“Dad spoils him – he buys him anything he wants,” Joe said angrily as he and Ivy watched from beneath the sycamore tree. “Do you know what I got for my last birthday, Ivy? An annual subscription to a retail magazine! If Dad thinks that kind of present is going to get me interested in running the shop, he must be off his head!”
Ivy squeezed his hand. “You can’t blame Danny for that – anyway, he’s always been interested in photography. He got his first camera when he was twelve, remember? You probably didn’t tell your dad what you’d like – knowing Danny, he was probably dropping hints for months before his birthday!”
At a distance, Danny was now sitting under a tree, his eye to the viewfinder, trying out the camcorder’s various features while his friends watched him eagerly. Everyone was keen to be in Danny’s first home movie.
“Come on, don’t take it so much to heart,” Ivy urged her boyfriend. “It’s not long till your own birthday – why don’t you start dropping hints yourself?”
But Joe refused to be mollified. “I’ll be eighteen, so I’ll be an adult at last. But that won’t make any difference to my father – he’ll still keep treating me like a child! He gets on fine with Danny and Peggy, but every time Dad and I are in the same room, he picks a fight with me.”
Rosa was posing provocatively in front of Danny.
“Come on, Danny – you know you want to film me!” she said, pouting and strutting exaggeratedly along an imaginary catwalk.
“Go away, Rosa!” Danny muttered, turning away from her and deliberately focusing the camera on a group of his friends who were playing cards by the water’s edge.
Rosa looked around her at the faces of the other students, all of whom were grinning and urging her to entertain them with her antics. Everyone enjoyed Rosa’s attempts to get Danny’s attention, and they actively encouraged her to provoke him. This encouragement was balm to Rosa’s soul, because even if she didn’t get Danny’s attention, at least she was the centre of everyone else’s.
“Come on, Danny, you know you want to take my picture,” she said seductively, sashaying past him again. She was enjoying herself, and thinking that if she didn’t become a flight attendant, she might become a famous model. Already she could see herself as the new face of Chanel or Dior …
As she paraded up and down, she decided she’d ask Danny to take some photographs of her, which she could then submit to modelling agencies and airlines. And maybe, if he took the photos in his own room, one thing might lead to another …
Danny was still focusing his camcorder on a group of his friends, who were now hamming it up for the camera. He was adamant he wasn’t having Rosa in his film, and she was equally adamant that he was. Their stand-off was a source of amusement to the others, and eventually even the card-players gave up their game in favour of watching the goings-on.
As Danny wandered off into the nearby woodland, Rosa began doing the can-can for the other boys’ benefit, lifting her school skirt high and displaying her panties for all to see. Everyone began cheering, encouraging Rosa to adopt even more risqué poses. The attention soothed her ego after Danny’s very public rejection, so she threw caution to the wind and whipped off her school blouse, dancing around in her bra with her skirt lifted high in the air. As her breasts jiggled, the boys cheered, and Rosa’s fury began to abate. At least the other boys seemed to appreciate her womanly charms …
After a while, it dawned on her that while the others were still egging her on, they weren’t looking in her direction any more. She spun round to discover that Danny was hiding behind a nearby tree, his camcorder pointed in her direction.
“That’s not fair, Danny!” Rosa shrieked, grabbing her school blouse and hurriedly pulling it on again while everyone else laughed.
Rosa was furious. Clearly the others had seen that Danny was filming her, and had let her carry on regardless. Oh, they were all so mean!
Danny grinned. Rosa wanted everything on her terms, but he wasn’t going to pander to her.
“I thought you said you wanted to be on camera?” he said insolently. “You can’t have everything your own way!”
“Well then, I hope you’ll give me a private showing!” Rosa retorted, trying to regain some semblance of power.
Danny shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry, Rosa – you’ll have to watch it in the church hall next week, like everyone else. I presume you know about the art competition being held there? Well, your performance was so impressive that I’ve decided to enter it in the film section of the competition. The whole village will be able to watch you on the big screen.”
As Danny turned on his camcorder again, this news rendered Rosa almost hysterical.
“Danny, no! Mamma’s going to kill me if she sees it!” she groaned. “You’re way out of line, Danny –”
Danny ignored her, continuing to film her as Rosa became more distressed.
“Hello, hello, Danny – are you listening to me?” she wheedled. “Come on, it’s me, Rosa – you wouldn’t want me to get into trouble, would you? Why are you being so mean?”
Everyone else was highly amused, enjoying the spectacle of Rosa being wrong-footed.
“Tell you what – if I win, I’ll split the prize money with you,” Danny told her. “That would only be fair since you’re the star. It might even launch your career –”
“You’re a bad bastard, Danny Heartley!”
Danny laughed, his camcorder still filming her. Rosa was becoming more and more agitated, because Danny had the upper hand and she didn’t like it.
“Oh damn, how am I going to –”
Danny’s face finally broke into a good-natured grin. “It’s okay, Rosa – I was only teasing you – I didn’t take any shots of your bra or knickers, so you can rest easy!”
“But you said – I mean, what about the competition?”
Grinning, Danny shook his head. “I was only winding you up – I doubt if there’s even a film section in it!”
By now Danny had stopped the camcorder and was putting it back in its case. Rosa was suffused with relief, but annoyed with herself for so blatantly displaying her fear. She quickly reverted to being her usual ebullient self.
“Oh well, you can see my knickers any time, Danny!” she said in a loud stage whisper. “Or not, if you prefer!”
Everyone laughed at Rosa’s innuendo, but it was clear to them all that Danny had won this round. Most of them hoped that Rosa and Danny would never get together, because there was too much fun to be had watching Rosa’s attempts to snare him, and Danny’s efforts to avoid being snared.
It was time to go home, and everyone began moving off, satisfied that they’d had a good afternoon’s entertainment. There would always be fun and drama when Rosa Dalton was around.
As the students separated into groups and headed out towards the road, Joe grabbed Ivy and kissed her passionately behind the sycamore tree. “You’re wonderful!” he whispered. “I’m sorry I was grumpy this afternoon – it’s just that Danny gets away with so much. I shouldn’t let it bother me – after all, I have you in my life, and he doesn’t.”
Ivy smiled. It pained her to see Joe so upset, but soon it would be his turn to have a birthday, and she felt sure his parents would mark the occasion in some special way. How marvellous to be eighteen! She’d have to wait for another year and a half before reaching that age. Nevertheless she felt very grown-up because she had a boyfriend who’d soon be regarded as an adult.
“What would you like for your birthday, Joe?” she asked shyly. “I haven’t much money, but I’d like to get you something you’d really like –”
Joe smiled for the first time that afternoon and, as Ivy gazed at his handsome face and glorious blond hair, she saw once again the person she’d fallen in love with.
He squeezed her hand gently, and she could see that his eyes were filled with love for her. “Don’t worry, Ivy – as long as I have you, I have everything I need. You’re the only birthday present I really want.”
Ivy felt as though her heart was about to burst with joy. And suddenly she knew what she was going to give Joe for his birthday.
Chapter 7
The following Saturday morning, Ivy began preparations for the dinner party that evening, grateful for the distraction. When the caterers arrived with the food, she was pleased with its beautiful presentation. She wasn’t remotely interested in cooking herself, but she appreciated the skill and effort that went into such preparation. The day before, their regular team of cleaners had overhauled the living areas of the house, and everything was neat and pristine.
As she laid the table in the dining room, she felt terribly alone and isolated. The secret she’d carried inside her since her teens had affected everything she’d done since then, and tempered her behaviour with family and friends. In fact, she didn’t really have any close friends, because her secret prevented her from becoming close to anyone. Friendship meant sharing your feelings and confiding in others, and that was something she could never do.
She’d made many friends on the set of Bright Lights, but all these friendships were based on the Ivy Heartley her colleagues thought they knew – the actress, the wife, the great party-giver, the shoulder to cry on. But she didn’t dare cry on anyone’s shoulder herself, because none of them knew the real Ivy Heartley. That Ivy Heartley was a woman with deception at the very core of her being.
Ivy sighed. She always needed to be on her guard, and especially at parties, because she couldn’t risk giving in to a drunken urge to confess. She’d seen what happened to people who’d chosen unwise confidants while in the throes of drunken bonhomie. Besides, her secret was so juicy that few would resist passing it on. And her celebrity would make it worth a lot of money to any tabloid newspaper.
Ivy shivered. What she’d done was so heinous that few would want to be friends with her if they knew. And unless she managed to take evasive action, life as she knew it would soon be over.
“That was delicious, Ivy!” said Anton, patting his stomach as he finished his main course. “Food for the gods – you’re a wonderful cook!”
Ivy smiled, not bothering to tell him that she’d used caterers. If he didn’t remember how much she hated cooking, she wasn’t going to remind him yet again! The vast amount of wine he’d already consumed had probably addled his brain anyway.
“Yes, the food is absolutely yummy!” said Sarah. “I doubt if I’ll have room for pudding – but what is it, anyway?”
Danny smiled. “It’s Ivy’s sherry trifle – and you know you love it, Sarah!”
Ivy smiled back. This was one dish she had made. And the main ingredient was sherry.
Sarah smiled impishly. “Okay – you’re on.”
Ivy turned to her guests. “Sherry trifles all round, then – or would you prefer the cheese board, Anton?”
“I don’t see why I can’t have both!”
Everyone laughed. Earlier, they’d all been highly amused to see Anton’s painting hanging on the Heartleys’ drawing-room wall.
“We much prefer this to the Canaletto!” Danny had told them with a straight face, and Anton had almost believed him.
“I’ll get the grub, love,” Danny said, getting up from the table. “You stay and chat to your friends.”
Ivy nodded gratefully. “The cheeses are in the pantry, Danny – and don’t forget to serve the ice wine with the trifle!”
“Your wish is my command!” Danny said, leaning over and kissing the top of her head before leaving the room.
“You’re so lucky, Ivy!” Sarah said, watching enviously as Danny departed for the kitchen. “I’d kill for a wonderful man like that! None of my three husbands were ever as attentive. What’s your secret, darling?”
Ivy smiled. “Just good luck, I suppose. We’ve known each other since we were teenagers, so I suppose that helps.”
Sarah gave her a wry look. “Clever you – you snapped him up before anyone else got a chance!”
Dominic leaned across the table, grinning conspiratorially. “Aha! Does that mean you never had time to accumulate any dark secrets, Ivy? Not for you the intrigues of other lovers and nefarious deeds – or have you simply managed to hide them well?”
Ivy blanched. She knew that Dominic simply intended his comments to be amusing. But a feeling of terror swept over her as she considered the enormity of what she had to do when she next visited Willow Haven. She felt as though she was suffocating, and couldn’t stay in the room for a minute longer.
“Excuse me –” she managed to say before hurrying from the room.
In the downstairs bathroom, Ivy splashed cold water on her face, not caring if her make-up streaked. She wasn’t wearing much anyway – away from the Bright Lights set, she tried to wear as little as possible.
She heard someone outside, followed by a tentative knock on the door.
“Ivy, are you okay?”
She opened the bathroom door, to find Emily standing outside, a concerned look on her face.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Ivy? You looked upset when Dominic said –”
“I’m fine,” she replied gaily. “I just felt a bit hot all of a sudden.” She laughed. “I hope I’m far too young for the menopause!”
But Emily didn’t look convinced.
“Are you sure you’re okay? I mean, if you want to talk –”
Ivy smiled. “What on earth would I want to talk about?”
“I don’t know – you just seemed a bit, well, preoccupied all evening. You didn’t seem aware of half the topics being discussed. Every time I looked at you, you had a faraway look on your face. Is there something worrying you?”
Ivy was thinking fast.
“To tell you the truth, I’m exhausted, Ems,” she said, leaning forward conspiratorially. “I need a break – and I’m relieved that you and Dominic are going to be centre-stage for a while. Your storyline means that I get some time off, so I can assure you I’m going to put my feet up.”
“You poor love,” Emily said, giving her a hug, relieved to learn that nothing more than tiredness was bothering her friend and colleague. “I know the money is great, but we really do work long hours, don’t we? I’m going to take a break myself when this new storyline is over.”
“The next few weeks will put you back on the map, Ems,” Ivy said kindly. “Your character Marina has been in the background for too long – it’s time she was given a storyline that puts her in the limelight again. Aren’t the scriptwriters planning for her to have an affair with her tennis coach?”
Emily pulled a face. “Yes, but I’m dreading that bit, because I’ll have to kiss Tony – his breath is always terrible, so I’ll have to try and get it right first time!”
Ivy laughed. “The hazards of the job, eh?”
Together, the two women walked back to the living room, to find that Danny had already carried in a fully laden cheese board, and was now dishing out bowls of sherry trifle while Anton poured the ice wine into fresh glasses.
“Did you know that the grapes in ice wine are allowed to rot before they’re harvested?” Anton announced. “That’s what makes it so sweet – and so expensive!”
“Only the best for our guests!” Ivy told him, smiling as she took her place at the table once again.
Now well inebriated, Sarah tugged at Ivy’s sleeve. “Danny really is a treasure,” she slurred. “If you ever decide to get rid of him, please send him my way!”
Ivy smiled benevolently at her old friend. “Don’t hold your breath, Sarah – I intend hanging on to him – at least for as long as he’s useful at dinner parties!”
But even though she was smiling, Ivy’s insides were in turmoil as she reached for her wineglass and gulped down its contents without even tasting the wine. Sarah mightn’t have to wait long before Danny was single again. If he ever found out what she’d done, he’d be the one leaving their marriage.
Chapter 8
At the lake after school, no one seemed to have noticed Ivy and Joe casting meaningful g
lances at each other, because all eyes were once again on Rosa and Danny, who were fooling around on the riverbank.
Rosa was intent on getting revenge for the previous day’s humiliation, and she’d grabbed one of Danny’s schoolbooks and was threatening to throw it into the water. The others watched, amused, as Rosa used the opportunity to get Danny to grab her round the waist, then she swung around and threw her arms around him, accidentally letting the book slip from her hand. There was a splash, then a horrified silence, and suddenly everyone was talking at once. They all rushed to the water’s edge as the book floated briefly, then slipped below the waters and gradually sank into the depths of the lake. Danny was furious.
“Oh God, Danny, I’m sorry – I never meant that to happen!” Rosa was deeply contrite, her face pale with shock.
Danny ignored her. “Look, I’ll dive in and find it,” he muttered, as several of his friends tried to dissuade him.
“The water’s too cold, man – you’ll freeze to death!”
“It’s only a maths book, for Christ’s sake – it’s not worth risking your life!”
“It’ll be all wet by now anyway – forget it, mate!”
“No, no –” Rosa grabbed his school pullover. “Look, Danny – I’ll give you my own maths book as a replacement – it’s only fair.”
The group briefly considered Rosa’s offer, then there was a collective nod. It seemed like a reasonable solution, since the incident was clearly Rosa’s fault.
Suddenly Rosa looked stricken. This was the book in which she’d been practising her new signature as Rosa Heartley! Oh God, she’d die if Danny saw it!
But it was too late. Already, a helpful boy in Danny’s class had gone to her schoolbag, rummaged inside and taken it out. He laughed as he saw the pages obliterated by Rosa’s swirling handwriting. Soon, all the boys were studying the book, grinning and turning their pimply faces towards her. Oh, how she hated them all!
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