The Faithful Wife

Bella, pacing the room, swivelled round and glared. ‘My only consolation is that the “scam”, as you call it, will have cost you both a mini fortune!’

‘I guess you’re telling me it didn’t work,’ Evie said mournfully. ‘We only did it for the best. Cos we love you, even if you are both stupid! Think about the mess our parents made of their marriage and compare it with what you and Jake had.’ Her voice wobbled. ‘What you had was beautiful. It used to be a joy to see you together.’

Bella stopped mid-pace, her justifiable annoyance over Evie’s meddling washed away by a flood of tears that brimmed her eyes and clogged her throat. The two younger sisters had been desperate to help. But all the beauty had gone out of the marriage that had started so perfectly. Nothing could make it come back.

She swallowed hard and made herself go and perch on the arm of Evie’s chair. ‘You’re going to have to accept that it’s over,’ she said quietly. ‘I have. And no amount of good-intentioned meddling will alter that.’

Evie lifted a troubled face. ‘Did you explain about that Maclaine chap? Tell Jake it wasn’t what he thought it was?’

‘Yes. I told him Guy had never been my lover.’

‘And?’

Bella shrugged expressively. She’d told him the truth, but she didn’t know now whether he’d believed her. How could trust be so easily shattered?

‘After he’d got over his anger at the way we’d been tricked he behaved reasonably and considerately.’ She wouldn’t confess to the way they’d made love. She couldn’t. It had happened because she still loved him and he still lusted after her. The sexual chemistry between them was still as explosive as ever. But it wasn’t enough for either of them.

‘Then, when he dropped me off here on Boxing Day, he would have driven away with nothing more than a polite goodbye. But I mentioned divorce, to remind him we were still married. But he doesn’t want one. Too costly, I would imagine.’

Her voice hardened. ‘He wouldn’t want a dent in his precious fortune.’ She pushed herself on, knowing she had to forestall any questions before she could draw a line beneath the traumatic episode. ‘He then decided he’d better give me dinner some time—fit it in when he had a convenient space in his work schedule—to persuade me that this separation should continue as it is, in his own best interests.’

‘Oh, Bel, don’t be so cynical! It’s not like you.’

‘Just looking at life through untinted specs.’ Bella pushed herself to her feet. She couldn’t talk about it any more, relive the pain in words that skimmed the surface of the truth and left out the emotions that wouldn’t go away. ‘I’ll forget what you did on the condition it’s never mentioned again. And now I think it’s time we both turned in.’

Bella had dug deep in the back of her wardrobe and found the perfect dress for the party. Shimmering gold tissue, scoop-necked and clingy—displaying too much leg maybe, but why the heck not? If you’ve got it, flaunt it, as her model friends would have said!

Anyway, it was New Year’s Eve, and she was going to have fun. Yes, she was, she told the annoyingly sad eyes that stared back at her from her bedroom mirror.

Ruth, Guy’s wife, had said, ‘Oh, yes, do come, Bella. The more the merrier, truly! Most of the agency staff are going to be putting in an appearance at some stage, not to mention a load of mine and Guy’s friends. I just hope the noise won’t disturb the twins. But Mother-in-law came up from Sussex for Christmas, and she’s still here. So she’ll be on hand if they do wake. She’s an old battleaxe, but she’s really good with the babies.’

So she would socialise for a change. Besides, Jake hadn’t contacted her. She hadn’t really expected him to, had she? Giving her dinner, talking over the arrangements for their separate future would come very low down on his list of priorities.

Everyone else would be taking a break over the festive season, but he would be jetting to wherever the next killing could be made, poring over balance sheets and financial projections.

She caught her thoughts and slapped them down brutally. She’d made an early New Year resolution never to think of him again. She was going to stick to it!

Starting the fiddly business of piling her hair on top of her head, she thought about Guy and Ruth instead. They had moved to a big family house in Hampstead before the birth of the twins. She was truly happy for them, and wasn’t going to fall into the trap of envy.

They’d had a rough ride. A year into the La Donna campaign Guy—her dear friend by then, and professional support—had confided that he and Ruth were having a trial separation. They were finding it difficult to be around each other, he had told her.

‘Ruth’s desperate to have kids, but nothing happens. We’ve had every test known to medical science and we’re both OK. So she blames me for not caring either way, and herself for caring too much. She can’t leave it alone. She’s getting paranoid and I’m getting irritable. Next thing, she’ll be blaming the government, or the weather! We thought we’d be better apart for a while, before we start throwing things at each other.’

But things had worked out for them in the end. When Guy had phoned on Christmas Eve, over a year ago—

No. No. No! She must not, would not think of any of that!

‘Your taxi’s here.’ Evie poked her dark curly head round the bedroom door. ‘Are you ready, or shall I ask him to wait?’

‘Ready.’ Bella pushed the final pin into her hair and stood up, reaching for her wrap and the gold kid evening purse that went with the dress. ‘Are you sure you don’t mind being on your own? You could come with me. One more won’t make any difference.’

Evie shook her head decisively. ‘After Lizanne’s thrash I’m off parties.’ Her blue eyes went dreamy. ‘I thought I’d check through my wardrobe to find something suitable but less stuffy to wear for work. Maybe try out a new hairstyle.’

The new boss, Bella thought, turning away quickly and descending the stairs as rapidly as she could in high, spindly heels.

She could hardly bear to see the glow in the younger girl’s eyes.

She could remember exactly what it felt like to fall in love.