Beautiful brunette friend: ‘I know it’s a worry but it is your public duty to expose this man.’
Picture three: Model Holly (still in dressing gown), beautiful brunette friend and private detective who looks like Inspector Gadget.
Holly: ‘OK, but I still don’t want to hurt him.’
Beautiful brunette friend: ‘You are doing the right thing.’
Inspector Gadget: ‘Leave it to me, I’ll sort it out.’
End commentary (from agony aunt): Holly, you have been through a tough time and you have made a difficult decision but your baby will thank you in the end because while you let George get away with it, it is the baby’s mother that is suffering the most.
‘Holly will you take your fucking head out of the fucking clouds and just let us fucking do it!’ Freddie shocked me out of my reverie. I stood and looked. They were standing in a row: Freddie, Francesca and Lisa—my three musketeers. They were giving me stern looks. I felt ganged up on. I wished I could stop my daydreaming and make a decision, I was so tired.
‘They’re right. Remember we have to take control,’ Lisa pointed out. The baby kicked. I looked at Freddie; I looked at Francesca; and I looked at Lisa. The baby kicked again, reminding me of its presence and the fact that I had a duty to protect it.
‘I can’t afford a private detective,’ I said, quietly. I was losing my grip on reason, but then there had been no reason for a long time.
‘It’s paid for, Hol,’ Freddie told me.
‘What?’
‘Look Holly, don’t take this the wrong way but we already decided to have George followed. We need to get your life back to normal, or at least a bit more normal and we have taken the decision, along with your family, who had paid for the detective.’ Francesca looked tired and I again felt responsible.
‘I’m sorry, you’re right. I’ll do whatever you think is best.’
‘Thank God for that,’ Freddie said.
‘The detective starts tomorrow. Fingers crossed that George is misbehaving.’
‘I still think we should send him a honey-trap,’ Lisa said.
‘Don’t, Lisa, she’s agreed to this, don’t scare her off now.’
Later, in bed, I thought about what was happening. Despite everything I felt sad as I realised how destructive our friendship had become. When George and I were around twelve and we walked home together from school, and he teased me and I punched him in a very girly, not very hard way and we never knew that as we sealed our friendship and it endured beyond all others, that we would be here where we were now and that we would be hurting each other. He had hurt me, and now I was going to put a stop to it, which would hurt him. Some friendship. Time to let go. I wasn’t finding it easy despite the fact that George had done a great job in making me detest him, perhaps that was because I was a sentimental, nostalgic, sad person trying to hold on to the good memories of my childhood, like a child clutching at her mother’s legs, clinging on tightly, asking for protection.
Or maybe it was because I might be carrying his baby.
Chapter Thirty-nine
‘Darling, you are doing the right thing,’ my mother said, when I phoned her in the morning.
‘But it must be costing a fortune.’ Even I was getting bored of my repetitiveness.
‘If it works, it’s worth it.’
‘I guess.’
‘So how are you?’
‘Confused. Horribly, horribly confused. About everything.’
‘I know. But things are looking up.’
‘They are?’
‘Yes, they are. Trust me darling everything is going to be just fine.’ I tried, desperately, to believe her.
*
I knew that I shouldn’t have used my initiative, not with my history, but I did. I phoned the person I hated most in all of this. I called Cordelia. I knew that the last time I did this, it actually backfired and made her more determined than ever to ruin my life, but there was something I needed to know and only she could tell me.
‘Cordelia,’ she announced, when I was promptly put through to her.
‘It’s Holly.’
‘What a surprise.’ I imagined her sharpening her claws.
‘Look, I’ll cut to the chase. Someone called Francesca about George.’ Logically, it was a bit of a gamble. If it wasn’t Cordelia who had phoned Francesca, then I was tipping off the enemy. I could imagine the scene now. Freddie would kill me; Francesca would help him. Lisa would provide the weapon.
‘And...?’ she sounded bored, rather than surprised.
‘Yes, and they said that he’d been doing things he shouldn’t be doing.’
‘Well, you know full well that George has done a lot of things he shouldn’t have done lately.’
‘So it’s true.’
‘No comment.’ I knew then that it was true. Indirectly she was confirming the story. George had made a big, big mistake; he had crossed the most vengeful woman in the world. Even I wouldn’t have been that stupid. Perhaps.
‘Cordelia, I never thought I’d say this, but thank you.’
‘Don’t thank me Holly. I’m not doing this for you.’
‘I didn’t for one minute think you were.’ I came off the phone smiling.
Francesca and Freddie were right and this was all going to come crashing down around him. But that’s what I wanted now. I managed, finally, to get as angry as I should have been. How dare he do this to me. How dare he come back into my life, disrupt it, lie, cheat, and make himself famous on the back of me and all the time be sleeping with the woman he was paying. I hated him. I realised that I really did hate him. Him and his fame and his quest for more fame and the fact that he didn’t give two hoots about me. Or the baby. Because if he did he would have left us alone a long time ago. And if the baby turned out to be George’s then I would fight tooth and nail to keep him out of its life. Because he wasn’t a good enough person to be a father. Not by a long way.
Actually I found my new anger quite refreshing.
‘Freddie, it’s me.’
‘And today’s objection is?’
‘None, I’m really happy.’
‘You are?’
‘Yes, I just know that it’s going to work out.’
‘How?’
‘I called Cordelia.’
‘You did what?’ he exploded.
‘Don’t worry I didn’t say anything that I shouldn’t...actually I did. I told her about the tip-off. I had to know that it was true, and it was. She said “no comment” and her tone, well I know that that is one woman scorned.’
‘Holly, you could have ruined everything.’ Freddie let out a sigh.
‘Sure I could but I didn’t. So has the detective started work?’
‘He has. How are the paps today?’
‘Not here, not even one.’
‘Well, that’s good.’
‘It’s great but it’s not enough. George still has the public’s sympathy. I want him stopped. I want him back in New York. I want to get on with my life.’ I was ready to let it all go. I sounded more assertive than I had in months.
‘Don’t worry Hol, we’re on to it.’
*
‘Holly Miller has resumed normal service,’ I announced to Lisa who was on my laptop surfing the net.
‘Really?’
‘Yeah. And I’ve got work to do today. What are you up to?’
‘I’m going to work, too.’
‘What?’
‘Well, I’m doing Max’s accounts.’
‘Do you even know how to do accounts?’
‘You’re not the only one with a laptop you know.’ I laughed as Lisa went to the spare room and came back with a very sexy looking laptop. The girl was amazing, even her computer was good-looking. She set herself up opposite me and we worked, mainly in silence, all day. I felt as if I was in the office, the day was so constructive. My mother was right; things were looking up. But then I remembered the paternity question and things began to nosedive.
&n
bsp; *
The following day I received two phone calls which led me to believe that maybe my mum was right. The first was from Francesca, saying that the detective had unearthed some information for us and we were to have a meeting. The second was from Joe.
Lisa answered the phone, and passed it to me. As soon as she said his name I felt sick. What if he was phoning to tell me that he had thought about it and couldn’t be in our lives? There was only one way to find out.
‘Holly, I’ve been thinking.’
‘Right.’
‘And, well, this isn’t easy, please don’t think it’s easy.’ My heart skipped a beat.
‘Right.’
‘But you are right. If this baby is mine then I want to be involved and as we can’t know that for sure, then I am going to have to swallow my pride and be braver than I have been.’ My eyes filled with tears.
‘Joe, are you saying that you want to be part of our lives?’ Oh, please God, let that be what he was saying.
‘Yes.’
‘That’s fantastic.’ I laughed. Then Joe laughed and in laughing I felt the release of all my fears. ‘You’re the most amazing person ever,’ I said, full of emotion.
‘I need this Hol.’
‘Me too.’
‘Can I see you, later, to talk?’ he sounded nervous.
‘I’ll cook dinner, tonight, my place at seven thirty?’
‘I’ll be there.’
After I’d hung up, the smile wouldn’t go away, neither would Lisa’s.
‘I’ll prepare something this afternoon and then I’ll spend the evening at my flat,’ Lisa offered.
‘Are you sure?’ I was dubious as to Lisa’s cooking talents and I really wanted to impress Joe.
‘Don’t worry I won’t cook but I’ll buy stuff and plan the menu. What about oysters?’
‘Yuck. I’m pregnant remember, I need to eat good wholesome food.’
‘But that’s not very sexy.’
‘What I want is toad-in-the-hole, with onion gravy and apple crumble and custard.’
‘Not all on the same plate?’
‘No, of course not.’ Disappointingly I hadn’t had any weird cravings. Just normal cravings; sweets, especially cola bottles, chocolate (any kind) and frozen yogurt. I was addicted to frozen yogurt.
‘OK, I can shop for that. Trust me.’
‘I do.’ At that time I trusted everyone. I even trusted myself. I was right about Joe. One hundred per cent right.
Chapter Forty
I was so happy. Joe was back in my life, he was going to be there for me. I knew that it must have been the hardest decision he’d ever had to make, I knew it was a huge sacrifice on the part of his pride and I was so grateful.
I could see the light; it had been there all along. It might seem harsh but my reservation being that George might be the father of my child, therefore I shouldn’t ruin him, no longer bothered me. George might be the father but there was no way I was going to let him continue to ruin my life. Even if I had to ruin him. I was dealing with things, the way Freddie always told me that I should. I was going to have Joe in my life and get George out of it. Something I should have done a long time ago.
I felt amazingly empowered as I arrived for the meeting with the private detective. Actually I was quite excited, because I’d never met one before. I was kind of hoping he’d be a bit like Inspector Gadget. Complete with gadgets.
I swept into the office and kissed every member of staff. Happiness was just the warmest feeling, like being wrapped in the softest blanket; it was the best day ever. I was the happiest person ever. Joe might not be my boyfriend per se, but he was back in my life. It seemed more likely that he would turn out to be the father of the baby, and maybe he would forgive me. The way things were going, all going my way, I actually believed he would forgive me.
I was still beaming as I went into the boardroom with Francesca and Freddie behind me. The private detective was already there.
‘Hi, I’m Holly,’ I said, flashing him my new super special smile. It was a smile to end all smiles. He was wearing a rather smart suit, with a pink shirt and tie. His hair was neatly combed. But even the fact that he wasn’t a cliché couldn’t disappoint me.
‘I’m Tom Broadbent.’ He shook my hand.
‘Shall we get down to business,’ Francesca said, as Freddie poured coffee. Tom pulled his briefcase on to the table and opened it and reached inside. He pulled out a brown envelope. It was the tiniest bit James Bond.
‘It seems that Mr Conway isn’t as devoted to you as he makes out,’ he said.
‘Really?’ Part of me didn’t care, he could have been in love with a donkey as far as I was concerned. But then part of me did care because I wanted rid.
‘No. He’s seeing a young girl called Debbie, who works at a nearby cafe. He goes there every morning for breakfast if he doesn’t have an early appointment. She serves him at the table, which she doesn’t do for anyone else—’
‘Sorry Tom, but can we cut to the chase,’ Francesca interrupted.
‘Of course. Well for the past few evenings she has gone to his flat and left about four hours later.’
‘Shit, he’s improved since he shagged me, if he can last four hours,’ I said, then covered my mouth in shock horror. Everyone looked a bit disgusted, but I giggled. Joe’s phone call made me happier than ever, I could only have been happier if I knew for sure he was the father and he told me that he wanted me back. But for now, this was good enough.
‘I’ve got photos of them together, although they are not very compromising. I know that something is going on. She goes to his flat late at night, I think it’s just sex. I spoke to her in the cafe, pretended to chat her up and although she brushed me off and said she had a boyfriend, she didn’t give away anything else. Here are the photos and her name and address, also the name and address of the café. Do you want anything else from me?’
‘No, that’s brilliant,’ Freddie said, taking the photos and looking at them. ‘She’s pretty,’ he added. I took a look.
‘Oh, poor girl, she could do so much better.’
‘Yeah, well he’s famous and fame is a powerful aphrodisiac,’ Francesca pointed out, wisely.
We said goodbye to Tom, and Freddie showed him out. Then he came back to the boardroom and poured more coffee. I was halfway down my second cup before I realised I’d given up coffee.
‘Oh dear, I don’t think I should drink this,’ I said, putting it down and frowning.
‘I’m sure one cup won’t hurt. What are we going to do next?’ Francesca asked.
‘Well I can come back to work now,’ I answered. I didn’t need to hide away now that George would be out of favour with the media.
‘Yes, you can, which is great, but I meant about George.’
‘I reckon we should tip off a newspaper,’ Freddie suggested, rejoining us at the table. ‘I heard that the This Afternoon show is about to offer him a daily slot, but I don’t think they will if he is embroiled in scandal. At the moment he’s a bit of a housewives’ favourite but only because they all think he is so completely devoted to you. So I say we tip off the Daily News and let them uncover the scandal. We can sit back and enjoy the ride.’
The old Holly would let things rest, but the new Holly would secure the future for her child, and maybe for her relationship, but definitely for herself. If George was stopped, if all he had built his celebrity status on was taken away from him, he would be left with nothing, but then that was no longer my problem.
‘Do it. Finish it for good.’ The war was nearly over and I was the victor elect.
Freddie called a journalist from the Daily News, and arranged for Dixie to bike over the photographs and details that Tom had given us.
‘He was really pleased, says he owes us one for the tip-off,’ Freddie said. The irony is that it was the Daily News that first ran George’s story, so he owed his success to them, but now he would blame them for his downfall. Them, and us, but most of all his own
stupidity.
The marriage-pact story was about to be dead and buried. Although another story was just beginning.
*
I arrived home to find Lisa and a stranger in my kitchen.
‘Hello,’ I said, looking at the unknown woman who was wearing an apron. Not my apron, because I didn’t own such a thing.
‘Holly, this is Sarah, she has come to prepare your dinner.’
‘Really?’
‘Hi,’ Sarah said.
‘Where did you come from?’ I asked, wondering if Lisa had hired a caterer, which seemed a bit extreme even by Lisa’s standards.
‘We’re friends,’ Lisa explained. ‘And when I told her it was you, and why you were celebrating, she offered to cook dinner.’
‘Toad-in-the-hole, with rosemary and onion gravy, fresh baby vegetables and for dessert, homemade apple crumble and custard.’
‘Fantastic.’ My stomach rumbled in anticipation. ‘I tell you the thing about pregnancy is that I’m hungry all the time. Now all I have to do is find something to wear that makes me look sexy and not like a sack of potatoes.’ That wasn’t easy. Even maternity clothes couldn’t perform miracles.
Lisa and Sarah left just before Joe arrived. All I had to do was to take the food out of the oven and serve it. I was wearing my red maternity dress which was a bit shorter than it had been, because I was a bit bigger. A lot bigger. I thought back to the early days, before it all went wrong, but after I’d slept with George, when I asked Freddie how to get a man to fall in love with me. He suggested a red dress and no knickers. As I looked at my red dress I guessed this wasn’t exactly what he had in mind. And as for no knickers, well I couldn’t do that. I didn’t want my baby to catch a cold.
I was applying perfume liberally when the buzzer went. I felt a bit nervous but I was still euphoric. I’m not sure how those emotions mixed, but I felt heady, relieved, and also shy. I felt like I was on a first date.
‘Hi,’ I smiled, and this time I did kiss him—on the cheek—but it was a start.
Deranged Marriage Page 34