The Best Man

by Dianne Blacklock

  ‘That doesn’t sound very safe,’ said Madeleine, concerned.

  ‘No, it doesn’t.’ Genevieve’s tone was less sympathetic than her sister’s. ‘What age do they start mandatory retesting for driver’s licences?’

  Margaret tsked. ‘It’s not my driving,’ she protested. ‘I can’t help where the sun sets.’

  ‘You should be able to drive in all conditions, Mum,’ said Genevieve.

  ‘And I can,’ Margaret said.

  ‘When do they start retesting?’ Genevieve repeated. ‘Just out of interest.’

  ‘Genevieve!’ Madeleine frowned at her.

  ‘I believe it’s not until you reach your eighties,’ Henry said, joining them at the table with his coffee. ‘So you’ve got nearly twenty years, right, Margaret?’

  ‘Thank you, Henry.’

  ‘And it sounds to me like you’re making sensible decisions anyway.’

  Madeleine caught Genevieve rolling her eyes, but Margaret was nodding. ‘Well, basically, I like to get home while it’s still light.’

  ‘That’s a sensible decision right there,’ said Henry. ‘We have a long drive, Madeleine, we should think about leaving soon as well.’

  ‘Sure.’

  Madeleine and Henry were clearing the table a few minutes later when Aiden opened the French doors and the boys trooped back in, all smiles, their faces flushed.

  Genevieve was coming down the hall, carrying Archie on her hip. ‘Well, you all look pleased with yourselves,’ she remarked.

  ‘We had a rumble,’ said Declan, giggling.

  ‘Rumble in the jungle!’ Gabe cried, raising his fist.

  ‘I hope you said thank you to Uncle Aiden.’

  ‘Thank you, Uncle Aiden!’ they chorused.

  Aiden was wiping his feet on the mat outside the door. ‘My pleasure, boys. It was fun.’

  ‘You better go get ready for your baths, then,’ said Genevieve.

  They scampered off together without protest, Gabe even flinging a big-brotherly arm around Declan as they went. Genevieve watched them with a look of mild astonishment. ‘What kind of spell did you put on them? And can I have it bottled, please?’

  Aiden grinned, coming into the room. ‘They just had to blow off some steam. Boys need a little roughhousing sometimes. As long as there’s adult supervision, it’s good for them.’

  ‘Mm, an adult, like a father?’ Genevieve said tightly. ‘You see, this is what I keep telling Mark. They’re boys, they need a male role model around, they need to do boy things. I’m not being sexist, but –’

  ‘I don’t think it’s sexist,’ said Aiden. He was washing his hands at the kitchen sink. ‘There are differences between the genders, and we’re all the better for it – I say vive la différence. It’s only sexist when you make out one sex is superior to the other.’

  Genevieve nodded thoughtfully. ‘That’s a very good point,’ she said. ‘Oh, can I get you anything?’ she asked. ‘You missed out on coffee.’

  ‘I’ll just have a drink of water, thanks,’ he said, filling a glass from the tap.

  ‘And I’ll say my goodbyes now,’ said Margaret as she picked up her handbag and jacket.

  ‘We were going to get moving too, Aiden,’ said Henry. ‘Oh, that’s right, we have two cars, don’t we?’

  Aiden and Madeleine exchanged a glance.

  ‘What?’ said Henry.

  ‘I’ll see you out, Margaret,’ Aiden said, stepping forward and holding out his arm for her. Coward, Madeleine thought, leaving her to face Henry alone. Genevieve followed the pair up the hall, calling to the boys to come and say goodbye to Nanna. Madeleine turned away to find her handbag, still scrambling to come up with an excuse to explain why they didn’t have two cars here at all. There was no way around it, she finally decided, she would have to confess that she had drunk too much last night to drive. Well, she rationalised, it didn’t take that much to be over the limit, better safe than sorry.

  She picked up her handbag from where she’d left it by the sofa and turned around to face Henry again. ‘Actually, I don’t have my car here,’ she said.

  ‘You don’t?’

  ‘I couldn’t drive –’

  ‘Are you telling me you were so drunk that you were still over the limit this morning?’

  ‘Oh no . . .’ Madeleine was about to blab that the car was at the office garage, when she remembered that she’d supposedly picked Aiden up from the airport . . . Why would her car still be parked at work? Bugger. ‘Of course I wasn’t over the limit, Henry, but I felt a little green. It really hit me hard, I can’t hold my liquor any more,’ she added with a nervous laugh. Henry remained stony-faced. ‘Anyway, Aiden just took over, had me out the door and was hailing a taxi before I knew what was what.’

  ‘Yes,’ Henry muttered, ‘he can be like that.’

  Genevieve and Aiden came back down the hall, arm in arm, sharing some private joke and having a great old laugh. Genevieve was positively enamoured of the man. ‘So, would you like a coffee now?’ she asked him. ‘Or one for the road?’

  ‘We have to go,’ Henry said bluntly. ‘We have to call by the apartment to pick up Madeleine’s car.’

  Madeleine exchanged another glance with Aiden. ‘Oh no, it doesn’t matter, Henry,’ she said. ‘There’s no need to drive two cars home. I’m not going to need it tomorrow.’

  ‘But you’ll need it for work on Monday.’

  ‘I’ll take the bus.’

  ‘You hate taking the bus.’

  ‘No I don’t.’

  ‘You do, you’re always complaining.’

  ‘I don’t complain,’ she returned. ‘I don’t love it, but I do it when I have to. Like I did the other day, so we’d only have one car to drive to the airport, remember?’

  ‘Whatever,’ he almost snapped. ‘Can we just go?’

  ‘My, my, tempers are getting frayed,’ Genevieve remarked.

  Madeleine felt her stomach clench. That would just piss Henry off more; the last thing he needed was Genevieve judging him.

  ‘Never mind,’ Genevieve went on, ‘I’m sure it’s just a little dose of pre-wedding jitters. Which reminds me, Mad . . .’ She walked over to open the pantry door. ‘Can I check that you’ve marked the cake tasting in your calendar?’

  ‘I’m sure I did.’

  ‘Is it going to kill you to check? You’ve bailed on me before, don’t forget, because I certainly haven’t.’ Genevieve ran her finger down the calendar hanging inside the pantry door. ‘It’s the twenty-sixth, that’s Monday week, at ten, gives me plenty of time to get the boys to school and drop Archie off at the sitter’s.’

  Madeleine was frowning at her phone. There was nothing recorded on that day in her calendar.

  ‘You didn’t write it down, did you.’ Genevieve sighed like a disappointed parent. ‘Hopeless.’

  ‘I did write it down, I know I did – I must have done it at work,’ said Madeleine, scrolling through the dates. ‘I’ve got my dress fitting next week, that’s here.’

  ‘Who’s going to be with you for that?’ asked Genevieve.

  Madeleine shrugged. ‘The dressmaker.’

  ‘You really should take someone with you. It’s the final fitting, isn’t it?’

  That sounded so ominous, like the final countdown, the last supper, the end of the world as we know it . . .

  ‘What day is it, Mad?’ Genevieve persisted.

  ‘Wednesday, in my lunch hour.’

  Genevieve was shaking her head. ‘There’s no way I can call in any more favours for babysitting right now.’

  ‘Honestly, it’s fine, Gen.’ Madeleine was quite touched by her interest. Or perhaps she was just trying to impress Aiden. ‘Thanks, but my dressmaker’s really great, I’m not worried.’

  ‘Maybe you can take your friend from work . . . Olivia?’

  ‘Liv? I don’t know, I could ask –’

  Henry cleared his throat, loudly.

  ‘We should go,’ said Madeleine, taking the hint.
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  ‘Well, good luck with the fitting.’ Genevieve took her by the arm as they started up the hall. ‘The main thing you have to check is that you can actually move freely, and above all that you can sit down without strangulating a hernia or something.’

  ‘Right.’

  ‘And that includes going to the toilet without having to take the whole dress off.’

  ‘Okay, you’ve made your point.’

  They paused at the front door. ‘And I hope you haven’t gone all puritanical on us, that you’ve got some cleavage showing.’

  ‘Gen!’

  ‘What?’ Genevieve said undeterred. ‘Jeez, Mad, if you’re not going to look sexy on your wedding day, what’s the point? Everyone knows what you’re going to get up to that night. The reception is basically foreplay, in public, with dancing and a cake.’

  Madeleine had seen Henry look mortified before, but that little spiel took it to a whole new level. ‘I’m speechless,’ she said on his behalf, ‘and we’re going.’ She kissed her sister on the cheek and stepped outside ahead of Henry and Aiden.

  ‘So I suppose I’ll see you at the wedding, partner,’ Genevieve said to Aiden.

  ‘If not before. We can have a wedding-party party.’

  ‘But we’re the only two in the wedding party, apart from the bride and groom.’

  ‘Then it’ll be a very exclusive party.’

  Madeleine could hear Genevieve’s girlish giggle from here. She still couldn’t get over her sister giggling.

  ‘Oh, Mad?’ Genevieve called after them. ‘Did you take my advice about your bridal underwear?’

  ‘For godsakes, Genevieve,’ Madeleine hissed, turning around to glare at her.

  ‘I just wanted to know if you bought the duplicate –’

  ‘I’m not going to discuss my underwear with you! Goodbye!’ Madeleine shut the gate behind her with a clang.

  The traffic heading back towards the city was lighter at this time of day. They drove in total silence. Total. Awkward. Silence.

  ‘It was great to meet your family, Maddie,’ Aiden said from the back seat, finally lifting the embargo. ‘They’re lovely people.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘Genevieve’s a character.’

  Henry grunted. Madeleine glanced across at him. ‘Are you all right?’ she asked.

  ‘I’m just tired.’

  ‘You shouldn’t work so late.’

  ‘I have a deadline,’ he said curtly. ‘What difference did it make to you, anyway?’

  Ouch. They lapsed into silence again; it was better that way.

  ‘You know what, guys?’ Aiden said after a while. ‘I just realised, I left all my stuff at your apartment, Maddie.’

  Madeleine turned around. ‘What stuff?’

  ‘My bags from the trip. I left some of my clothes back at the house, but there’s my shave kit, and –’

  ‘We have anything like that you might need,’ said Henry.

  ‘I was about to add,’ said Aiden, ‘that, most importantly, I left my laptop and all the paperwork from the trip. I’ll need it all before my meetings next week.’

  ‘Madeleine could bring it home for you on Monday, couldn’t she?’ said Henry. ‘It’s just if we go via the apartment now, we’ll have to go all the way across town.’

  ‘Henry,’ Madeleine chided.

  ‘Look, why don’t you just drop me off somewhere,’ said Aiden. ‘I can catch a taxi to the apartment, easy.’

  ‘But then how will you get up to our place?’ said Madeleine.

  ‘Well, I’m thinking, if you don’t mind, that I might stay at the apartment.’

  Great, they’d scared him off.

  ‘I have to be in the city next week,’ he explained, ‘and I have to review the submissions before that, so I’ll need everything before Monday night. I’ll take the opportunity to catch up with some people, it’ll be fine.’

  ‘You know people in Sydney?’ said Madeleine.

  ‘Some of the aid workers I met in Vietnam last year were Australian. They’re usually in high rotation, so there’s sure to be someone home on leave.’

  ‘Do you know how to find them?’

  ‘We keep in touch,’ he said. ‘Facebook mostly, you know. So, Henry, just drop me wherever’s convenient. As long as you give me the address of the apartment, I’ll find my way.’

  ‘No,’ Madeleine said firmly, looking at Henry, ‘of course we’ll drive you to the apartment.’

  Henry glanced at her, frowning. Then he shrugged. ‘At least you can pick up your car.’

  Damn and bother, there was no way out of this. She was just going to have to hoof it into the city to get her car from work, and that was the last thing she felt like doing right now. Blasted tangled web.

  When they arrived at the apartment building, Henry pulled over to the kerb but kept the motor running.

  ‘See you later, Darrow,’ Aiden said as he jumped out of the car. He walked off briskly towards the entrance, keeping his back to them, being discreet. Or perhaps getting out of the firing line.

  ‘I won’t be far behind you,’ Madeleine said to Henry. He just nodded, staring ahead through the windscreen. She leant over and kissed him on the cheek, then stepped out of the car. He drove off the moment she closed the door behind her.

  ‘So I guess you have to go and get your car now?’ Aiden asked when she joined him at the entrance to the foyer.

  She nodded. ‘What a hassle.’

  ‘Do you want me to come with you?’

  ‘No, it’s all right, but thanks. I’ll let you into the apartment. There’s some spare keys inside you can keep on you, that way you can come and go as you please.’

  She swiped them into the building, and then again into the elevator, and when the doors slid closed, Aiden turned to her. ‘So what was up with Henry?’

  ‘He’s pissed off, obviously.’

  ‘About you staying out last night?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘He didn’t seem to mind yesterday. I don’t think it helped that you blabbed about me having a drink, or rather, how did you put it – “a big night”?’

  ‘Sorry,’ he winced, smacking his hand to his forehead. ‘It just came out. I wasn’t thinking. I forgot you wanted to keep it a secret.’

  Madeleine cringed. She really wished he wouldn’t put it like that. But then, that’s what she’d led him to think. ‘It’s only because Henry’s too sensitive about it. And now I know why.’

  The doors slid open and they stepped out and started up the hall.

  ‘Are you going to tell him that I told you?’ asked Aiden.

  ‘I don’t know . . .’

  ‘It’s okay with me,’ he assured her.

  Madeleine looked at him. ‘I really don’t know. I’ll just have to see if the moment presents itself.’

  ‘Then I’m glad I’ll be out of your way.’

  They came to the door of the apartment and Madeleine smiled at him as she pushed the key into the lock. ‘That’s why you made up that story to get out of coming back with us, isn’t it?’

  ‘I really did leave my stuff here,’ he said. ‘But it also seemed like you guys needed some time alone.’

  ‘You’re probably right.’

  She opened the door and he followed her inside. Madeleine found the spare keys and security card for the building, and handed them to Aiden. ‘I don’t think there are any tricks to the place you should know about,’ she said, glancing around.

  ‘Everything seemed pretty straightforward this morning.’

  ‘Oh, and please use the bed, you don’t have to sleep on the sofa.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Of course,’ she said. ‘Though you might want to change the sheets, I was a bit manky last night. Linen’s on the top shelf of the wardrobe.’

  Aiden nodded.

  ‘And the shower door sticks a little . . .’ Madeleine saw the bemused look on his face. ‘And now I’m just stalling. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.’

&nb
sp; ‘I’m sure I will.’

  She took a deep breath. ‘I’d best begin my journey, ’tis many miles to Mordor.’

  ‘I think we may have taken that nickname too far,’ said Aiden. ‘Henry’s not exactly a dark lord waiting up there for you.’

  ‘I know. He’s a pussycat most of the time, if a slightly repressed one.’ She sighed. ‘I just wish I hadn’t lied to him.’

  ‘I wouldn’t make too big a deal of it, they were pretty inconsequential lies.’

  ‘Not so inconsequential: I have to go out of my way now to pick up the car, remember.’

  ‘So you only hurt yourself,’ he said. ‘I never get why lying is made out to be the greatest sin of all, especially in relationships. Most lies are about sparing somebody’s feelings, or not making matters worse.’

  ‘I’ve never thought about it like that.’

  ‘The truth and nothing but the truth is for catching out criminals. The rest of us are just trying not to hurt anyone.’ He paused. ‘Now give me a hug and get out of here.’

  She stepped into his open arms. He wasn’t so exuberant this time, but rather warm and reassuring. It was quite remarkable how close they’d become in such a short time.

  Aiden drew back to look at her. ‘Go home and clear the air with Henry. Everything will be fine, trust me. Like Genevieve said, this is probably just pre-wedding jitters.’

  She hoped they were both right.

  Pittwater

  What with hailing a taxi and the detour to work, it was another half hour before Madeleine was on her way across the bridge. The drive home on her own was long and boring, as usual. She was tired, but she certainly wasn’t in any danger of nodding off. She was too on edge; her mind was racing, still trying to process all this new information about Henry. She probably should tell him what she knew, even though it would be confronting for him. But she was going to be his wife, she should have known all this already, and he should have been the one to tell her. It was very odd that he’d kept it from her, even a little upsetting. One thing Madeleine knew for sure, Henry had to get her drinking into perspective. It was beginning to become very clear that it was his issue, not hers.

  Finally she pulled into the garage, changed into her Crocs and negotiated the stairs in the rapidly fading light. When she let herself in through the front door, the house was eerily quiet. Henry’s car was in the garage, so she knew he’d made it home. She called his name as she wandered through the main living area, then checked their bedroom and bathroom. There was only one other place he could be.