False Pride

by Veronica Heley

  Long after Bernice’s family had been reassured that she was safe … and William had been informed that Bernice was back in the arms of her family …

  After the family’s solicitor had finally surfaced and been put in the picture …

  And after Bea had taken notes of the personnel Lord Rycroft would like the agency to produce for interview; at least one more housekeeper, another administrator and more personnel for the office …

  After all that, while Bea was thinking about what she could scratch together for supper, she and Piers stood at the window overlooking the garden and watched as Lucas, Lord Rycroft, jacket off and sleeves rolled to his elbows, fished in the pool for the hidden jewellery while Magda stood by with clean tea towels to dry the objects off as they were handed up to her.

  Piers had dropped them into the water when they’d needed to find a good hiding place for the jewels. The sparkle of the fountain had multiplied the brilliance of the diamonds, but a casual eye wouldn’t have seen anything unusual in the water. And nobody had. As Bea had said, only an artist would appreciate the cleverness of hiding diamonds in water.

  Now and then Lucas looked up at Magda and said something which made her smile and shake her head.

  Piers said, ‘A shame we can’t hear what they’re saying.’

  Bea smiled. ‘Do we need to? Isn’t it clear what’s going on?’

  Lucas and Magda counted out the spoils of their fishing expedition. They moved to sit on the bench nearby. Magda began replacing the jewels in their boxes, while Lucas put his arm along the top of the bench behind her. Magda’s eyes were on her work.

  Lucas said something to her and she lifted her face to his.

  A sleek head inserted itself between Piers and Bea. The unmistakable aroma of cheese and tomato filled the air.

  Bernice crunched on the large slice of pizza she was holding. ‘You were so long, I got something out of the freezer for myself. Is he going to kiss her? Is he going to lay her down on the grass and have his wicked way with her?’

  What on earth has she been reading?

  Piers sighed. ‘If he doesn’t, he’s a fool.’

  Bernice said, ‘I don’t understand why kissing with tongues is supposed to be so good. It doesn’t do anything for me.’ She slurped from a tin of Coca-Cola.

  Bea and Piers looked down at Bernice. Then they looked at one another. In shock.

  Piers said, ‘You’re a bit young for it yet, brat.’

  Bernice didn’t take offence. She nudged Piers with her elbow. ‘Tom cat!’

  Piers laughed. He wasn’t taking offence, either.

  Down below in the garden, two people experimented with a kiss.

  A long, long kiss. Then Magda was lifted onto Lucas’s knee, and the jewellery was forgotten.

  Bea stirred herself. ‘Come along. That’s private. Bernice, is that going to be enough for your supper? Piers, what about you? And oh, heavens! I forgot. Bernice, I have to ring the school and tell them you won’t be back till tomorrow.’

  ‘Not!’ said Bernice.

  ‘Quarrelled with your best friend, have you?’ said Piers, with considerable affection in his voice. ‘Want to stick pins into her? What’s she done to upset you?’

  Bernice avoided that. ‘I want to learn Mandarin. The future lies in trade with the Far East. They don’t do Mandarin at that school. I asked. So I need to change schools.’

  Bea said, ‘No, you don’t need to change, Bernice. I’ll organize you a tutor in Mandarin. The family fund will pay. And, unless I’m mistaken, your headmistress will be over the moon to be able to tell parents that she can now offer Mandarin, in addition to other languages.’

  Bernice slurped Coca-Cola again, making rude sucking sounds. Hadn’t she heard what Bea had said? Yes, of course she had. So there was something else bothering her?

  ‘Puberty!’ said Bea. ‘Of course. Alicia’s hit puberty and you haven’t, yet. Don’t worry. It will happen soon enough.’

  ‘She’s disgusting,’ said Bernice. ‘She’s gone all pink. I hate pink.’

  Piers fidgeted. ‘I don’t paint children. You’re violet and gold. With a slash of silver.’

  ‘What?’ Bernice gave him an old-fashioned look. Then to Bea, ‘What’s he talking about?’

  Bea said, ‘He wants to paint you. It’s going to drive him nuts till he does.’

  ‘I don’t paint children,’ said Piers, striding about the room. ‘I never have, and I never will!’

  Bea said to Bernice, ‘Take no notice. He gets like this when inspiration strikes.’

  Bernice said, ‘Will my picture be in the Summer Exhibition? I wouldn’t mind that.’

  Bea said, ‘One in the eye for Alicia?’

  Bernice smirked. ‘I’m sorry I caused so much trouble this weekend. Only, it was upsetting. I thought you and William were going to get married and live in his country house, and I liked that idea. But now he’s all over this fat, greasy woman who took us sailing. She’s got an awfully bad complexion but he seems to like her and Alicia is pleased about it. How could she!’

  Bea rubbed out a smile. Even if she didn’t want William any more, it was pleasant to know that her replacement in his life had bad skin.

  Piers said, ‘I do not paint children! Ever. This is ridiculous!’

  Bernice set down her empty Coke tin. ‘Why did you and Piers break up, anyway?’

  ‘What?’ Piers stopped pacing. He looked from Bernice to Bea, and slowly crimsoned … and as the colour had faded, he looked tired. ‘Yes, I suppose this is as good a time as any to confess.’

  Bea flushed. ‘No, don’t. It’s all right. Bernice, this is no business of yours.’

  ‘Yes, it is,’ said Piers. ‘At least, it might be if …’ He swallowed. ‘All right, this is the truth. Bea and I got married far too young. I was fresh out of art college and hadn’t yet earned a penny, while Bea took on any old jobs to keep us fed and watered in that horrible little flat. My ego couldn’t stand Bea being the provider in the marriage. My stupid pride! It ate away at me. I offered to go and get a job in a supermarket, but she wouldn’t have it. She said I would make good one day, but then we had a child and she had to work harder than ever. I just couldn’t take it.

  ‘When women smiled at me it made me feel better, so I rationalized my bad behaviour. I pretended that I responded to women in order to get a fee for painting them, but that wasn’t it, really. I didn’t give a toss about them. I could see I was hurting Bea but I went on and on … and yes, I felt guilty, but I couldn’t seem to stop. And then she threw me out. I saw it coming, but … I always thought that I’d get her back some day. Only she met Hamilton just as I was beginning to earn a decent living and that was that. And I’ve been hanging around wanting to say I was sorry ever since.’

  Bea told herself that she wasn’t going to pass out. She wasn’t the fainting sort.

  She wondered if she could get away with killing him with her bare hands. Perhaps she could bury his body in the garden.

  All those years!

  She’d had a wonderful, loving relationship with Hamilton, of course. She didn’t regret marrying him, not for a minute.

  She’d been luckier in love than Piers, if it came to it. He’d had nothing but a string of short-term relationships which hadn’t lasted.

  She supposed she’d always known Piers would want to come back at some point.

  She didn’t have to take him back.

  No way!

  On the other hand …

  He was part of her. Always had been. She missed him.

  He was looking at her with a mixture of defiance and guilt. He was trying to pretend that he didn’t care what she said. But he did, didn’t he?

  He was expecting her to throw him out.

  And she could. Of course she could. Her life was just perfect as it was. She didn’t need him, or anyone.

  Bernice said, ‘Well, say something! Kiss her, why don’t you?’

  Bea didn’t know how she felt. She said, ‘I do
n’t know. I really don’t know …’

  Piers said, ‘We could, perhaps, talk about it?’