“No.”
“What about Frosties? Have you got a packet?”
“Yes, in the kitchen.”
Victoria grabbed her arm. “That’ll do! Come on!”
So that’s what they did for the rest of the night. They sat together on the sofa and watched three movies, dipping into the packet of Kellogg’s Frosties stuck between them. Even though Louise had seen all the movies before, seeing them again with Victoria made her feel like they were totally new. Victoria really got into each movie, and before she knew it, Louise was crying along with her at the sad bits of the romantic movies, and cheering with her when the hero blew away the bad guys during the action movie.
They chatted, laughed and cried together, fought over the tissues, nearly finished the whole packet of Frosties, and drank hot-chocolate. And when the night was finally over and they each went to their own beds, Louise couldn’t remember a Saturday night she had enjoyed more.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Sunday
Charles arrived to pick up Chrissy at eleven o’clock.
“Are you well, Miss?” he asked as he held the car door open for her.
“Yes, I’m fine, Charles. Thank you.” Chrissy climbed into the back seat and made herself comfortable. She was wearing a red woolly jumper and blue jeans. Her feet were clad in trainers.
As Charles drove her away, Chrissy looked out of the window and saw the odd curtain twitching.
“You’ve been causing quite a stir with the neighbours,” she said with a smile.
“I had noticed, Miss,” Charles replied.
“It must be driving them crazy. I’m sure I saw Mrs Hewitt from up the road at her window with a pair of binoculars.”
Charles laughed. “Some people aren’t shy about being nosy. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had the Mercedes blocked in just so that someone could ask me who I was driving for.”
Chrissy was amazed. “The cheeky buggers! Does it bother you?”
“I used to feel self-conscious when I first started, what with the uniform and peaked cap and everything. But now I just shrug it off. I enjoy it really. It makes me feel kind of important.”
“It makes me feel important too.” Chrissy glanced around at the luxurious interior of the car. “I could get used to this.”
“So could the Marquis. I think he’s quite taken with you.”
“Yeah! And I know which parts of me he’s taken with –did you say Marquis?”
“I did, Miss. I’d prefer it if you didn’t tell him that I told you, but I’m sure he will tell you in his own good time.”
“I bet he will! When he thinks it will bowl me over! The secretive sod!” Chrissy’s eyes narrowed as she stared at the back of Charles’s head. “Whose side are you batting on, Charles?” she said sternly.
“Oh, yours, Miss!” he was quick to reply.
“Yeah, I bet!” Chrissy had learned to her cost to be suspicious. She wasn’t to be taken in again. “So when did Adam suddenly become a Marquis?”
“When his father, the fourteenth Marquis of Helmsley, died in 1989.”
“Where’s Helmsley?”
“It’s in North Yorkshire, Miss. Not very far from Pickering on the A170. I believe there was even a castle there once, but the family hasn’t been connected with the place for over a hundred years.” Charles glanced at Chrissy in his rear view mirror.
“Don’t get me wrong, Miss. Just because Mr Campbell has a title doesn’t make him any richer, or less devious than you already know. If he makes the fifty, he will expect you to honour your wager.”
“He won’t make the fifty,” Chrissy said confidently.
“I hope you’re right, Miss. Remember, it’s eight to one. And the only winner was an American financier.”
“Yeah, yeah!” Chrissy was unimpressed. “I might not be a whiz at money, but I have a brother with a computer on the Internet.” She patted the back pocket of her jeans. “I’ve got a list of countries and currencies as long as the Eiffel Tower. He’s not going to find it as easy as he thinks.”
“I hope so, Miss. If I recall, you only have twenty-seven left, so don’t waste them on countries with easy currencies. Anything with the franc is out. That covers most of the African countries, in fact any country with a colonial link with France.”
Chrissy hastily pulled out her list from her pocket. “Oh, bugger!” she muttered as she stared at it. Then her expression brightened. “Zaire doesn’t use the franc!” she exclaimed.
“No,” Charles replied without emotion. “That would be the zaire. Number Seven tried that as her last go. If I remember rightly, she had to dress up like some sixties pop star and sing ‘Puppy Love.’”
Chrissy stared at the back of his head again. “Adam never said anything about that sort of thing to me!”
“No, Miss. But as the deadline draws nearer, the stakes often get higher.”
Chrissy slumped in her seat, her arms by her side. “Why are you telling me this, Charles?” she said in dismay. “Did Adam put you up to this? Are you softening me up, or what? Come on, out with it!”
Charles smiled broadly. “Mr Campbell only asked me to pick you up, Miss. I am not involved in his wager with you, I promise you.”
“Then why all the advice?”
“Because I like you, Miss. And it would be far better for Mr Campbell if you won.”
Chrissy was confused. “You better explain that.”
“I told you earlier that Mr Campbell was quite taken with you. And he is. He talks about you often, and he has made a point of seeing you each day since he met you. You are also very different from the women he usually meets. Take Number Seven for instance. You would be forgiven for feeling sorry for her, but you would be mistaken. She was the daughter of some Earl. Very well to do. She was educated in all the best schools, went to all the posh celebrity functions, Ascot and fancy hats, the lot. Dreadful woman. Conceited, impolite, just awful. She couldn’t have been much older than you, Miss, but if she had been any more stuck up, she would have been inside out. She couldn’t sing, either.”
Chrissy was amazed. “Were they all like that?”
“No. One or two were far less deserving of the treatment they received. That’s another reason why I hope you win.”
“That still doesn’t explain why beating Adam would be good for him.”
“That’s simple, Miss. If he wins, you will become Number Nine, and his respect and interest in you will diminish. The result would be that you both lose. You would feel tarnished and bitter, and he will become harder and a little more fixed in his ways. I would find that rather sad.”
“And if he loses?”
“If he loses, well, it would be good for him to be put in his place for a change. He’s too withdrawn, too remote. He usually doesn’t like his victims and he expects to win. He needs somebody like you to turn the tables on him. You never know, you could even become the next Marchioness.”
Chrissy’s chin dropped and she sat there with her mouth open.
Charles glanced in his mirror and smiled at her.
“Don’t be so surprised, Miss,” he said. “I told you that he really likes you, and you must have noticed for yourself.”
Chrissy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Yeah, I knew he fancied me,” she managed to say. “Adam never made any bones about that. But marriage? We’ve hardly known each other for more than five minutes. You’ve got to be kidding, Charles!”
“Not at all. Take that bracelet he gave you. You think it’s expensive, but in fact, it’s far more valuable than you think, certainly more valuable than any gift Mr Campbell has ever given to any of the other women, and certainly not on their first date.”
Chrissy instinctively reached for her left wrist, but the bracelet wasn’t there. Last night she had managed to sneak the bracelet passed her mother and father by stuffing it and its box in the pockets of her grey coat, and now it was safely hidden away in its blue box in her dressing table. Now she wished that she was
still wearing it.
“How expensive was it?” she asked.
“It would be un-gentlemanly of me to name a figure.”
“Be a rat. I don’t mind at all. Name it.”
“Oh, I couldn’t, Miss!”
Chrissy leaned forward and prodded him on the shoulder. “If you don’t tell me I’m going to cover your eyes with your hat and make you crash.” In demonstration of her threat, she pushed his hat forward.
Charles quickly replaced it with hardly a swerve to the cars path.
“Alright, Miss! I give in!” he said hastily. “I wouldn’t want to deliver you to Mr Campbell in a damaged condition. I’ll tell you only that it cost more than this car, Miss. So don’t lose it.”
“You’re kidding!” Chrissy exclaimed sitting back in her seat.
“No, Miss. And I have to admit it surprised me, too. Normally, Mr Campbell is very organised and consistent in his behaviour. The dates with his ladies last no longer than it takes him to succeed in his quest. The order is always the same. First date: Dinner. The second: An Opera or a show, and maybe a gift to keep her interested. Not too expensive, but not cheap either. The third: A society function. On the fourth date the game is usually over and the young lady has to pay her forfeit. You’ve broken that rule, Miss.
“I knew when he spoke about you on Saturday morning that you were different. We went out to buy the bracelet straight away, and he never stopped talking about you all day. He was very excited about seeing you again. He’s never met anyone like you before, Miss. You talk to him straight, you’re not frightened of insulting him, and you beat him up if he gets out of place. The result is that he likes you and respects you, and deep down, part of him hopes that you will win.”
Chrissy had a sudden thought. “What did that American woman win?”
“Her dignity.”
“Is that all?”
“Well, actually, it was a Porsche. But she left it embedded in Mr Campbell’s greenhouse.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Joining the Club
Victoria was still a little sore and bruised looking on Sunday, but she was bright and cheerful. And she was also still looking forward to a day out visiting. It seemed to contradict her doubts of the day before, so Louise couldn’t help asking her about it.
“Are you sure you want to do this so soon?”
“Yeah,” Victoria replied eagerly. “I want to know everything I can. And I’m bound to meet your friends sooner or later, so why not get it over with now? Come on! It’ll be fun!”
They journeyed into town after a late breakfast of coffee and toast, and got to Sam and Dayna’s flat just before lunchtime.
Sam was a little surprised when she opened the door. Not because of the unexpected visit, but because of Louise’s unexpected and bruised looking partner. It took her a moment to recover, and then she smiled.
“Gosh,” she said. “Can you smell the food from that far?”
“Do you mind?” Louise replied apologetically. “We could come back another time.”
“No, it’s fine! We’re having the usual Sunday roast. Terribly conventional, aren’t we? Anyway, there’s plenty of food and we could do with the company. Come in.”
Sam opened the door wide and they came in. Louise quickly introduced Victoria to Sam.
Victoria said, “Hi!”
And Sam smiled and said, “Pleased to meet you, Victoria! I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Victoria turned to Louise and said in dismay, “Not another person who knew before I did?”
Sam laughed and closed the door. “Don’t worry; it’s not as bad as it sounds.” She took their coats and showed them both into the lounge.
Dayna had come out of the kitchen when she heard their voices. She put out her cigarette as soon as she saw Louise and Victoria and exclaimed, “Hiya, Lu! Who’s the battered babe?”
Victoria quickly pointed at Dayna and said, “You have to be Dayna! Louise said you were like a rabbit on Viagra!”
Dayna almost choked in shock and Sam fell back against the wall in a sudden fit of laughter.
Louise went as red as a tomato. “I said no such thing!” she blurted out.
Dayna began to chase Louise around the sofa. “I’m going to kick your arse, Lu!”
There was no place for tension after that. Introductions were obviously completed once Dayna had caught Louise and wrestled her screaming to the floor. Sam and Victoria had to prize them apart. Sam was still laughing as she ended up on the sofa with Dayna in her lap, and Louise and Victoria ended up on the floor together.
Louise was still bright red and terribly embarrassed as they began to get up.
“You did that on purpose!” she said to Victoria, who was still holding on to her.
“I know! Fun, wasn’t it?”
“Not for me! I feel terrible!”
Victoria hugged Louise tightly. “No you don’t! It was just a laugh! Anyway, I’m the one who has any right to be embarrassed or annoyed! It’s quite obvious that they both knew exactly who I was as soon as they saw me! Is there no one in Manchester you haven’t talked to about me?”
“It wasn’t like that,” Louise protested, calming down. She began to brush her tangled hair back in place.
Dayna took her cue to stir the pot. “It was! You were here every night telling us how you wanted her!”
“I was not!” Louise cried out in horror.
Sam quickly shook her head when she saw Victoria looking at her and mouthed, “No, she wasn’t.” Then she shoved Dayna off her lap on to the sofa and said out loud, “Alright! Jokes over! Behave the lot of you! Dayna, get back in the kitchen and make sure our dinner isn’t burning.” Dayna hesitated, so Sam added, “Go on! The quicker we eat the sooner you can start asking lots of naughty questions!”
That seemed to appeal to Dayna, and she climbed off the sofa, straightened her clothes, raised her head in a haughty manner, said, “Huh!” to Louise, and went back into the kitchen.
Sam saw Louise’s worried expression and quickly said, “Oh, don’t worry about her, Lu! She’s just having you on. Being called a rabbit on Viagra is a compliment to her.”
“I heard that!” Dayna called out from the kitchen.
“Shut up!” Sam called back, making herself more comfortable on the sofa. She beckoned to Louise and Victoria. “Come here and sit next to me.”
They did as she asked, Louise ending up sitting between Sam and Victoria.
“Well, that’s the ice broken!” Victoria remarked with a smile.
Sam looked across at her and said, “I was going to ask you how you got those bruises, but now I think I can guess. You enjoy causing a commotion, don’t you?”
“I’ll say! You’ve got to laugh, though, haven’t you?”
Louise seized her chance for revenge. “You weren’t laughing when those girls were beating you up in the toilets on Friday night.”
As soon as the words were out, Louise regretted saying them. Sam looked shocked. And Dayna quickly reappeared in the kitchen doorway and demanded angrily, “Who beat you up? Why?”
Victoria was the only one who seemed not to mind. She shrugged her shoulders. “Oh, it wasn’t what you think, and it doesn’t matter really. I was drunk as usual, and doing silly things. It was my own fault. But if Louise hadn’t come to the rescue it could have been much worse.” She put her arm around Louise’s shoulders and pulled her closer. “Go on, Louise; tell them how you fought off all those girls.”
Louise looked at Victoria in surprise, before suddenly becoming conscious of Sam and Dayna both staring at her expectantly. There was nothing for it. She told them what happened.
Dayna loved it, and Sam shook her head, wagging her finger at Victoria. “You are a bad influence,” she told her.
Victoria grinned. “I know, but I’m cute, too!”
Dinner was a perfect blend of food and conversation. Louise continued to be surprised by Victoria’s easy going nature. Sam and Dayna asked her almost straight away
about her relationship with Louise. Victoria told them the truth, and the debate began.
“But how can’t you know?” Dayna asked her.
“How did you know?” Victoria fired back.
“I always knew.”
“Even in nappies?”
“No, of course not!”
“When, then?”
Dayna put her knife and fork down and became thoughtful. “At school. I was fourteen, and all the other girls were talking about Take That, and Gary Barlow, and how sexy they were. I didn’t think they were sexy at all. I thought Tina Jones was sexy. She was a year above me. I could watch her playing rounder’s in that little skirt all day.”
Sam smiled. “Ah, first love! How sweet!”
“Shut up!” Dayna replied, picking up her knife and fork again. “I told you, I knew as soon as I began to think about sex. Boys never interested me. Never.”
Victoria tilted her head to one side. “And what about you, Sam?”
“The same,” Sam said as she continued eating. “I have to admit that I was a bit more confused. But that was because I knew I was supposed to like boys, and I tried. But it didn’t feel right. It made me feel like a freak, like there was something wrong with me. It wasn’t until I realised that other women felt the same way as I did that I knew I was normal. Then everything fell into place.”
“And it was that simple?”
Sam nodded. “It took me awhile to work it out. But then I began to realise that each person’s sexuality isn’t about what other people think they should be, or what society thinks is normal. It’s about what that person feels is comfortable and right for them. I felt strange when I was with a man, but I felt right and comfortable with a woman.”
Louise was surprised by the implication of Sam’s words. “Have you slept with a man?” she asked her.
Sam smiled. “Not really. I was so unsure of my feelings, but willing to try just to fit in, that I choose a boy who was even more unsure of himself than I was. It was a joke, really. A lot of fumbling about over nothing. I really didn’t like it at all. The first time I did it with a woman was completely different. I felt wonderful.”
The Look of Love Page 16
