by Julia Bell
Anna smiled through her lonely tears.
And she was lonely after they had left. How still the house was. At first, it was hard to get used to it and often she would wander around the quiet, tidy rooms like a ghost. The emptiness she felt was made worse by the fact that usually a married couple would feel delighted to have the house to themselves, but there was no comfort in her marriage and she knew why. Dave had destroyed her trust in the early days when she had found out about his first affair. That’s if it had been his first affair, since she had never been sure when the betrayal had begun. The twins were just over a year old when Elaine had discovered it and reluctantly told her, hoping that their closeness as sisters would soften the blow.
Although denying it at first, she had been dumbstruck when he had confessed.
“But it meant absolutely nothing,” he had said. “You’re my wife and I love you.”
“Then why did you sleep with her?”
“I’ve no excuse. It just happened, that’s all.”
At the time, she was too weary, too burdened down with motherhood to argue and his contrition, his reassurances that it would never happen again convinced her to persevere with her marriage. It was a sad fact that even if she wanted to leave him, she would have nowhere to go, no money to live on. She could have taken the twins to her mother’s but her mother was seeing Greg at the time, the man she would eventually marry and it seemed unfair to palm herself and two small babies onto her.
The next time she discovered his infidelity, the boys were twelve and the incident had spurred her on to study for qualifications and enter employment. She had to plan her own future, knowing that if her husband betrayed her once more then she would leave him without a thought.
The pub was full and finding a place was difficult. Anna wondered if going out on a Friday night was a sensible thing to do, but Dave had insisted that a night out would do her good. The boys were away, he told her and they could go out when they wanted to now. They met Elaine and Terry inside and were relieved that two seats had been reserved for them. And it turned out to be a pleasant evening, Anna finally relaxing and enjoying herself.
“Heard from the boys yet?” said Elaine.
Anna nodded. “Yesterday. Just a postcard from sunny Romania. Seems they’re working hard.”
“It will do them good. If anything they’ll come back with a load of stories.”
“Three weeks two days and then they’ll be home.”
Elaine looked at her askance. “You’re not counting the days, are you?”
Anna couldn’t help giggling. “No not really. But I do miss them.”
She looked across to the bar where Dave and Terry where waiting to be served. Terry suddenly left, obviously on his way to the toilet and Dave gave their order to the barman. It was then Anna noticed a woman with red hair to her husband’s right, a woman with her back to him and yet seemed to be intruding into his space. Anna shook her head and wondered at the rudeness of some people. And then she saw Dave reach out and grasp the woman’s hand, almost nonchalantly, both he and the woman only briefly turning to each other before resuming their back-to-back position. It was just a fleeting gesture, but Anna knew what Dave was doing. She gave a gasp and a pain shot through her chest, making it hard to breathe.
“Are you OK?” said Elaine. “You look pale.”
Anna didn’t dare look her in the face. “I can’t take any more,” she whispered.
Anna boarded the train and found a seat. As the doors shut and the engine started to pull out of the station, a rush of excitement gripped her insides. She was on her way, no turning back now. The trees and houses flashed by, her thoughts tumbled in her head and she remembered the agonising decision she had made over the last ten days. It hadn’t been easy at all.
The day after the terrible revelation in the pub, she had phoned the house in Bishop Sutton, hoping that she could speak to Jason and ask if the position was still available. She guessed it wouldn’t be, but she had to give it a try, before searching the paper for another place to live. One thing she was adamant about and that was she would not stay with her husband, even if it meant the boys had to come home with her gone. Her heart ached at the very idea, but it couldn’t be helped, she refused to put up with his behaviour any longer.
She was more than surprised when Sharon answered the phone.
“Anna, how lovely to hear from you again.”
“Goodness, what are you doing there? I thought you’d be long gone by now.”
Sharon giggled. “The person we finally hired decided she didn’t like the idea of working on her own and quit after the first week. So, I’m here for a little while longer.”
“I’m so sorry. But I bet Jason was pleased.”
“Well, he was glad for himself but sad for me. So, why are you ringing? No, let me guess. You’ve changed your mind and want to take the position?”
Anna bit her lip. “I know I have an unbelievable cheek…”
Sharon chuckled again. “I think the luck of the Irish must be with me. I really must go back to Dublin and I’ve decided to leave in two weeks’ time. Jason has asked me to sort out temporary cover from the Bristol office. Now, how surprised would he be, if he found you here instead?”
“He would be surprised,” laughed Anna. “But would he be pleased about it? After all, I did turn down the job in the first place.”
“Well, he was very disappointed about that, so I think he’ll be delighted.”
“When shall I start?”
Sharon paused for a moment. “It will have to be sorted quickly, I’m afraid. He’s away for five days the week after next, so could you manage a week Monday?”
The headmistress was not pleased at all.
“You’re leaving me, with still a month to go before the end of term? You really should give me four weeks’ notice.”
Anna’s face blanched as she tried to explain, “I must take this job now or I’ll lose it again.”
“Again?”
“Yes. I went for an interview a few months ago, but turned the job down. I’m so sorry to leave you in the lurch like this, but I have no choice.”
The headmistress shook her head. “Well, I’m very sorry about it too, but Phyllis can fill the position until I find another secretary.” She eyed Anna curiously. “Isn’t Bristol a long way to go for a job? What about your family?”
Anna’s mind began to spin, the last thing she wanted was folk to know where she was going and regretted that the location of her new job had slipped out. “That…That’s only the head office. I shall be working at their branch in Leeds. They’re shipping agents.”
A look of surprise passed over the headmistress’s face, but then she sighed. “Well, I suppose you must take every opportunity that comes your way. I guess this company will have links with Hull and Grimsby. Sounds very interesting.”
Anna murmured a reply and stumbled to the staff toilets. There she stared at herself in the mirror, noticing her sickly complexion. All this subterfuge was taking its toll. She couldn’t tell Elaine what she was doing and every minute she was afraid that Dave would find out.
But the decision was made and she spent the following week secretly packing her case, hiding it in the cupboard under the stairs where she kept the vacuum cleaner.
On Monday morning, she saw Dave off to work as though it was another day. The taxi arrived and Anna placed the letter on the kitchen table, the one she had written only that morning. It was short and to the point, stating that she had had enough and the redheaded slapper in the pub could have him.
Now she was on the train and speeding along the tracks southbound, her heart thudding in her chest. When she reached Sheffield, she almost lost courage and decided to get off and return home, but something compelled her to stay in her seat. Deep inside her, she knew this endeavour was important. It was a pilgrimage of faith and despite her fears, destiny was drawing her down to the south-west of England.
The journey was very much straightforw
ard, except the nearer she got to her destination, the weaker her resolve became. By the time she emerged from the station, her legs felt like jelly, her heart pounding like a drum roll. And then she saw Ben. It was like meeting an old friend and greeting him with a big hug, she allowed her emotions to bubble to the surface briefly, before climbing into the Mercedes. She listened with joy to his gossip about Mrs Wilby and how they were planning a surprise party on Friday for Sharon. Mr. Harrington had left that morning for New York and had no idea what they were up to.
Once in the house, she was almost squeezed to death by the forceful greeting from the housekeeper, who couldn’t stop talking. Sharon rescued her and laughing with delight, urged her out of the kitchen and up the stairs, with Ben carrying her case one step behind. Although qualms about leaving her boys surfaced momentarily, Anna knew she must be positive. She would let them know her situation before they returned home so that they would be prepared and then arrange to meet up with them before they left for university. And if they asked why she had separated from their father, then she would avoid the absolute truth. Why burden them with the sordid details?
Sharon led her into a large and tastefully decorated bedroom, overlooking the back of the house and hence the beautiful garden. Anna almost let slip that it will be lovely to have her own private space, but stopped herself just in time and realised she must watch her tongue carefully, in case she inadvertently mentioned her husband. This could be a problem. She must somehow, think of herself as a widow.
“Well Anna, I’ll leave you to get settled in. I’m pleased you like your room.”
“It’s perfect and it’ll be very easy to keep clean.”
Sharon giggled. “You’re employed as a personal assistant, not a cleaner! We have a lovely lady from the village who comes every day to clean the house. You’re not expected to do it. The only thing we do, is our own washing, but there’s a washing machine and dryer in the utility room for that. You’ll find an iron and ironing board in the cupboard.”
“Does Jason do his own washing?” Anna asked curiously.
“No, Mrs Thompson washes and irons his clothes. She’ll do anything for him. But that’s the way it is with Jason. He has a fatal charm about him.”
Sharon left her to settle in and Anna unpacked her clothes, placing underwear and woollens in the drawers and hanging up her skirts and blouses in the large cupboard. And then she checked her phone and saw that Martyn had sent her a text. They were fine and had just returned from a wonderful visit to Bucharest. She quickly replied and then switched it off. Dave was bound to phone her as soon as he read the note she had left, but she was determined that the only calls she would take would be from her either her sons or her sister. She went downstairs for lunch.
While they ate, she found out some very interesting information regarding her new employer. First of all, he was married but was now going through a divorce. It seemed the marriage had been perfectly fine, even happy, but then events had turned sour.
“She’s a lovely lady is Mrs Harrington,” Ben admitted sadly. “Always laughing and such fun to be with. You always knew when she was around. And as for Jason, many thought him the luckiest man alive.”
“So why did it all go wrong?”
Mrs Wilby and Ben exchanged wary glances but then Sharon spoke up. “It’s better that she knows. We’re not tittle-tattling just getting her acquainted with the situation.” She waited for them to agree before continuing. “We don’t know why things went wrong. Kiera was the accountant for Harrington Rhodes and sometimes she would accompany Jason on his business trips. It seems she fell for one of the executives at a client company.”
“It’s as simple as that. We were all surprised but I guess these things happen,” said Ben.
“And I suppose, that was the end of their marriage?” asked Anna matter-of-factly.
Sharon nodded. “They separated a year ago.”
“She’s Canadian, you know,” said Mrs Wilby brightly and then added quietly, “But it was a very bad business. He was married too, so that meant two innocent people got hurt.”
“And there’s no chance of a reconciliation?” Anna asked.
“Unfaithfulness can rot a marriage,” said Ben. “Even if they tried again, it would never be the same. Better that they divorce and start afresh.”
“Where is she now?”
“She went to live with him in an apartment in Bristol. Jason agreed that she should take their little girl with her,” said Ben.
Anna felt startled. “Goodness, they have a daughter?”
“Yes, Hollie, she’s seven. A beautiful child and the apple of her daddy’s eye,” said Mrs Wilby. She suddenly glanced around the kitchen. “I really miss her coming in here and pinching my baking before it could cool down.”
“But Jason will see that they’re both OK,” sighed Ben. “Kiera will have a good divorce settlement and Hollie will be able to stay at her private school.”
“Does he see his little girl often?”
They all nodded, but it was Sharon who explained, “She comes to visit every Sunday and Jason really looks forward to her visits. But sometimes when he has to be elsewhere or she can’t visit because of circumstances, then you just know his heart’s breaking.”
That afternoon, Anna was keen to start work, although Sharon insisted she must be too tired from the journey. It was finally agreed that they would spend just a few hours in the office so that Anna could familiarise herself with the routine. By the end of two hours she had regretted her hasty enthusiasm. Her head ached, her brain whirled from the confusion of trying to understand everything. She felt at home on the computer and the fax and photocopier were simple enough. But she wondered if she would ever sort out the intricacies of the paperwork. By the time they had decided to call it a day, Anna began to have doubts about her capabilities and it crossed her mind if she had made a terrible mistake. Sharon, with her wonderful Irish humour, didn’t seem to care when she made an error, but simply grinned and told her not to worry. Anna hoped that the following day would be better.
After their evening meal, she went out for a short walk in the wonderful June sunshine in an attempt to clear her head. She thought of Dave and wondered how he had taken the news of her leaving. She suspected he wouldn’t take it too well. And then her feelings sank as she thought of the boys and the fact she would have to tell them soon that she no longer lived at home. Anna breathed in the fresh air and turned back towards the house that would be her home for the duration.
The next few days seemed to fly by. Anna concentrated her energies on learning the new routine and to her delight, discovered she was improving. When she eventually completed a whole series of jobs without a single flaw, events began to take on a new meaning. She began to enjoy the work and as Sharon gradually relinquished the responsibility, Anna knew her decision to come to Bristol had been sound. All this was valuable experience and one she wouldn’t have missed for the world. The invoicing, ordering and numerous phone calls became less of an ordeal for her and as she gained in confidence, she even discovered she had a good rapport with the office in Bristol.
“He sounds very nice,” Anna said to Sharon after a lengthy phone call.
“That’s our Mr Rhodes, Jason’s partner,” said Sharon with a twinkle in her eye. “You’ll meet him eventually. Very straight-laced is our Mr Rhodes. Graham is a lot older than Jason and does the financial side of the business. It’s Jason who goes to all the meetings and sorts out the contracts. That’s why we have this office, so that he has somewhere to work when he gets back late or at the weekends, when the Bristol office is closed.”
“He seems to work very hard.”
“He certainly does.”
As the days progressed, Anna started operating the small Dictaphone and type the constant letters that flowed through the office. Jason’s voice was warm and friendly, reflecting his smile, and listening to it, she suddenly felt excited at actually working for him once he arrived back from New York.
During her first week, Anna posted letters to the boys and to her mother. In them she said that everything was fine, she had found a job and a place to live and would keep in touch no matter what. Dropping the envelopes in the post box, she hoped they would understand.
On Friday morning, Jason arrived back from New York. Ben had gone to fetch him from the airport and Sharon mischievously forced Anna into her chair and told her to look busy while she hid in the downstairs toilet. It all seemed very childish, but Anna went along with the joke.
Jason entered the room. “Sharon, I need…” Anna turned her head and smiled. “No, you’re not Sharon,” he said, frowning.
“Tell me what you need and I’ll see what I can do for you,” said Anna, sporting her most efficient voice.
“Err,” he coughed nervously. “I need to talk to Graham.”
Anna picked up the phone and dialled the number. Soon she was talking to Graham’s secretary who put her through. Anna transferred the call. “Graham’s on the line, Jason.”
Jason sank down in his chair, his eyes never leaving Anna, who had turned to the computer and carried on typing while trying to keep her face straight. Sharon returned from her hiding place and walked across to her boss, who had finished his call.
“So, what have you been up to?” he asked, his eyebrows raised.
Sharon giggled. “Jason, may I introduce you to your new PA, Mrs Anna Stevens.”
“Welcome to Harrington Rhodes, Mrs Stevens,” he murmured.
Despite the practical joke, Anna was keenly aware that Sharon would be departing for Ireland the following morning, leaving her entirely responsible for running the office and working with her new employer. The thought of it made her feel nervous, but she constantly reminded herself she had set this chain of events in motion, she sank or swam by her own actions.
The three worked together for the rest of the day, until about four in the afternoon, when Sharon brought some letters over to Jason for signing.
