by Fiona Field
‘Whatevs.’
Susie didn’t rise to the bait and tell them she’d rather they said ‘Thank you, Mum.’ Pick your battles, she told herself.
When the girls came down to eat she noticed they’d changed out of their school uniforms. Odd, they didn’t usually bother, but she didn’t comment: to ask was to risk another altercation. The meal was a fairly silent affair. Susie thought about asking them where they’d been but she knew she’d only get accused of prying and she certainly couldn’t ask who they’d met. The girls uttered a couple of things like ‘pass the salt’ and then, as soon as they’d finished, they shot back up to their rooms. Morosely, Susie cleared up their plates, dished up Mike’s meal and covered it in cling film ready for his return, and then loaded the dishwasher.
At least, she thought, being able to tell Mike that the girls seemed to be, at last, making some friends, would counter the dismal interview with Mr Rogers. Maybe there was light at the end of the tunnel.
Chapter 28
As October headed towards Hallowe’en and then bonfire night, the weather took a turn for the worse and refused to budge. It seemed to rain almost every day; not in great cloudbursts, like the one in the summer, but constant, dreary drizzle, falling from leaden skies. Even when it wasn’t raining the air was cold and damp and the sun rarely, if ever, seemed to shine. It was dispiriting and depressing and everyone began to feel beaten down by the dreariness of it all. Caro found the kids in the crèche cranky and difficult, the bookings in Jenna’s hairdressing salon took a dive, but Jenna couldn’t be sure if that was down to the weather or because the wives had worked out about her past, and Maddy, trapped indoors with two small children, began to go stir-crazy. Morale everywhere in the 1 Herts barracks appeared to be at a low ebb and, lately, even the normally buzzing coffee shop in the community centre had been pretty quiet. In fact, because the takings had dropped, Camilla had demanded a meeting with Maddy at the shop to discuss its viability.
‘Just what I need,’ she muttered to Seb over breakfast. ‘A morning with bloody Camilla.’
‘It’s not like you’ve got much else to do,’ said Seb.
Maddy glared at him. ‘Like that’s my fault. You try to keep a career going with two small children in tow and three house-moves in as many years.’
‘I’m sorry,’ said Seb. ‘I didn’t mean it like that.’
‘You’d better not have done.’
‘I just meant that...’ He stopped. ‘I’m in a hole, aren’t I?’
‘And I’d stop digging if I were you.’ She glowered at him. ‘Sorry, I shouldn’t be so tetchy but the prospect of being patronised by Camilla for an hour or so is more than flesh and blood can stand.’
‘I sympathise. I’ve got a meeting with her husband again.’
‘About the mess?’
‘I should imagine so. And I think I’m going to have to either stand up to him and refuse to carry out his plans, or tell him he’s got to involve all the members. He and I can’t act unilaterally in this matter.’
Maddy stared at Seb. ‘I don’t envy you that.’
‘No. So, I think today is going to be the Fanshaws versus the Rayners.’
Maddy sighed and pulled a face. ‘And I think I can guess which team will come off worst. Let’s just hope we don’t get completely thrashed by them.’
‘Let’s just hope I still have a career at the end of the day.’
‘On the positive side, when I asked Caro if she could take Rose for me at the crèche, she managed to find a space.’
‘That’s a step forward.’
Maddy nodded. ‘We’re still not back where we were but...’ She shrugged. ‘Hey, I think solving that little problem is going to take a bit of time.’
But, she thought, her problems were nothing compared to Susie’s, although if she and Seb both fell out with the Rayners, they might move easily into Susie’s league. She hoped not. The last thing she wanted to do right now was join Susie on Civvy Street – or Springhill Road.
If it weren’t for the fact that she was meeting Camilla, Maddy would have looked forward to the excuse of having a coffee and cake at the café – a bit of a treat. Oh well, she thought as she made her way to the coffee shop having dropped off Rose, she couldn’t have everything.
‘Hello, Maddy.’
Oh God, thought Maddy. Bloody Camilla was early. That was all she needed.
‘Hello, Camilla,’ she said, trying to sound welcoming. ‘Let me get you a coffee.’
‘Lovely. Black, no sugar.’
‘And something to eat?’
‘Oh, I don’t think so, but thank you.’
Was it Maddy’s imagination or did she look at Maddy’s hips?
Maddy fetched the drink and then settled down at the table. An hour later, after a guided tour of all the community centre had to offer, meeting Jenna, Caro and the ladies who ran the coffee shop, Maddy had persuaded Camilla that the place wasn’t about to bankrupt the battalion, that it was being run as efficiently as was humanly possible and that judging its performance after a paltry three months was hardly fair.
‘If you say so,’ she’d finally and grudgingly agreed. ‘Now, I think we need to have a little chat.’ Camilla looked about her. ‘But not here. Maybe we could go over to The Residence?’
Come into my parlour, said the spider to the fly... Maddy felt uneasy. ‘If you wish. But I won’t be able to stay long. I’ve got to pick up Nathan from playgroup in about forty minutes.’
‘I don’t think you need worry about the time. This won’t take long.’
Maddy felt really apprehensive now. Unhappily she trailed after Camilla and down the road to the CO’s residence. Of course, until the Rayners had moved in, the house had just been 33 Arnhem Avenue. It was just a matter of days after their arrival that it had been redesignated Hertfordshire House and referred to by them, but no one else, as The Residence. For a few days it had seemed amusingly pretentious – little had they all known that it was a first indication of how much the Rayners wanted to put their stamp on the regiment, turn the battalion into their own personal fiefdom. Maddy might have felt anxious about this summons to a private interview but she was also curious as this was going to be the first time she’d been invited inside Camilla’s quarter. As yet, she’d never stepped over the threshold – not sufficiently worthy, she imagined.
Camilla opened the door and ushered Maddy in. The house smelt of lilies and furniture polish, which reminded Maddy of visiting the undertaker, years back, when a maiden aunt had died. She’d thought the smell creepy and cloying back then. But the smell of flowers and polish was about the only traditional thing in the Rayners’ quarter. Maddy clocked the modern art on the walls, the objets d’art on the floating, asymmetric shelves and the garish rugs covering up the drab issue carpet. It was striking – if you liked that sort of decor, which Maddy, frankly, didn’t.
Camilla opened the door to the drawing room and beckoned Maddy to follow.
‘Take a seat, Maddy.’
Maddy perched on the edge of a modern designer sofa – all geometric shapes and corners and, she decided as she sat down, as uncomfortable as it looked. The other chairs didn’t look much better and the whole room, with its stripes and angles and bold, clashing colours, made Maddy think she’d been sucked into a Bridget Riley painting.
‘I’ll come to the point, Maddy,’ said Camilla sitting on a hideous, lime-green bucket chair.
‘Please do,’ she murmured.
‘As we both know, women can have a great deal of influence on their husbands. A word here, a hint there...’ She smiled but there was no friendliness in it.
Maddy didn’t say a word. She thought she knew what was coming.
‘Now, Seb has been asked on a number of occasions, by Jack, to work out a strategy to update the officers’ mess. You should be aware of this because Jack told Seb he could talk to you about it, and, let’s face it, husbands tend to tell their wives about the important things going on in their lives.’ She smi
led archly. ‘Pillow talk.’
Maddy shuddered inwardly.
‘However, nothing much seems to be happening on that front and Jack is getting very frustrated. Maddy, you must understand Jack’s point of view; that the army is a twenty-first century organisation and yet we seem to insist on surrounding ourselves with nineteenth century trappings. I am sure you agree with me and Jack that the mess is more of a museum piece than a living space.’ Camilla smiled her winsome smile at Maddy, who felt her gorge rise.
She took a deep breath. ‘Actually, I rather like it as it is. Very country house hotel.’
‘I think,’ said Camilla, a little steel in her voice, ‘the look I would prefer is boutique hotel – modern boutique hotel. The Downton Abbey look is so passé, don’t you think?’
‘Not at Highclere House it isn’t,’ muttered Maddy.
Camilla glared at Maddy. ‘I don’t think you quite understand, Maddy. Jack wants things to change and I agree with him. So... as Seb seems to be dragging his feet, I’d like you to persuade him that, in all our best interests, he does what Jack has asked him to do. I’m sure you get my drift.’
Maddy certainly did. Shape up or ship out. Maddy knew that Jack Rayner wouldn’t be able to get rid of Seb from the army but he could get rid of him from his battalion and how would that play with Seb’s future career? For a start he’d probably be posted without his acting rank of major and the pay drop would come as a blow. He and Maddy had got used to the extra bunce in his pay packet at the end of the month and losing it would be tough.
On the other hand, was the money worth being threatened by Jack and his obnoxious wife? Maddy thought not. Besides, she wasn’t in the army. She didn’t have to toe the line, obey Queen’s Regulations, or kowtow to the CO and she wasn’t about to start now.
‘I’m sorry, Camilla. I don’t know how your marriage works but Seb is very much his own man and I don’t burden him with the day-to-day running of the house and in turn he doesn’t burden me with the day-to-day machinations of his job. I hardly know anything about your plans for the mess – apart from what you’ve just told me now,’ she lied, and pretty fluently at that, she thought, ‘and with two small children I haven’t the time or the energy to take on any sort of project you may have in that regard. If you and Jack want to ruin a beautiful building with some fashion statement that will probably be out of date before the paint is dry then I suggest you sort it yourselves.’ She stood up. ‘Now, if that is everything, I have to collect my children.’
Without waiting for Camilla to show her out, Maddy left. As she shut the front door behind her she leaned against the porch. Her legs were shaking so much she thought they might collapse under her. What had she done? Dear God, of all the people to pick a fight with, Camilla was not the one to choose.
Chapter 29
When Seb got home for his lunch, Maddy still felt sick with nerves at what damage she might have done to his career.
‘Hi, sweetie,’ he said, giving her a peck on the cheek as he came into the kitchen. ‘You all right? You look a bit peaky,’ he added as he ruffled Nathan’s hair and brushed Rose’s cheek.
‘Seb, I’ve got a confession to make.’ She stopped stirring the chicken soup on the hob and turned to face him.
‘Oh yes. What have you done? Embezzled the flower arranging fund?’
‘Worse than that. I told Camilla to fu— I told Camilla where to shove her ideas for the mess.’
Seb’s mouth twitched. ‘Really?’
Maddy nodded miserably.
‘I wish I’d been there to see it.’
‘But Seb, there are bound to be repercussions.’
‘Quite likely, but probably no worse than the ones that’ll follow from me telling Rayner much the same thing.’
Maddy’s eyes widened. ‘You did what?’
‘I told Rayner I wasn’t going to get rid of any of the mess furniture – or the silver, or the soft furnishings for that matter.’
‘But why? I mean... what about your career?’
‘What about it? I had a long hard think about things when I got to work this morning and then I had a telephone conversation with Tony Notley.’
‘Tony?’
Seb nodded. ‘I asked him for some hypothetical advice – you know, in the event of an officer going against some Machiavellian plan of his commanding officer and getting a completely dud confidential report as a result.’
‘And?’
‘And he said the hypothetical officer ought to be bulletproof as his past CRs would show him to have been a good officer up to that point. Notley also added that he’s heard rumours that Rayner has previous in trying to wreck other officers’ careers and that, if said officer suddenly got a crap CR he should demand a redress of grievance from the brigadier. And if that officer did, Notley would back him up.’
‘Wow.’
‘So when I went to see Rayner I told him that I couldn’t, in all conscience, carry out his plans for the mess.’
‘And he said?’
‘Not a lot, to be honest. I think he was quite surprised I stood up to him. He seems to be the sort of bully-boy who is used to getting his own way and when he didn’t he didn’t know what to do.’
‘Oh, Seb, I am so pleased you did that. I saw the inside of the Rayners’ quarter this morning and it’s awful. Well, maybe it’s the height of fashion but it was garish and uncomfortable and absolutely loathsome.’
‘And that’s probably what Jack wants for the mess.’
Maddy went back to the stove and stirred the soup before pouring it out into four bowls.
‘So have you shot his fox?’ she asked.
‘Time will tell. In the meantime it’ll be interesting to see what happens.’
Maddy put the bowls of soup on the table and began blowing on Rose’s to make it cool enough for her.
The phone rang. Maddy sighed and went to answer it.
‘Caro. What can I do for you?’
‘Maddy, what’s been going on?’
What do you mean?’
‘I’ve just had Camilla on the phone. She wants me to take over from you on a couple of committees. Have you resigned?’
‘I think,’ said Maddy, ‘I’ve just been sacked, although it’s news to me. Look, I can’t talk now; I’m dishing up lunch for the family. Come round this afternoon and we can talk then.’
As she turned back to the table Seb raised his eyebrows. ‘Trouble at mill?’
‘Looks like it. It seems Camilla doesn’t want me on her committees any more. Mind you, little does she know that sacking me is the answer to my prayers. The thought of not having to be patronised by her again is just wonderful.’
‘Anyway, to make your day even better, I’ve just heard from Rollo. Remember that house he liked?’
Maddy did, only too well. She remembered, even more clearly, the squirming embarrassment she’d felt as Rollo had described it in loving detail to the Collinses of all people, and then suggested that given how well-off army officers surely had to be that they ought to join him as property tycoons. OK, she exaggerated, but it had still been a horrible moment. No wonder Susie had pleaded a headache and fled.
‘Well, he’s only gone and bought it. He’ll be living almost on our doorstep.’
‘Really? Where was the house again?’
‘Ashton-cum-Bavant.’
‘Oh, yes.’ Maddy remembered now. So Rollo had a perfect house in a perfect village. It was a totally picture-book one with a green, a pond and a small stream and some of the prettiest houses in the area. It was the sort of village that featured in calendars and was used for jigsaw puzzle pictures. The sort of village people longed to end up in, the sort of village Maddy was sure she and Seb would never be able to afford to move into, and which was as far removed from where Susie and Mike lived as to be almost on another planet. ‘Lucky old him.’ She tried not to feel jealous – and failed miserably.
As Seb was leaving to go back to work and Maddy was clearing up the kitchen, Car
o rocked into the house.
‘So come on,’ she said, as soon as Seb had shut the front door, ‘what happened? Why has Camilla sacked you? What on earth have you done?’
Caro, noted Maddy, wasn’t crowing or pleased at her apparent downfall but curious as to the reason why. Which was pretty normal, she thought. If the tables had been turned it would have been how she’d have reacted. So this was yet another baby-step towards normality again, another bit of the olive tree being held out. Maddy took it.
‘Well,’ she said, wiping down the highchair, ‘let me put you in the picture. Camilla and Jack want to strip out the mess and put their stamp on it.’
‘No!’ Caro sat down on a chair. ‘But that’s awful. Have you seen her idea of interior decor?’
Maddy nodded. ‘I have.’
‘It’s like some mad film set for a James Bond baddy. It’s ghastly.’
‘Tell me about it. Anyway, Seb was tasked with finding a home for all the old furniture and getting interior designers in and, naturally, he’s been dragging his feet about it, so Camilla told me to tell Seb to get a move on.’
‘She never.’
Maddy nodded. ‘She did. And I told her that I wouldn’t.’ Maddy then recounted what she’d actually said.
Caro looked at Maddy with an expression that combined admiration with respect. Maddy grinned back. Normality had been achieved. It had taken months for Caro to get over her rage at Seb’s promotion but at last it had happened. Thank goodness.
‘Oh, Maddy, I wish I’d been there to see her face, it must have been a picture.’
‘I don’t know. I was so shattered by what I’d actually said I had to get out of her house before I changed my mind and apologised.’
‘Shit no, that would have been bad. But it’s really nasty that she’s now canvassing behind your back for people to take over from you on those committees. She obviously doesn’t want to give you the push until she’s got replacements lined up.’
Maddy shrugged. ‘You know, I just don’t care. There’s no kudos in being at her beck and call, just a shedload of hard work and precious little thanks.’ ‘You can’t recommend it then.’
