‘What could go wrong?’ she asked herself. You could get turned down. Brutally, replied the voice in her head. ‘And I could get my stuff accepted. I’ve got my photos on sale.’ Somewhere else, reminded the voice in her head.
‘Yes, but ...’ Alice looked at the floor and frowned. I used to sell my bracelets when I was at school, she thought. They are a part of me, my bracelets. Everyone used to love them. It was just Adam who seemed not to like them. But then I think by then he didn’t like anything about me and I was beginning not to like anything about him. She looked at the stall again. ‘I like my bracelets,’ she said quietly. She stepped towards the woman who was tidying up baskets of hair grips on the other side of the stall. ‘Hello,’ she said.
‘Hello,’ said the woman. ‘Are you looking for anything in particular?
Alice took out two of her ceramic mosaic houses and handed them to the woman. ‘Would you be interested in stocking these? I have made them out of old tiles from a house near Guincho. You can hang them on the wall.’
The woman examined them, then turned them over to check the back. ‘Good, you have put the hangers on. Not everyone does.’ She ran her hand over them and held them up against the awning. ‘They are very nice. I like them. I could take four to start. As I don’t know you or how they will go it will be sale or return. No money up front.’
‘Excellent,’ said Alice, her whole body feeling like it was lighting up with pleasure. ‘When would you like them by? I have several already made at home.’
‘By Friday. That would be best. The woman smiled expectantly. ‘You look as if you have something else for me?’
‘Yes, yes, I do,’ said Alice, pulling her bracelets out of the case, and placing them on the table.
‘My goodness,’ said the woman. ‘These are beautiful, and unusual. And are these pieces of tiles?’
‘Yes,’ said Alice, beaming.
‘How did you get them to be that smooth?’
‘Secret technique,’ said Alice.
Turning them over in her hand, the woman pulled on them. ‘Just making sure they won’t fall apart,’ she said.
‘They won’t.’ Alice smiled. ‘I always make sure that the binding is strong.’
‘Okay. I will have ten by Friday. Can you do that? Sale or return again?’
‘Fabulous,’ said Alice. ‘I’m glad you like them.’
‘I love them,’ said the woman. ‘Now, let’s talk prices.’
Paddling off Fisherman’s Beach again, thought Alice. But this time she was eating an ice cream. It was a strange way to celebrate, but after successfully selling her wares to the stall-holder, with a possible order for more if they went well, that’s where her feet took her. They almost skipped there in fact. ‘Breathe in slowly,’ she said to herself. ‘And breathe out.’ Things had kept shifting inside her ever since she arrived. It was as if she was shedding skins. Like a snake, she thought. But she didn’t like snakes so she imagined it was more like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon. I am a butterfly, she thought. Maybe not quite. But almost. Padding back onto the sand she tried once again to call Kathy and Luis. Kathy was proving very difficult to get hold of, but Luis eventually answered.
‘That’s great news Alice. I knew you could do it. Look, I’m going to have to go. I’ve got to deliver these photos to Sintra. And then I’ve got this gig with Antonio.’
‘Oh, I thought you were giving that up.’
‘I don’t want to do it, believe me. But he needs help. Old loyalties …’
‘Okay, well.’
‘I’ll be playing the guitar whilst gritting my teeth. I’d rather be with you than be there … I’ve got to go. I’ll call you tomorrow.’
Alice watched her ice cream slowly melt onto her hands.
An image of Marcella flickered into her head. She tried to ignore it. Then the phone rang, and as it did, she knew instinctively it was Adam calling from yet another number. She waited until he left a voicemail, and clicked the phone to listen to it, but this time, it was with a cold, hard defiance.
‘Hey Alice. Just checking in. Have you checked your bank balance yet? Come on, why not just sell the damn thing and put the money to good use? It’s half of quite a lot. Call me. Soon. Or I’ll start to chase you. You know I will.’
Half of quite a lot, she thought. Half. He doesn’t own half. For the amount he’s put in he only owns the downstairs toilet. The rest is mine. She sighed and began to walk up the hill, wondering how Adam and Marcella had been allowed to ruin her day. As she stepped back to avoid a group of people, a pair of patterned trousers hanging high on a clothes stall brushed her face with green, yellow, pink and orange, as if they were waving at her. She smiled. I’m not the person you think I am, Adam, she thought. And you aren’t going to undermine me, Marcella. I’m not going to hide.
Picking the trousers up, she held them against her legs and laughed. She loved them, and she knew Adam would hate them. So she took some euros out of her purse and bought the most noisy clothes she had ever owned in her life.
Chapter Fourteen
As Alice walked along the path through the gardens towards her apartment, she noticed a figure sitting in the shade of a tree, leaning back against its trunk. As she got closer, she realised it was an exhausted-looking Kathy, her silk scarf lying next to her and her bag discarded about a metre away. She began to walk faster. ‘Kathy, are you okay?’
Kathy looked up, her face pale and drawn. ‘I think so. I thought I’d pop in to see you as I had a bit of time between appointments. Felt like some fresh air, to be honest. But I felt faint and couldn’t go any further. No idea what’s the matter with me. I haven’t felt right for a while really.’
‘Do you want me to help you up?’
‘Can we just sit here?’ sighed Kathy. ‘I’m quite comfortable to be honest. And I’ve got to get back in about half an hour.’
Alice sat down next to her. ‘Do you want me to get you anything?’
Kathy held up a bottle of water. ‘No, thanks. All fine.’
‘You do look a bit pale.’
‘I know. It’ll pass though. I’ll be okay. What have you been up to?’
Alice reached into her bag, pulled out a bracelet and eased it onto Kathy’s wrist. Her friend examined it and smiled weakly.
‘You made this? A bracelet? Just like the old times.’
Alice whispered into her ear. ‘I did more than that.’
‘What?’
‘I took my mosaic pictures down to that stall-holder by Fisherman’s Beach. And she’s going to stock them.’
‘Fabulous! What about the bracelet?’
‘She loved it. I’ve got to take more down as she’s stocking them too! Alice “the bracelet queen” Matthews is back in town.’
Kathy hugged her. ‘Ah, so my brutal “break your bracelet so you had to make a new one” tack worked!’
Alice laughed. ‘I suppose it did. And just wanting to stick a couple of fingers up at Adam, I suppose. Great motivation.’
Kathy sipped some water and leaned back against the tree.
‘Kathy …’ said Alice.
‘Yes, I know. I’ve made an appointment to see the doctor tomorrow. Stephano’s been on at me too. He’s in a state – thinks I’m pregnant. I’m just going to prove him wrong.’
‘Well,’ said Alice quietly. ‘To the untutored eye you are showing all the signs.’
‘The untutored eye that’s watched too many films you mean,’ said Kathy, picking up her scarf and tying it around her neck. ‘I’m on the pill. It’s all fine’
‘Well at least you’re going to the doctor.’
‘Indeed. Fancy walking with me to the hotel? You can catch me if I faint dramatically, then.’
They walked slowly up the steps towards the beauty salon, and Alice breathed in deeply and dramatically. ‘Ahhh, lavender. Gorgeous. I feel relaxed all of a sudden.’
Kathy grimaced. ‘This bug I’ve got or food poisoning or whatever – its making me feel sick at the
merest whiff of lavender. And patchouli. I have to keep leaving the room when I’m doing facials.’
‘Bit difficult for a beautician,’ said Alice.
Kathy kissed her on the cheek. ‘Time to go. Deep breath. And congratulations my clever, talented friend.’
‘Thank you for helping me.’ Alice smiled. ‘Or pushing me. I really wouldn’t have had the nerve to do it if you hadn’t.’
‘Ciao for now,’ said Kathy as she walked through the salon door.
Alice watched her go, a slight niggle of anxiety prickling at her neck. She’d never seen Kathy ill before. Not even slightly. The door shut gently as her friend slowly disappeared from view. Alice decided to get a glass of wine on the terrace and walked around the corner of the building. Luis was sitting at a table, dressed in a red shirt and black trousers, drinking a beer and talking to a man Alice hadn’t seen before. Even though he looked very uncomfortable in his band outfit, and she could sense irritability around him, her heart did the usual loop the loop and she shivered happily. ‘Luis,’ she said, waving at him.
He turned to her, surprised, and stood up with his arms open. ‘Alice! I was just thinking about you and here you are.’ He brushed her lips with his and squeezed her tight. Alice tingled. He pulled out a chair for her. ‘This is Nuno,’ he said, nodding towards his friend.
‘Ah, Alice,’ said Nuno. ‘I have heard a lot about you. Enchanted,’ he said, taking her hand and kissing it.
‘Lovely to meet you,’ said Alice. ‘I was just chatting with Kathy, but she’s gone back to work, so I decided to treat myself to a lovely glass of wine here instead of going home.’
‘I’m glad you did,’ said Luis. ‘I’ve said yes to doing more gigs with the band and here I am again.’ He squeezed her shoulder. ‘Don’t look at me like that, it’s out of necessity.’
‘Look at you like what?’ said Alice.
‘Your face hides nothing,’ he said. ‘And I understand why you’re not happy.’
‘What do you mean, out of necessity?’ asked Alice. ‘Is it that other house?’
Luis sighed. ‘Yes.’
‘The buyer pulled out,’ said Nuno. ‘I warned him about him.’
‘Nuno is my solicitor,’ said Luis. ‘And he used to be in the band, so he looks after me.’
‘You were in the band too?’ asked Alice incredulously.
‘Yes. But I had to get a real job in the end.’
‘Another one,’ said Luis, shrugging his shoulders. ‘Nuno is a solicitor, Joao is an architect. They all leave and grow up.’
Nuno got the waiter’s attention. ‘What would you like Alice?’ he asked.
‘A large glass of vinho verde, please,’ said Alice.
Luis took a sip of his beer. ‘So, now I have the house I live in, the house I have finished, and the farmhouse.’
‘I told you not to buy the farmhouse until you’d sold the last one,’ said Nuno.
‘I know, I know. But it was love at first sight.’
‘What are you going to do?’ asked Alice.
‘I don’t know. Find a buyer quick. Or a renter. Before the bank start getting difficult.’
‘Well, I know you don’t like it, but thank God for the band,’ said Nuno.
‘Yes,’ Luis. ‘I hate to say it.’
Alice squeezed his hand. ‘It’ll work out, I’m sure,’ she said.
‘What have you done today?’ he asked.
‘Sold those mosaics I made at the farmhouse,’ she said. ‘And some bracelets.’
‘I told you they were good!’ Luis stood and pulled her out of her chair. He held her close and kissed her again. ‘You’re wonderful,’ he whispered into her ear. The waiter placed the glass of wine on the table, and Luis passed it to her. ‘A toast,’ he said, picking up his beer. Nuno stood up and held his beer aloft, too. ‘To Alice,’ they both said.
Alice laughed. Everything will be alright, she thought. Everything will be alright.
The side door slammed open and Antonio walked out, followed by Marcella and her two friends.
‘Luis,’ said Marcella. ‘I am so glad you could be part of this. I keep saying to everyone, the band will not be the same without Luis.’
Nuno looked at Luis. ‘I see some things never change,’ he said quietly.
Marcella noticed Alice and nodded. Antonio just glared at her. ‘We’ve got to change the set list,’ he said.
‘Whatever you want,’ said Luis.
‘No – we need to talk about it inside.’
‘No, it’s fine,’ said Luis, smiling calmly. ‘I’ve been doing it long enough. Any order you want.’
Marcella moved closer to Luis. ‘I’d love to play music,’ she said. ‘Do you do lessons?’
‘Not enough time and no patience,’ he said.
Antonio walked towards the door. ‘We’re on in ten minutes,’ he said. ‘Don’t be late.’
Nuno looked at Luis. ‘And some other things don’t change either.’ Then he smiled at Alice. ‘It’s been lovely to meet you,’ he said. ‘Hopefully I will see you again soon.’ He kissed her on both cheeks as Marcella swept swiftly round, flicking her hair, and stalked after Antonio. Nuno raised his eyebrows. ‘I will be in touch,’ he said to Luis. ‘I’ll put the word out that you’re looking for a buyer, but you need to talk to the estate agents first thing tomorrow.’
‘I will,’ said Luis, shaking his hand as Nuno moved to go. He turned to Alice. ‘I’m so sorry about those people,’ he said to her. ‘This isn’t out of choice. You believe me, don’t you?’
Alice grabbed him round the waist and looked up into his dark brown eyes. ‘I know, I know. It’s fine.’ He held her tight for a few moments. ‘You can come over after the gig,’ she said.
She could feel him sigh. ‘I have to be up early tomorrow – I have a guy to talk to about work on a building site in Lisbon, so I need to drive in early. Then there’s the estate agents.’ He paused. ‘Do you want to come over tomorrow afternoon? You wouldn’t need to help. You could work on your art.’
Alice squeezed his waist again. ‘That would be great. Around two?’
Antonio shouted from the door. ‘Five minutes,’ he said.
Alice could feel Luis’s body tense up.
‘At two tomorrow,’ he said kissing her hair.
As he turned to go, his shoulders slumped, a little defeated.
Alice stared at his back until he was out of sight and decided she didn’t want her wine any more. She walked slowly down the hotel steps and onto the sea road, and as she did so, her phone began to ring.
‘Everything’s going to be alright? What was I thinking!’ Alice nearly shouted to the empty garden. She plunged into the pool, the cool, clear water breaking through the panicked fug that had descended one minute into her conversation with her sister. And it had engulfed her completely when she finally got off the phone to her mother. Tara had phoned minutes after she’d left the hotel. ‘Literally minutes,’ said Alice to herself. ‘Literally minutes of, “everything’s going to be alright”.’ It was 9 p.m. and it was dark, but she didn’t know what else to do except throw down the phone, pull on her swimming costume and run down to the gardens.
Floating on her back, she looked up at the stars. As her eyes began to focus they sharpened into recognisable shapes. ‘Adam knows you are in Cascais. He is on his way,’ she read.
It’s written in the stars, said the voice in her head.
‘Not funny,’ said Alice.
I told you, you can’t hide forever.
‘Not fair.’
No, it isn’t.
She began to swim again, as if the force of her strokes would make her head clearer. Or just make all thoughts and talk of Adam go away or at least go somewhere else. ‘Preferably back to South America,’ said Alice at the sky. But it just made her angry. Stand your ground, said the voice in her head. Don’t give in.
‘I wish he’d stuck to the bloody postcards,’ said Alice climbing out of the pool and collapsing onto a lounger.
>
Lying on a sunbed in the dark she wrapped herself in a towel as exhaustion replaced the fury. Time to fight, Alice, whispered the voice in her head. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to rouse the energy to walk back to the apartment, the conversation with Tara going around and around in her head.
‘How did he find out I was in Cascais?’ she had asked.
‘One of your university friends mentioned that Kathy lived there, and he said he put two and two together.’
‘Does he know where she works?’
‘No – she’s not very good at keeping touch with anyone apart from you, is she?’
‘Thank goodness for that!’
‘But Adam is desperate enough to sell the house to fly into Lisbon and try to track you down. So maybe you could use that to your advantage – get the upper hand,’ said Tara.
‘He likes to get his own way. It could be that,’ said Alice. ‘Although I could make myself really difficult to find.’ Then she became Alice again. ‘But this is real life, all he has to do is call loads of beauty salons and he’ll find Kathy.’ After she’d finished talking to Tara, she tried to call Kathy, but her phone went straight to voicemail.
‘Mind you even I can’t find her at the moment,’ she’d muttered.
The familiar Aphrodite-purr alarm roused Alice slowly from her dreamless slumber, but this morning it was accompanied by tiny droplets of water on her back. And the cooing of the doves was a lot louder. But there was something different about the way the cat nuzzled into her ear. Slowly Alice lifted her arm and moved her hand along the animal’s soft coat. It didn’t feel like Aphrodite. She rolled over and opened her eyes. The ginger tom from downstairs stared back at her.
‘Oh God.’ She sighed. ‘Still on the sunbed.’ The lawn spray splattered her with water again as it rotated and she rolled down onto the grass.
‘Bom dia, madam,’ said the gardener pushing a wheelbarrow full of weeds towards a bin.
The House That Alice Built Page 17
