“Okay” Anna agreed. She did sympathise with Henry’s plight. After all, it was not so long ago that she was in a very similar position, but she equally felt a bit uncomfortable about the man who had nearly ruined their marriage now coming to live with them – even if it was just for a couple of weeks.
“Great. Thanks Anna. I’ll bring him back this evening then.”
“Okay.”
“I love you,” Richard said, about to end the call.
“Do you think I’m selfish?” Anna suddenly asked.
“What? Where did that come from?”
“Joy said I was selfish. I wondered if that’s what you thought too?”
“Don’t even think about what that woman said. She clearly has issues if she can just turn her back on the people she was supposed to care about and flounce off with the opposition. She obviously has no principles whatsoever, so is in no position to judge others.”
“I know,” Anna replied distantly. “But I think maybe she told me the truth. I have been selfish. Reading what I said to you in the Echo really shocked me. I just wasn’t supporting you Richard, and I want you to know I’m sorry. I don’t want to be like that any more.”
“I love you the way you are,” Richard said softly, “but life is so much easier for me when I know you’re by my side. So thank you.”
Libby physically deflated as she looked around the majestic vision that was Franchesca Carruthers’ home. It was beyond tasteful; lavish enough to let you know a lot of money had been spent, without being in any way gauche – a period property in its truest sense, with elaborate cornicing, solid oak doors and real fireplaces. Libby was dropping Jasmine in for a play date but Franchesca had immediately offered her a cup of tea – and almost certainly so she could get the lowdown on Anna and Richard. Ollie and Rupert hadn’t complained as it meant they got to go and play upstairs for a few minutes too in what, Libby had heard, was the most amazing playroom packed solid with toys and games.
As the kids played, Libby had been left to peruse the living room while Franchesca made the tea. Having taken in the furnishings, she moved on to the sea of family photos resting on top of the grand piano in the window. Libby noticed they were mainly of the kids, a couple of them including Franchesca – her blonde hair, tanned, glowing skin and ridiculously long legs showcased in each – and there were also a few very aged pictures of what looked like Franchesca’s parents’ wedding. Weirdly, thought Libby, there were none of Franchesca’s husband.
She leant closer to double check, when the door suddenly swung open and Franchesca arrived carrying a large tray with teapot, cups and biscuits laid out on top. She set it down carefully on the coffee table before turning her attention to Libby.
“Come and have a seat,” she said, gesturing towards the sofa. “We just don’t get the chance to have a proper chat in the morning so it’s lovely to get a few minutes to catch up.”
“Yes, it’s great,” Libby answered in what she hoped was an enthusiastic tone, all the while awaiting the inquisition. She watched Franchesca carefully pour the tea into the cups, placing a little teaspoon on the saucers before handing one over to Libby.
“So, how’s Dan?” Franchesca asked.
“He’s good,” said Libby, unsure of what she could add to her reply to make their lives sound more interesting. “He’s busy at work – they’ve landed a big entertainment client – so it means he has to stay on a bit later some evenings, but he still usually makes it back to help put the kids to bed.”
“That must be nice,” Franchesca said wistfully.
Libby had heard Franchesca’s husband was a big shot in the City so she assumed he probably worked late most evenings.
“Does Will put in long hours then?” Libby asked whilst reaching forwards to pick up her cup of tea.
“Long hours with other women,” Franchesca snarled. Libby slammed the cup back onto the saucer in a fruitless attempt to catch some of the tea that had sloshed over the top when her hand jolted with the shock of what she had just heard.
“You hadn’t heard?” Franchesca asked sceptically.
“No,” Libby heard herself whisper meekly.
“I threw him because he’s a philandering bastard, so I’m now officially a single mother. I can’t believe you hadn’t heard. It spread around the school in five minutes.”
“Sorry, I didn’t know. I’ve been a bit distracted lately.”
“It’s rather refreshing to know you’re out of the gossip circle,” Franchesca said, relaxing again. “And of course you’ve been distracted. What a time of it you must be having. Someone told me you were working with your sister now.”
“Yes, I’m handling her PR,” Libby said proudly.
“Gosh, what fun. You must be fighting the media off at the moment, she’s so much in the spotlight.”
“It definitely has its moments,” Libby answered, suddenly feeling the urge to check her mobile in case she’d missed any calls.
“Well, I hope you get that little shit Kelvin Davis out of office,” said Franchesca, her face contorting as though she were sucking on limes.
“You’re not an Alliance voter then,” Libby laughed.
“Actually, I’ve voted Alliance all my adult life, but not this time. My protest is on principle not politics. He behaved in a deplorable manner towards a very good friend of mine.”
Libby had not been involved in the world of politics for long, but the little she’d learnt in the past couple of weeks had taught her that any information on the opposition is useful information, particularly where there’s a hint of scandal.
“How awful,” she replied cautiously, making sure her voice carried just the right note of concern. “What…” she started quietly. “What was it that he did?”
Anna didn’t know whether it was pregnancy or a slight mellowing with age, but as soon as she saw Henry walk in the door behind Richard – his head bowed, and his face pale and drawn – she immediately felt a maternal urge to comfort and shelter him. As Richard walked nonchalantly into the living room, Henry had hung by the door, clutching a holdall bag in his left hand and looking as apprehensive as a little evacuee in the Blitz. Anna rushed over to take his bag and guided him into the room. She knew she should still hate him but, right now, that seemed akin to kicking a puppy.
“Come in and sit down, Henry. Just relax and treat the place as your own. Would you like a glass of wine?”
Henry’s eyes lit up. “I’d kill for one, thanks Anna. It’s been a bloody long day.”
“How did Portsmouth go?” Anna said, throwing the question to either man.
“Not bad,” Richard replied while he scoured the kitchen drawers for a bottle opener. Once retrieved, he was able to give a fuller account. “Obviously, we were there to push our benefit reforms, but as soon as we opened the floor to journalists’ questions, the only thing tabled for discussion was our marriage.” Richard shook his head in dismay as he began to fill three wine glasses.
“Just a spot for me,” Anna reminded him.
“We just need to use your presence tomorrow Anna, to really knock this one on the head,” Henry chipped in. “Richard said you’d be willing to say a few words to reporters and I think that would really help – as long as you’re comfortable with that?”
“Of course,” Anna smiled and couldn’t help but note the difference in Henry’s approach. Just a few weeks ago he would have been much more aggressive when asking her to help out and there would always be more than just a slight hint of emotional blackmail involved along the lines of “Richard is under a lot of pressure right now, Anna, and it is your role as leader’s wife to…”
She also noticed the change in her own attitude as to how she would have taken Henry’s input a few weeks ago, and how she was taking it now. She wondered if it was him or her that had changed more. Or had Joy’s absence somehow altered the dynamic between them? As she began to get to know Henry better, she was beginning to understand his frustration over her past behaviour. And t
he more she thought about it, the more she realised that Joy had done nothing to broker a truce between them, instead she had added fuel to Anna’s fire by encouraging her to rebel against Richard and Henry’s requests. Anna guessed that in some way this little game had given Joy a sense of power among a group of people by whom she felt dominated. After all, Henry had been very much a star appointment within the Social Democrats and attracted many column inches in his own right.
Anna listened as the two men chatted through the plan for Edinburgh the following day. She marvelled at their raw determination. They really wanted to win this election – and not just for themselves.
“I want to try and squeeze that visit in if we possibly can,” Richard told Henry. “I’ve read a lot about this specialist learning unit and I’d like to see for myself what they’re doing so right. It could be very important for our support in education plan.”
“It’ll push the rally back then which will mean we’re very late home,” Henry looked in Anna’s direction.
“That’s fine. I can sleep on the plane.” She nodded at Richard to reassure him, before settling back in the sofa to watch the two men at work again.
She could see why Richard had forgiven Henry now. The two of them had become inseparable in the last year as the momentum behind their cause intensified. At times in their conversation they were almost seamless in picking up on each other’s thoughts, which she found spellbinding to watch.
Seeing their commitment first hand, she couldn’t help but feel ashamed of the controversy she had stirred for them along the way. She wished she could take her selfish actions back. Instead, she would focus on what she could offer now. Whatever they asked of her, she would do. All her life she had craved fame and attention and, when it came, it did nothing to ease the pain of her past. That was a void that could never be filled. It was time to focus on others now. And she knew she would never have to completely leave her acting skills behind. After all, the performances she gave over the coming weeks would have to be the best of her career. There would be no dress rehearsal.
14
Our Marriage is Stronger than Ever – Lloyd
Wednesday, 22nd April, 2009, UK Newswire – The actress Anna Lloyd yesterday launched a staunch defence of her marriage to Social Democrats leader Richard Williams as she campaigned with her husband in Edinburgh.
She told reporters that she and Williams were now “an unbreakable force” following their recent marital turmoil in the wake of claims Lloyd had once worked as a professional escort.
Speaking as she and her husband greeted crowds of well-wishers along the Scottish capital’s Princes Street, she said: “Our recent separation only proved to us how much our marriage means. Our reconciliation is no publicity stunt, as the Sunday Echo’s cowardly, anonymous source will be well aware.
“Richard and I are firmly committed to each other and to winning the general election for the long-suffering people of this country. We are totally united in our marriage and our desire for change.”
The couple’s walk-about followed a speech by Williams outside the Scottish Parliament in which he pledged to strengthen devolution and “work with Holyrood for the benefit of the people of Scotland”.
The pair were well received by the Scottish public and politicians alike with many people presenting flowers and gifts to Mrs Lloyd.
Meanwhile, the Alliance MP, Lizzie Ancroft, poured cold water on the opposition leader’s reunion with his wife, calling it a “cynical ploy”.
Speaking to AllNews 24, Ancroft said: “Richard Williams and Anna Lloyd take the British public for complete fools if they think they can convince us all that they have genuinely put their differences behind them and are now a happy and committed couple.
“Anna Lloyd continues to act out her little soap opera – and though her acting may at times seem convincing – no one is fooled by the plot.”
Anna smiled as she watched herself – for what seemed like the one hundredth time – making her statement in Edinburgh. In Henry’s debriefing he had told her she “convincingly engaged with voters, showing both loyalty and love in her defence of Richard”. In other words, it went well. The clip had topped every TV news bulletin and the presenters on AllNews 24 were now about to lead a discussion on “RiAnnagate” as the press had dubbed the ongoing saga. Anna couldn’t help but laugh as they rolled out the same old “relationship expert” who had been making a small fortune in the last few weeks pontificating on a marriage she knew absolutely nothing about. She had to hand it to this woman though, she could keep the material coming. She never ran out of hand signals, gestures, looks and expressions to flag up as “significant”. Picking over yesterday’s outing she noted how Anna had leant in towards Richard as he spoke; “even stopping to touch his hand gently at one point and whisper a few words of encouragement”. In fact, what Anna had actually whispered was that she needed the toilet again and was going to have to make a run for it into Jenners department store. However, the upshot from this relationship expert was that she did believe Richard and Anna were still in love. So that was all right then. Anna switched off the television and made her way slowly towards the bathroom. She had another long and busy day ahead so Richard had allowed her to lie in until eight. She was due to meet Don Monteith for a late breakfast at ten, before meeting Richard on the campaign trail again at a car plant in Essex. She had been very excited when Don called on Monday evening to suggest they meet. He had even hinted that he might have a project in mind for her. But Anna also knew that now was not the time to be focusing on her career – both because of the election and the baby. Richard had encouraged her to go ahead and meet with Don anyway as he was a good contact – and they needed to keep him on side for the duration of the campaign. Henry had looked a little concerned at the mention of a possible film role – clearly imagining Anna about to embark on something akin to an Eyes Wide Shut sequel – but had managed to stay quiet which was the greatest sign to her yet that he was making a serious effort to maintain the now-easy truce between them.
Libby’s fingers trembled as they hovered over the telephone keypad. She knew all she had to do was dial Franchesca Carruthers’ number and ask her a straightforward question, but the thought was still terrifying. Would she take it the wrong way and just think Libby was using her connections for political gain? Or would she be able to see the bigger picture? As she began to punch the number into the pad, she hoped with all her heart that Franchesca was now a Social Democrat supporter.
It took a few long rings before she answered: “Franchesca Carruthers, hello.”
“Oh, hi Franchesca, this is Libby,” she began shakily. “I hope I haven’t disturbed you. I was looking for you at drop-off this morning but you’re too punctual for me…” Libby laughed awkwardly and, realising she was starting to stray off course, decided just to cut to the point. “Look, I hope you don’t mind me asking you this, but… you may have noticed that the Alliance Party are running a bit of a smear campaign against Anna and Richard.”
“That had come to my attention, yes,” Franchesca scoffed.
“Well, I remember you told me you had a friend that had been treated very badly by Kelvin Davis and…” Libby took an involuntary breath, which turned into an audible gulp. “I wondered if you would mind asking her if she’d be willing to go public with it.”
“What do you mean ‘public’?” Franchesa asked.
“I mean, whether she would be willing to talk to the press.” Libby tensed again, shutting her eyes as she waited for the answer.
“Well…” Franchesca’s voice sounded unusually slight. “It’s not as easy as just calling my friend, I’m afraid.”
“Why not?”
“Because it was me who had an affair with Kelvin. I guess you could say it was a counter attack for the many times Will had cheated on me.”
“Oh,” was all Libby could muster.
“Look, Libby,” Franchesca continued. “I’ve been following everything that’s been said abou
t your sister, and I think it’s completely disgraceful. Kelvin Davis is a conman and a liar who should be exposed, but I can’t put my children through a public scandal like that. It just wouldn’t be fair to them.”
Libby could tell the window of opportunity she had with Franchesca was closing fast, so she tried the only shot she had.
“How about if we didn’t reveal details of the affair, but simply said you went on a couple of dates together? It would still allow us to make the point that he tends to treat women badly. I think that would still be enough to weaken his stance and bring him down from the moral high ground he’s been trying to stand on.”
The phone line went quiet for a few agonizing moments as Franchesca thought the suggestion through.
“I’m going to need time to think about this,” she said finally. “I don’t care about what people think of me, but I don’t want my children to feel ashamed of me.”
“You wouldn’t need to give much detail, Franchesca. I think simply talking about the way he spoke to you would be enough, because there’s been rumours of his womanizing circulating for years, but this will be the first time someone actually talks about his attitude to women publicly. We are concerned that Kelvin is willing to stop at nothing to win this election, so we have to try and arm ourselves in any way we can. By doing this, you will genuinely be helping the Social Democrats to try and oust that man from power and undo the damage he’s been inflicting on us all for so long.”
“I hear what you’re saying, Libby. And I would love to help, I really would, but this is a very big ask.”
“I know, Franchesca. It’s not something I’m enjoying doing, but I’ve watched my sister and brother-in-law get dragged through the mud these last few weeks and I can’t just sit around and do nothing. I hope you understand that I just had to make this call.”
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