent and kidnap but would like me to bring you along to make a statement.’
Evie’s jaw dropped. ‘Oh, oh God, that’s good news,’ She cleared her throat, swallowing the shock. Then she added, ‘it means there will probably be a scandal though.’
‘They are trying their utmost not to cause one, for all our sakes, and apparently his lawyers are on their way. Don’t look so worried. They’ve got all the evidence they need from the house, and the helicopter pilot who witnessed your state. Yes, would you believe Seb couldn’t bribe him. I’m sure his lawyers will have everything under control. Whether he can get back on US soil to marry his fiancée, who knows?’