by M J Hardy
“It’s those poor little girls I feel sorry for.”
I look at her with interest and her gaze falls to the polished silver frame on Julian’s desk, where two perfect Angels smile for the camera.
“Imogen and Amelia. Two beautiful darlings who don’t deserve the parents fate inflicted on them.”
“They are both so pretty.”
“Is it any wonder with the parents they’ve got? Luckily, they haven’t inherited their manners because two sweeter girls you would struggle to meet.”
I look at her with interest and almost don’t ask, but she says bitterly, “You’re wondering why I stay.”
I just nod and she sighs and pulls up a chair. “For them, really. The two girls. Their parents are always happier being anywhere but with them, so I endure this harsh environment to care for them. To be honest, I prefer it when they’re not here because they take the dark clouds with them wherever they go.”
“What do you mean, dark clouds?”
“You know what I mean, dear. They surround the pair of them, bringing anxiety and depression into a room. They may be intelligent people, but they’re clueless about real life. Mr Landon can switch between being sweet and kind one minute to Satan with a click of his fingers. Mrs Landon is always mean and never has a nice word to say to anyone. If I’m honest, I wish they would just split up and be done with it. I’m sure they’ll end up killing each other, which would be the best outcome all round if you ask me.”
She grins as I stare at her in shock and moves towards the door. “Anyway, I should get to work. Just call if you need anything, the numbers on the phone.”
Looking down, I see the phone has several extensions and judging by the size of the house, I’m not surprised. I see housekeeping, kitchen, gardener and handyman listed to name but a few.
Struggling to come to terms with how the other half live, I turn my attention back to the computer and spend the next hour gathering even more information, although none of it appears to be that damning if you ask me.
However, as I finish up, I notice an icon on the desktop that looks a little different to the others. It looks out of place because it’s a picture of a child’s drawing and entitled Amelia’s memories. Thinking that maybe Cressida isn’t such a bad mother after all, I click on it hopeful of finding that she is a little human, but it’s not what I expect. It appears to be a series of spreadsheets detailing deposits made into an account entitled, ‘Retirement fund.’
My eyes water at the size of the numbers entered neatly in their little rows, and I gasp at the frequency they are deposited. Unless I’m mistaken, Cressida Landon is fleecing her husband dry behind his back. Either that, or she has a side line that pays more than the national debt.
Quickly, I photograph the evidence and hearing footsteps outside on the marble floor, quickly exit the programme and click on the internet just as Julian heads into the room.
He looks weary and preoccupied, and I wonder where he’s been for the past two hours.
Without any of the usual niceties, he snaps, “We’re leaving.”
I stand quickly and make way for him as he shuts the computer down and then spins on his heels and marches from the room.
However, he doesn’t head to the front door and instead marches towards a door to the rear of the impressive hallway. It leads to a state-of-the-art kitchen and my eyes bulge as I see the result of every wet dream a woman has ever had. Designer doesn’t cut it because this kitchen is one of a kind. It’s so big I could lose myself in it and my mouth waters at the gleaming granite surfaces and handmade painted units. A huge Aga dominates the space and along with every modern gadget going, the place sparkles as if it’s never been used. A bank of floor to ceiling cupboards must be home to the white goods a kitchen of this size must require, but they are hidden behind outstanding carpentry and I wish I had longer to absorb this little piece of heaven.
Julian strides through a side door, through a massive utility and boot room, outside onto the perfect lawn a green keeper would die to maintain. My eye is drawn to a sound just beyond the perfect hedging, and I gasp as I see a helicopter waiting patiently for our approach. Stopping abruptly, I say in amazement. “You’re kidding me.”
“Do I look like I am?” Julian sounds irritable and doesn’t break his stride as he marches towards the beast waiting for us.
Impatiently, he pushes me towards the steps and almost manhandles me into the back of the gleaming helicopter.
As he jumps in beside me, he yells, “Paris.”
Then he says firmly, “Buckle up and shut up.”
Wishing with all my heart I could tell him where to shove his helicopter, I do as he says because now is not the time to challenge him. However, as I fight back the tears, I’ve come to the conclusion that my days are numbered working for this man. As soon as I can, I am drafting my resignation letter and sticking it up his ass.
24
I am in complete awe of Paris. The fact it’s still light enables me to see clearly the magnificent city below and I gasp with delight at the landmarks that I’m used to seeing in films and on the television. Julian hasn’t said two words since we left and is obviously brooding about something.
He stares at his phone and occasionally I steal a glance and my eyes water as I see him staring at pictures of his beautiful daughters. Seeing this side of him melts my earlier anger because it’s obvious he loves them. Just the way his gaze lingers on their dear little faces as he scrolls through his camera roll. There are none of his wife from what I can see and I wonder about him. Is he really such a big bad wolf all the time? I hope not for those girl’s sake.
We soon land on top of a skyscraper and as the rotor blades slow down, he yells, “Come on.”
Wrenching open the door, he jumps out, pulling me with him, and I duck and hold my hair in place as we run for cover.
I feel as if I’m in a film and can’t believe how my life has changed, but as soon as we’re inside, he snaps. “Listen and take notes. That’s all you’re here for.”
Feeling a little curious, I follow him down the stairs until we reach a lift. We then travel to the fourteenth floor and as we exit, I take in the sumptuous surroundings of what appears to be an affluent company. All around me is French chic at its finest and not for the first time, I feel a little lacking in my own choice of clothing.
The women here are cool and beautiful, wearing tailored suits paired with silk blouses. Their hair is styled to perfection as is their make-up and I feel like something that blew in off the pavement outside.
I hate that Julian looks as if he’s just stepped out of men’s Vogue and speaks to the woman who met us in fluent French.
We head towards what appears to be a huge boardroom and I gasp as I see the Eiffel Tower standing proudly outside.
Julian greets a man who stands to shake his hand, and I look with interest at the several men sitting around the table. Their assistants appear to sit slightly behind their boss and sighing, I do the same behind mine.
Then begins the most tedious meeting of my life as they discuss share options and wealth management. I take notes and try to look interested, but I am dying inside.
After a while, I decide to cheat a little and quickly flick record on my phone. I can’t keep up with taking the notes and would much rather stare at the surrounding people instead. As always, my gaze falls to Julian and my heart flutters. He is easily the most attractive man in the room, and despite how much I hate him, I would pay good money for just one night with him. It amuses me to think of him as a sort of male prostitute for my enjoyment, and just for a moment, I indulge the fantasy a little. As I stare around the circle of people, I shiver inside. These people are so different to the usual types I mix with. I would not be surprised if the air they breathe is laced with power because each one of them has that look about them that sets them above the rest of us.
One man in particular catches my attention, and I suppose it’s because he is on the edge of the group. It�
�s his expression that gives him away because the hatred he is directing at Julian is almost palpable. However, his face switches to a blank mask when he is looking and I wonder who he is. There’s an animosity between them that’s obvious to me, anyway. I listen carefully when he speaks and it’s usually to contradict something Julian says, or to offer a differing opinion on the way they should all move forward. The other attendees don’t appear to notice anything out of the ordinary and I soon start fidgeting as I fully expect the guy to brandish a gun and shoot Julian dead on the spot.
I distract my attention from him by studying the other assistants in the room and am pleased to see at least two of them are men. In fact, there are a couple of women joining in the meeting, which makes me happy. However, the focus in the room is on Julian and the man who stood to greet us. They are discussing ways of making even more money through some sort of hedge fund, and if I could stick pins in my eyes to relieve the boredom, I would.
It must be two hours later that the men stand and the rest follow. Julian shakes their hands and then, without even the courtesy of an acknowledgement, strides from the room, leaving me scurrying after him, as has become the norm it seems.
He heads back the way we came and as soon as we appear on the roof, the helicopter pilot gives Julian the thumbs up and starts the blades, leaving us to scramble inside the helicopter and fasten our seatbelts.
By now I am so hungry I could eat my notebook and hope the restaurant isn’t far. However, Julian appears to have had a change of heart and growls, “Take us back to the office.”
I look at him in surprise, because by now it’s 6pm and the thought of working late is not a happy one.
I know better than to ask what’s going on and just wait while he looks through his own leather-bound notebook at the various notes he made during the meeting. After checking his phone, he says, “I trust you took notes.”
Feeling a little guilty, I nod. Then his hand reaches out and he says abruptly, “I want to see them.”
Handing over my notebook like a student found cheating, he flicks through the pages and then throws it back at me. “And the rest, or did you just get bored and study your nails?”
“Of course not.”
He raises his eyes and I shrug. “I recorded it and will transcribe it tomorrow.”
Leaning back, he looks annoyed. “Why?”
“Because I couldn’t keep up and preferred to watch the people around you. You can tell a lot more from doing that than any old note taking.”
I think I’ve gone too far because Julian looks astonished, and then he laughs softly. “Good call, Emma. You continue to surprise me.”
Basking in the increasingly rare praise, I feel a little smug and he says, “So, what did you discover when you studied my colleagues?”
“That Mr Bivier hates and detests you with a passion.”
He nods. “I know.”
I can’t help but laugh. “I suppose it was a bit obvious. I’m guessing he’s after your job, or the contract, one of them at least.”
Julian nods. “Yes, another one who joined the line. He’s an idiot, though. He’s always let his anger get the better of him, and in most situations, it’s best kept under wraps. You may have noticed he sat a short distance away and that’s because he wasn’t considered important enough.”
Wow, poor Mr Bivier, he must have hated that.
Julian looks at me with interest. “What did you discover at the house?”
Suddenly, I feel excited as I whip out my phone and scroll to the spreadsheet photos. “It appears that Cressida is building herself quite the retirement fund.”
I hand him the phone and he looks at the screen with astonishment. “This was on her computer?”
I nod. “Filed under Amelia’s memories. Maybe she thought it would draw less attention to it and would be overlooked.”
Julian nods. “She’s right there. Maybe I’ve underestimated her, she’s almost got more money than me.”
“Are you sure it’s not your money?”
He laughs, and for the first time since I met him, I see him look at me with a new expression in his eyes – respect.
It knocks me for six as I bask in the unfamiliar. He is impressed and it feels so good.
The helicopter starts its descent and Julian offers me a rare smile that totally transforms him. He was always good-looking but now he is beautiful. The smile softens his features and makes him look almost human, and it’s as if the cares and worries melt away and he is free of trouble for the first time since I met him.
As the helicopter lands, he reaches out and grasps my hand, squeezing it softly. Then he says something I never thought I’d hear from his lips. “Well done, Emma. Good work, you have made me very happy.”
He releases my hand and exits the helicopter, leaving me stunned behind him. That was – unexpected, and suddenly my resignation letter fades into the past where it belongs. Now I’ve got the measure of the man and I like what I see and maybe, just maybe, this could work.
25
Julian doesn’t buy me dinner as promised, but it doesn’t matter. Nicola called and told him there was a drama at the girl’s school and Mrs Landon was incommunicado. It made my heart lift to see the concern in Julian’s eyes as he hurried off to deal with the problem, leaving me to head home as usual, alone, tired and hungry.
However, tonight I walk on a cloud as I replay the moment when I earned his approval. I suppose I did well today, even by my own standards because I saw how much my information would benefit him. I wonder about his wife and the game she is playing, but that doesn’t concern me. What does, is that I make a go of this and prove to everyone that someone with nothing can achieve their dreams? Because now my dreams have changed and I want more than I ever thought I deserved. I want what they have and I don’t care how I get it. Money is a powerful aphrodisiac and the ruin of men. It sucks you in and promises the world and people will do anything to grasp it for themselves. I am no exception and can’t see past my own desire to live the life I have been privy to today.
Thinking of my life before Julian, makes me realise just how right I was to do everything I could to get ahead. It’s opened my eyes and I like what I see and has made me even more determined to forget where I’ve come from and concentrate on where I’m going instead.
I forget any anxiety I may have as I walk from the station to my house. I forget my earlier fears as I rack my brains to think about how I can make more money and I completely forget about my husband who is irrelevant to me now until I am aware of another person close behind me and my heart races with fear. Quickly, I increase my pace and move quicker, almost a run. My heart starts pounding as I gasp for air to aid my progress but it’s all in vain because a hand reaches out and grabs my arm and a voice says loudly, “Mrs Carter, please stop.”
I turn in surprise because the voice that spoke was a woman’s voice and as I spin around, I find myself facing a familiar face. It takes just a few seconds for the face to fit and I pull back as I realise it’s the woman from the pub. I think her name was Caroline; wasn’t she the wife of one of Ronnie’s card playing friends?
She looks at me with fear in her eyes and says breathlessly, “Please, hear me out but we may be being watched and don’t have long.”
I stare at her in horror as she propels me down a dark alley towards the recreation ground and looks about her furtively. I hiss, “What’s going on, what do you want with me?”
She places her finger to her lips and I am astonished when her eyes fill with tears and she whispers, “Have you seen Ronnie?”
I shake my head and her face crumbles and I can see she is destroyed. My curiosity is now at maximum levels and I say softly, “I don’t live far, come back and we’ll talk.”
She nods and says urgently, “I’ll follow, leave the door ajar, I need to check the coast is clear first.”
I nod but feel extremely worried as I make my way home, leaving her to follow closely behind.
It doesn’t take long and I soon reach my home and once again, rush inside looking around me in fear for what may be waiting. However, as usual, the house is cold and empty, reminding me that the life left here months ago and is now just a place to lay my weary head at night and recharge for the next challenging day.
“Quickly, I crack open a bottle of wine and take a large gulp. I’m not normally a drinker, but fear I’ll need the courage tonight because something in her expression told me I am not going to like what I hear.
The door creaks open and I jump a little. Then I relax as I see Caroline venturing inside, looking so worried it sets me on edge.
She quickly bolts the door behind her and then promptly bursts into tears.
I stare at her in shock as she crumbles before me. Unsure as to what on earth is happening, I move towards her and say gently, “Come on, let’s get you inside and you can tell me what’s bothering you.”
She nods and follows me to the kitchen and I guide her to the chair by the counter and say as reassuringly as I can, given the weird situation, “I’ll make you a cup of tea.”
As she sits sniffing into a tissue, it strikes me just how weird my life became since Ronnie left. Seeing Caroline in our kitchen is a little strange and I prepare myself for what I think she’s about to tell me. The strangest thing of all is that I don’t care. If Ronnie’s been having an affair with this woman, it almost makes me happy because if I’ve learned anything these past few weeks, it’s that I don’t want him anymore.
As I hand her the tea, she takes it gratefully and looks at me with tortured eyes. Sitting opposite, I steel myself for what’s coming and after a few moments, she says, “You’re in danger.”
Well, I didn’t expect that and it must show on my face because she nods emphatically. “I know it sounds far-fetched but please believe me, it’s true.”
“But why? How on earth can I be in danger – from Ronnie?”
