The Braille Club (The Braille Club #1) (19 page)

Dr. Lewis smiled at her apologetically. “Mrs. Marshall, so sorry to wake you, but we’re taking Steve for more tests.”

“Oh, of course, of course, sorry,” stammered Abbey, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

“They’ll last most of the afternoon. Go home if you need to,” he said kindly.

“Yes, thank you. I’ll do that.”

She stood up, aware she was getting in the way as they made to move Steve. Hurriedly she picked up both mobiles and her bag. She turned and touched Steve’s hand, conscious of the people around her, then kissed him quickly before leaving the room. Dazed, she walked out of the hospital, relieved to see a line of taxis waiting outside. She gratefully got in and gave her address, staring blindly out of the window, surprised when the driver pulled up at her home; she had been miles away. Reaching for her purse, she paid the cabbie and searched her bag for her keys. The house seemed cold and empty when she let herself inside. Switching on the kettle, she slipped on an old robe that she kept downstairs. Finally, coffee in hand, she pulled the mobiles from her bag and switched then on.

She gasped; she had over fifty text messages and over twenty voice mails. Putting her phone down, she picked up Steve’s instead and to her surprise she saw he had only a couple of texts. She had worried his mobile would have a password, but it didn’t, so she clicked into his text messages first and began to read:

L: I’m sick of this, I’ve told you it’s over! Your little act with her these last few days; was that meant to make me jealous? Too little, too late. Don’t contact me again.

Steve’s reply chilled her even further.

Steve: No, don’t do this please, I love you, I’m leaving Abbey. Meet me tonight, our place, usual time. X

She opened the next text with shaking fingers.

L: Okay
.

Abbey felt sick to her stomach, her heart beating wildly as she went on to read all the texts in her husband’s phone, before moving on to his contact list, ignoring her phone, which was vibrating with an incoming call. Her land line began to ring as well, until she pulled the plug from the wall. She quickly understood this was not Steve’s usual mobile. That must still be at the hospital; this phone was for contacting his…what? Her mind stumbled over the all too familiar list…lover, mistress…whore! Shock and rage raced through her. He’d been cautious; there was no name on the contact, just a letter L. There were only texts going back till the night of Steve’s collapse. He had deleted anything before that, but she’d read enough to know it was serious, and that he had been planning on leaving her.

Forgetting everything else, she carefully noted down the contact number before picking up her mobile and punching in the number. She held her breath, but nothing came up. Her phone had not picked up the number from her contact list. Relief surged through her, thank God it wasn’t one of their friends was her first reaction before saving the number under
divorce
, as this time she knew there was no way back. She jumped when she heard the doorbell ring, followed by banging on the door. She thought about ignoring it but could hear Olivia shouting through the letterbox. As she opened up reluctantly, Olivia burst into the house.

“Oh my God, why are you not answering your phone? Steve’s…” Olivia voice trailed away as she saw Abbey’s fury.

“I hope that fucking cheating bastard does the right thing for once and dies,” Abbey spat.

Olivia was clearly taken aback and just stood with her mouth open.

“Do you know what I’ve just found? His whore phone! I fucking don’t believe this. I’m such an idiot, searching his phone for his parents’ number. Of course it isn’t fucking on his shag phone; it’s on his real phone, which is back at the fucking hospital.”

“Abbey, oh my God,” exclaimed Olivia.

“Stop saying that, for fuck’s sake. It’s not like it’s the first time, Olivia. He was planning to leave me…I still can’t believe it. The little bitch obviously had her claws well into him. I’ve got her number and I’m going to find out who she is…and then I’m going to destroy her.”

Abbey had worked herself into a frenzy.

Olivia recovered; the affair didn’t surprise her; as Abbey had said, that wasn’t new, but the timing was disastrous.

“Christ, Abbey, I need a drink,” exclaimed Olivia.

She marched through to the kitchen and put the kettle on while rummaging through the booze cabinet to locate the brandy. She poured generous measures into both mugs and topped them up with coffee and milk.

“Sip that and shut up, I’ve got to think,” she ordered. Abbey picked up her mug sulkily as her phone started to vibrate.

“You should answer that in case it’s the hospital,” said Olivia automatically.

“I don’t give a shit if it is the hospital,” snarled Abbey. “Tell them to call her, his tart. I can give them her number,” she said bitterly.

“Abbey, I know this is hard, but these circumstances are extreme. Steve’s life is hanging by a thread right now; you need to deal with this. Put the other stuff aside for a moment. That’s why I’m here; the hospital staff have been trying to ring you. When they couldn’t get you, they called me instead. They wouldn’t discuss anything with me but asked if I could get you to contact them as soon as possible.”

Abbey expression was conflicted by fear and anger as her mobile began to vibrate again, and she reluctantly took the call.

“Hello yes…” She listened. “I’m on my way.”

Leaving their coffees, they hurriedly locked the house and got into Olivia’s car. The only word she said to Olivia was “Hurry.”

Chapter 34

THE BRAILLE CLUB

Braille Club, London, Present Day: The celebrities arrive one by one and are booked in and given their time slots and keys. Many of them choose a different zone experience from the last. Well, what is the point of having a choice and not exercising it? Unlike Caligo, the booths offer privacy if desired and allow different zones to operate at the same time. The most popular choice this evening is CHANCE, where the roles, times, and zones are randomly selected and loaded onto your Braille Key.

London, 2012

Siena

Siena had not been sleeping, her mind was constantly racing between Benedict, Nick, and lastly her parents. Round and round her mind whirled, pushing her anxiety levels higher and higher until sleep was impossible. She felt exhausted and unwell and had taken a few days off work, mainly to spend time with her parents, but she hoped the rest would restore her.

They were staying in the same hotel as the fundraiser, arriving a few days beforehand and remaining for the rest of the week until flying home. Her parents sometimes combined the long journey with other European destinations and Siena hoped she hadn’t messed up their plans. Marbella had been two months ago now. She had seen Benedict twice, and her body ached for his touch. Her lips tingled as she thought of his kiss, of what it did to her, and her need to see him again. It had taken every piece of her willpower to push him away, when all she wanted was to be with him. How much longer could she keep Nick away? His patience was running out; she could sense his need for her, making her shudder. She could not touch him, she realized; not now, not ever. It was like a bubble had burst and she was no longer under his spell. She felt utterly alone.

Explaining her parents’ early arrival to Nick had been easier than she thought. She simply told him they wanted to catch the opening of a new west end show. Nick had said his usual piece; that he was working flat out at the clinic. He always said this to Siena whenever her parents came to visit, but he would be around at the weekends unless any emergencies came up. Siena nodded, telling him she understood.

Things were strained between them. Nick was furious that Siena would not see a doctor. She said that it was rest she needed and that a few days off would be the best medicine; that and spending time with her parents. Nick sulked and banged out of the house, leaving Siena nervy and upset. She booked her cab for one p.m.; she was meeting her parents for lunch in their hotel. They had arrived yesterday but always insisted on meeting the following day so they could deal with their jet lag and catch up on sleep. Siena felt torn; she was desperate to share her troubles with her parents, but also wanted to protect them. Nick had done nothing wrong, after all. What would they think of her behaviour? She had cheated on her husband with a stranger, because that’s what Benedict was. How could she explain it to her parents when she couldn’t explain it to herself?

When Siena started to analyse her marriage, she found herself facing reality for the first time. She had been so young when she met and married Nick. He had seemed so different from everyone she knew and best of all, he’d understood her. She hadn’t been interested in any boys of her own age; they had seemed so immature and boring to her, plus they could never understand what she’d been through, unlike Nick.

Maybe it had been a father figure complex, looking for an older man who would look after her and keep her safe. Looking back now, Nick had been good at both. Her introduction to those parties had caught her imagination just when she was perhaps a little bored. It had breathed excitement into their marriage. He had encouraged her career, never minding when she worked late, always supportive. They hadn’t had the distraction of children, so their lives and careers were never disrupted, and they had socialized with Nick’s friends rather than hers; not that she’d had any, really. She’d got used to an older crowd, indulgent holidays, and an exciting fast-paced career.

Her bond with her father had gone from strength to strength, and as she’d got older, she could see he hadn’t been obsessed with having a son, he had just wanted her mother to be happy, and to give her what she wanted: another child. It had eclipsed their lives, pushing Siena into the shadows in the process. Her parents had admitted this to her much later, when they’d attended therapy as a family, and it had helped with her demons. Of course, she’d missed working with her father but never regretted the sale; it had been too good an offer. Although she had moved on, setting up her investment company, she had felt a restlessness growing inside her.

Did she have an ulterior motive with the villa? Had he always been there, in the back of her mind? Their connection had taken her breath away all those years ago. She’d never forgotten him…or was Fate intervening?

She thought of the tarot card reader and froze; she hadn’t understood her reading at the time. Passion, unhappiness, new beginnings, and what…? She couldn’t remember now. It tugged at the corner of her mind but wouldn’t reveal itself and she sighed with frustration.

Now she was being ridiculous, believing in such nonsense. Lucy had taken her, laughing when Siena had voiced her concerns and doubts about her reading.

“She’s the best in the business, Siena, deadly accurate in my experience.”

Lucy had gone in after Siena and was unusually quiet over lunch afterwards.

“Soooo,” said Siena teasingly. “What did she say to you?”

Lucy was preoccupied. “Oh, just the usual, that I’d find true love but at a cost,” she snorted.

“Got the ten of swords, worst card in the pack, and it kept coming up, so that’s never a good sign,” Lucy said airily. Siena could tell her friend wasn’t happy but felt she couldn’t press her. Readings were private, and it was clear Lucy didn’t want to discuss it.

Was that another reason she had been feeling restless? Lucy was thrilled when Siena told her she was coming to London. She seemed to Siena to live her life to the max, regaling her with all sorts of stories of her life in London. Lucy had never forgotten the party in Marbella but had never been invited to another. Siena couldn’t take the risk, telling Lucy it had been a one-off, which she had accepted disappointedly. They never spoke about how they’d met all those years ago and never discussed why they’d been in the clinic. They had only been interested in getting out of it.

She couldn’t explain her actions now, either. She had been excited and appalled in equal measure when she’d received Benedict’s acceptance for the ball. What was she doing, sending him that mail and the package? He was like a drug, like no man she had ever met, and yet she hardly knew him. Showing off like a child, trying to get his attention; that’s what he did to her. She was trying to impress him and to hell with the consequences. Siena was quite sure Benedict was an unusual type of man; that he would be difficult to be around but never dull. Was she ready to throw her marriage away for this stranger? Did this happen to other couples?

She grimaced as she noticed the time. She would have to get a move on or else she wouldn’t be ready when her cab arrived. Pulling herself up, she padded into her bedroom and turned on the shower. She was dressed and ready as the car sounded its horn, her stomach flipping over at the thought of seeing her parents. She tried to rehearse what she would say to them but somehow she couldn’t find the words.

The journey passed quickly as her preoccupied mind mulled over her options. Stepping out from the cab, she took several deep breaths before walking into The Savoy Hotel, telling herself they were here to support her no matter what, and that calmed her nerves. She found the restaurant and saw them, her heart soaring as she realized how much she had missed them. They both stood, embracing her as she joined them, and she felt very emotional and wobbly. As they sat down she looked at her dad’s kind face, her mom’s comforting hand in hers, and felt tears prickle her eyes. Siena was so glad they’d come; she felt better just being with them. Throughout lunch, they discussed their flight and what was happening at home, not pushing Siena for information on her marriage.

Nick had not contacted them about Siena’s collapse and for that she was grateful. He always resented the way “they,” as he saw it, “took over,” saying he was perfectly capable of looking after her. He thought they wrapped her up in cotton wool, and he liked the fact he had the power to keep them in the dark. They finished their lunch, and Siena felt almost happy and certainly more relaxed than she had been in weeks. She followed her parents up to their suite, where they decided they would have coffee. Sinking down into the luxurious sofa, she felt a wave of tiredness come over her and yawned. She could hardly keep her eyes open, the sleepless nights catching up with her.

“Siena, you look exhausted. Why don’t you take a nap next door in our room?” her mom said. “We’ll be right here.”

Siena thought about refusing, but didn’t have the energy.

“I haven’t been sleeping very well,” she admitted.

“Yes, I can see that. You’ll feel so much better afterwards, I promise,” said her mom, smiling.

Siena let her mother settle her in their room and was asleep in minutes, safe in the knowledge her parents were next door. She didn’t hear her phone buzzing or her parents’ concerned whispers, she was blissfully dreaming of Benedict. She awoke disoriented some five hours later until she remembered where she was. Climbing out of bed, she knocked before entering the lounge. Both her parents were reading, and they smiled when they saw her in the doorway.

“Nick called earlier,” her mom said lightly. “I told him you were asleep and that you would call him when you got up.”

“Oh, did you hear my cell?”

“No, Nick called the hotel and got our room; he got worried when he hadn’t managed to get hold of you.”

“That was clever of him; I’ll just give him a ring.”

Siena turned back into the bedroom and searched through her bag for her cell. Twelve missed calls registered against Nick’s name, the first one being at fifteen-thirty and then every fifteen minutes until he had called the hotel. She felt a sudden surge of anger at his behaviour; he was always like this, hostile towards her parents, and controlling. She sent him a text.

Siena: Sorry to miss your calls earlier, my parents have asked us to join them for dinner tonight.

She prayed that he wouldn’t, hoped that the invitation would be enough to appease him. His reply was instantaneous.

Nick: You’ve been with them all day is dinner really necessary?

She groaned.

Siena: Yes! Are you coming or not?

Her cell remained silent. God she hated Nick right at this moment. He would keep her waiting. Well, she didn’t care. She dropped her cell back into her bag before joining her parents.

“You look so much better,” said her mom, relief in her voice.

“Do you want to tell us what’s upsetting you?”

She looked at both of them and saw only love and sympathy in their faces as she poured herself a coffee from the hot cafetiere and tried to compose her tumbling thoughts before sitting down. In a quiet voice, she began to tell them. They listened in silence as she told them she’d met someone else. Although unsure of that relationship, it had shown her that she wasn’t in love with Nick anymore.

But the next bit would be harder to explain. She had always been afraid of Nick at some level. Was it the coldness in his expression that frightened her, or the way he always seemed to know what she was thinking? What she was doing? Plus, she couldn’t stand being intimate with him, sharing a bed, terrified he was going to touch her. She wanted to disappear to where Nick couldn’t reach her and wanted her parents to help.

Her buzzing phone interrupted her thoughts, and she felt her usual jumble of nerves as she saw it was a text from Nick.

Nick: Taking a rain check on dinner going to work late at the clinic, will I drop by and pick you up about 10ish?

Relief flooded through her that she didn’t have to face him over dinner, but dread returned at the thought of spending another night with him. She quickly sent him a text.

Siena: Perfect, as I’m still feeling tired, blood sugar a bit low, so a lift would be great.

It wasn’t, but Nick would leave her alone now. She apologized to her parents, explaining Nick would not be joining them but was picking her up later from the hotel.

“Are you sure about this, Siena?” her father asked.

“Yes, Dad. I can’t explain it…it’s like I’m free of him, like I was under a spell that’s now broken and I want out. I’m worried Nick won’t let me leave,” she whispered, voicing her greatest fear.

“But he can’t make you stay against your will,” said her father angrily.

“Dad, I think Nick is capable of doing exactly that. Look at my history. I’m scared he’ll say I’m depressed…bring up my suicide attempt. He’s a psychologist, for God’s sake. I’m scared.”