Yours Unfaithfully (52 page)

At two o’clock the party people arrived to start decorating the house, turning it into a mini wonderland for the night. Tim made himself useful by filling balloons from the Helium cylinder and leaving Henry to get them off the ceiling. Outside, coloured lights were being strung across both gardens. Willow Brook had never seen a party like this before.

Melanie had felt bound to invite a couple of neighbours. They were going to be sharing the noise so she figured it was best to invite them. When three women from the caterer took over her kitchen, she began to wonder if it had all been a huge mistake.

“Neen, what the hell have I done? Our house isn’t big enough for sixty people. Why didn’t you make me do this at the village hall or somewhere?”

“Because, Mel, nothing beats a house party. Village Hall parties never work, you know that. No atmosphere. Not the same as inviting all your friends into your home. It’ll be fine, you’ll see. Less space means it’s more intimate. It’ll be great”

The bank’s contingent arrived en-masse – whether by coincidence or by mini-bus Melanie wasn’t sure. Sam, the effervescent Office Manager was arm in arm with her husband Nigel, who looked as if he had been dragged along unwillingly; Roddy was wearing one of his outrageous bow ties and had a gorgeous lady friend in tow; Joe the Business Manager and Cindy his wife were carrying a bottle and flowers and each hugged Melanie in turn. Joe was ecstatic in his admiration of the lights and decorations. The party had started.

In a move to placate Tim over Ratty’s inclusion, Melanie had suggested that Tim invite a few of his friends, although she couldn’t quite see why they would want to celebrate her promotion ... maybe they wouldn’t come? She hadn’t realised that Tim’s friends would enjoy a party regardless of the reason, or indeed even without a reason. They were just happy to consume the free drinks.

Jim, Landlord of the Globe led a small procession into the kitchen. Andy, one of Tim’s pub mates was closely followed by Dave, the pub’s resident loud mouth. He was already in a raucous mood, gesticulating as he described to Andy how he would have better managed a pub football match.

Jenny, Melanie’s friend from the bank who had been sacked last year was standing alone in the kitchen clutching a potted plant which was intended to be a present for Melanie. Her small frame was obscured by Dave, who was busy waving his arms around to emphasise his point. The pub crowd would have to be moved out of the kitchen; it had already been agreed with the caterers that they would have unrestricted and exclusive access to the kitchen until after the food was served.

While Melanie was placating the mob and trying to herd them into her lounge, she caught sight of Jenny tucked away in the corner, looking like a china doll.

She went to her and hugged her, her feelings of guilt returning as she remembered how she had promised to help Jenny and how she had done nothing. Now she was one of the Bank’s Senior Managers and yet Jenny was here, bearing a present for her, in spite of what had been meted out to her at the bank. Melanie held Jenny for several minutes, listening to her and trying to think of a way to help her. Jenny explained that she did cleaning jobs for a few hours as well as delivering papers two mornings each week. She smiled as she told Mel this, showing no bitterness for her plight, seemingly accepting what life (and the bank) had handed out to her.

By eight thirty the house was bursting at the seams. There was no corner in which people weren’t huddled, holding drinks above them in an effort to avoid tipping them as others tried to pass through. The call to food simply exacerbated the problem, as a stream of hungry guests tried to get to the kitchen. A few smart ones went out of the front door and round the side to the kitchen door, but even the garden was crowded.

Once the pub mob had been fed they saw no further point in staying. It took longer to get a drink than it did to drink it and Dave announced that they would all be better heading back to the Globe. Like lemmings to a cliff they followed him and Tim was left to decide where he wanted to spend the evening. He was unhappy at the prospect of meeting the famous Ratty, the man who had taken his wife away for a month, and without his pub friends no one would talk to him anyway. He had very little in common with this lot, but he was determined not to be forced out of his own house. He decided he’d stick around for a while and then when he could take no more he’d head off to the Globe.

When Ratty finally arrived, alone, it did nothing to make Tim feel better. His very presence seemed to draw people around him and the warmth of the welcome he was getting just annoyed Tim even more.

At nine o’clock Trudy decided it was time for Amy to go to bed, but Amy was equally determined to stay there, in the crowded room with bags of attention, which suited her just fine. Trudy tried the argument that at Amy’s age she needed lots of sleep, but that provoked Amy to ask Trudy how old she was, to which she replied, ‘That’s a secret Amy. You’ll discover one day that ladies never admit their age in public.”

In her coquettish desire to remain the centre of attention Amy replied nonchalantly,

“Well, I’ve got a secret as well.”

“Oh yes, and what might that be,” Trudy said.

Amy swelled with importance as she loudly announced that Dad had spent most of the nights when Mum was away next door and hadn’t come home until breakfast time. Not only was her secret no longer a secret but Melanie had been close enough to hear every word.

Her face went crimson as she stared at Tim, who had turned pale and ghostly looking.

At that moment Nina returned from the kitchen, blissfully unaware of this revelation.

‘I bloody knew it, you cow… you bloody two-faced bitch. And I thought we were friends!’

Nina was astonished at Mel’s sudden outburst. They’d both had a few drinks, but this was well out of order.

“What? What was that for Mel?”

“How dare you? You thought I’d never find out, you slept with my husband, that’s what! Or was it so bloody rubbish that you’ve forgotten it already? You slut… you bloody slut.’

By now the room had descended into silence and both Hugh and Ratty stood motionless as the two women angrily faced each other.

Nina opted for the only strategy she could. Attack was the finest form of defence.

“Hang on a minute, Mel, before you brand me a slut in front of all our friends, you might like to tell Tim what you got up to while you were in Poland.”

This was low. Mel looked stunned as she turned to see Tim’s face crease with anger.

“So I was right all along! You went there to be with that low life, what is it exactly that she forgot to tell me, Nina?”

Nina had been pitched headlong into this and there was no way of going back now.

‘I think she’d better tell you that don’t you?” she said, pointing an accusing finger at Melanie.

“Well, Mel… would you like to tell me what that bastard already knows?” Tim stabbed his finger in Ratty’s direction.

“Ok, what I did was bad, but I’ve regretted it every night since, not like you. It sounds as if you slept with her every night I was away and then you two invented that little story so you could spend a few more nights together in the Lake District. You clearly can’t get enough of Nina, so fine, bloody fine. She’s all yours because you’ll never touch me again.”

Ratty should have enjoyed hearing those words, but this wasn’t how he’d wanted it to be. He’d wanted a romantic affair and a gentle break from her marriage into a new and better life with him. This was messy and could upset her to the point where she wanted neither of them.

He exchanged glances with Hugh and then said in a loud voice, ‘OK guys, I think the party’s over. There are things to be said that are best said in private and I know we can rely on all of you not to let this out in the office on Monday.’ It was a warning couched as a request, but everyone knew it would be very unwise to broadcast this to the office network next week. One by one everyone filed out, thanking Mel as they went until only five of them remained.

Hugh looked at Tim, partly with disgust but also with pity. He was looking at a broken man, even if he was now a direct challenge in the competition for Nina’s affection. Nothing would be decided tonight, that was clear. With everyone gone the little group stood in silence.

Eventually Ratty decided to deal with the issue head on: “Tim, I don’t blame you for hating me, but the truth is I love Mel and I’d walk twice around the world, barefoot if necessary, to have her.”

“You’ve destroyed my marriage and you think I care what you want?”

Mel raised her voice angrily. “Tim, get this into your head; you destroyed our marriage, not Ratty. Yes, I had a one night stand with Ratty in Poznan, but that was it. I’d told him it was over, I was married to you and I intended to stay married to you, for better or for worse. Worse in my case, but that was my decision, until tonight. Now we’re finished Tim, and I’m not spending another night under the same roof as you, so go, get out!”

Tim was wounded by her verbal onslaught. He stood there wondering what to do next.

Nina took one last look around the group and then made for the door. She slammed it defiantly in a last ditch attempt at retaining some dignity.

Tim waited a few seconds and then followed her. Once outside the house he made for next door but to his surprise the back door was locked. He tapped quietly at first but then louder until finally Nina opened the door.

“Yes Tim, what do you want?”

“I want to come in, of course. You heard what Mel said, we’re free at last to spend our time together, just like you’ve wanted.”

“Yes, Tim… wanted! Past tense. You’ve been thrown out of your happy married bliss and now you want me. How many times in the last few weeks have you told me I had to learn to live without you? Well, I did, I’ve learnt to live without you Tim. I’m sorry but I’m rather upset at the moment and I’d like you to leave. Good night Tim.”

Shocked and puzzled he stood outside the two homes that had been his life until tonight. Now suddenly, he wasn’t welcome in either of them. How did he get into this mess, he asked himself over and over? He knew he could stay at the manor, but he’d had far too much to drink to risk driving so the only option was the Globe and later a taxi maybe, or maybe not. No, damn it, this was still his house, why should he leave? He’d come back here when he left the pub.

Back inside, Hugh made an effort to console Mel but he was glad when his taxi arrived. He wished them both good night and left.

Mel looked at Ratty and said, “Ratty, please can I stay at yours tonight. I don’t want to talk about it but I have to escape from this house. I’m too upset to sleep here tonight.”

He called a taxi while Mel grabbed a few things for an overnight bag. He had to be supportive but give her space, she needed time to recover from the party that never was.

When she returned downstairs with Trudy she was clutching her bag and sobbing.

Trudy gave her a big hug. “Well, none of us ever expected a party like that… that’s for sure. Come on, Mel, you’ve still got the kids and me and the job you love so much. Look at the positives and maybe tomorrow it won’t seem so bad.”

Trudy went downstairs as she always did at a quarter to seven, to prepare breakfast for the children. The dozens of empty bottles and glasses strewn across the kitchen tops were a stark reminder that it was Sunday, the day after the party that had ended so badly. She pushed open the lounge door to see Tim sprawled in a chair, asleep and disheveled. He sat up and tried to focus on her through bloodshot eyes.

“Tim, you look awful.” There was no point in her hiding the truth.

“I look better than I feel.”

“Did you go drinking after Mel left last night?”

“I had one or two. I needed to think.”

“And did it help you to think?”

“No, but eventually it helped close my eyes, the nearest I could get to sleep.”

Trudy sat down facing him. He was in a terrible state – all of his own making she thought, but still she felt sorry for him.

“What are you going to do about it, Tim?”

“What can I do, Trudy? ... I’ve lost her haven’t I? She meant it... she never wants to see me again.”

His eyes were red from crying.

“Tim, I took the children up to bed when the row started. I don’t know what she said but I already knew about you and Nina. You must have known that I could see what was going on.”

“But
you
didn’t tell her did you? She didn’t know anything until Amy blabbed it out.”

“It wasn’t my place to tell her... my job is to look after the children and that’s what I do, but Amy’s a child. I hope you don’t intend to get cross with her over this, because if you say one word to her, Tim, you’ll have me to deal with. I’m sorry to see you looking like this, and I’m sorry for Mel, but before you ask, let me tell you whose side I’m on ... I’m on the children’s side. You two are supposed to be grown ups, yet from what I can see you’ve both been pretty silly. Whatever you decide to do, you’ll have to talk to each other. Just make sure that those three upstairs don’t see you hurting her more than you already have.”

Tim listened intently. At least
she
was talking to him. After Mel had left he’d felt terribly alone. His friendship with Nina was apparently now history. Trudy was the only person still speaking to him. He’d take her advice, it might help.

“Trudy, what should I do now... what can I do?”

“You can go upstairs and take a shower, you look a mess, and I don’t want them seeing you like that, then get down here and be ready to explain things to them. I’ll get their breakfast, but don’t kid yourself, they know things are serious. They’re young, Tim, but they’re not stupid. You’ve a lot of explaining to do.”

She was right, but first he had to explain to
himself
how he’d managed to mess up his marriage. He would tell the children what was happening, once he’d worked it out. Melanie would be the one who would eventually decide what was happening, she had always made the decisions... had she really decided it was all over?