Pastures New (28 page)

‘No, not really,’ drawled Maddy, examining her nails with some enthusiasm.

‘Well, let me enlighten you. Do the names Mrs Wallace, Mrs Matthews, Mr Price …’ Saffron reeled off a list of their clients ‘… mean anything to you?’

‘Can’t say they do,’ said Maddy.

‘Well, that’s funny,’ said Saffron, ‘because they all know you.’

For a moment Maddy’s calm exterior was slightly ruffled.

‘They do?’

‘Yup,’ said Saffron. ‘Because you’ve been ringing them and either cancelling jobs on us, or you’ve been badmouthing us. And it’s got to stop.’

‘You’ve got no proof it was me,’ Maddy said with supreme confidence.

‘Oh yes we do,’ said Amy, stepping out from behind Saffron. ‘Mrs Wallace gave us a perfect description of you.’

‘Besides,’ said Saffron, clutching a sheaf of paper she had taken out of her bag, ‘we have evidence of your mobile phone having been used to make the calls.’

The colour drained from Maddy’s face.

‘So what if it’s me,’ she blustered. ‘What are you going to do about it?’

‘Sue you for loss of earnings,’ said Saffron promptly.

‘You wouldn’t,’ said Maddy.

‘Just try me,’ said Saffron. ‘I’d built up a nice business over the last couple of years, and in the last few months you’ve done your best to ruin it. You bet your life I’m going to sue. So you’d better get Gerry to get out his chequebook sharpish.’

‘He’s not here,’ said Maddy, a look of panic crossing her face.

‘So you said,’ said Saffron. ‘Luckily it’s not Gerry we’re interested in.’ She smiled sweetly at Maddy, who was beginning to resemble a fish very much out of water, she was opening and shutting her mouth so often.

‘But – you can’t sue me,’ said Maddy. ‘I don’t own anything.’

‘You own this,’ said Saffron.

‘It’s Gerry’s.’ The look of panic on Maddy’s face nearly made Saffron feel sorry for her. Nearly, but not quite.

‘So you’re going to stop making nuisance phone calls and ring up all these people and say that you’ve made a terrible mistake, aren’t you?’

Maddy looked truculent, as Saffron held out a list of all their clients.

‘Why should I, when you’ve been sleeping with my boyfriend?’

‘Maddy, I haven’t been near your boyfriend,’ said Saffron. ‘I wouldn’t touch him with a bargepole. So are you going to make these calls?’

‘And if I don’t?’

‘Well, we’ll just have to send those photos of you that Mrs Wallace took to the Serious Fraud Squad,’ said Amy, ‘and let them take it from there.’

Maddy gulped.

‘All right,’ she said sulkily, taking Saffron’s list, ‘I’ll do it.’

‘Good girl,’ said Saffron, ‘you know it makes sense.’

And she and Amy left, wiping tears from their eyes.

They were still laughing as they drove home.

‘Photos? What photos?’ Saffron said. ‘I nearly died when you said that.’

‘I was on a roll,’ admitted Amy. ‘It just sort of came out. But what about your list of numbers called from her mobile? Where did you get that from?’

‘It’s my phone bill,’ giggled Saffron. ‘I was going to pay it today and forgot. Did you see the look on her face? It was priceless.’

‘It was,’ agreed Amy. ‘Thanks for the laugh, I needed that today.’

The route back from Maddy’s house wasn’t one they normally took, and they found themselves driving past a local motel. There were several cars parked in the forecourt. And one motorbike.

‘Hang on a minute,’ said Amy, with a sudden lurch of anxiety, ‘isn’t that Ben’s bike?’

Saffron slowed down. ‘Don’t be silly,’ she said, ‘what would Ben be doing out here –?’ She broke off. Caroline and Ben were walking out of the motel, both carrying crash helmets and talking very intimately. They paused
as they reached the bike, and Ben gave Caroline a hug. And a kiss.

Amy went white.

‘Maybe there’s a rational explanation,’ began Saffron.

‘Like what?’ asked Amy. ‘We both know what we saw.’

Saffron had to acknowledge the truth of what Amy was saying.

‘So what are you going to do about it?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Amy, as the motorbike roared off. ‘But follow that bike and let’s find out.’

Ben drew up outside his house. Caroline got off the back of his bike, took her helmet off, and shook out her hair.

‘Thanks for that,’ she drawled.

‘Sorry it wasn’t much help,’ Ben said. ‘Look, I’ve really got to get back now. Will you be okay?’

‘I’m a big girl, Ben,’ Caroline said, ‘I’ll be fine. Go on, off you go.’

She pecked him on the cheek, and he roared off.

At that moment a car raced up the road, and came to a sudden stop outside Ben’s house. Saffron and a very angry-looking Amy got out.

‘Where is he?’ Amy demanded.

‘Who?’ Caroline did her best to look puzzled.

‘Father Christmas!’ snapped Amy. ‘Ben, of course.’

‘He’s just gone back to work,’ said Caroline. ‘Why? Did you want him?’

‘Oh.’ Amy was slightly deflated. She’d been all set for a row with Ben and he wasn’t there. ‘When will he be back?’

‘I’m not sure,’ said Caroline, ‘I know he was planning a late surgery.’

‘Where’s your Australian boyfriend?’

‘I have no idea,’ said Caroline. ‘We had a row.’

‘I’m sorry,’ said Amy, not meaning it.

‘That’s all right,’ said Caroline with a little tinkly laugh. ‘Ben’s been taking care of me.’

Amy felt the bile rising in her throat. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Well let’s just say we’ve been renewing our acquaintance.’

Amy wanted the ground to swallow her up. ‘What about me?’ she whispered. ‘I thought he cared about me.’

Caroline smiled the sweet gracious smile of the victor. ‘Well I’m sure he didn’t mean to upset you, but Ben made a mistake about me – and it’s taken a while, but now he’s realised it. And so should you. Shall I tell him you called?’

‘Yes,’ said Amy, ‘and you can tell him I never want to see him again. You’re welcome to him.’

Ben came in absolutely shattered. It had been a mad idea to take two hours off at lunchtime to help Caroline look for Dave. For all Ben knew, Dave was back in America already, but somehow he doubted it. He’d come all the way over from California to find her. Ben had a hunch that Dave wasn’t going to give up without a fight, and he certainly hoped so. Though he felt sorry for
Caroline, he was also fed up with having her in the house, and fed up that she kept getting in the way of him and Amy. He was conscious that things were a little tense with Amy now. If he weren’t feeling so knackered he’d go round tonight, but he could do with an early night. The previous weekend had been largely spent sitting up till 2 a.m. listening to Caroline’s woes. Although there had been a fair amount about his woes too. Caroline was the only person he had ever told about Sarah, and he had forgotten how good it was to sit and discuss it with someone. Usually he kept his pain so well hidden away, no one would even know it was there. But Caroline had probed that particular vulnerable spot and he had confided in her more than he had ever confided in anyone else. It meant that there was still a connection between them, despite his feelings for Amy. He just hoped he could make Amy understand that.

He walked through the door to the smell of curry. Candles were lit, the lights were on low, and the table was set for two. Presumably Caroline had found Dave and was preparing to make it up to him. Ben sighed; that meant either an early night curled up listening to Mark Radcliffe, or going over to Amy’s where he was uncertain of the reception he was going to get.

‘I’ll get out of your hair, shall I?’ Ben said, as Caroline came out of the kitchen door. He had to admit she looked ravishing. Her hair was piled up high on her head, and loose curls trickled down her neck. She was wearing a strappy yellow summer dress, and silver high-heeled sandals. She looked gorgeous. She was holding a glass of wine and proffered one.

‘Where are you going, silly?’ she said. ‘This is for you, by way of saying thank you. I know how you like your curry.’

‘Actually, Caroline,’ said Ben, pushing the glass away, ‘I’ve never liked curry. It was one of the many things that wasn’t right about our relationship, that you liked curry and I didn’t.’

‘Oh,’ said Caroline, pouting, ‘I thought it was your favourite.’

‘Well, you thought wrong,’ said Ben. ‘Look, it’s not that I’m ungrateful, but all of this – you shouldn’t have –’

‘Oh but I should,’ she positively purred at him.

‘What about Dave?’

‘What about him?’ Caroline looked slightly annoyed.

‘Well, considering I spent the best part of my lunchtime today driving you around to look for him, I was rather assuming this was all for his benefit. I don’t quite know what you’re playing at, but I don’t want to be part of it, all right?’

Just then the doorbell rang. Ben went to answer it.

Dave was standing on the doorstep, with a bunch of flowers.

‘Is Caz in?’

‘Yes, come in,’ said Ben with great relief.

‘Caroline,’ said Dave, ‘I don’t know what you’re up to with your silly games to try and make me jealous. But let’s get one thing straight here. I love you, despite all that crap, and I want to live with you for the rest of our lives. But if you don’t want me, then I am going back to California tomorrow, with or without you. I
am not going to say it again. You have to choose between me and the love rat here. But after tomorrow there won’t be a choice. The flight’s at 12.30 p.m., from Terminal Three. That’s all I have to say.’

He turned and left the house, leaving Caroline and Ben stunned.

‘So, Caroline,’ said Ben, ‘now what are you going to do?’

‘Are you all right, Amy?’ Harry looked concerned as he came through her front door, bearing elderberry wine.

Amy smiled a pale smile. She knew she was looking wiped. After she and Saffron had demolished all the chocolate in her cupboard, and dissected every detail of Ben’s actions, they had realised they were late for the school pickup. Amy had then rushed off to get Josh to his swimming lesson, and not being able to face either cooking or coming home, she had taken him to McDonald’s. Josh seemed to sense her tension and had been so naughty she had opted to takeaway rather than eat in. Trying to keep up a cheerful outlook in front of a five-year-old who was playing up had been hard work, but luckily, she thought grimly to herself, she had had plenty of practice.

It was only once Josh was settled into bed that she had given full vent to her frustrations. Ben was two-timing her with Caroline, that much seemed perfectly clear. She supposed it was inevitable that his old feelings for Caroline should have resurfaced, given how
she still felt about Jamie. What if the tables were reversed and Jamie were to walk through that door now? Could she choose between them?

Angrily she wiped away a tear. That was never going to happen, so the question was irrelevant. Ben hadn’t lost Caroline in the way she had lost Jamie, he had rejected her. But now it looked like he was welcoming her back. And there was precious little that Amy could do about it …

‘I’m not very good company tonight, Harry,’ Amy said, as she followed him into the lounge.

‘And why is that?’

‘Oh Harry,’ Amy burst out, ‘I’m so miserable,’ and she told him the whole story.

‘But you don’t actually know if they were staying in the motel, do you?’ Harry pointed out.

‘That’s what Saffron said,’ admitted Amy. ‘But why else would they be there?’

‘Who knows,’ said Harry, ‘but if they’d wanted to be at it, they’ve had plenty of opportunity. They’ve been living in the same house for weeks.’

‘That is true, I suppose,’ said Amy. ‘I just can’t see why they were there. It looked odd. And he did hug her.’

‘Ben’s a chivalrous chap,’ said Harry. ‘Perhaps she was upset?’

‘Perhaps,’ said Amy. ‘It’s just that – oh, I don’t know, I feel such a fool. For so long I thought I couldn’t find anyone to replace Jamie, and then I met Ben, and felt maybe I could. But it doesn’t matter how much I want it to be right, it just feels like it’s all going wrong. I’ve been through so much, I can’t take any more.’

She looked up at Harry, the tears in her eyes half-formed. ‘Does that make any kind of sense to you?’

‘Oh, yes, my dear, oh yes, it does,’ Harry said. ‘I could never have replaced Mavis because Mavis was my everything, and I’m too old to start again. But you, you’re young and you shouldn’t be alone. Ben won’t let you down, I’m sure of that.’ He patted her on the arm. ‘Why don’t you go and see him tomorrow? I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding, and you’ll clear it up in no time.’

‘You’re probably right,’ said Amy.

‘I usually am,’ Harry replied. ‘Now, are we going to have a drop of this wine or not?’

Ben breathed a sigh of relief as he came down to find Caroline’s suitcases in the hall. Thank God for that. He had made it as clear as he possibly could that there was no future here with him. ‘But that’s no reason to go running after Dave if you don’t love him,’ he had also warned Caroline.

‘Actually,’ Caroline had the grace to look a little shamefaced, ‘I think I do love him. I just wasn’t sure he loved me. Everything’s so fickle when you’re travelling. And then he started to get serious and I got cold feet, so I bolted –’

‘And came back here?’ guessed Ben.

‘Sorry, I didn’t know where else to come,’ said Caroline. ‘I’m sorry if I’ve stuffed up things for you and Amy.’

‘Well, I hope it’s salvageable,’ said Ben, ‘just so long as you get on that damned plane.’

‘Oh I will, I will,’ said Caroline. ‘It was hearing Dave say all that stuff last night about how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. No one’s ever said that sort of thing to me before, not even you.’

‘Good, keep hold of him,’ said Ben. ‘I’ll run you to the station if you like.’

‘No, I think you’ve done enough,’ Caroline replied.

So now she was finally off. Ben breathed a sigh of relief. He cast a look across the allotments towards Amy’s house. Would she still be waiting? He could only try and find out.

The doorbell rang. That would be the taxi. He started to take Caroline’s bags outside. The sooner he helped her, the sooner she was gone …

Amy made her way back from dropping Josh off at school, feeling very nervous. After a sleepless night, she had decided the only thing she could do was to confront Ben with what she had seen. Maybe Harry was right and there was some other explanation. At the very least, she owed it to Ben to find out.