Downsizing (23 page)

“
I thought she was pretty,” Josh
said.

“
Don’t speak with your mouth full,
Josh,” Cassie said sharply.

After the boys had gone to bed, Noah shut
himself in his study. Cassie sought him out a short time later,
making pointed remarks about having an early night. Noah waited
until he was sure she’d be asleep before going up, but had
underestimated her determination. She was sitting up in bed wearing
her prettiest nightgown, hair washed and brushed, her body sprayed
with a liberal amount of his favorite perfume.

“
There you are at last,” she said.
“Come and give your wife a much-needed cuddle.”

“
I’m knackered,” he said, turning
his back on her. “Goodnight.”

* * * *

Graham checked the Caller ID on his mobile.
Four calls from Cassie throughout the course of the evening, and
three increasingly frantic messages on the landline. His heart went
out to her. The poor darling must be in a dreadful state, and he
hated not being there for her, but sometimes it was necessary to be
cruel to be kind. He’d tried everything over the years to convince
her that she’d be better off living with him. There had been times
when he thought he’d been on the brink of success, but she always
changed her mind at the last minute. Bloody Fenwick treated her
like shit, but she always went back for more. That’s what had
finally made him change his tactics. Being at her beck and call,
always sympathetic to her latest grievance, was getting him
nowhere.

When Charles had suggested Maxine might be the
answer to his problem with the business, he’d been reluctant even
to see her. As a girl she’d been physically repulsive to him, and
he doubted things would have improved on that front. He didn’t see
how she’d attract business to the practice, even if she was a sharp
lawyer. In spite of the politically correct world they lived in,
appearances still counted for a lot. But he was in London anyway,
and the thought of interviewing a load of prospective new partners
scared him. If Maxine could raise the money, then she might just
fit the bill. She would be compliant and allow him to take a
leading role in the partnership, because she’d always been too meek
to push her ideas forward.

He hadn’t recognized her when she walked into
that restaurant, but when he got over his initial shock, it was
suddenly vital that he convince her to become his partner. She’d
certainly have a devastating effect on the rocky Fenwick marriage.
From Cassie’s constant monologue on the subject of Maxine, Graham
knew she was the last person she’d want to see again. She was
ridiculously insecure when it came to Noah, convinced he still
regretted the loss of his friendship with Maxine. Graham had never
been able to understand what he’d seen in the girl, or why Cassie
felt so threatened by her. Looking across the table at the
self-confident, adult Maxine who drew admiring glances from half
the men in the restaurant without appearing to realize it, he now
understood perfectly.

Graham had never bothered to move out of the
large house he’d been brought up in. There was plenty of room for
him and his parents. He had his own rooms with a separate entrance
that guaranteed his privacy. His mother had died recently, then his
father suffered that heart-attack, and everything was set to
change. His father’s retirement from the business, Maxine’s sudden
reappearance amongst them, and Cassie’s obvious distress at having
her here made for a volcanic situation. Something had to give, but
everything hinged on Maxine’s willingness to stay in
Colebrook.

His mobile rang, and checking the display, he
took the call.

“
She’s tucked up for the night.
Fenwick returned home with his kids and hasn’t left
since.”

“
Okay, that’s good. Stay on her
tomorrow and let me know everything she does.”

Graham knew every move Maxine had made since
her return to Colebrook, and was greatly encouraged to learn of
Noah’s reaction to her appearance. Cassie must be suffering
agonies. He wasn’t unfeeling enough to let that situation prevail
for too long, so he’d see her tomorrow.

But perhaps not until the
afternoon.

* * * *

Maxine had already decided she couldn’t stay
in Colebrook permanently. Returning to lay to rest the ghost that
was Noah simply wasn’t going to work. Seeing him again brought it
all back to her, exposing emotions that were still as raw as the
day she’d left. She knew now that the only way to move on with her
life was to ensure that he wasn’t in it—at least not physically. It
was obvious that his relationship with Cassie was fraught, and from
Noah’s transparent delight at seeing her again it was gratifyingly
clear that he really did care for her. All the more reason to get
out of Colebrook. She wasn’t a home-wrecker. She’d do to Cassie
what Cassie had done to her in a heartbeat, but she couldn’t
callously deprive three children of their father just because she
carried a torch for him.

She opened a bottle of white wine and sat in
the garden mulling over her options. There was no immediate rush to
find employment. She ought in all politeness see Graham and go
through the motions before turning his offer down. She wouldn’t
look for another job in the city, though. The idea of being a
solicitor in a rural practice somewhere other than Colebrook was
quite appealing. She’d have a couple of weeks off and then see what
was available.

The phone intruded upon her
thoughts.

“
You’re here!” cried Rachel’s
voice accusingly when she picked it up. “I didn’t believe
it—”

“
Hello, Rachel, I was just going
to call you.”

“
So I should hope. How long are
you home for?”

“
Just a week or two.”

“
When are you coming to see
me?”

“
In the morning, if that’s okay.
There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

“
That sounds very
mysterious.”

“
Not really, just some unfinished
business.” She paused. “I went to see Cassie today.”

“
No! And?”

“
And we did some catching up. The
kids are great.”

“
Aren’t they just, but wait until
you see mine.”

“
I will on Saturday. I’ve been
invited to the party.”

“
Great! I’m doing the
catering.”

“
So I gather.”

“
Did you see Noah?”

A long pause. “Yes.”

A child wailed in the background. “Look, Max,
this is intriguing, and I want to know all the details but I’ve got
to go and play referee between my two, before they brain each
other. Come round about ten, I’ll be free then. Do you know where
we are?”

* * * *

Rachel shouted with joy when Maxine arrived
the next morning. “My God, look at you, you’re gorgeous!” She
engulfed her in an expansive hug. “Your mum said you’d lost some
weight, but I’d no idea it was so much. How did you do it?” Rachel
looked down at her own expanding waistline and pulled a face. “I
bet Cassie had a fit when she saw you.”

Maxine smiled. “She didn’t seem quite as
pleased to renew our acquaintance as you are.”

“
I’ll just bet she wasn’t. Serves
her right, the witch!”

Maxine stayed for an hour-and-a-half, but it
felt more like ten-minutes. It was lovely to be able to talk
face-to-face with Rachel again. She was nicely rounded nowadays,
but sufficiently flamboyant for the extra pounds not to matter. Her
warmth, generosity, and irreverent attitude hadn’t changed, and
Maxine soon felt as though they’d never been separated. Rachel
wanted to gossip, and for once Maxine didn’t tense up the way she’d
done during their many telephone conversations.

She learned what she’d already suspected. Noah
wasn’t happy with Cassie, but stayed for the sake of his kids. He
didn’t play the field any more, immersed himself in his work, and
had a great relationship with Charles. Cassie was possessive to the
point of obsession, and banged on to anyone who’d listen about what
a caring and considerate husband he was.

“
It’s all bullshit, of course,”
Rachel said cheerfully.

Maxine sighed. “Yes, I suspected as
much.”

“
He did try, and for the first few
years they seemed to get along. But, oh I don’t know, something
changed more recently. Familiarity, I guess.”

* * * *

Maxine wore white tailored trousers, an
emerald sleeveless top that enhanced the color of her eyes, and
espadrilles. When she drove into the pub’s parking lot, Noah was
already there, leaning against a dark blue convertible BMW. When he
saw her, he walked across and opened her car door for
her.

“
Nice wheels,” she commented,
nodding toward his car.

“
A present to myself when I sold
the first flat down by the river.”

He leaned forward to kiss her lips, but she
turned her face and he made contact with her cheek instead. He
found a table in the garden, away from everyone else, and asked her
what she’d like to drink.

“
Just water please. I don’t like
to drink when I’m driving.”

“
Won’t be a second. Have a look at
the menu while I’m gone.”

He returned quickly, and Maxine noticed that
just about every female head in the place turned to follow his
progress. She herself was fraught with nerves as all the emotional
turmoil she’d held at bay for so many years now cascaded through
her in violent waves. Noah asked what she’d like to eat, and she
ordered a prawn salad, even though she had little
appetite.

“
Cheers, sweetheart.” He raised
his bottle of beer and clinked it against her glass.

“
Cheers.” She couldn’t meet his
gaze.

“
I’ve got something for you,” he
said, reaching into his pocket. “And you are
not
going to
turn it down.”

“
What is it?”

“
A birthday present.”

“
I don’t want a
present.”

“
You don’t have any say in the
matter.” He leaned across the table until their heads were almost
touching, his eyes boring directly into hers.

“
Noah, don’t!”

“
Let me finish,” he said, taking
her hand. “If you could only understand how much I wanted to buy
you things, how much I wanted to make up for hurting you, you
wouldn’t deprive me of this simple pleasure. This,” he said,
handing a square jewelers box to her, “represents ten years’ worth
of presents. Happy birthday, darling!” When she just stared at him,
tears brimming, and made no move to open the box, he pushed her.
“Go on, open it! I hope you like it.”

He looked as eager as Billy had the day before
when begging for a dog, and Maxine didn’t have the strength to hold
out against him. Slowly she opened the box and gasped. It was
exactly what she would have chosen for herself, but then that
shouldn’t really come as a surprise.

“
Noah, I can’t take
this!”

“
You don’t like it? I can change
it for something else.”

“
No, I love it, but it’s too
much.” It was a white-gold bangle set with
pave
diamonds.

“
Please, Max, let me do this for
you.” He fastened it on her wrist. “I noticed your white-gold watch
yesterday and thought you’d prefer a bangle to match
it.”

Maxine examined the effect of the bangle
against her skin and knew she ought to stand firm in her refusal.
It was far too expensive. But the hopeful expression in his eye,
his determination to salve his conscience by spending too much
money on her, was a compelling combination. She’d be leaving
Colebrook soon and would be able to take a more tangible reminder
of him with her this time.

“
Thank you, Noah,” she said,
leaning over to kiss his cheek.

“
My pleasure,
sweetheart.”

Their food arrived, but Noah didn’t appear to
have any more appetite than she did. He toyed with his meal,
frequently looking up at her. Neither of them said anything, and
the tension between them became increasingly brittle. Finally
Maxine pushed her plate aside.

“
You wanted to talk to me, Noah.
What about?”

He followed her example and gave up on his
food. “About what happened twelve years ago. Max,” he said,
reaching for her hand. “There hasn’t been a day since when I
haven’t thought about you, agonizing about how betrayed you must
have felt.”

She didn’t know how to answer him and so
concentrated her eyes on the table between them, saying
nothing.

“
I knew how insecure you were, and
how especially badly you’d been treated by Cassie. If it had been
anyone else, I dare say you wouldn’t have run away. But her.” He
dropped his head and shook it from side to side. “I called on you
that morning, but no one answered the door, or the phone. I was
beside myself with anger when I learned that Cassie had been to see
you.”

“
It doesn’t matter anymore, Noah.
Let’s not talk about it.”

“
No, we need to clear the air.
Please, Max, let me say this.”