by Ella Hayes
She shook her head. ‘It’s tempting, but I can’t. I’m going to see Mama.’ Her face lit up. ‘I said I’d stay over so we can have a marathon catch-up. I’m going to take her breakfast in bed in the morning—spoil her a bit.’
‘She’ll like that.’ He started slicing shallots. His mother was going to be over the moon to have Maddie to herself for a few hours. Maddie was her baby, the one whose memories of all the bad stuff were the vaguest; the one whose anecdotes, about the movie world, were the most diverting. He peeled another shallot. ‘I took her to Concertgebow the week before last.’
‘She told me. She said it was wonderful.’
He threw her a knowing smile. ‘You know how she loves Mozart.’
After the concert, he’d driven her home. He’d always wanted to buy her something grander than the little house she’d chosen in the city suburbs, but she’d insisted that it was that house she wanted. She’d said it had a nice vibe, that it made her feel safe. Safety was still paramount to his mother, even after all this time. As usual they’d talked about Bram, shared their worries and their hopes...
‘Here...let me help.’ Madelon was nudging him along the table, pushing up her sleeves. ‘I feel useless just watching.’ She picked up a knife, started stripping papery skin from a fat garlic clove and then the knife stilled in her hands. He could feel her eyes on his face, searching. ‘So...have you told Mia about Bram?’
He’d asked her to come early so they could cover these bases before Mia arrived, but he knew it was going to be a tricky conversation. He took a breath, looked up. ‘No.’
Madelon frowned. ‘Have you told her anything?’
‘She knows Pa drank. She knows he was violent.’ He shrugged and swept the sliced shallots into a bowl. ‘That’s all I’ve told her.’
‘What about Eline?’
‘Garlic, please...’ Madelon handed him two peeled cloves and he thwacked them hard with the hilt of his knife. ‘She knows about Eline, knows who Eline is, but I haven’t gone into the details.’ He caught Madelon’s recriminatory look. ‘We were in...’ He rolled his eyes. ‘It was an intimate moment, okay? I didn’t want to be talking about my ex-wife at that particular juncture.’
‘Hmm.’ Madelon spliced a carrot and started carving it into matchsticks. ‘So, even outside the interview, we can’t talk about the family, or anything personal...?’
Madelon was mindful because she had to be, but her natural disposition was to be open and honest. Of course, since her career had always taken precedence over personal relationships, as far as he knew she’d had no experience of being in a situation like his. He rattled his knife over the smashed garlic, micro-dicing it the way Bram had taught him. ‘Ideally, no.’
The weight of Madelon’s stare was deadening his limbs. He set the knife down, wiped his hands on a cloth and met her gaze. ‘What...?’
She sighed, reaching for the spring onions. ‘I don’t know... I just keep thinking about all the people who knew us before. Any of them could come out of the woodwork at any time...’
‘They won’t. Not without a reason. Right now you’re just a girl they used to know—someone who’s making a successful career. They’ll be saying, Hey, I remember that girl from school... Or, I worked at the same coffee shop as Madelon Mulder! That’s as far as it’ll go. But if someone connects us, finds out that Madelon Mulder and the MolTec boss are siblings, that’s when someone’ll start joining the dots, asking questions: Wasn’t he married to that supermodel? Wasn’t there another brother? The alkies and junkies Bram used to run with would sell him out in a heartbeat for the price of one lousy fix!’
His heart was pumping, heat rising. He gripped the cloth tightly, pushing at the narrow walls of his anger, trying to subdue his hammering heart. ‘The press loves you now, Maddie, but they love a dirty story even more. Can you imagine—paparazzi camping out on Texel waiting for Bram to go shopping? Christ! You’d think they’d find something better to do.’ He snapped the cloth hard against the table edge and felt a momentary relief. ‘I don’t care what they say about me, and you’d ride it out because talent always trumps scandal, but Bram wouldn’t cope.’
Madelon sighed heavily. ‘You’re right but...don’t you get tired of it all?’
For some reason he was folding and unfolding the cloth. ‘Of course I do, but it’s just the way it’s got to be, until Bram’s...’
‘Better?’ She looked up. ‘What if he never gets better, Theo? Are we to spend our whole lives on lockdown?’
There was no recrimination. It was only a question, a point she was raising, but still his stomach churned. He couldn’t go there, couldn’t allow himself to believe that Bram wasn’t going to make it.
‘Eight months clean, Maddie; that’s more than he’s ever managed before.’
She put her knife down and stepped towards him. ‘I want Bram to make it, I really do, but I have two brothers...’ She touched his arm, squeezing gently. ‘And you’ve sacrificed so much. You can’t go on like this. You’re in love. You’ve got a chance of happiness, but you’ll lose Mia if you keep her at arm’s length. Why won’t you trust her?’
Words he didn’t want to hear; a question he couldn’t bring himself to answer. He wanted to trust Mia, but he’d lost his first love because of his devotion to Bram, and he wasn’t ready to risk it happening again. He’d never told Madelon about Eline’s cruel jibes; how much she’d stung him. It had seemed like an unnecessary detail—Madelon had found Eline’s affair heart-breaking enough—and it was pointless talking about it now. All he knew was that for the moment he couldn’t face telling Mia about Bram.
‘I’m dealing with it, okay?’ He swallowed hard. ‘We can’t widen the circle...not yet. Not when Bram’s almost—’
The doorbell rang, cutting him off.
Madelon shrugged, eyes heavy. ‘Okay...but, for the record, I think you’re making a terrible mistake.’
* * *
‘Mia!’
Her heart leapt as he gathered her into his arms, hugging her warm and tight. Everything felt better when his arms were around her. She nestled against him, breathing in his clean skin smell. It was hard not to slide her fingers under the hem of his tee shirt.
He released her slightly, smoothing a strand of hair away from her face. ‘You’re a sight for sore eyes.’
‘So are you.’ She slipped her arms around his neck, happy to be in the moment, not worrying about Eline or the secrets he might or might not be keeping. She just wanted to lose herself in his warm, green gaze.
He pulled her in again, lips against her ear. ‘I missed you so much.’
Something in his voice, a depth of emotion that made her heart quicken. Perhaps she wasn’t the only one on the brink of...
He released her for a second time, took hold of her hand. ‘Let’s go inside so we can say hello properly.’
‘Wait! I’ve got you something.’ She’d been so preoccupied with the Eline de Vries situation that she’d almost forgotten to bring him his present. She pulled her hand out of his and picked up the gift-wrapped pot plant she’d stowed near the door. She held it out, bobbing a curtsey. ‘Ta dah!’
Recognition flared in his eyes and then he was smiling. ‘Aloe Vera, right?’
She nodded. ‘For your kitchen windowsill.’
‘Thank you.’ He took it from her, giving it the once over. ‘My first ever plant...’
‘It’ll be the first of many. Aloes breed like rabbits.’
He laughed and then his eyes grew serious. ‘Come on...let’s go inside.’
As he closed the door behind them the chug of boats on the canal fell away. The hallway was quiet and cool; a little gloomy. Tingling, she watched him setting the aloe down on a table that hadn’t been there before.
‘Is that new?’
‘Direk likes to sneak things in when I’m not here.’
�
�He’s got a good eye; it works beautifully.’
He came to stand in front of her, putting his hands on her shoulders. ‘I’ll tell you what works beautifully...’ He eased her closer. ‘You.’
She caught his forearms in her hands, lost herself in darkening green eyes. He bent his head, leaned in until their noses were almost touching. ‘I’m so glad you’re here.’
And then his mouth was on hers, his lips warm and insistent. It was like melting; melding together so that she didn’t know where she began and he ended. She let go of his arms, ran her hands over his torso and under his tee shirt, fingertips connecting with warm, smooth skin. For an instant, his lips softened against hers, coaxing hers apart, and then he deepened his kiss, slowly propelling her backwards until her shoulder blades touched the wall. She felt his hands moving to her waist, travelling upward. When his thumb slid over her nipple, her pulse spiked, a volley of white-hot darts shooting through her belly. She was on fire, losing control, burning with an immeasurable need. Breathlessly, she pushed at his shoulders, breaking their kiss. ‘Can we take this upstairs...?’
‘Definitely...’ He kissed her again softly, then stepped back a little, a mischievous glint kindling in his eyes. ‘But it’ll have to wait. First, I’ve got a surprise for you.’
She dropped her hands to his waist, not wanting to let him go. ‘What sort of surprise?’
‘It’s a sort of professional gift...’ He straightened her blouse across her shoulders and then he smiled. ‘I’ve arranged for you to interview a certain award-winning actress...’
A pulse-beat. ‘No!’ Her insides were hopping like fire crackers. ‘Madelon? Is she coming?’
‘She’s already here. Come...’ He held out his hand. ‘She’s dying to meet you.’
Her heart was pounding. Meeting Madelon was the last thing she’d expected. It felt like a grand gesture, not because Madelon was a star but because she was his sister. He was trusting her with his family.
As they walked towards the kitchen, her mind was racing, sifting through anything she could remember about Madelon’s career. He’d given her a wonderful opportunity, but this wasn’t how she was used to working. She felt hopelessly unprepared.
* * *
‘Hello, Mia!’ Madelon kissed her on both cheeks then stepped back, smiling.
It was hard not to feel a little star-struck. The slender blonde with the golden skin and warm curious eyes was someone she’d only ever seen on the big screen. In the flesh Madelon was smaller, less statuesque than her screen persona. Her resemblance to Theo was tangible.
‘It’s lovely to meet you, Madelon.’ She glanced at Theo. ‘I’m blushing, I know. It’s just that this is a little unexpected.’
Madelon touched her arm. ‘Apologies! Theo’s learned to strike while the iron’s hot!’ Her eyes were darker than Theo’s, more hazel. ‘I always seem to be on the move these days. It can be hard to plan ahead.’
‘Impossible, more like!’ Theo was cracking eggs into a bowl. ‘Remember that time we were supposed to meet in London?’
‘No! Don’t!’ Madelon was laughing, her eyes pleading for understanding. ‘We’d been planning it for weeks...a few days in London after my final show in the West End...’
‘I’d broken my journey especially...’ Theo started beating the eggs.
Madelon threw him a conciliatory look. ‘Poor Theo! He’d been in LA, was travelling back to Europe.’
Frenetic whisking. ‘Jet-lagged, of course!’
‘Rub it in, why don’t you!’ Madelon shook her head. ‘We’d planned to see the sights because you know I never have time when I’m doing a show...’
It was impossible not to like Madelon; she had an easy manner, an infectious, throaty laugh.
‘So it was the last night, final curtain... I was looking forward to seeing Theo but then my agent called! She said I needed to get myself to LA “immediately” to audition for a movie. Theo was mid-air, couldn’t take a call, so I had to text him to let him know I was catching the red-eye to LA...’
Theo set down the bowl. ‘We ended up having coffee in the airport, and it wasn’t even decent coffee!’
She laughed, giving him a pointed look. ‘Well, that would’ve definitely been the last straw!’
Madelon’s eyes flashed. ‘You obviously know him very well...’
She caught Theo’s eye. ‘I’m getting to know him...’ He winked and turned towards the stove.
Seeing Madelon and Theo together, how close they were—their easy conversation—reminded her of how she was with Ash and somehow it was reassuring. Madelon’s whole demeanour was open, her eyes warm and interested. Madelon was like Theo without the clouds. Would Madelon so patently adore a brother who’d done something bad, something that he needed to hide?
Watching them now—Madelon’s hand on his arm, their low laughter, their obvious affection—she couldn’t help feeling that maybe she’d been searching for skeletons in empty closets...
In bed with Theo that afternoon, she hadn’t fully bought into his story about why Eline had had an affair—‘I was the accessory that didn’t match her outfit any more’. She’d wondered if he might have been to blame, but perhaps that was what Hal had done to her: made her mistrustful. She sighed. It was entirely possible that Eline’s fame had changed her. That kind of thing happened all the time. She bit her lip. When Theo had said that Eline was ancient history—not worth talking about—she’d thought he was deflecting, avoiding the subject, but maybe that hadn’t been it at all. She drew a slow breath, tingling at the memory of warm fingers tracing a line from her elbow to her shoulder; of green eyes locked on hers. He’d said he’d far rather be giving her his undivided attention than talking about his ex-wife. She held in a smile, losing herself in the memory, and then another memory surfaced...the thing that Ash had said.
She stepped forward, catching Madelon’s eye. ‘You have another brother, don’t you...?’
The momentary silence felt like a glitch, then Theo spoke. ‘That’s right.’ His eyes held hers for a long second, searching, then softening. ‘Ash told you?’
She nodded. ‘He was over during the week, seeing your technical team.’ She turned to Madelon. ‘Ash is my brother and, for the record, he’s a massive fan.’
‘I’m always grateful for fans...’ Madelon smiled, lifting her chin slightly. ‘Theo told me they’re working together?’
‘Yes. Ash writes computer programmes...and that’s all I know!’ She glanced at Theo, then back to Madelon. The atmosphere in the room seemed altered. She hooked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. ‘So, what does your other brother do?’
Madelon pressed her lips together. ‘He’s a chef.’
‘Cool!’ She looked at Theo. ‘Did he give you lessons?’
‘As a matter of fact, he did.’ His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. He looked at his watch. ‘Do you girls want a drink, something to take upstairs with you?’ His gaze rested on Madelon. ‘I’m just thinking, you should probably make a start...given that you can’t stay long.’
‘You’re not staying for dinner?’
Madelon shook her head. ‘Sadly, I have other plans, but I said I’d do the interview.’ Her eyes slid to Theo, suddenly mischievous. ‘Theo wanted to give you something so that you’d know how much he—’
‘Wine? Beer? Mineral water?’ Theo jostled Madelon aside, started tickling her. Madelon was laughing and squirming, then she broke free, grabbed Mia’s arm.
‘Come on. Let’s go upstairs and let the chef have his kitchen back.’
* * *
They watched Madelon waving from the taxi as it pulled away.
‘She’s so lovely.’ Mia slid her arms around his waist. ‘Thank you so much for arranging it, Theo. Honestly, I’m buzzing!’
He closed the door, wrapped her in his arms. ‘It went well, then?’
‘It
did.’ Her eyes were shining, her cheeks slightly flushed. ‘Usually I’d have researched someone before interviewing them, but Madelon was amazing. She filled me in on all the shows she’d done, and the movies, right from the early days. She was sweet and generous and interesting and so...well-earthed.’
He couldn’t help smiling. She might have been describing herself. He released her, guiding her down the hallway. ‘So, what happens now, in terms of placing the interview?’
‘I’ve got a couple of editors who’ll be interested for sure.’ She stretched up, kissing his cheek. ‘I can’t wait to write it up! I was thinking that maybe I could catch Madelon when she’s here again, so that Lotte could take pictures to go with the piece. Wouldn’t that be great?’
‘Yes...’ That was Mia, already thinking about how she could share the glory. What he couldn’t let her share with Lotte was his own connection to Madelon. He bit back a sigh. Madelon was right; living under lockdown was tiresome. He’d talk to Mia about all the provisos later. At that moment he just wanted to enjoy her company, live a little. He brought her to a halt. ‘So, while you’ve been hanging out with the glitterati, I’ve been hard at work...’ He opened a set of double doors and moved aside.
She stepped into the room then looked back at him, her smile full of happy light. ‘Wow! Theo, this is lovely.’ She crossed to the middle of the room. ‘Is this the table from the hall?’
He nodded. After she’d gone upstairs with Madelon, he’d paced around the kitchen, frustrated with himself for telling Ash that he had a brother. At the time he’d simply been answering a question; he’d had no way of knowing that in a matter of weeks he’d be in love with Mia, that she’d be bringing up the subject of Bram at such an inopportune moment.
Restlessly, he’d paced out of the kitchen and along the hall, spotted Direk’s table and suddenly realised that it would make the perfect dining table for two. After he’d shifted it into the room the ideas had kept on coming. He’d found a bag of tea lights, set them up around the room then put a few on the table, using drinking glasses as holders. The candlelight had transformed the huge, empty space. Now it felt intimate. A little bit special. Worthy of his very special dinner guest.