by F. C. Clark
‘Morning, Stella.’
‘Kate, you look lovely.’ She stands to greet us both.
‘Look.’ I raise my top, showing off my ill-fitting clothing.
‘Maybe some new trousers might be a good idea,’ she chuckles.
‘Jogging bottoms! Anyway, I’m inviting Charles Morley for lunch.’
‘Yes, I know him. I will tell security to expect him.’
‘Thanks, Stella.’
I turn to Luke but he’s already disappeared into his office.
At last my office feels like the sanctuary it was when Mr Jones was alive and chasing his dream. An odd feeling, a feeling I can’t pinpoint. Sitting at my desk, I search my phone contacts for Charles’s number, then press send.
‘Well, this is unexpected, Kate Sutton.’
‘I know how much you love a surprise.’
‘Indeed. There must be a reason for this call?’
‘Are you free for lunch today?’
‘With you?’
‘No, with Luke! What do you think? Of course with me, at my office.’
‘OK, what’s the catch? Hmm, tell me, does your husband know you are calling or am I your dirty little secret?’
‘Yes.’ I laugh. ‘I told him that you’re my friend and for some bizarre reason I like you. Besides, I want to speak to you.’
‘I’m intrigued.’
‘So does that mean you can make it?’
‘Yes.’
‘One o’clock OK for you?’
‘Perfect.’
‘I’ll order lunch in.’
‘Until we meet again, Mrs Sutton.’
The morning continues. I go through Bagrov and Cooper paperwork with Tanya. The company is thriving: perhaps this is due to Alexis having total control. I feel excited about what the future holds for the company now we own it.
We take a break. I need to talk to Barney, tell him my news, although I suspect he already knows that Adam will be arriving at Heathrow sooner than he thought. I hit send.
‘How is my favourite Harper girl? Have you got over the shock yet?’
‘Which one? That my mother is alive or that I can’t do up my bloody trousers?’ I laugh.
‘I said you were expanding.’
‘Yes, I remember – cheers! I’ve definitely grown. I actually look pregnant. Anyway, have you seen Harry?’
‘Yeah, I saw her yesterday.’
‘And?’
‘She was OK – a bit arsey and pissed off with the world.’
‘She’s not particularly chatty with me at the moment. It’s been a couple of weeks and she’s still the same.’
‘Kate, two weeks is no time. Christ, this is not quite the same thing as finding out you were adopted.’
‘I guess.’
‘If I were to be honest with you…’ He pauses.
‘Go on.’
‘I think she’s jealous.’
‘God, I hope not.’ Maybe she is.
‘Babe, your parents are alive and together; she’s only here because her mother was raped! Christ, that’s pulling the short fucking straw.’
‘I know, and I feel guilty.’
‘No need. Life goes on. She needs to suck it up, which is what I told her.’
‘Did you? Bloody hell, Barney.’
‘Too bloody right I did. People are dying in the world. Things could be worse. She can’t change what’s happened. It’s shit, but it is what it is.’
‘You’re right. Love you, light of my life.’
‘Have you seen them again – I mean, Ivor and Katenka?’ he asks.
‘Not much. I want them to have some time alone. Ivor’s waited long enough for her. I’m finding it hard: where does everyone fit in? It’s bloody odd, but a good odd, if that makes sense.’
‘Don’t ask me; my parents disowned me.’
‘Their loss,’ I say.
‘How’s Luke been with them?’
‘OK. He likes Katenka, and Ivor wants to be with her all the time.’
‘Takes the pressure off Ivor wanting to be with you. Sutton’s dream, I bet.’
‘Probably.’
‘Harry said they met your mum and dad. Christ, this is confusing.’
‘Yeah. Mum and Dad came to the palace. Harry and I told them the news about Katenka – actually, Luke did all the talking. Raymond was there too. Luke explained that she just turned up one day, wanted to make peace, see us. Obviously, we kept quiet about the whole Philip Cooper story. Some things aren’t for sharing.’
‘Christ, I wish I had been a fly on the wall.’
‘It was OK. Mum handled it better than I thought, and I guess Dad already knew she was alive. To be honest, since then nothing’s changed. Harry has made zero effort with Katenka and, basically, it’s a bloody mess.’
‘Give it time. Let them all figure it out.’
‘That’s what Luke said, so that’s what I’m doing. Anyway, my other news – Rosie told me about Adam arriving. She asked if he could stay with you.’
‘He called last night. Kate, I’m so excited.’
‘I’m excited for you.’
‘I really hope he gets the job.’
‘Me too. So what’s your plan – I mean with him? Does he know how you feel?’
‘Don’t piss yourself laughing, but I sent him a really long email explaining how I felt.’
‘Wow… Barney Curtis putting his feelings on paper.’
‘I know – who the fuck am I?’
‘At least he’s still coming,’ I say.
‘That’s what I thought.’
We laugh.
‘Come over next week for dinner and perhaps we can get together when Adam arrives.’
‘Yeah. I have a full dance rehearsal that weekend – I’d love you both to come.’
‘I still haven’t seen any of your choreography since you’ve had the studio.’
‘Well, you have had some other stuff on your plate. I’ll message you the details.’
‘Perfect. I’ll call you soon.’
Even though I have a busy morning, for some reason I keep thinking of Luke. I need some quality time with him. I grab my phone.
Dear Luke,
Charles will be here at 1. If you would like to, feel free to join us.
Love you forever, Kate
PS. I need you today. I don’t know why. I just do.
I hit send, then decide to busy myself with Mr Jones’s books. As soon as I walk away from the sofa, it hits me, as it always does: this is where we sat and chatted together so often. But now I take comfort that I was with him when he took his last breath.
‘I miss you,’ I mutter. ‘So, Mr Jones, let’s get to work.’
Having got back on track with Harper Jones I decide to go through Mr Jones’s collection of sketchbooks, which feels even more special as he left them to me in his will. I search every page, deciding which we can use in our new collection.
My phone bleeps. Caller ID – Boss.
Dear Kate,
I can’t make lunch.
Love you too x.
You say you need me – you have me.
He may be near me, but he feels so far away. My fingers respond.
How inappropriate would it be for me to walk into your office and kiss you?
I hit send. Christ, what is wrong with me? Concentrate, Harper. I’ve just received new fabric brochures from IFD, so I flick through them, looking for materials we could use for Mr Jones’s designs. Suddenly my office door bursts open and Luke strides towards me. I stand up. No words are spoken as he claims my mouth with a passion that leaves me breathless. Our eyes connect: dark and longing meet dark and understanding.
‘Why today?’ he asks.
‘I don’t know. How pathetic do
es that sound? Sorry for disturbing your meeting.’
His lips return to mine, persuading my tongue to dance romantically with his. This time I pull away.
‘I love you.’
‘Back at you, baby.’
‘Go to your meeting. I’ll come and see you before I go home.’
‘OK.’
‘Let’s do something tonight… At home.’
He tilts his head cheekily.
I roll my eyes. ‘Leave it with me. I’ll think of something.’
He turns to go, leaving me with the lingering taste of him on my lips, which increases my need for him – and not just physically. I wonder how healthy it is to want Luke this much. But I couldn’t stop it even if I wanted to.
A knock at the door disturbs my reverie.
‘Come in,’ I call.
Stella appears. ‘Kate, Charles Morley is here.’
‘Crap, is it lunchtime already? I haven’t ordered food yet!’
‘Shall I let him in?’
‘Yeah, of course.’
‘And your usual from Margot, times two?’
‘You’re a star. Thanks, Stella.’
Charles strolls into my office, stopping when he catches sight of the enormous pictures on the wall of Luke and me.
‘Hmm, nice photographs. You look stunning and Luke looks – like Luke.’
I join him. ‘How are you?’
‘Very well, and you?’
‘Fine.’ I rub my bump. ‘I’m pregnant with twins – Alexis must have told you?’
‘She did. Sutton will be in for a shock.’
‘He’s really excited. Come and sit down.’ We walk towards the Louis sofa.
‘You look well, Kate.’
‘Thanks, I feel good. I had another scan the other day.’
‘And all is well?’
‘Perfect. Now, lunch. I hope you like chicken salad.’
‘You can feed me anything.’ He raises his brow then scans my office. ‘You have good taste.’
‘Thanks! Did you think my décor would be—’
‘Cheap?’
‘Oh. That wasn’t quite what I was going to say.’
He offers a warm smile. ‘It’s a compliment, Kate. I am impressed.’
‘I never quite know with you.’
He holds his hands up. ‘Sorry. Say what you see is my motto.’
‘I’m amazed you have any friends.’
‘They’re mainly acquaintances, except Alexis – she accepts me for who I am.’
‘Arrogant and narrow-minded?’ I tap his leg. ‘No offence.’
‘None taken. It would appear you also say what you see.’
‘Yeah – but that’s not always a good thing. To say I get myself in trouble would be an understatement.’
‘You look better than you did when I saw you at Marshalls.’ He looks towards the window. ‘Alexis told me about your visit to the grave that day. Apparently she had a breakdown.’
‘A breakdown? That’s putting it mildly. I’ve never seen anything like it. Listen, I’ve spoken to her, and I know that you know. Does that make sense?’
‘It does.’ He takes a breath. ‘I let her down.’
I reach for his hand. ‘Oh, Charles, don’t say that. Alexis covered up the abuse for years. She didn’t tell anyone.’
‘He was an evil bastard. I can’t believe I didn’t guess what was going on.’
‘It must be hard for you – you knew him for years, just like Luke did.’
‘She’s asked me to keep quiet about the whole affair, so my lips are sealed.’
There is sincerity in his eyes. I believe him.
‘Good. Honestly, how do you think she is?’
‘How can she be after years of abuse? I’m struggling knowing what I can do to help.’
‘Just be there for her.’
‘It doesn’t seem enough, Kate.’
‘No, you’re right. I wish I could take away her pain. She did seen more… stable at Sandbanks.’
‘Hopefully with our support and her therapist she will find some peace.’
A knock at the door stops our conversation.
‘Come in.’
‘Your lunch, Mrs Sutton.’ A receptionist comes in, carrying a brown paper bag.
I take it from her. ‘Thank you.’
She leaves and I go over to the board table and lay out our lunch. Charles joins me.
‘This feels somewhat intimate.’ He holds my chair.
‘Maybe we should have some candles and soft music.’ I giggle.
‘Indeed… I assume Luke is in the building.’
I tilt my head. ‘Across the hall.’
We begin to eat.
‘How is your working relationship going?’
‘OK, although he’s not involved in Harper Jones. I guess you could say I rent some office space here.’
‘Favours for the boss?’
I laugh. ‘I’m my own boss.’
‘Touché, Kate. I once told you that you have all the control in your relationship, not Luke. Never underestimate a powerful woman.’
‘That’s right, and don’t you forget it.’ We laugh and continue to eat.
‘Speaking of powerful women, Alexis tells me Harry is on board now. It would seem Bagrov and Cooper is on the up.’
‘It’s early days. Besides, I don’t have a clue what I’m doing, and Harry is new to it too.’
‘Watch this space! Alexis is excited. It’s given her something… maybe hope,’ he says.
‘Maybe a family.’
He briefly touches my hand. ‘Kate, I’m enjoying our chat, but you asked me here for a reason.’
I nod and sit back in my chair. ‘First, I spoke to Alexis yesterday. What I am about to say has something to do with Cooper – may he rot in hell.’
Charles holds his bottle of sparkling water in the air. ‘Amen to that. Rot away, and thank God for hunting trips that go wrong.’ He winks.
‘Here goes. My birth mother, Katenka Bagrov, is… alive.’
He stops, his fork in mid-air.
‘She turned up at my house two weeks ago.’
‘Fuck. You aren’t lying, are you?’
‘Do you think I would lie about this?’
He shakes his head. ‘Of course not, but after the evidence I found… I don’t know what to say.’
‘There is nothing you can say. To be honest, we are all in shock.’
He downs some water.
‘Let me answer some questions for you. Philip Cooper strangled her. He thought he had killed her.’
He sits back. ‘I can’t believe this. So how are you dealing with this? Must have been a hell of a shock.’
‘Believe me, it was.’
‘OK. So Philip Cooper tried to kill your mother. The paperwork… Fuck – my father was involved in this, wasn’t he?’
‘Yes – in a good way.’
‘In a good way!’
‘That’s why I needed to see you, to explain what he did.’
‘Should I be concerned?’
‘Not at all. I know you don’t have a particularly good relationship with your dad.’
‘Kate, there’s no way to salvage our relationship. When I was a kid, he fucked around a lot. My mother – well, she likes to drink. I think she drinks to numb the hurt he caused her.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Me too.’
‘Look, you say your dad is a bad man, but he did at least one good thing: he saved my birth mother’s life. Philip did strangle her – he thought he’d killed her but she was unconscious. He then called your dad and George Williams to help him get rid of the evidence. Katenka said he had some sort of hold over both men; she doesn’t know what.’
‘I h
ave no idea. My father would walk in the other direction whenever he saw Philip. I know for a fact Philip tried it on with my mother a few years ago, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they had an affair, which makes this all the more dreadful.’
‘She had a lucky escape. Like I said, I don’t know what Philip had on them, and I don’t want to know. Maybe saving Katenka gave your dad some peace.’
‘Perhaps,’ he says.
‘The thing is, George realised she was alive, he made Philip leave and they took Katenka to a safe house in Wales. Do you remember the address you asked me about in Dubai?’
‘Yes.’
‘It must have been the same. Your dad and George doctored the death certificate and coroner’s report, and gave Katenka money to live there.’
‘And now she is here because Philip is dead.’
I nod. ‘She couldn’t return. Not only because she wanted to protect me and Harry, but she feared for her safety. She didn’t know what Cooper would do if he realised she was alive. She also wanted to protect George and your dad.’
He sits back in his chair. ‘Does my father know she has made contact with you?’
‘Yes. Your dad and George told her Philip was dead.’
‘And that gave her the green light to get in touch with you,’ he says.
I nod. ‘They didn’t have to, Charles, but they did. Anyway, Katenka will never talk about it to anyone. None of us will breathe a word.’
‘So my father is in the clear.’
‘Absolutely.’
‘Next time you ask me to lunch, I will be busy.’ He smiles, but he can’t hide his shock.
‘Sorry… Was I wrong to tell you?’
‘No.’
‘I wanted you to know that your dad saved Katenka’s life.’
‘You said Alexis knows about your mother and our lunch date.’
I nod again. ‘I wanted to tell you myself, and to thank you for helping me.’
‘You’re welcome.’ He reaches for my hand. ‘I may have a wild lifestyle, Kate, but I have never hurt anyone.’
‘You’re a party boy, not a nasty boy.’
‘Alexis needed you, and you were there for her,’ he says.
‘I’m indebted to her, Charles.’
‘And she to you. She’s gained a guardian angel in you.’
I swallow the lump in my throat.