Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower Café

by Milly Johnson

  As she drove to Brandon’s house later, Connie had a small panic attack. Cheryl was starting to work for her today. A nice woman, by all accounts. A good woman who might be left high and dry if this whole Lady Muck scheme didn’t succeed. Connie didn’t know if she even wanted it to succeed past the point of damaging Diamond Shine beyond all repair. She had only really planned up to that point. She had visualised herself as a Britannia-type heroine holding a sword aloft and standing victorious over the Diamond Shine office sign, crushed beneath her feet; but beyond that was only opaque fog. Could she really better in a few weeks all that Diamond Shine had achieved in years? Who are you kidding, love? She pushed it out of her mind in order to think of something more pleasant – in this case two hours in the presence of the wonderful Brandon Locke.

  There was a silver, two-seater convertible in the drive with a personalised number-plate. She’d seen it before. It was Helena’s car.

  Connie gave a cursory ring on the doorbell and then walked straight in – to find Brandon and his ex-wife embracing in the hallway. They sprang apart as she dipped her head, apologised, dumped her cleaning stuff and strode quickly into the lounge out of the way. She took back everything she thought about him. He’d disappointed her. She heard stifled voices coming from the other side of the door, Helena’s slightly raised, then the heavy front door crashed shut and Brandon raced into the lounge as Connie busied herself looking for her duster in her bag.

  ‘I’m sorry about that,’ he said.

  ‘None of my business,’ replied Connie, snapping more than she intended.

  ‘It wasn’t what it looked like.’

  ‘I didn’t see anything,’ she said, not looking at him.

  ‘I didn’t know it was coming.’

  Why was he telling her this? It didn’t matter what she thought, she was merely the hired help. And he was a man she had just caught in a clinch with another man’s wife, even if she’d once been his.

  ‘Marilyn, please listen.’ Brandon’s hand was in his hair, the palm flat on his head as if pressing down on a pain.‘I am so embarrassed. I was just saying goodbye to her and she put her arms around me and wouldn’t let go. Short of throwing her off, I didn’t know what to do.’ His eyebrows dipped in contemplation. ‘I’m even wondering now if she wanted you to see us like that.’

  ‘I can’t think why,’ said Connie, shrugging her shoulders. She felt inexplicably down, as if a happy little balloon inside her had just been popped. ‘Really, you don’t have to explain to me. Honestly.’

  ‘I could do with some advice, if you have a few minutes,’ he said with a hopeful, if slightly nervous, smile. ‘You can take it off your cleaning time.’

  Connie knew she should have said, ‘No, I’m here to work, nothing else,’ but she was too kind, and when he asked if he could put the kettle on for them, she found herself saying yes.

  The kitchen was scented with cherries and brandy, and notes of dark chocolate swirled in the aroma. The air was almost edible.

  ‘Sit down, please,’ said Brandon. He seemed jittery, upset. He spilt some sugar on the floor and uttered a mild expletive as he wiped it up. He sat down opposite Connie and pushed a dark brown mug in the shape of a chunk of chocolate in front of her.

  ‘I’m not the type of man who oversteps the boundaries,’ he said. ‘I feel really bad that you might think I am.’

  ‘I’m just the cleaner, Mr Locke; it really isn’t any of my business,’ said Connie, finding it hard to look at his face, which made it obvious that she did have an opinion and that it wasn’t a good one.

  ‘When Helena left me for Dominic, I can’t say that a big part of me wasn’t relieved,’ he began. ‘I think I felt guilty about that. She blamed my obsession with work for forcing her to look for affection elsewhere. Maybe if I had loved her enough, I wouldn’t have been so obsessed by my work. Some part of me wanted to make amends, which is why I thought it would be a good idea to stay friends. I’m beginning to think it would have been easier in the long run if we hadn’t.’ And he sighed as if he had the weight of the world and two other planets on his shoulders.

  If he’s going to this much trouble to explain things, he must be concerned, thought Connie.

  ‘Can I ask you a personal question?’ He waited for her to nod before going on. ‘Did you stay on a civil footing with your ex-husband? I mean, I don’t know your circumstances. It might be essential you do that if you had children.’

  Oh heck, thought Connie. She’d dropped herself in it by lying that Jimmy was her ex. Would they end up being friends? Erm . . . she didn’t have to think too hard about that one.

  ‘No, there is absolutely no friendship. Yes, we have a daughter but . . . but she’s grown up now.’

  Brandon moved his chair closer still to the table. ‘Did you move into another relationship straight afterwards? God, I’m so sorry if this sounds intrusive. I don’t want to talk about it to my sisters, because they’d worry. They never liked Helena; I doubt I’d get an unbiased view.’

  ‘I think that would have been a disaster,’ said Connie, wondering if she would have another relationship ever again. Twenty-four years of deceit and lies and disrespect was quite enough for one lifetime.

  ‘I know Helena married Dominic on the rebound. Looking back, it was almost as if she was showing me how easy it was for her to move on. I never minded her popping round for a coffee at first when she married him, because everything was above board. Dominic was okay with it – I was even at their wedding. But recently she’s been coming around more than ever, dropping hints that all in their matrimonial garden isn’t rosy, making nostalgic references to our own marriage. It’s become uncomfortable. I don’t know why she grabbed me today because she’s never done that before. Just as the door started to open, she flung her arms around me when I wasn’t expecting it. Thinking about it now, she knew it was you at the door because I said, “Oh, Marilyn’s here.” I was grateful for your arrival. I thought it might move her along.’

  He looked sincere, thought Connie. But then so had Jimmy when he told her she couldn’t have a new car because the business was struggling. Then again, she shouldn’t judge all men by one deceiver’s actions. Her Auntie Marilyn’s partner Steve had been a jewel. He had adored her and would have done anything for her.

  ‘Maybe it’s like cat spraying,’ said Connie, wishing she had picked a better way of putting it. ‘Marking her territory, I mean.’ If Brandon’s account of things was straight down the line, it was obvious that was the answer. ‘Though why she’d want to make a point to your cleaner is a bit beyond me,’ she added, in case it looked as if she was intimating that tall, leggy Helena was somehow jealous of short, dumpy Connie.

  ‘She was always jealous,’ said Brandon. ‘Even of my sisters.’

  Miserable sod, thought Connie.

  ‘I don’t know what to do. This is a new situation for me, Marilyn, and after what happened today I realise I might have to do something before things get out of hand. What do I do?’

  Connie thought for a few moments whilst she drank her coffee. It had a hint of cherry, like the aroma that was filling the room. ‘Well, I think a gentle process of distancing yourself might be in order, until your only connection is a card at Christmas, otherwise she’ll feel encouraged by your accessibility.’

  ‘Yes, yes, that’s good. Aargh,’ he slapped his forehead with his hand. ‘I’m having a party in a couple of weeks and I’ve invited both her and Dominic along.’

  ‘Well, that’s okay if the two of them will be there. Just make sure that she isn’t allowed to hog your attention. But if you’re being super nice to her, that’s going to make you look extra attractive to her, if she’s having problems with hubby.’

  Brandon laughed to himself. ‘I thought being fair was the less complicated option.’

  ‘Not always,’ said Connie. ‘Jerking a plaster off your arm might hurt, but it’s quick. A slow pull takes ages and is actually more painful in the long run.’

  ‘I
like your analogies,’ said Brandon.

  ‘I don’t think Aesop has much to worry about,’ Connie replied, standing up to get back to the lounge, although she could have sat with him for much longer.

  By the time that Connie started on Brandon’s kitchen, he had moved on to making wild strawberry truffles. The room smelt like a summer garden.

  ‘Want one, Marilyn?’ He held out a tray full of plump squares with a splash of red piping on the top as she was packing up to go.

  ‘Thanks, but no,’ she said and he chuckled.

  ‘Whatever has put you off chocolate must be serious,’ he said.

  ‘Yes,’ she said, in such a way that further questions on the subject would not be encouraged, but he wasn’t put off.

  ‘Let me hazard a guess that it was something to do with a man.’

  ‘Possibly.’

  He knew he’d guessed correctly.

  ‘My chocolate makes no false statements,’ smiled Brandon. ‘It’s just magnificent. Excuse the modesty.’

  Connie grinned. ‘I’ll take your word for it,’ she said. ‘See you next week, Mr Locke.’

  He caught her arm as she passed him.

  ‘Thank you for talking to me, Marilyn.’

  She was aware of his fingers touching her. The warmth of them seemed to sink straight through her skin. ‘I’m not a psychologist, though. I’m your cleaner, so my advice might be totally wrong.’

  ‘I don’t think you are wrong,’ he said and his fingers slipped away, yet she could still feel them there.

  Her legs felt as wobbly as a drunk’s as she walked to the front door. She wished he hadn’t touched her and she wished he were still touching her at the same time. There was a bright red light in her head flashing ‘danger’ because her heart was as hungry as Helena’s was and Brandon Locke was as incredible as his creations and more than capable of turning her to the dark side.

  Chapter 58

  ‘I’m sorry he’s not in at the moment,’ lied Della. ‘I will tell him you called again. Thank you, goodbye.’

  Jimmy popped his head around his office door.

  ‘Who was that?’

  ‘A Supersponges rep,’ Della said, poker-faced. ‘He’s a pest and they’re ridiculously expensive anyway.’

  Jimmy disappeared back into his office. The word ‘expensive’ was like garlic to a vampire on him.

  Della drummed her fingers on the desk as she considered what to do. They had a problem. Roy Frog had called a couple of times now and she had headed him off at the pass. He had finally decided the time was right to come crawling to Jimmy to see if he wanted to buy Cleancheap from him. Once Jimmy owned that, there was no way that Lady Muck, as it was at present anyway, would be able to bring him down because he’d be too big and powerful.

  Della needed to put the plan she had thought of into action sooner rather than later and for that, the timing and set-up had to be perfect. Even Field-Marshal Montgomery would have a problem employing the tactics she had conceived. First of all she needed to stir up some more trouble between Jimmy and Roy Frog. She knew how Jimmy operated better than any woman in his life and how much he relished having control. It was time to set Connie the task of putting in some wifely duties.

  *

  Connie and Della arranged to meet after work at Lady Muck HQ in Maltstone. Connie had the kettle on when Della let herself in with her key. She looks different, thought Della, as if she’s lost a bit of weight on her face. Not that what she was wearing gave any clue that she might have lost it elsewhere. One of those hideously loose dresses of which Connie seemed so fond.

  ‘How are things?’ Della asked.

  ‘Well, Astrid and Gemma seem happy enough. Cheryl did her first day yesterday and I haven’t heard anything, so I’m presuming that no news is good news. I’m doing a house bomb with her tomorrow so I can pick her brains. I learned quite a few things when I worked with Astrid,’ Connie called from the kitchen.

  ‘Like what?’ asked Della.

  Like you’re in love with my husband.

  ‘Like she thinks the absence of flirting between Jimmy and Ivanka is very telling.’

  ‘That’s interesting,’ said Della. ‘She’s very astute.’

  ‘She isn’t so astute that she suspects that I could be casting her and her friends adrift in a couple of weeks if I don’t get any more clients and cleaners. What’s the news from inside the camp?’

  ‘Ivanka is getting cockier and enjoying every little iota of power that I’m letting her have, Jimmy is walking about as usual like the proverbial dog with two dicks and we have a massive problem.’

  Connie, walking in with two mugs, stopped momentarily in her tracks. ‘Uh-oh, that doesn’t sound good.’

  ‘It isn’t. Roy Frog’s rung a few times now asking to speak to Jimmy. Luckily it’s been I and not Ivanka who has answered the phone, but it’s only a matter of time.’

  ‘And Roy is going to beg Jimmy to buy him out?’

  ‘Well, not exactly beg,’ said Della, holding out her hand to take the mug from Connie. ‘He would try and save face by saying that it was an investment opportunity that Jimmy couldn’t afford to miss and he’s giving him the chance to buy him out first, even though everyone and his aunt knows that if he doesn’t sell up, he’ll go bankrupt. Jimmy will want to appear as if he isn’t that bothered because Cleancheap aren’t up to his standard, and make him wait so Roy will get to desperation point and sell it to him for a song. Games, games, games.’

  ‘How long will all this go on for?’ asked Connie, offering Della a biscuit from a tin, but Della refused it.

  ‘Not as long as I’d like. I was hoping that Roy wouldn’t ring for a few more weeks, so things must be getting critical. I need you to work on Jimmy at home. Tell him to avoid Roy Frog and make him sweat. Meanwhile, I’ll stir things up in the office.’

  ‘Chocolate pancakes,’ announced Connie suddenly. ‘Sorry, I’m thinking aloud. I’ll cook chocolate pancakes. He loves them. Music might have charms to soothe the savage beast, but in our house chocolate pancakes can soothe the duplicitous git.’

  Della laughed and Connie thought that when she laughed she looked like a totally different woman: younger and prettier.

  ‘Can I say something to you without you taking offence?’ said Della later when she had finished her tea and had stood to go. She didn’t wait for an answer. She would have said it anyway. ‘What you wear does nothing for you at all.’

  Connie looked down at herself.

  ‘I’ve always looked like the back end of a bus,’ she said.

  ‘That’s it, you don’t,’ replied Della. ‘You’ve got beautiful hair, stunning eyes and an obvious waist, though you can’t see it in those swing frocks you wear. They make you look much bigger than you are.’

  ‘Do they? I thought they covered me up,’ said Connie.

  ‘They cover you up all right, but not in a good way.’

  ‘Well, thank you, Della. That’s kind of you to say,’ said Connie, genuinely touched that the older, serious woman had said what she had.

  ‘I hope I didn’t offend you.’

  ‘Not at all. I’ve not had much time for myself over the years.’ That was true. Until her mother died last year, Connie had barely time to look up.

  ‘Well, there are a lot of changes in the air,’ said Della. ‘You should make sure you fly your sail with them.’

  ‘When all this is over and done with, and we’re no longer undercover, we should go for afternoon tea at the Sunflower Café, you know, the one you told me about that Hilda’s sister runs. Have you ever been?’ said Connie.

  ‘No, I haven’t,’ replied Della. She’d never had a friend to take afternoon tea with, although she didn’t say that because it made her sound like one of life’s rejects. ‘I’ve driven past it, although I can’t say it looks much from the outside.’

  ‘It doesn’t, but inside it’s very different. I would guess you’d like it.’

  ‘It’s obviously influenced your decorati
ng,’ said Della, pointing to the only picture on the wall of the office. A sunflower with hand-written words on the huge yellow head. She walked up to it for a closer look.

  ‘I think I remembered all the lines in the right order,’ said Connie.

  Keep your face to the sun and the shadows will fall behind you. If only, thought Della. She’d always kept her face to the shadows, on full alert for what could – and inevitably did – come out of them to hurt her.

  Chapter 59

  Jimmy walked into a house scented with chocolate and he stood for a few moments before taking his coat off and inhaled deeply. Chocolate pancakes were just what he needed after a pig of a day. Ivanka was still holding firm to her no sex rule and applying pressure on him at every available opportunity. She was nagging and he hoped that wasn’t a portent of things to come. Connie had never nagged him; then again she might have done if she’d known what he’d done behind her back. Maybe he should have lied a bit more to Ivanka, but that was a mistake realised too late.

  ‘That smells nice,’ he said, walking into the kitchen and seeing his smiling wife stirring chocolate sauce in a pan. ‘I hope they’re what I think they are.’

  ‘Well you enjoyed them so much on Pancake Day, I thought I’d break with tradition and give you some more. I bought too much chocolate and it could do with using up now that I’m not eating it.’

  He looked at Connie’s huge dress and thought that she was wasting her time because she’d never be able to stick to a chocolate ban and even if she did, she wouldn’t slim down in forty-odd days, but he didn’t say so. He didn’t want to get into an altercation with another woman today.

  By the time he had changed into a pair of jeans, there was a delicious portion of shepherd’s pie set on the table waiting for him.