The Exciting Life (27 page)

‘
I understand that I’ve given money to a prostitute. Is that
why you’ve come here? To get money from me?’

‘
No. I just wanted some of what you and Annie had. Especially
Annie. I used to see her in the papers with Mario Stefani, and they
would always go on about how she was the little Battersea orphan
who’d been rescued by Lady Nesta Holland. Mother found out about
you two years before she left me, and she was so proud of you going
to a rich family. I hated the pair of you. But at least you want to
do something worthwhile Kenneth. That’s why I became friends with
you. Annie’s not grateful for what she’s got.’

‘
You don’t know anything about me,’ Annie replied.

‘
I know enough.’

‘
Stop it you two,’ said Alice. ‘This is quite a development, I
have to say. So the both of you really
are
my niece and nephew?’

‘
At least we know now why you and I look so alike,’ Annie said
to her aunt.

‘
The first time I ever saw you, I was taken by how much you
reminded me of myself as a little girl. Such a precocious little
thing you were. Singing and dancing and putting on a
show.’

‘
I don’t want to hear any more,’ Kenneth said, standing
up.

‘
Stay Kenny,’ Norma pleaded. ‘I want to get to know
you.’

‘
My name’s Kenneth,’ he said. ‘And you mean nothing to me.
Please, let me go.’

Reluctantly Norma stood up and Kenneth passed her, marching
out of the club without saying another word.

‘
Ignore him, he’s always like that,’ Annie said to Norma. ‘I
can’t believe you’re my mother. Is that why you came to work here?
To get close to me so you could get money out of me?’

‘
I don’t need your money Annie,’ Norma said.’I’ve got
money.’

‘
You’re a cleaner,’ Iris snarled.

‘
I’m married to Philip Francis, the artist,’ she said
matter-of-factly. ‘I don’t need money from you Annie. I just wanted
to see my children again. I came to the club one night, but madam
here threw me out. So when I saw the card in the shop window,
advertising for a cleaner, I decided to apply.’

‘
How come you’re married to an artist?’ Iris scoffed. ‘What
would an artist see in you?’

‘
I left the game five years ago. The girl who lived in the flat
downstairs to me owned a café. It was a sort of Bohemian place,
full of artists and writers and things. She offered me a job.
Philip was a regular. We got chatting and it went from
there.’

‘
Does he know you were a prostitute?’

‘
Philip knows everything,’ Norma said smugly. ‘So don’t think
about blackmailing me Iris.’

Annie
suddenly felt very sick and dizzy. The enormity of it all - as well
as everything that was happening with Eddie and Patrick - got to
her and she couldn’t cope with it. She needed air. It was as if
someone had blocked all the air vents and was slowly suffocating
her, and if she didn’t escape, she’d die.

She
stood up, asking Iris to get up, so she could leave the booth and
run out of the club, up the stairs and out into the street. To her
embarrassment, she dry-wretched into the road like some sort of
drunk. She suddenly felt a pair of hands clasp her shoulders and
immediately recognised the Shalimar perfume. She turned around and
threw her arms around Alice’s neck and started to sob.

‘
It’s all so horrible,’ she cried. ‘I don’t understand any of
it.’

‘
It’s a lot for you to take in,’ Alice said, rubbing her back.
‘I’m pretty shocked myself.’

Annie
pulled away and wiped her eyes.

‘
It doesn’t change anything between you and me. You were always
my aunt anyway. But it’s Norma and Iris. I’ve suddenly got a mother
and a sister. And I hate Iris.’

‘
It doesn’t mean anything!’ Alice laughed. ‘Norma may be your
mother, but Nesta brought you up.’

‘
How can you forgive Nesta for stealing your baby?’

‘
It’s all water under the bridge,’ Alice replied. ‘Poor David
is gone now. We’ve got to concentrate on looking after
you.’

‘
I’ve split up with Eddie,’ Annie said. ‘Patrick and I are
making a go of it.’

‘
But I thought Iris was with Patrick.’

‘
He’s had enough of her. Besides, she’s been seeing an old
friend of Kenneth’s behind his back, and she’s got engaged to
him.’

‘
I can’t keep up with you young people,’ Alice tutted. ‘And I
thought my life was complicated as a girl. What are you going to do
now?’

‘
I don’t want to see either of them again. I can’t stand Iris
and I don’t know Norma. What sort of mother leaves her thirteen
year old daughter?’

‘
I don’t know,’ sighed Alice. ‘I’ll go back in there and give
her my contact details. She is my niece after all. But do you want
me to see you home or something?’

‘
No. I’ll go back to work for a while. It’s my
sanity.’

‘
Alright,’ Alice smiled, stroking her face. ‘But if you need
anything, just call. You know you’re always welcome in New York
don’t you? You can come over any time.’

‘
Thanks Alice. Maybe Christmas. While I can still
travel.’

‘
What do you mean?’

‘
Any later and I’ll be like you. Sailing on a boat whilst
heavily pregnant.’

‘
You’re kidding?’

Annie
shook her head.

‘
Eddie’s or Patrick’s?’

‘
Patrick’s I think. I’m not sure. But he’s willing to take me
on anyway.’

‘
Will he marry you?’

‘
I hope so. It won’t be very good for business if I have a baby
out of wedlock.’

‘
Oh Annie what am I going to do with you? Thinking about it,
it’s always been obvious you’re related to me. I’m forever getting
myself into scrapes and it clearly runs in the family.’

Annie
was glad to return to Holland’s and decided she would spend the
rest of the day at her drawing board, coming up with some more
designs for Fiona. She wanted flatter shoes for the latter stages
of her pregnancy and Annie looked forward to coming up with
something practical but pretty; and concentrating on this was
preferable to worrying about her absurd family.

As she
walked along the corridor, she was met by Clarissa. She came in a
couple of days a week to work on her bag designs, and just the
other day they’d sold one of her handbags – Melissa – to Sheree
York, the actress. Clarissa had big plans for Holland’s – luggage,
travel accessories, everything. But Annie would always rein her in
and remind her that for now they were still small fry.

‘
You’ve got a visitor,’ Clarissa said quietly. ‘What have you
done to Eddie? He’s got a face like thunder.’

‘
Oh that’s all I need,’ Annie groaned, tempted to turn and run
back out. But she knew it was pointless - she’d have to face Eddie
eventually. ‘Okay, thanks Clarissa.’

‘
A girl came in this morning responding to the advert for the
new model. I told her to come back later. Do you want me to deal
with her?’

‘
Yes, why not? She can’t be any worse than that witch
Iris.’

Annie
walked off and went into her office. She found Eddie at a filing
cabinet, going through her ledgers.

‘
Been playing happy families?’ he asked, not even bothering to
look at her.

‘
Not at all,’ Annie replied, putting her handbag down on her
desk. ‘But she is my mother and that creature Iris is my sister.
Still, just because they’re family, it doesn’t mean I have to have
anything to do with them.’

‘
No, you’re good at cutting people off aren’t you
Annie?’

‘
I said I’m sorry. But it’s better we split up now, rather than
when we’re married.’

‘
What’s he got that I haven’t?’ Eddie asked, finally turning
around. ‘What is it? Is it because he’s younger? Better in bed? A
bit of rough? Oh I know I haven’t been to posh school like him have
I? But at least my dad’s not a villain.’ ‘It isn’t anything in
particular,’ she sighed, rubbing her aching temples. ‘I just don’t
love you. I’ve tried. You’re a lovely man and you’ve treated me so
well. But I can’t be with someone I don’t love. I’ve already had
one disastrous marriage. If Mario hadn’t killed himself, we would
have ended up divorcing anyway. I don’t want to enter into the
wrong relationship again.’

‘
But you have!’ he shouted, waving one of the ledgers at her.
‘You were happy to take my fucking money weren’t you?’

‘
That’s not fair. I didn’t want you to buy the factory, you
just did it off your own back.’

‘
Yeah, well I’m pulling out.’

‘
What?’

‘
I want you to buy me out. From Monday I’m withdrawing my
workers from the factory.’

‘
Don’t be stupid Eddie. We can still be business
partners.’

‘
No we can’t. Maybe you’re cold enough to behave like that, but
I’m not. I happen to love you and I can’t just sit back and watch
Patrick Collins take my place. You’re going to have to fend for
yourself Annie.’

‘
I don’t have that sort of money,’ she cried. ‘I’ll have to
sell Bruno’s.’

‘
Sell it then. What do I care? You can rot in hell as far as
I’m concerned.’

He put
the ledger back in the cabinet, slammed it shut and went to walk
out. He then stopped and thought better of it, turning around to
look at her.

‘
And don’t just think I’m saying this because I’m hurt. You’ll
be hearing from my solicitor in the morning.’

He
walked away and Annie knew he meant every word he’d said. Eddie
wasn’t one for saying things for the sake of it. She had wounded
him deeply and she hated herself for it. She shut the door to her
office, kicked off her shoes and sat at her drawing board. It was
hard to concentrate on work, knowing that by Monday, just a fifth
of the workforce at the factory in Barking would be her employees.
She’d taken on five machinists since they bought it, and they were
paid out of her money. She knew she really didn’t have any choice
but to sell Bruno’s. All the people who worked for her needed their
wages and she had to keep production going, and what she was going
to do with all the surplus space and the spare machines, she didn’t
know.

The
phone on her desk rang and she was tempted not to answer it, but
there was a chance it was Eddie’s solicitor so she had no choice.
Taking a deep breath, she picked it up, bracing herself for an
onslaught.

‘
Hello, Holland’s,’ she said.

‘
Annie it’s me,’ said Alice. ‘How are things?’

‘
Eddie’s withdrawing his investment in the factory. I’m going
to have to sell Bruno’s just to keep production going. What have I
done?’

‘
Followed your heart. Do you want me to lend you some money? I
don’t mind.’

‘
No. You’ve done enough already, giving me this place. I need
to stand on my own two feet. I’ll manage somehow.’

‘
Well you know the offer’s there. Anyway, I was going to say,
how would you like to come over for dinner? I’ve had a chat with
Norma and she’d like to see you again. Without Iris
there.’

‘
No, I can’t,’ Annie snapped. ‘I can’t face that woman
yet.’

‘
Are you sure? I think she needs to have her side of the story
heard.’

‘
To you maybe, but not me. I can’t forgive her for leaving me
and Kenneth with our father. She could have taken us with
her.’

‘
And you’d have both ended up like Iris. You were better off in
the end. At least you went to Nesta and Michael.’

‘
I suppose. But I can’t deal with it now. I’m too preoccupied
with getting my finances sorted out at the moment.’

‘
Okay. Well if you change your mind, just come round tonight at
about eight o’clock.’

‘
Thanks Aunt Alice.’

‘
You’re welcome. And I’m glad to find out you’re my real
family. I couldn’t wish for a better niece.’

Oswald
Lincoln, Eddie’s solicitor called just after three p.m. and
confirmed to Annie that Eddie wanted her to buy the factory off
him. He was asking for two thousand five hundred pounds, money
Annie didn’t have unless she sold Bruno’s. She had until November
the first to pay up, which gave her around six weeks to find the
money. But despite it all, Annie couldn’t blame Eddie for behaving
like this. He was hurt. If she’d been in his shoes, she’d have
probably reacted in the same way.

She was
just fishing around in her handbag, looking for his engagement ring
so she could send it back to him, when the door to her office
opened and Patrick came in, wielding a large bouquet of white
roses. They were beautiful and filled her office with the most
wonderful, fragrant smell.

‘
I thought you might need cheering up,’ he said.

‘
Thank you,’ she replied, taking the flowers off him and
kissing him on the lips. Just being with him again made everything
seem right again. Whatever happened, she could face it with Patrick
by her side.