A Face To Die For

by Jan Warburton

  The time Vanessa had let slip that I was seeing Alex; his face had been the epitome of utter displeasure. To be fair, I think his main fear was of the scandal it might generate, not just for me, but for the House of Courtney, should it get out.

  I was, therefore, pleased this private showing for Susannah had not yet reached his ears. Admittedly with her figure, she would probably have been far wiser calling in at the main couture salon to see Edward's collection and have things made to measure. Nevertheless, I imagined time was of the essence and Ready-to-Wear garments could usually be altered in just a few days. I understood she was in London for perhaps only another week, and besides, she had especially requested to see my designs.

  When the taxi arrived we piled in the bagged garments; leaving just enough room for Lynda and me, and a portable clothes rail.

  At two o'clock on the dot, Susannah Karos's secretary opened wide the door of their Grosvenor Hotel suite. 'Hi! I'm Mel Robson Gray. Please come in.' The girl had a mop of untamed, titian curly hair, a mass of freckles and striking green eyes. I introduced Lynda, and we all shook hands before hauling the portable rail of garments through. Susannah stood in the doorway leading to the bedroom.

  'Hi, Anna …beyl. Sure is good of you to come,' she drawled, waving a glass. Her heavy eyes and stance indicated to me it wasn't the first alcoholic drink she'd had that day.

  'Good afternoon, Mrs Karos!' smiled Lynda, as I introduced her.

  'Hi, Lynda. Hey, let's drop the formayl ...ities shay...ll we? I'm Susannah. Susie, to my frieynds. Mel, honey, get Anna...beyl and Lynda drinks, will you?'

  'Actually we'd prefer tea or coffee, please... if it's not too much of a problem?' I enquired.

  'No problem at all,' said Mel. 'Tea then, because I'd like some too. '

  She picked up the phone; ordered tea for the three of us, and coffee for Susannah.

  We were ushered to one of the two huge sofas in rich cream brocade either side of a long regency coffee table. I eyed the full ashtray in the middle with disapproval, as I laid the showroom catalogue down; Mel tactfully moved the ashtray far away to a side table. I had a strict no smoking rule in both my showroom and workrooms, mainly to keep the clothes from becoming tainted with the smell, so I was anxious it didn't happen to the garments we'd brought here today.

  A waiter soon arrived with a trolley bearing tea, coffee and cakes. Mel then requested a clean ashtray and Susannah asked for another bottle of vodka.

  I suspected that Mel was English, and this became evident as the afternoon progressed when her earlier slight American accent almost disappeared. Whereas Susannah's drawl became even stronger as she knocked back the vodka.

  A little later, while Lynda was zipping Mel into a garment, I ventured to query whether she was English?

  'Why, yes, I am. I was brought up here until I was eighteen. Then my family moved to America, and so I went to College there.'

  'I thought I detected an English accent.'

  'Not surprising really, since I was privately educated here.'

  Lynda looked up sharply. 'Really? Which school?'

  'Hyde Hall in Berkshire first; then Temple Grange High School, near Bagshot, to finish off in the 6th Form.'

  Lynda straightened the collar of the dress, before the girl rushed off to show it to Susannah and I followed her.

  'Everything fits you perfectly, Mel. Such a shame I'm not dressing you,' I quietly remarked, once back in the bedroom again.

  'Actually, Susie’s promised to buy me two or three outfits and this suit really is gorgeous!' She preened herself once more in the mirror before sashaying off again.

  'Mel, honey! That sure is your colour!' drawled Susannah, as Mel approached her. It was a particularly subtle fern green shade, which suited the girl's colouring like a dream. Susannah stretched out a hand, smoothing the lightweight barathea of the skirt and the dark tobacco brown frogging across the front of the jacket. I had introduced this Cossack detail to several suit and coat designs in this collection. 'Oh, you must have this, honey!' Susannah purred.

  'Thanks Susie, I do love it!'

  'Gee, I'd kinda like something like this too, maybe in a kinda blue ...or red?' Susannah queried.

  'How about this.' I selected another suit in royal blue wool with similar black frogging trim, but with a higher collar and a semi-flared skirt.

  'Great! Mel, just slip it on will you, honey?'

  Mel did, and Susannah loved it. It was all proving to be an absolute doddle and the enthusiasm for my designs was most rewarding. Susannah also tried on a navy and white suit I'd brought along in a larger size, also a dress. Both of which were liked and approved. My selection had been spot on and they required minimal alterations. Susannah chose two more suits for luck; both styles being a doddle to fit and alter, should she like to try them herself, and for Mel she also purchased a cream, cashmere coat and a tan jacket and trousers that needed no alterations at all. Lynda took Susannah's measurements, and I agreed to pop back in a few days, for her to try on her chosen garments. Fortunately we had the two size fourteens already fitted on her to work from.

  Afterwards we sat chatting for a short while over more tea and cakes. Throughout the afternoon Susannah considerately only smoked one cigarette by an opened window and Mel didn’t smoke at all. Susannah liked cakes too it seemed, as well as her vodka. I was also amazed to hear that she adored visiting London, especially the London theatre. However, the biggest surprise of all was to learn that this was in fact Susannah’s second visit to London this year!

  Lynda had been relatively quiet most of the afternoon and I assumed it was because she was watching and assessing Alex's wife for me.

  *

  'Well, I think I can tell you what the set-up there is,' Lynda said, as she sat relaxing in the taxi on the way back to Grosvenor Street. 'It's pretty obvious actually, especially with what I already knew.'

  'What's so obvious, and what do you know?'

  'Couldn't you suss it?'

  'No, I thought everything seemed okay, apart from Susannah drinking heavily. But then I already knew about that. So, Lynda, what do you know, and why didn't you tell me about it?'

  'Because I didn't know myself, until I met them both today.'

  'What is it then? I didn't notice anything all that odd. In fact Susannah appears to be quite a caring and generous boss if you ask me. She's not too bad really. Mel's okay too ... and Susannah obviously appreciates her.'

  ‘Exactly! You didn't notice anything else?'

  'No. Come on; tell me... what do you know.'

  'Well, let's say I had a bit of help really. You remember you were talking to Mel about her English background?'

  'Mmm ...'

  'Remember her saying that she'd attended Hyde Hall School in Berkshire, then somewhere else before going to America?'

  'Yeah. What's odd about that ... or changing schools?'

  'Nothing. Unless you happen to know why she changed schools. You see I felt sure I knew her. Then once I'd twigged who she was, it all came back to me.' Lynda paused for intake of breath, before flashing me a large grin. 'You see, I was at Hyde Hall School too ... but in the year below her, so she wouldn't remember me. You hardly ever remember those in the years below you. I'd never forget her though... especially that hair and those green eyes...'

  'But what did she do? Was she expelled?'

  'Yes, she was. But it's why she was expelled that's the whole crux of the matter.'

  ‘Okay, Okay, don't taunt me any more; just tell me what she did!' I almost shrieked, my thoughts darting between imagining the girl had got pregnant to being caught thieving.

  'All right. Melissa, as I knew her then, was expelled because ... now wait for it! You'll really

  love this... she had a lesbian affair with the games mistress!'

  'No!'

  'Prior to that she had also been suspected of doing things... sexual things that is, with another girl in her year. But it was never proved and she got away with that, until she star
ted this deep involvement with Miss Chambers ... Georgina Chambers. “Game Georgie", everyone called her. Anyway, the story goes that another girl friend became jealous and exposed it all. She told the head and Melissa and Georgie were caught naked in bed in Georgie's room.'

  I gawped at Lynda.

  She went on in a quieter voice. 'Now, I don't know exactly how true all of it was… but rumour went round that Georgie had some sort of a penis contraption strapped to her when they were discovered.'

  I giggled at this revelation. ‘Oh, my God!’

  'I know!' Lynda grinned back. 'It was good for a laugh anyway, even if that part of the story was probably a bit exaggerated. Anyway, apparently their secret trysts had been going on for some time, and Melissa was also believed to have spent weekends away with her; when she was supposed to have gone home to her parents. Well, you can imagine conjecture about it went round the school like wildfire. Of course Melissa was immediately expelled and “Georgie Chambers” was dismissed. The point is, Annabel, once a lesbian, always one. Know what I mean?'

  Closing my mouth, I swallowed hard, my thoughts reeling. 'My God! What a bit of luck, you knowing all this!' I chortled. ‘I’m so glad you came! So how old was Mel at the time?'

  'Let me see ... she would have been in the upper fifth and I was in the fourth; she must have been… sixteen … maybe seventeen.'

  'So, if Melissa's a lesbian, you think it's possible then that she and Susannah have something going on between them?’

  'Got it in one! Could even be why Alex has so little to do with Susannah. In fact I'd bet a week's pay on it! Mind you, I doubt if he knows much about Mel's background.'

  'That's true. Fancy! I'd never have guessed without your help. But if Susannah is having a lesbian relationship with Mel, I wonder why Alex tolerates it?'

  'Well, basically I suppose it allows him the freedom he wants. They probably only stay married for the child's sake, and they probably all hide behind the sham for the family's benefit.'

  Aware of the taxi driver eying me in his rear view mirror, just visible through the clothes rail, I quickly curtailed the conversation. What a revelation though! I could hardly believe it. On reflection, it all made perfect sense; Susannah and Mel had indeed been quite familiar with each other. No wonder Susannah didn’t seem to bother much about Alex's activities in England! Perhaps she didn't even care as long as she could carry on with her own life? It was a kinky twist to a very open marriage.

  Were Susannah's parents aware of her sexual tendency, I wondered; despite her marriage to Alex and the birth of a son. If not, was that the main reason the sham continued? I also wondered whether Vanessa knew. Then I remembered that Mel had not attended Vanessa's wedding. I'd have certainly remembered her if she had.

  The big question now was … should I tell Alex all I knew?

  *

  Susannah was delighted with her selection of garments, and everything fitted well when I returned with them four days later. I now viewed her quite differently, in the light of my newfound knowledge. She and Mel were clearly almost inseparable and I could see so many little things in their behaviour that intimated their closeness, especially the odd lingering touch. Yes, their behaviour was more that of an intimate couple instead of employer and employee. I now had no need to feel guilty any more about my relationship with Alex.

  One problem remained though; Alex was still bound to her by marriage and because of that he and I could not act like a normal couple. It also seemed unfair that Susannah could get away with her relationship with Mel so easily, and yet Alex had to stay in such a dead union just as a cover up.

  I decided therefore to present him with all the information I'd gleaned on his return. I hoped it would make him realise it was perhaps only a matter of time before the whole truth got out. Unless of course, other more complex reasons required that he had to continue with the charade?

  CHAPTER 8

  Alex stayed on in the States longer than expected.

  Eager to discuss Susannah with him, I couldn't wait for his return. Several imponderables still bothered me, though. Suppose Alex knows nothing about Susannah's close relationship with her secretary? Suppose Lynda's wrong and Mel isn't a lesbian and Susannah and Mel are nothing more than good friends?

  I had no hard facts; only an assumption based on Lynda's story about Mel's expulsion from school. After all, it wasn't exactly unknown for girls to go through a vague lesbian phase in their teens; crushes on teachers, friends and so on. I’d even had a slight crush myself on my female art teacher at grammar school, and I hadn't become a lesbian. What if the school story had simply become over-exaggerated? What if we'd got it completely wrong?

  I therefore still had no real answer yet to the burning question as to why Susannah and Alex lived such separate lives? However, the lesbian theory certainly offered a damn good solution - if it were true.

  Perhaps I should try to find out what Alex knew first? The fact that Susannah had now met me and had purchased some of my designs ought to make it easier to discuss her with him now. I needed to know if she had any idea about his relationship with me. If so, this could lead nicely into asking why it didn't bother her?

  Three weeks passed and Alex didn't return. His brief phone calls indicated a business crisis.

  He tried to re assure me. 'I'll be back, honey, as soon as things are cleared up,'

  During this time I mulled over all the different ways I could go about discussing things with him. Each time I planned a different course of action until I nearly went mad with frustration. In the end, as so often happens, given so much time… the whole urgency of it began to pale a little.

  I was so longing to see Alex anyway, that by the time he did return and being so overjoyed to see him, the last thing I would want to do was discuss his damned wife.

  He looked drawn and weary as he handed me a box of my favourite Givenchy perfume from Duty Free. He slumped down on the sofa. I snuggled up beside him and kissed his cheek.

  'Thank Christ, that's over. Am I glad to be back!' he said, looking into my questioning eyes. Kissing my lips quickly, he placed a finger over them. 'Don't ask, honey. I wouldn't know where to begin. Just take it from me. I'm glad to be out of it.' Then he smiled warmly. 'Come here.'

  He pulled me closer and we kissed tenderly. It was good to feel his arms around me and to melt into our own little intimate world again. Nothing else seemed important any more. The phone was taken off the hook and dinner could wait. Talks about Susannah could wait. I was hungry for the scent of his body, craving his blissful caresses.

  Hastily discarding our clothes we slid down onto the rug in front of the fireplace; cushions heaped around us; eager to satisfy our urgent needs. In the end dinner was totally forgotten as, exhausted from lovemaking, we fell asleep; our naked bodies entwined.

  I awoke later feeling chilled even though the heating was still on. Alex's arm lay heavily on me. I looked across. He was sleeping peacefully. Gently disentangling myself from him I tiptoed to the bedroom and grabbed the eiderdown.

  I spread it over us and snuggled down again with him. He mumbled, 'Mmm ... Come here, honey. I thought you'd left me.' Once more we drifted off into a cosy, blissful sleep together.

  *

  A delicious sensation of warm breath and sensual tingles between my legs wakened me early. A mound was heaving under the eiderdown; it was Alex 'enjoying me', as he called it.

  Later on, as orgasmic waves slowly subsided and we were both left gasping for breath, I looked up and noticed the old clock on the mantelshelf indicated that I must get a move on. I was meeting a couple of potential buyers today from Scotland so I mustn't be late into work. Both of us were starving. Once showered, I quickly scrambled some eggs, made a heap of toast and a pot of coffee.

  Alex had no rush. He was likely to be jet-lagged for a few days and had decided to phone his office to say he wouldn't be in until later in the day. Un-showered, he still smelled of sex as I kissed him goodbye. Not surprising, after all our
lovemaking last night and again this morning.

  *

  That evening when I arrived home there was a message from Alex propped up against the ketchup bottle on the kitchen table, and unwashed dishes were still stacked on the drainer.

  Sorry, honey, forgot to tell you I'm out for dinner tonight. Business. See you later. No idea what time. Love you heaps - Alex.

  'Blast!' I groaned. 'Oh Alex, you lazy beast, you might at least have rinsed the dishes!' Cleo wound herself around my legs, reminding me I hadn't fed her this morning. I knew Alex wouldn't have given her anything either, poor thing.

  Just as I was scooping some Kit-E-Kat into her dish, the phone went. 'Blast.' Quickly plonking the bowl down on the floor, I almost fell over the cat as she darted forward.

  'Anna, it's Philip.' Mum and Philip often called me Anna. But why was he phoning me, and not Mum?

  'Philip, how lovely, how are you ...how's Mum?'

  'Not too good I'm afraid... your mother, I mean. She's in hospital.

  Panic sliced through me. 'Oh my God! What's happened?'

  'Well, she found a lump in her right breast yesterday, and she was rushed in this morning to have a biopsy. It's malignant, so they've immediately done a full mastectomy.' Philip's usual light cheery voice sounded heavy and strained. 'I tried to phone you last night but the line was engaged. Anyway, thank heavens I've got you now. Didn't like to worry you at work.'

  'But, you should have! So they've operated already? That's quick. Poor Mum. How is she?' I felt dreadful now about the phone being off the hook all night.

  'The operation went fine, and she's bearing up well, considering. Hell of a shock though for her, poor darling. Only hope they've caught it in time, that's all.' He gave an enormous sigh.

  I gulped with emotion, tears filling my eyes. Poor Mum. A mastectomy... her whole breast removed. I felt sick, visualising the surgeon's ghastly invasion of her body.

  'You still there, Anna … Annabel?'

  'Mmm. I'm sorry, yes,' I blubbed. 'Look, I ... I must see her. I'll get there on the first train tomorrow, Philip. Give her my love, and tell her I'm coming.'