“There have been a number of people who wanted to visit. People you know through modeling and until today I didn’t think you were up to it. There is a young girl here by the name of Adele. She said she’s been the make-up artist on a lot of your shoots and you were well acquainted. Would you like to see her?”
“It can’t hurt.”
“OK. I’ll let her know.”
Carol hobbled off to find Adele and about five minutes later a striking petite girl with spiky red hair rushed up to her bed before sitting beside her.
“I’m soooo glad you’re OK!” She began before Isabelle could speak. “When I heard what Anton had done, I couldn’t believe it. To think of all the times I worked on his shoots. It’s so weird. You probably don’t remember me but that’s OK. I wanted to see that you were alright.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you.” Isabelle smiled. Her energy was contagious.
“So I suppose you don’t remember that hunky boyfriend of yours, then?”
“Mitchell? No, I don’t.”
“That’s probably good and bad.”
“Why?”
“Well that way you don’t remember his reputation and your reluctance to get involved with him at the start.”
“No, I don’t remember anything about him, good or bad. What reputation did he have?”
“No-one’s told you?”
Isabelle shook her head.
“Oh, crap, maybe I shouldn’t have told you that. I tend to run off at the mouth sometimes.”
“Please, I want to know.”
“Well, OK, he’s a bit of a player. He has slept with most of the models, and a few stylists as well, and from all accounts most want a repeat performance, if you know what I mean.”
“Yes, I’m pretty sure I do.” Feelings pierced her heart and she wondered why this all felt so familiar.
“Anyway, he’s supposed to have given all that up after he met you. You can probably trust him.”
“Probably?” A lump wedged itself in her throat and Isabelle wondered exactly why she was having this reaction.
“Well the rumors have stopped. I don’t know if that means he has been faithful …”
Guilt tugged at Adele and she knew it was wrong to take advantage of Isabelle’s amnesia. Although she liked Isabelle, when she’d taken up with Mitch, Adele’s jealousy had become extreme. Adele had spent one fantastic night with Mitch a few months before he met Isabelle and she wanted an opportunity to relive the experience. The opportunity seemed to have passed her by until Isabelle’s accident took her memory. If she planted the seed of doubt, perhaps she could be there to pick up the pieces with Mitch.
“Have you ever ...?
“No,” Adele lied. “I never got the chance, unfortunately. You’re my friend, so even when he offered I refused because of that.”
“Are you saying that while I was supposedly involved with Mitch, he propositioned you?”
“Gosh, me and my big mouth!” She said with mock sincerity. “I’m sure it didn’t mean anything ...”
“If he tried it with you … My father was a womanizing creep who ended up leaving my mother for another woman and I have since found out had a second family. I have a brother I have met but of course I don’t remember. I can’t believe I ever took up with a man like that. Men like that don’t change, and by the sound of it, Mitch hasn’t. My instincts about men like him have always been correct. Thank you for telling me about this. He may have used my memory loss to con me again.”
“That’s what friends are for,” Adele said, smiling inside and out, for her plan had worked. “I had better go so you can rest. I’m sorry about what happened to you and being the person to tell you the truth about Mitch.”
“Thanks, Adele, for being a good friend.”
Astonishment confounded Isabelle over her own past actions once Adele left. Why on earth had she taken up with a man who was just like her lousy father? He must have been pretty convincing if she trusted him. What a fool he must have been making of her. Well, she wasn’t going to be fooled again. As soon as she found somewhere else to live and got herself a job, she would take her family away from the creep. What she would do was another puzzling idea. There would be no way she would model again. This world seemed unreal to her.
When Carol re-entered her daughter’s room, her expression concerned her. She appeared more out of sorts after her visit with Adele.
“Are you OK, Isabelle? I thought you would enjoy a visit from a friend. I know you probably don’t remember her but I thought it might lift your spirits a bit.”
“It did and she is obviously a good friend because she shared with me some information that you seemed to have left out about Mitchell.”
“What about him?” Dread over what was to come caused Carol to make a silent curse over the situation once again.
“That he is a womanizer. You of all people, Mum, should know that men like that are to be avoided.”
“When you first met him, this was true, but he’s dedicated to you, Isabelle. The change in him eased my concerns. I never imagined he would be disloyal to you. He loves you and he’s not like your father.”
“Mum, you were fooled by my father. Who says Mitch hasn’t fooled you as well?”
“I just don’t think so, Isabelle. You forget we are staying with him at the moment and he’s torn up because you don’t remember him.”
“If he is supposed to care about me so much, why hasn’t he come to see me to try and help me remember him?”
“He’s being thoughtful and pushing his feelings aside to give you the space that you need. He has also been preparing the house for your arrival. Speaking of which, no-one buys a house for somebody they don’t love.”
“Dad loved you once too but that didn’t mean he wasn’t spreading it around.”
“Dammit, Isabelle, you are so stubborn! Your instincts have never let you down before and they didn’t let you down with Mitch either. He’s a good man.”
“Then why would Adele tell me that he propositioned her while with me?”
“Is that what she told you? I thought she only told you about his past, which in my opinion, a friend wouldn’t do.”
“Yes, she told me about his past and also how he can’t keep it in his pants.”
“Isabelle!” Carol shook her head. She’d forgotten how steadfast her daughter could be on this subject and the hatred she felt towards her father and men like him. Gone was the daughter who had cast her judgment aside and fallen in love.
“What?” Isabelle asked to which Carol raised her eyebrows. “I’m sorry. I’m just telling it how it is. What reason would Adele have to lie to me?”
“Maybe she’s jealous and wants him for herself. Jealousy makes people do things they normally wouldn’t do.”
“She told me she hadn’t been with him and turned him down because we’re friends.”
“Well, I don’t believe a friend would tell you anything like that while you’re in this condition. I’m sorry but I tend to believe a man who gave you the world rather than a spiteful jealous girl.”
“Well, I’m not you. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
Isabelle rolled away from Carol, who stood with an exasperated sigh and left her daughter to stew.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Home
Two voices singing Old McDonald’s Farm, one deep and one high, wafted from the balcony and greeted Carol as she entered the house. Mitch had offered to drive her to the hospital along with Jesse so he could see Isabelle as well, but Carol had told him she wanted to speak with Isabelle alone. That way she could find out how her progress was going and didn’t want to upset Jesse if her memories were still vague. In truth she hoped to convince her daughter to stay at the house, but instead the progress they’d made had been reversed from one visit from Adele. Damn that girl! Pushing this aside, she listened to them singing together and her heart felt light.
The sound of Jesse with a man who appeared to adore him helped ease her appre
hension. Carol could finally be free of worry as far as Jesse’s need for a father was concerned, as he’d found a wonderful one in Mitch. She followed the sound of their voices through the house and joined them outside.
“Hey, you two.”
“Hi, Nan. Is Mummy OK?”
“She’s much better today, Jesse. She’ll be able to come home tomorrow.”
The happy smiles from both of Isabelle’s men left Carol feeling a little disheartened but she forced a smile to her lips. The long difficult road they would be heading down, if Isabelle even stayed at the house, renewed her anxiety. Isabelle seemed quite determined to believe the worst of Mitch and Carol was just as resolute about finding out the truth. The only positive thing about the boys’ hopefulness was that Isabelle was remembering more and more about Jesse. At least he wouldn’t be hurt as much as Mitch was going to be.
“Jesse, could you go and play in your room for a bit? I’d like to talk to Mitch.”
“OK, Nan,” he said before leaping off his chair and disappearing into the house.
“Carol, what is it? The look on your face is starting to worry me.”
“Do you by chance know a girl by the name of Adele?”
“Um, the name rings a bell. Red hair? Maybe a make-up artist?”
“Yes, that’s her.”
“Then, yes, I know her.”
“How well do you know her?”
His wary expression worried her further. “Why do you ask?” His voice sounded guarded and Carol hoped there wasn’t any truth to Adele’s words.
“I know it’s none of my business, Mitch, but it’s important you tell me.”
“I wish I knew her less.” His mouth set into a thin line and he could no longer meet her eyes.
“OK, so she lied about that, so she could be lying about everything else too.”
“Carol, what are you talking about?” he asked with a furrowed brow.
“Adele came to see Isabelle today, and I’m sorry to say she did not paint a pretty picture of you.” Mitch’s face paled and his fists clenched at his sides. “She claims she didn’t know you in that way but wished she had.”
“Oh, her wish came true, unfortunately,” he mumbled. “If she’s saying I didn’t, then she lied. I don’t understand if she said I didn’t, then.”
“She lied about everything. She told Isabelle that you tried it on with her and others while with Isabelle. It seems the only truth she did tell was what you were like before meeting Isabelle.”
Mitch cursed and she could see him working his jaw as his knuckles turned white. He was on the edge so Carol needed to ensure she didn’t push him over it.
“Does Izzy believe her?” he asked between gritted teeth.
“Yes, and she’s quite upset that I believe in you. She was also disgusted with herself and didn’t believe she would have taken up with you if she had known the truth. Over the years Isabelle had started to become less angry at her father and more willing to give men the benefit of the doubt. Though she did still have reservations about you, she followed her instincts, which have always been right. Now that her memories have regressed, I’m afraid her inability to trust men that seem like her father has returned. I’m not saying you are like him, as I don’t believe you are. My husband cheated on me throughout our entire short marriage before he left and remarried. You may have participated in behavior that I don’t condone prior to meeting Isabelle but I believe that beneath it all is a kind-hearted man who made bad judgments. I know in my heart that you would never do anything to hurt my daughter because you love her and seem regretful of your past.”
“I knew this would come back to haunt me,” he said in a quiet voice that didn’t match his body language. Carol thought he looked set to explode. “I don’t think you realize how much I regret the lifestyle choice I made. It was my way of detaching and keeping everyone at arm’s length. I guess the only way that she will ever give me a chance now is if she remembers.”
“She believed in you once. You may be able to convince her again.”
“I doubt it. This is a different Isabelle to the one I know. She’s stubborn and as you said, her attitudes have regressed. She won’t give me the time of day now.”
With regret in her heart Carol knew his words were the truth. “Then I guess getting her memory back is the only way. We will just have to work hard to make sure that happens.”
At long last the day had arrived for Isabelle to be discharged. They completed the final tests that would clear her for release. Aside from the amnesia, she had recovered well and Dr Greene was confident her memory loss was temporary as some memories were returning. As pleased as she was to be leaving the hospital, she wasn’t anxious to return to a house she didn’t know and to a man she couldn’t believe she ever trusted. Her surprise at Carol’s apparent belief and her defense of Mitch confused her further. How could Carol trust a man that possessed the same abhorrent qualities as her father?
As she sat waiting to be collected, she attempted to grasp hold of the memories that were out of reach. It was like an invisible wall had gone up in her mind and she couldn’t get past it to the memories lingering there.
The patter of small feet running up the corridor shook her out of her reverie and brought a smile to her lips. A flash of Jesse looking younger, playing in the park, reached out from behind the wall and she tried to grab hold of it. It was followed closely by an image of Jesse sitting with a blonde man. They were both looking at a camera and she realized it was Mitch.
This was her first memory of Mitch that didn’t come to her in a dream and it was a pleasant one. Her little boy trusted him. Her mum trusted him. She felt like she was living in some strange world where nothing made sense. Why would she have pleasant memories and even more pleasant dreams of a man that couldn’t be trusted? Why did she trust him was more to the point?
“Mummy,” Jesse cried as he hurried across the room and threw himself into her arms. “I’m so happy you’re coming home. Wait till you see my room and how big it is!”
Her heart sank a little. How was she going to take him away from surroundings that made him happy? Even though her memories were sketchy of Jesse, she felt the protective instinct of a mother and didn’t want to expose him to the type of man that Mitch was reputed to be. She couldn’t believe that as a mother she even had in the first place. The sooner she found somewhere else to live and had him out of that environment the better.
“Sounds great, Jesse.” She forced a smile before glancing up to see Carol being helped along by Mitch.
“I’m sure you can’t wait to go home,” Carol said.
“I’m happy to be leaving the hospital.”
“Hi, Izzy. How are you feeling?”
“My name is Isabelle and I’m fine, thank you, Mitchell.”
For a brief moment his face screwed up as though he winced from pain before the blank mask reappeared. “Glad to hear it, Isabelle.”
On the drive home there was a somber atmosphere and the chill in the air was difficult to ignore. When they pulled into the driveway, Isabelle was stunned. The house was not only big but beautiful and she never thought she would be fortunate enough to live in something so grand. Suspicion clouded her mind and she couldn’t shake it. Why would he buy a house of this magnitude? She waited until Carol and Jesse had exited the car before saying exactly what was on her mind.
“Adele must have underestimated the number of your indiscretions because this looks like one big guilty conscience to me.”
For a moment she was as shocked at her words as he appeared to be. She didn’t recall ever being quite so nasty before. Isabelle may be suspicious of his motives and decency but being cruel didn’t feel right either.
“If that is what you want to be believe, Izz … Isabelle, you go right ahead. I know why I bought this house for you.” Her words seemed to have stung him.
If Mitch had thought her tone had been frosty towards him before, this time she was downright nasty. The Izzy he loved wasn’
t capable of being so vicious. It seemed her loveliness had disappeared with her memories. He appreciated how difficult it must be to lose years of your life but the sting in her tail surprised him.
It would be confusing and frustrating, and perhaps a little daunting, to have no recollection, nevertheless to not give him the benefit of the doubt was plain stubbornness. How could she not trust her own judgment even if she couldn’t remember? What hurt the most, besides her cool disposition, was that she wasn’t giving him a chance to remind her how much he loved her.
“I’ll show you to your room,” he said as he helped her from the car.
She watched him stride towards the house and was at a loss at what to do. He seemed genuinely hurt by her cutting words and the way he had gazed at her when he’d spoken to her was endearing. The dreams she’d had about him were filled with passion and tenderness. Was she in love with him after all? Why did she trust this man? He was a womanizer. And a leopard never changes its spots.
The only explanation was that she’d been feeling vulnerable and he’d taken advantage of her, swept her off her feet, made her believe his lies. There would be no other reason as to why she would have faith in a cad like him.
With heavy feet she followed him up the pathway through the garden and was greeted by a spacious and beautiful home. She noted the incredible landscape photographs hanging from various walls in dazzling colors from picturesque rain forests to desert sunsets and spectacular ocean views.
An image of a gallery with photos such as these flickered across the wall in her mind and she tried to hold onto it before it slipped away again. Knowing he was a photographer, she wondered whether this was his work. This would add a whole new dimension to her opinion of him. Perhaps she’d been attracted to his artistic side. Maybe she was with him because she’d thought he’d changed and she was unaware of his indiscretions.
She stood staring at a desert sunset which seemed so familiar. It evoked feelings of warmth and love. For some reason, for the first time in her life, she felt like this was where she belonged and she was finally home.
Womanizer (Spoilt) Page 17
