The Affair

by Amanda Brooke

  ‘It’s OK,’ Vikki said, her voice cracking. She wanted her mum back more than anything.

  ‘I worry that you’re taking on too much. If I’d known how useless I was going to be, I’d have taken the financial hit and cancelled the New Year bookings as well, but it’s too late now, they’d never be able to make alternative arrangements,’ she said before her daughter could challenge her. Her guests would arrive shortly after Elaine’s next and final round of chemo, and neither were under any illusions that it was going to be easy. ‘But at least they’re regulars. I’m sure they’ll understand if I let standards slip a little this year.’

  ‘I’ll do my best not to let you down.’

  Elaine’s eyes glistened. ‘I know, and I wasn’t suggesting otherwise, but you will tell me if you’re struggling, won’t you? I can always ask Lesley to come over more, or hire extra help.’

  ‘We’ll manage.’

  Elaine slipped her fingers beneath the beanie hat and scratched her head. ‘And you would tell me if there were any other problems, wouldn’t you? It’s just that I was surprised Rob didn’t call in over the weekend. Is everything all right between you two?’

  ‘Yes, of course it is. He’s busy with school stuff, that’s all.’

  ‘Why don’t you meet him for an early lunch and get some colour into those cheeks,’ she said with a knowing smile.

  Vikki pulled at the unkempt curls which had fallen loose from the elastic band she had quickly used to tie her hair back earlier that morning. ‘Because I look a mess,’ she said, ‘and besides, now you’re up and about, I’ll be off home soon.’

  Before Elaine could respond, Vikki hurried into the utility room. Trying not to think about how much she was missing Rob, she concentrated on loading the washing machine. With one job less, she slipped on her mum’s parka and a pair of boots before heading out into the biting wind. She kept her head down as she followed the path to the front of the house and didn’t immediately notice the Range Rover that had pulled on to the drive and was parking up outside one of the holiday cottages.

  The driver, who was in her forties and immaculately dressed, was someone Vikki recognized even before she had rolled down the tinted window. She had imagined confronting Sarah Tavistock countless times, but for the moment she was lost for words. ‘Oh,’ she said.

  ‘I wanted a word with Mrs Seymour. Is she in?’

  ‘She’s not well.’

  Sarah shifted uncomfortably. ‘Is there anyone else I could speak to?’

  From her tone of voice, Sarah was in search of an adult to speak to, and had clearly discounted Vikki. As well as not washing her hair, Vikki hadn’t applied any makeup, having long since abandoned all hope of competing with the other mums at the school gates. There were far more important things to worry about. ‘Can I help? I’m her daughter.’

  ‘Oh,’ Sarah said, taken aback. ‘You wouldn’t be Mrs Swift, would you?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Gosh, I never expected you to be so young. Can we talk?’

  More determined than ever to prove that she was not a child, Vikki led Sarah to the smaller of the two cottages. It was an open-plan design with split levels to accommodate a bedroom above the kitchen with a view over the living room. Ignoring the more comfortable seats, Vikki ushered Sarah to the small breakfast table. She didn’t bother to put the heating on and kept her coat fastened. Her nemesis was twice her age, she was richer, more experienced and under present circumstances, had more power over Vikki’s life than she should, but Vikki wasn’t about to be intimidated – or at least, she wasn’t going to let it show that she was. ‘I don’t want to leave Mum for long.’

  ‘That’s perfectly understandable,’ Sarah said. She drew a deep breath before adding, ‘I know you and your mum feel very strongly about the houses I’m building, and I should say at the outset that I’m not here to be persuaded to give up on those plans. I’ve invested too much in this project to abandon it now. Neither would I want to.’

  ‘So what do you want?’

  ‘To all intents and purposes, we’re about to become neighbours, at least until the works are complete.’

  ‘It’s my mum who lives here, not me,’ Vikki said. She had no interest in making friends with this woman. There would be no trips over the road with pots of tea and bacon butties to keep the builders happy.

  ‘I know, and I can only imagine how difficult it must be for you both right now.’

  Vikki was unimpressed. Sarah Tavistock was obviously well-informed, but her words of sympathy were worthless. If the woman had any decency, she would have withdrawn the planning application.

  ‘I wanted to come over and at least talk to you about the development. I thought it might help allay some of your fears,’ Sarah continued. ‘As you’ll know, we’ve been working with the planners to minimise the impact on the surrounding neighbourhood. We’ve agreed to move the main entrance road to the west side, which should be less disruptive. This has meant shifting a couple of the houses – I could show you a plan, if you’d like?’

  ‘I’ve seen a copy, thanks.’

  ‘Good,’ Sarah said. She was doing her best to sound at ease, but her fidgeting fingers gave her away. ‘I know your mum is used to seeing green fields from her doorstep, and that’s going to be a loss, but we’ve agreed to plant trees along the perimeter of the estate to screen the new houses from view. The planners have specified the general type of tree, but we can choose the species and I thought that you—’

  Vikki’s heart raced as she felt a swell of anger. ‘Is that how you think you can win us over, by letting us pick out trees? Look, I’m sure you mean well, but you’re wasting your time offering olive branches, or any other species of tree you might choose. It’s not going to make up for turning the field into a housing estate.’

  Rather than take offence, Sarah simply raised an eyebrow as if she were bemused by this childish outburst. Vikki tried to imagine herself in the middle of a business meeting and pulled back her shoulders. ‘Can I just ask, why did you need to build houses over there anyway when there are so many sites in town in desperate need of development?’

  ‘Yes, I know, and the lists you provided in your objection letter were certainly thorough. You have a good eye for potential investments.’

  Hating herself for feeling a swell of pride, Vikki said, ‘I worked in an estate agents for a while, and my dad was an architect so I learnt a lot from him. I helped with the designs for this place.’

  Sarah cast a critical eye over the cottage with its reclaimed oak beams and flagstone flooring. ‘I’m impressed,’ she said. ‘And if you really want to know why I picked the site, it’s because I was after something on a grander scale than my usual scatter-gun approach.’

  ‘So you can be lady of the manor?’

  Vikki blushed at her own rudeness, but Sarah smiled as if it had been compliment. ‘I suspect you might be right. My father was a family butcher with the emphasis on the word family. I inherited the business, but carving up dead animals was never going to be my vocation in life. I much prefer breathing life into new projects, and I get the feeling that’s something you might appreciate.’

  ‘Not when it’s right on my doorstep,’ Vikki said, fighting against Sarah’s charm offensive.

  ‘Your mum’s doorstep,’ Sarah corrected. She was tapping her fingers gently against the surface of the table as she scrutinized Vikki’s face. ‘I’m sorry, I keep looking at you and thinking we’ve met before. Did you go to school with my daughter Charlotte, by any chance?’

  ‘We were in gym club together,’ Vikki said flatly.

  ‘That’s it! My goodness, you haven’t changed a bit.’

  Vikki felt her jaw clench. She would have been thirteen at most the last time Sarah had seen her.

  ‘Charlotte was in awe of you,’ Sarah continued. ‘You could have gone far, but you gave it up, as I recall.’

  ‘It took up too much of my time.’

  ‘Yes, it was the same for Charlotte, al
though she never had anything like your ability. She’s at university now,’ Sarah added. ‘Where did you go?’

  ‘I left school after my A levels,’ Vikki said, playing with the ring on her wedding finger.

  Sarah shrugged. ‘It’s not for everyone, and I’ve managed perfectly well without some fancy qualification. Some things can’t be taught; you either have an eye for property development or you don’t – wouldn’t you agree?’

  Rising to the challenge, Vikki said, ‘If you were looking for something bigger, did you never consider the old Ellison House?’

  When Sarah looked none the wiser, Vikki added, ‘It’s a little bit further out of town, but no more than a five-minute drive from here. It used to be an adventure playground.’

  ‘Of course; yes, I know the place. I never went there myself – it was known as a bit of death-trap. As I recall, some poor boy broke his leg and they closed the place down.’

  Vikki decided against confessing that the boy in question was Rob; their discussion was getting far too intimate for her liking and that wouldn’t do at all. ‘It’s a beautiful house, or at least it could be.’ She was about to offer ideas on how the property could be split into luxury apartments, but managed to stop herself.

  ‘Do you still work for an estate agent? I’m surprised I haven’t dealt with you before now.’

  ‘No, I left to have my daughter, but it’s something I might go back to now she’s started nursery,’ Vikki said as if it were a simple choice she could make on the spur of the moment.

  ‘You should, you have a lot of untapped potential,’ Sarah said. ‘And unfortunately, so does the new site. Even if I were to consider mothballing the development, which I’m not, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that the land would be sold with planning permission. Someone would build on it eventually.’ There was a sharp intake of breath. ‘Sorry, I didn’t think. I suppose a delay would be better than nothing, if it meant your mum wouldn’t have to see new houses blight her view.’ She gave Vikki a sympathetic look before adding, ‘If it’s not too intrusive a question, how long …?’

  She let her words trail off as if it were obvious what she was alluding to, but Vikki was momentarily confused, and then shocked. ‘You mean, how long does she have left to live?’

  Sarah nodded.

  ‘She’s not dying.’

  Sarah’s features paled. ‘Oh, good Lord, I’m so sorry. I thought … I was told …’

  ‘You were told what?’ Vikki asked, while a frightened voice in her head wondered if this woman knew more about her mum’s condition than she did. The Tavistocks had plenty of connections. Had they been able to access her mum’s medical records to check how much trouble she might cause? Was this another secret her mum and Rob were protecting her from? Or, for that matter, were the doctors hiding the truth from her mum?

  ‘I was obviously misinformed. I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. My friend’s daughter goes to Sedgefield High, she must have picked up on the gossip and got it completely wrong. I should have remembered what a terrible rumour mill a school can be.’

  ‘Mum is having cancer treatment, but she will beat it,’ Vikki said firmly. She wished she could be angry with this woman, but Sarah looked mortified.

  ‘I’ve made a complete mess of this. I came over with the intention of building bridges, but I’ve probably made things ten times worse.’

  When they parted company, Vikki didn’t know what to make of Sarah and was left feeling confused. It would have been so much easier if she hadn’t visited at all. From a distance, Vikki could hate the cruel and callous property developer. In person, Sarah was something else entirely; she was someone Vikki reluctantly admired.

  Friday, 25 December 2015

  There had been moments over the last week when Vikki had caught Rob wincing as Freya raced around the house with boundless energy, and she wondered if he might be missing his periods of solitude. She would be glad if he was; it would make leaving him again so much easier when her mum had her final round of chemo, scheduled between Christmas and New Year. It was something that Vikki certainly had mixed feelings about. The end of the year would mark the end of her mum’s treatment plan, after which they would have an anxious wait to discover if it had worked – or not.

  With so much uncertainty, Vikki refused to look to the future. She had lost her nerve, and if she had a plan at all, it was not to rush into any decisions. It was hard enough dealing with one day at a time; the idea of mapping out the rest of her life was beyond her, whether that was the life of a mother with a growing brood, or a motivated professional who would be an asset to any willing employer who would have her. Even Christmas, normally her favourite time of the year, was proving to be a challenge.

  ‘Sorry for not helping more,’ Rob whispered in her ear as they watched Freya unwrap her gifts on Christmas morning.

  ‘I ordered most of it online, and had it delivered to Mum’s,’ she confessed.

  ‘Including those?’

  Rob tipped his head towards the pair of trainers she had given him. He hadn’t been jogging for years, but running seemed to help relieve the stresses of school and family life and there was no doubt he had been under pressure of late.

  ‘I could hardly ignore all those hints you were dropping, now could I?’

  He kissed her neck. ‘If only you’d made it so easy for me,’ he said. ‘I didn’t have a clue what to get you.’

  Vikki had been dropping hints about needing to get in shape and tone up her body. She had wanted a gym membership so she could join some of the other mums for a workout while Freya was in nursery, keeping fit and making friends at the same time. The hints had been far too subtle for Rob, however, and he had bought her silk lingerie that was a size larger than she wanted to be. She supposed she should be thankful he hadn’t bought her some granny knickers.

  ‘You did pretty well,’ she said.

  He traced a finger down the neckline of her pink silk robe and across her collarbone. ‘I might be able to do better, though,’ he said with a smile.

  Before she could ask, he had pulled a small box from his pocket, and she squealed with excitement. Vikki shouldn’t have been surprised that Rob would play a trick on her and hold back on the best present; he liked catching her off guard. And she wasn’t fooled by the jewellery box: it was still big enough to conceal a gym membership card. When he opened the box to reveal a white gold pendant with a pretty cluster of sparkling diamonds, she felt a stab of disappointment which Rob didn’t deserve.

  ‘Oh, Rob, you shouldn’t have, it’s beautiful,’ she said, recovering quickly.

  Rob took the necklace from the box and fastened it around her neck before Vikki had time to look at it properly, so she had to rely on his description as he said, ‘I know it’s only small but, when I saw it, I knew it was perfect. Each diamond represents each of us. Me, you, Freya and even that last little one. A new baby that’s still a twinkle in her mummy’s eye.’

  His words were choked with emotion and he had to look away. ‘But not for ever,’ she said, her guilt deepening. Was she denying Rob his deepest desire while she prevaricated?

  When Rob turned back there was such an intensity in his eyes. ‘You being away so much has only made me appreciate you more. I keep thinking of that first time we brought Freya home; it made our family complete and a new baby is going to make it so much stronger. I can’t wait,’ he said, but gave her the saddest look when he added, ‘And that was not meant as a hint, by the way. I will wait, as long as you want.’

  As if to prove the point, he left Vikki to her thoughts while he helped Freya unwrap another present. Vikki played nervously with the four small diamonds weighing heavily around her neck. ‘Maybe we should think about it once Mum’s got her results.’

  Freya was perched on Rob’s knee now as he turned back to her. ‘I know, but can you imagine how happy Elaine would be if there was a new baby to look forward to? It would make her all the more determined to fight back, which is exact
ly what she needs. It worries me that lately she seems to have lost, dare I say it, her will to live.’ When he realized Vikki was fighting back tears, he reached out and took her hand. More softly, he added, ‘Your dad never got to see Freya, and I’d hate it for our kids not to know your mum properly either. I know we still have my parents, but how often do we go down to Plymouth to see them? Your mum means as much to me as she does to you. I’d do anything to help her get better. Wouldn’t you?’

  Vikki felt a sharp pain in her chest at the thought of her mum not being in their future. ‘Yes, of course I would. I’d have ten babies if it got Mum through this.’

  Rob’s whole face lit up. ‘So that’s a yes?’ Before Vikki could reply, Rob had lifted Freya up so she was facing him. ‘Did you hear that, Freya? You’re going to have a baby brother or sister.’

  When Freya released an ear-piercing scream of delight, Rob winced and added, ‘Although God knows why I’d want another one of these.’

  ‘Yes, yes, yes!’ screamed Freya, jumping up and down on her daddy’s knee.

  Rob had a wide grin on his face as he looked to Vikki. ‘I know we shouldn’t wish our lives away, but I can’t wait until next Christmas now. We might have our new baby by then, if we’re lucky. Can you imagine it?’

  Rather than wait for an answer, he began tickling Freya until her face went bright red. ‘Stop it, Daddy!’ she screamed.

  As Rob carried on tickling Freya, Vikki stood up to stretch her spine and felt a surge of nostalgia as she thought back to the later stages of her pregnancy when she had been carrying Freya. Was she ready to do it all again? Judging by Rob’s reaction, she didn’t really have a choice. And maybe he was right, maybe a new baby would give her mum a future to look forward to instead of one to dread.

  Freeing himself from Freya, Rob got up and slipped his arms around a troubled-looking Vikki. ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’

  With her heart hammering in her chest, Vikki nodded. ‘Yes.’