by Jacobs, Anna
Gerry wrapped everything up, remembering to thank people for what they’d done, which Edward said was important. He tried to brush it off when some of them commiserated with him on the way he’d been treated, hoped he hadn’t shown how upset he was.
Afterwards he went across to the bar opposite, which was used by quite a lot of television staff and the inevitable journalists on the hunt for a juicy story. He found a quiet corner and sat sipping a beer, feeling gutted.
People who didn’t know the situation were now going to think he was incompetent. Edward had always managed to control his cousin and hide how volatile Pete could be, but no one else could keep him in order. Maybe Gerry should resign. But if he did, people might think he’d been sacked.
What the hell was he to do? He knew he wasn’t in a position to manage next week’s show.
‘You look a bit down in the mouth.’
He glanced up. ‘Maggie. Hi. Haven’t seen you for a while.’
‘Been doing a stint in the EU, Paris and Brussels mainly.’
‘Lucky you.’
‘I saw the show tonight. Bit harsh of Pete to blame you publicly.’
‘Yeah. Tell me about it.’
‘I heard Edward Newbury had quit and you’d taken over. They say Pete’s upset quite a few people this past week. I didn’t know he was such a prima donna.’
Gerry shook his head sadly. ‘The stories I could tell! Though I won’t. It was mainly his fault things went wrong tonight, not mine. He’s always wanting to chop and change the show at the last minute. If Edward had been there, he might have reined him in. I tried but Pete wouldn’t listen to me. He’s been even more of a pain to deal with ever since—’ He realized he’d nearly revealed what he’d overheard in the office and cut himself off short, gesturing to the seat next to him. ‘Buy you a drink?’
‘Yeah, that’d be good. My friends don’t seem to have fronted up tonight.’
‘I’m avoiding the crowd from the studio.’
The drink arrived and she sipped it, smiling. ‘It’s nice to catch up with old friends. I’m sorry you’re upset.’
She laid her hand over his and gave it a quick squeeze. He took hold of it, enjoying the comfort of a sympathetic listener.
‘What were you going to say about Pete? Ever since what?’
Gerry tapped one finger to his nose. ‘Confidential stuff.’
‘Oh, sorry.’
After a while, she suggested going out for a curry and he agreed. By the time they came out of the restaurant, his head was spinning from drinking too much too quickly, but he reckoned he was going to score with her.
When he woke up in the morning he had little recollection of coming home, though from the looks of the place, he’d shared his bed with Maggie. It wasn’t the first time. They’d been casual friends for a while.
In the kitchen he found a note. ‘It was good. See you soon. M.’
Smiling, he got some coffee, took a couple of painkillers for his hangover, then frowned. Damned if he could remember the last part of the evening. He didn’t usually get bladdered. But he’d been so upset about the way Pete had treated him.
Reluctantly he went to work. Someone had to pick up the pieces. But if Pete snapped at him once more, he was out of there. OK, so it had been a big opportunity to get this job, and while Edward was teaching him the ropes, it had been an excellent learning experience.
But no one, not even the oh-so-great Pete Newbury, was going to treat him like a doormat.
Edward invited Beth round to his place on the Wednesday night. He made her a simple meal and they ate it at his breakfast bar.
‘Would you mind if we watched the show?’ he asked afterwards. ‘I don’t want to bore you, but I’m a bit worried about how it’s going.’
They sat close together on the sofa, but he forgot about her as the show started, muttering occasionally, or shaking his head and making irritated noises.
‘It doesn’t seem to be flowing as smoothly as usual,’ she commented.
‘No. I’m sorry I’m such poor company.’
‘Doesn’t matter.’ She sneaked a quick look at his grim expression and didn’t comment on anything else about the show. If he wanted to talk, she was here.
When In Focus ended, Edward looked round for the remote, couldn’t find it so got up to switch off the television. He stood staring down at the blank screen, hands thrust deep in his trouser pockets. ‘I shouldn’t have walked out on him like that. I should have hired a replacement first. Gerry’s a good kid, but he’s not had enough experience and he’s too young to stand up to Pete.’
When Edward sat down beside her, she took hold of his hand, waiting. Minutes passed, then he gave her a wry smile. ‘I think we’re experiencing the Chinese curse.’
She smiled her understanding and chorused with him, ‘May you live in interesting times!’
They both laughed.
‘Well, I’ve certainly not been bored lately,’ she said ruefully.
‘Neither have I. It’s distracting me from my main purpose, though.’ He raised her hand to his lips and her heart did a little skip. But he didn’t take her in his arms, as she’d hoped.
‘I’ll have to go and see Pete. I can’t let the series flop.’
‘Won’t he find someone else to co-ordinate things next week?’
Edward let out a scornful snort. ‘Pete? He’s good at talking, not so good at doing, and he’s the world’s worst organizer. Fran had her uses, believe me, keeping him in order socially. And I’ve always been there to keep an eye on him at work.’
‘Now you’re feeling guilty for leaving him.’
‘Sort of. Though I’d been thinking about it for a while.’ He began to play with her bracelet in an absent-minded way. ‘It’s as if he hasn’t grown up in some ways. I believe he always means well, I really do, but he uses his charm to get things and win people round. He’s never had to struggle to achieve things as others have.’
He looked at her very directly. ‘Do you think you could ask your mother to hold back on contacting him until I’ve sorted out the show?’
She shook her head. ‘Even if I asked, it’d do no good. Edward, she’s waited for thirty-eight years to find out what happened to him. It’s a credit to how strong she is these days that she didn’t rush round to see him straight away, but she knew it wouldn’t be fair to do it just before the show. She’s absolutely desperate to see him.’
‘I’m sure she is. And look – I don’t want that Pete thing to come between you and me.’
‘It’s going to make things awkward.’ She took her hand away and stood up, moving across to the big picture window. ‘Perhaps you and I had better stop seeing one another till it’s been sorted out. It’s not just Mum, I’ve got Jo and Ghita to deal with as well.’
‘And I’ve got my Aunt Sue to look after. She’ll need to go into some sort of care for a time, till they’ve done some physio and rehabilitated her.’
‘How is she? I realized she must be on the mend for you to invite me round.’
‘Yes. It’ll take a while for her to recover, though. She’s still upset about Pete, which isn’t good. She didn’t know he’d been kidnapped, Beth. I swear she didn’t.’
‘I believe you. But he was. Perhaps someone was selling children and—’
‘I think my uncle might have bought a child, but I doubt he’d have got involved in a kidnapping. My aunt says she met the supposed mother, who was giving up her child because she wanted a better life for him.’
‘What a mess it is now!’ Beth said quietly, staring out at the lights of the nearby houses and apartment blocks. She watched the red lights of cars braking in the street and the more distant lights that twinkled on a nearby hill. She didn’t know what to do next. Did he want her to stay tonight?
He came to join her, enfolding her in an embrace, so that she leaned back against his chest.
‘Do you really want us to stop seeing one another, Beth?’
‘Definitely not.’
‘Nor do I. I meant it when I said I was courting you.’
It made her glow with pleasure. ‘I like it when you say that.’
‘Good. Somehow we’ll work our way through this mess. Trust me. And I’ll try my hardest to prevent your mother getting hurt any more.’
Beth hesitated. ‘I’d better tell you. At the weekend I gave Mum the address of Pete’s office. She promised to do nothing till the show was over for the week.’ She could feel him stiffen.
‘I wish you hadn’t done that, not yet anyway.’
‘She was sobbing, Edward. You should have heard the pain in her voice. She threatened to go and confront him at the studio next week if I didn’t. Surely it’s better to settle this privately, not make a public scandal of it?’
‘Yes, you’re right there. But I’m thinking of her, too. Her timing’s really bad. Pete’s been in a foul mood lately.’
‘I couldn’t have guessed there would be trouble with the show, or I’d have asked her to wait a little longer. But I have to confess, I don’t think she would have done. I’ve never seen her like this, so quietly determined.’
‘When is she going to confront him?’
‘Tomorrow, I suppose. She’s not a confronting sort, though, so I’m sure she won’t make a big fuss.’
‘He might.’
On the Thursday Linda took a deep breath and pushed open the door of Pete Newbury’s office, which had only PN Enterprises on the window outside.
The receptionist looked up. ‘Can I help you?’ Her voice was chill, her body language saying she wanted only to get rid of an annoying intruder.
‘I need to see Pete Newbury.’
‘I’m afraid he’s busy. If you’ll tell me what it’s about, perhaps I can help you? And could I ask how you found this address?’
‘That’s irrelevant. It’s a personal matter and you can’t help me. I’m not leaving till I see him.’
‘In that case, I’ll have to call the police to have you removed.’
Voices had been coming from behind one of the closed doors, two men arguing by the sounds of it. Linda decided to risk it and darted across the room before the receptionist had realized what she was doing. Flinging open the door, she saw Pete Newbury, face red with anger.
Both men turned to look at her.
‘Who the hell are you?’ Pete said. ‘Get rid of her, Ilsa.’
As the younger woman tried to pull her away, Linda clung to the door and yelled, ‘Does the word “kidnapping” mean anything to you.’
The other man came towards them, and for a moment she thought he was going to help push her out. Instead, his voice was gentle.
‘I’m Edward Newbury. I know your daughter.’ He held up one hand to stop the receptionist moving to intercept her. ‘Please leave this to me, Ilsa.’
For a moment it seemed as if the younger woman was going to ignore his quiet request, then Pete flapped one hand in a back-off gesture and she returned to her desk.
Linda took a couple of steps forward, her eyes devouring the man her son had become. This was nothing like seeing him on the television. He was bigger than she’d expected, starting to put on weight around the middle. He reminded her so much of her own father it hurt. ‘You’re taller than your father was and you look more like your grandfather than him.’
He took a step back as if trying to keep his distance, but his voice was shaky. ‘What do you want?’
She stopped moving and told herself to be calm. ‘To see you. Is that such a surprise? You are my son, after all. I’ve dreamed about this moment so many times and I—’ Then the room began to spin round her and she cried out in fear as she felt herself falling.
Pete saw the woman’s eyes roll up and realized she was going to faint. Automatically he stepped forward to catch her. She wasn’t very heavy, but was more sturdily built than his mother – his real mother, he reminded himself.
He looked at Edward for help but his cousin shook his head slightly and slipped out of the room.
As the door closed behind him, Pete looked down and saw she was starting to come round again. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her across to a sofa by the wall. Uncertain what to do next, he hovered for a moment then went back to his desk and pressed the button for Ilsa.
She usually answered his calls within seconds, but this time there was no sign of her. He guessed Edward was preventing her from coming in, and he was about to go out to fetch her when Mrs Harding groaned. She moved incautiously, nearly rolling off the sofa, so he had to rush back to make sure she didn’t hurt herself.
Her eyes opened and she blinked at him, looking disoriented. Then she let out her breath in a soft ‘Ohh’ sound, as if it had all come back to her.
‘I’m sorry. I don’t usually faint.’
When she tried to sit up, he stopped her. ‘Lie still a minute. We don’t want you keeling over again.’
She smiled knowingly. ‘Your grandfather used to speak gruffly like that when he was being kind. I’ll be all right now. Could I have a drink of water, please?’
‘Sure.’ He helped her to sit up then went across to the water cooler and brought her back a paper cup of water, watching as she held it in a hand that trembled and sipped it slowly.
‘Thank you.’
‘How much money will it take to persuade you to leave me alone?’
She looked at him in shock. ‘Beth said you’d offered us money and I thought she was exaggerating. I don’t need money and I’m not intending to make trouble for you, I promise. I just want to see you, get to know you. You’re my son.’
‘Well, I don’t feel like it.’
She swallowed hard, staring down for a moment. When she looked up, she asked in that same quiet voice, ‘Have you had a happy life?’
‘Very. You couldn’t get better parents than I had.’
‘It’s a comfort to me to know that, at least.’
Hell, her voice was wobbling and her eyes were bright with tears. He didn’t like upsetting people and wished Edward were here to help him get rid of her gently. He looked resentfully towards the door then back at her. ‘You’ve chosen a bad time, I’m afraid. I’m very busy today and—’
‘Can you not spare me even an hour?’
‘Won’t that make things worse?’
‘For you, perhaps. Not for me. It’ll give me a few memories at least.’
If she was speaking the truth, she really didn’t want money, which was good. But that didn’t mean he wanted to spend time with her, stirring up things best forgotten. He realized he was looming over her and pulled up a chair, straddling it and leaning forward against its back. He surprised himself by saying, ‘It’d have been better if you’d never found me.’
‘No, it wouldn’t. Believe me, it’s far better for me to know you’re not dead and have had a good life.’
Her eyes made him feel uncomfortable. They were both penetrating and yet understanding. She was nothing like he’d expected. At one stage since his discovery of the kidnapping he’d wondered if she or her husband had sold their own son. He’d bet his life this woman hadn’t. He was reserving judgement on his birth father.
‘I’ve been lucky,’ he admitted. ‘Things have fallen nicely into place.’
‘I’m glad for you.’
He moved his shoulders helplessly. ‘I don’t want things to change.’
‘Things always change, Greg – I mean, Pete. Even grief passes. Did you realize that your sister had nearly as bad a time of it as I did after you disappeared? I was too distraught to care for her and she was passed round our relatives like an unwanted parcel. After I got back from hospital, she was the one supporting me for a few years, young as she was.’
It was out before he could stop himself. ‘What about my father?’
‘He moved out after a year or so, remarried, has other children now. You’ll have to ask him yourself how he feels about you.’
‘If he doesn’t thrust himself upon me, I’m certainly not going to contact
him.’
She stared at him incredulously. ‘Is that what I’ve done? Thrust myself upon you?’
He flushed slightly. ‘It feels like that, the way my sister came to see me uninvited, then you barged your way in here. I’ve said I don’t want to . . . to go back. Why can’t you both leave me alone?’
Her heart twisted with anguish – and with recognition. He’d been spoiled, had had things too easy, was weak, just like his father. I’ve spent half my life mourning for him and he regards that as an intrusion! He wasn’t worth all that pain.
She stood up, not feeling like weeping now, letting her anger carry her out with dignity intact. ‘If that’s what you want, so be it. Don’t worry. I won’t thrust myself upon you again.’
She walked out without looking to left or right. Even so, to her shame, she kept listening for footsteps running after her, a voice calling her back.
But the corridor stayed quiet behind her and her son, the child she’d mourned the loss of every day of her life, simply let her walk away. Someone closed the office door with a sharp click before she’d taken even half a dozen steps.
Nat got up from a seat further along the corridor. He didn’t say a word, just folded her in his arms and said, ‘I’m taking you home, love.’
She leaned against his shoulder for a moment or two then straightened up and walked out with him. She was relieved that he didn’t ask her what had happened, because she’d have burst into tears if she’d tried to speak.
It’s over, she thought. All those years of grieving and wondering. It’s over, just like that.
Edward watched Linda Harding walk out. Her face was white and set, her head held high. It was obvious how badly she’d been hurt.
When Ilsa went to close the outer door, he nearly pushed past her, but Pete came and beckoned him into the office.
‘What happened? What the hell did you say to her?’
Pete shook his head very slightly and sat down at his desk as if his legs wouldn’t hold him upright. ‘Get me a whisky, would you?’