by Susan Lewis
She wondered what it all was doing to Max, if he was reading any of it even, and if he was, whether he was planning to take action. She imagined that this time he would have to, for the libel was far too serious to be ignored, and since Susan Posner hadn’t yet responded to the NYPD’s request that she hand over any new evidence she might have, her case was losing ground by the day. On the other hand, too many people who claimed to know Max were divulging appallingly intimate details of his life – details Rhiannon knew on the whole to be true, for they were of a time when Carolyn and promiscuity were very much alive and a part of his life.
Much like the rest of the world, Rhiannon wondered where Max and Galina were. There had been no statements from either of them, nor from their lawyers – nor could anyone discover where they had gone following their reunion at Heathrow. All anyone knew was that the rented BMW had been returned to Avis and the Romanov jet had been sent back to LA with only the pilot and his staff on board. The publicists for Primaire were hotly denying rumours that Galina’s contract was now under review and insisting that they had no idea where Max and Galina Romanov were to be found.
It was as if they had vanished from the face of the earth and despite how cut off and lonely that made Rhiannon feel, she felt angry too that Galina hadn’t spoken out in Max’s defence, when she, of all people, knew what terrible lies were being told about him. She guessed that Galina was either in too much distress to handle it, or that Max had forbidden it. But surely to God he must see that this time the accusations really couldn’t be ignored.
By Sunday morning things seemed to have calmed down a little, as their story gave way to yet another royal scandal and the two detective friends of Lucy’s escorted Rhiannon back to her flat. There was no sign of any paparazzi as they entered the street in an unmarked police car, nor as Rhiannon got out of the car and quickly descended the steps to her front door. It was such a relief to be back among her own things that she was strongly tempted to weep; instead she went briskly into the bedroom and began packing for South Africa. She wasn’t leaving for a few days yet, but she needed to keep busy and throwing summer clothes into a suitcase, when a winter hell was unfolding around her, felt good.
What didn’t feel so good was discovering the things Max had left behind. They were painful reminders of how perfect everything had seemed before Susan Posner and the tabloid press had driven a stake through the heart of something they knew nothing about. It wasn’t that Rhiannon believed that what she and Max were doing was right – how could it be when it was adulterous, deceitful and in many ways unforgivable? But when they loved each other as much as they did and when Galina was as fragile and needy as she was, what else were she and Max supposed to do? Max had given Galina his name, his children, his entire life, for God’s sake, so who could begrudge him a few short days with the woman he loved? He was a man after all, a human being with needs and passions and even doubts and insecurities of his own. He just couldn’t be further from the monster they were portraying in the press – the multi-millionaire business tycoon who abused his privilege and power as ruthlessly as they claimed he abused women. He was like any other man in his position, tough and forthright in matters of business and infinitely vulnerable to vicious attacks when it came to matters of his personal life. He was also a tender and considerate lover who had never made a single gesture of violence towards her, unless the urgency and passion that often overtook him at crucial moments in their lovemaking could be described as that. Were it left to Rhiannon, she would describe them in a very different way, but like Max, she wasn’t going to get her say, for she knew that anything she said in public now would only be misquoted or misconstrued.
Sitting down heavily on the bed, she was on the point of picking up the phone to call Lizzy when she suddenly stopped. Someone was ringing the doorbell. Shocked, she sat where she was, trying to imagine who it could be and not quite daring to look out in case it was someone from the press and they spotted her.
A minute or two ticked by. The bell rang again, making her heart leap and planting the wild, impossible hope that it could be Max. But of course that was madness.
As though whoever it was might detect her movements, she got stealthily up from the bed and took the few short steps to the window. The lace was copiously embroidered and fell in thick concealing folds around the bay. Careful not to move them, she leaned forward and looked towards the front door. When she saw who was standing there her mouth turned dry and her heart started pounding. It was the very last person on earth she had expected to see.
Moving from the curtain, she took a deep, steadying breath, then, as the doorbell sounded for a third time, she went to answer it.
Galina’s taut and anxious face showed clearly how much she had suffered these past few days – her eyes were circled in a bruising darkness, her skin was blotchy and pale, and faint but cruel lines that Rhiannon had never noticed before were closing in around her mouth.
‘I hope you don’t mind,’ she said hesitantly.
Rhiannon’s voice was still muted by surprise.
‘I – I hoped we could talk,’ Galina said.
Rhiannon looked at her and could see just how deep her pain ran. ‘You’d better come in,’ she said, stepping back to clear the way.
Galina attempted a smile and thanking her, followed her into the sitting-room.
‘Can I get you something?’ Rhiannon offered, aware of how uncertain she felt.
‘A glass of water will be fine,’ Galina answered.
As Rhiannon went through to the kitchen Galina took a moment to look around, noticing Max’s computer and gloves on the table, but she said nothing as she perched nervously on the edge of one of the sofas and waited for Rhiannon to come back with the drinks.
As Rhiannon handed her a glass, Galina laughed self-consciously. ‘I feel like we’ve been here before,’ she said, ‘you know, you sleeping with Max and me finding out.’ Her eyes came up to Rhiannon’s. ‘It feels a bit different this time though,’ she said brokenly.
Unable to hold her gaze, Rhiannon looked down at her drink. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I don’t know what else to say, except I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you, neither of us did . . .’
Galina’s voice was trembling as she said, ‘He loves you very much, you know. He told me that. He said he wasn’t going to lie about it.’ Her face crumpled and she struggled to keep her lips together as though to hold back the sobs. ‘I almost wish he had,’ she whispered hoarsely. ‘He said he loves me too, but in a different way. He’d leave me if he could . . .’ She took several breaths to try and steady herself. ‘But he can’t. I told him he must, if he feels that way about you and you feel the same for him, then I told him he must forget about me. But he won’t and I don’t know how to make him.’
Rhiannon looked at her helplessly. Was she really asking how she could force Max to let her go? Was she expecting Rhiannon to tell her how to do that? Rhiannon’s heart twisted as, suddenly losing her grip, Galina broke down and cried, pressing her fingers to her lips as they trembled and stuttered and looking at Rhiannon as though she might know how to make her stop.
‘I’m sorry,’ she sobbed. ‘I know you don’t want me here . . . Max doesn’t know, he’ll be furious if he finds out. Oh God, Rhiannon, help me, please. I don’t know who else to turn to. No one else cares.’
Rhiannon’s heart was thudding; she just wished to God she knew what to say.
‘I know Max cares,’ Galina went on, her voice high-pitched and stretched with emotion. ‘He’s the only one who really knows what it’s like for me and I don’t know what will happen to me without him.’ She sniffed, caught her breath and wiped the back of her hand over her cheeks. ‘You know, the real reason I came here today,’ she said, ‘what I really . . .’ She stopped, as the sobs stole her voice. ‘I came here to beg you not to take him away,’ she said finally, ‘but I know that’s wrong. I have to let him go if that’s what he wants. I just don’t know how to. I’m so afraid of bein
g on my own, of trying to cope without him. I love him so much and things have been so good for us since we got married . . . Please don’t think I’m blaming you, it’s not your fault that he feels the way he does about you . . .’ She broke off again as her breath was sucked into another vacuum of despair. ‘Please don’t take him away,’ she gasped. ‘I’ll do anything, give you anything . . . I’ve got money, you can have it all . . .’
‘Galina, don’t,’ Rhiannon pleaded.
‘But I will!’ Galina insisted. ‘I don’t care how much it is, I can find the money . . .’
‘Galina, stop it! I don’t want your money. It’s not about money.’
‘I know, I know,’ she sobbed, driving her fingers harshly through her hair. ‘I just don’t know what else to offer you in his place.’
‘There’s nothing you can offer me in his place,’ Rhiannon said, ‘because nothing can take his place – in my life or in yours. Surely you understand that.’
‘Yes, of course I do, but I can’t bear to think of you with nothing. I know how I would feel if it were me . . . But you’re strong, Rhiannon, and you don’t hate yourself the way I do. Coming here this morning I just wanted to throw myself under a car, or get someone to beat me until I couldn’t feel any more. It helps, you know, to be beaten and kicked and punched . . .’
‘Galina, stop it!’ Rhiannon said. ‘You don’t have to go through this any more. He married you. He loves you and cares for you and he won’t let any harm come to you.’
‘But what about you?’ Galina implored. ‘How can I stop him loving you? Why should he stop loving you when you’re so much better than me? If I were him I’d love you too . . .’
‘I’m not listening to this!’ Rhiannon cut in. ‘I know how hard all this is for you, I understand what you’re going through, but you’ve got to start believing in yourself Galina . . .’
‘But what is there to believe in?’ she cried. ‘I’m not worth anything. I’m no one. I’m just a face.’
Rhiannon forced herself not to respond, knowing that to continue down this road would only encourage her self-pity and unleash even more hysteria.
Realizing that Rhiannon had fallen silent, Galina looked at her warily. ‘I’m just a face,’ she repeated, as though prodding a balloon to see if this time it would pop.
‘Are you?’ Rhiannon said, her eyes suddenly hardening.
Galina nodded.
Rhiannon nodded too.
Galina stared at her meekly. ‘You understand?’ she whispered. ‘You know that I’m just a face?’
Rhiannon held up a hand. ‘Those are your words, Galina, not mine.’
Galina’s eyes were wide. ‘Max hates me,’ she said. ‘He despises me and I don’t blame him.’
Rhiannon sucked in her breath. ‘I’m not getting into this,’ she said.
‘I’d do all those horrible things to me if I were him,’ Galina whispered. ‘It’s what I deserve.’
Rhiannon’s blood started to turn cold. ‘Don’t do this,’ she said. ‘Just stop, now.’
‘He tells me it’s . . .’
Rhiannon sprang to her feet. ‘I said stop!’ she shouted. ‘I don’t want to hear it. You’re a liar, Galina. You’ve always been a liar, ever since I’ve known you, but this time you’re going too far. Max loves you, he cares for you, he’s doing everything he can to protect you, so for God’s sake can’t you show him some loyalty in return? All those things they’ve written about him, you know they’re not true, so why the hell don’t you stand up and say so? Why are you letting him go through this? What’s he ever done to you except give you a life?’
Galina blinked, then putting her glass on the table she said, ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come.’
‘Why did you?’ Rhiannon challenged. ‘What did you really hope to achieve, besides making me promise not to take Max?’
Galina’s breath shuddered as she inhaled. ‘I thought – I hoped,’ she began.
‘You hoped what?’ Rhiannon prompted.
Galina’s head dropped. ‘I hoped that I would be able to make you understand,’ she said quietly.
‘Understand what?’
‘Why I can’t let you come between me and Max. You see, it would be terrible for you if you did.’
Rhiannon’s anger was quickening again. ‘What do you mean?’ she snapped.
Galina shook her head. ‘Just what I said,’ she answered.
Rhiannon turned away, folded her arms and tried to stop herself shaking. ‘Where is he now?’ she asked.
‘We’re staying with some friends of his,’ Galina answered. ‘Some Russian friends.’
‘Until when?’
‘We’re flying to Switzerland late this afternoon. It’s a honeymoon,’ she added lamely.
Rhiannon turned to her in surprise. ‘You’re still going?’ she said.
Galina nodded. ‘All the arrangements have been made, so Max says we should just carry on like nothing has happened.’
‘Like nothing has happened?’ Rhiannon echoed incredulously.
Galina shrugged. ‘That’s what he said.’
‘I take it you have seen the papers?’ Rhiannon said.
Galina nodded. ‘Yes, we’ve seen them.’
Rhiannon stared at her, then at a loss what to say next, she leaned forward and picked up her water.
‘The children are flying out to join us,’ Galina said. ‘Max thinks it will do us all good to get away for a while, somewhere the press won’t find us. So I don’t suppose it’s really a honeymoon after all.’
Rhiannon could feel herself relaxing – the concern for his children sounded much more like the man she knew. ‘But you’re skiing,’ she said. ‘There’s nothing very private about a ski resort. They’ll be sure to find you.’
‘You could be right. Let’s just hope not, mm?’
Rhiannon’s eyebrows flickered and taking a sip of water, she allowed a silence to pass as she tried to gather her thoughts.
In the end Galina was the first to speak. ‘I’m trying to protect you, Rhiannon,’ she said softly.
Rhiannon’s head came up, her eyes were bright with anger.
For a moment Galina seemed cowed, but swallowing hard she pushed herself on. ‘This isn’t easy for me,’ she said, ‘and in many ways I only have myself to blame. I should never have allowed him to talk me into doing all those things, but I was so young at the time and I adored him so much. He filled my life with all the things I’d never had before; laughter and . . . a kind of magic, I suppose. I would have done anything for him . . . I did do anything. I still do,’ she added softly.
Rhiannon was shaking her head. ‘You’re lying, Galina,’ she said. ‘I know you’re lying.’
Galina fixed her with wide, tormented eyes. ‘It’s all true, what they’ve written about him,’ she said. ‘Every word is true.’
‘No!’ Rhiannon cried, slamming her glass back on the table. ‘None of it’s true, not a single damned word, and why the hell aren’t you out there defending him is what I want to know, instead of sitting there trying to tell . . .’
‘Rhiannon, listen to me,’ Galina cut in. ‘Why do you think he hasn’t spoken out himself? Or brought any law suits? I’ll tell you why, because you can’t sue someone for libel when they’re telling the truth.’
‘Galina, stop this,’ Rhiannon seethed. ‘Just stop your lies and go.’
Galina inhaled deeply and shaking her head sadly, she said, ‘I wish I was lying. I wish he never did the things to me that he does . . .’
‘For God’s sake, you told me yourself that you’d barely slept with him before you were married!’ Rhiannon yelled.
Galina’s eyes darted to one side, then drawing her lips between her teeth she turned pitying eyes back to Rhiannon. ‘There’s so much you don’t know,’ she sighed.
‘Then tell me,’ Rhiannon challenged.
Galina looked at her for a moment, then lowering her eyes she shook her head. ‘No,’ she said. ‘There’s no point. You’ve alrea
dy made up your mind that I’m lying and believe me, no one knows better than I how blind love can be.’
‘Tell me!’ Rhiannon demanded.
‘I’ve already tried,’ Galina reminded her. ‘You don’t want to hear it.’
‘Because you’re lying!’ Rhiannon insisted. ‘He isn’t capable of even half of what they’re accusing him of and you of all people know it. So why are you doing this? Why are you trying to tell me that he’s systematically beaten and abused you for years when what he’s really done is everything he could to protect you from yourself?’
Galina smiled. Her eyes were still imbued with pity. ‘I don’t blame you for being so taken in by him,’ she said. ‘He has a way with him when he wants that could charm any woman. I love that side of him too. I love every side of him.’
‘Then why the hell are you doing this to him?’
‘I’m not doing anything to him. All I’m doing is trying to make you understand that he’s not the man you think he is.’
Rhiannon’s head dropped into her hands as she struggled to control the mounting fury inside her. It was several seconds before she had herself sufficently in control to speak again. ‘This is such an unbelievably cruel way of trying to keep him, Galina,’ she said through her teeth. ‘He doesn’t deserve this and I’m not going to listen to any damned more of it. I want you to leave now. I want you to get out of my home and out of my life for good. You’re not my responsibility, Galina. I only wish to God you weren’t Max’s either. But he thinks you are and for as long as he thinks you are, you have nothing to fear from me. But let me tell you this, if I ever hear you utter as much as one single word publicly of what you’ve tried to tell me here today, I will come after you, Galina, and when I do, make no mistake about this, I’ll use the very knife you stabbed him in the back with to cut out your god-damned lying tongue. Do you hear me? Do we have that straight, Galina? I know you’ve got problems, that you can’t always help what you do, but I’m not going let you get away with any more of these lies.’
Galina rose to her feet. Her eyes were shining with tears, her face was stained with ragged patches of colour. ‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered. ‘I wish I knew how to make you believe me, but I don’t.’
