'And I want it to be. You live with me now, you can't have everything your own way, not all the time. Anyway, this is our house, you can't make a major money decision like that without at least letting me know! That's just insulting.'
'I don't want your help,' she heard herself shouting back, 'I don't want your advice and I don't want you to interfere!'
'Well, that's just great, Annie,' came Ed's response. 'Maybe you don't want me here at all? Maybe you'd just like to live on your own again, would you? See how you'd like that!'
'Fine!' She snatched up her handbag, but Ed immediately caught hold of it, pulled it closer so he could examine it then exclaimed, 'Oh my God! You promised! You said you would check with me before buying anything over two hundred pounds. I know perfectly well this cost much more than that.' He took a deep breath and stung her by adding, 'I really can't trust you.'
'Shut up!' Annie shouted, just as furious as him now, furious at feeling so humiliated and caught out.
'It's my money and it's my life. And these are my kids ,' she added, deeply upset by his criticism.
In a blind stumble of tears, she snatched the bag away and stalked out of the front door, slamming it hard for effect.
Outside, it was surprisingly chilly and dark. But then she'd left without her jacket, which was her second mistake. Her first mistake was leaving the house at all. Now that she was outside, she would have plenty of time to reflect on the fact that it was always a mistake to storm out of your home in a huff. Because eventually you had to go back in with your tail between your legs.
This was her first big row with Ed. She and Roddy, her first husband, had had countless raging rows, walkouts and arguments and looking back, she'd thought it was something to do with being younger. She'd begun to believe that she and Ed weren't going to do big rows and heated disagreements. So she was surprised at this outburst. She hated shouting. It never got you anywhere anyway, just raised your blood pressure. Made you more likely to die of a heart attack before you were fifty.
Now that she was out here on the street, she thought she would walk to the nearest pub; there was quite a nice place on the high street, where she could calm down. Maybe she'd phone Connor and he could come and join her for a beer. Or mineral water. God, when was he going to stop with the AA thing?
She walked on briskly, intending to fish her mobile out of her pocket, not paying any attention at all to the tall man jogging towards her on her side of the pavement when all of a sudden he stuck out his hand, right in front of her face. Before Annie could even grasp what was happening, she felt a terrible pain smack hard into her forehead and she was falling helplessly backwards.
Chapter Nine
City banker Manzoor Khan:
Custom-made dark grey suit (Oswald Boteng)
Blue shirt with white collar and cuffs (Thomas Pink)
Blue tie (Gieves & Hawkes)
Custom-made black brogues (James Taylor & Son)
Black overcoat (Gieves & Hawkes)
Black briefcase (Mulberry)
Total est. cost: £4,600
'Over £1,000? My word!'
'Mrs Valentine? Is that you?'
Annie opened her eyes very slowly. It was dark but she could make out in the glimmer of the orange street light that a man was bending over her.
She felt the most terrible throbbing and aching in her head. All over her forehead, down into her eyes and nose.
'Are you OK?' the man was asking, although it was pretty obvious that she was not. 'I'm Manzoor Khan from number ten,' he added.
Ah, Annie was able to register the flashy City banker from next door. He must have been coming home late from work.
But what the hell had happened to her? It had taken her some time to work out from the angle of the street light that she was lying on the ground. She put a hand up to her aching head and felt it very gingerly. The skin was grazed, burning and weirdly spongy.
'Do you think you can
'I don't want your help,' she heard herself shouting back, 'I don't want your advice and I don't want you to interfere!'
'Well, that's just great, Annie,' came Ed's response. 'Maybe you don't want me here at all? Maybe you'd just like to live on your own again, would you? See how you'd like that!'
'Fine!' She snatched up her handbag, but Ed immediately caught hold of it, pulled it closer so he could examine it then exclaimed, 'Oh my God! You promised! You said you would check with me before buying anything over two hundred pounds. I know perfectly well this cost much more than that.' He took a deep breath and stung her by adding, 'I really can't trust you.'
'Shut up!' Annie shouted, just as furious as him now, furious at feeling so humiliated and caught out.
'It's my money and it's my life. And these are my kids ,' she added, deeply upset by his criticism.
In a blind stumble of tears, she snatched the bag away and stalked out of the front door, slamming it hard for effect.
Outside, it was surprisingly chilly and dark. But then she'd left without her jacket, which was her second mistake. Her first mistake was leaving the house at all. Now that she was outside, she would have plenty of time to reflect on the fact that it was always a mistake to storm out of your home in a huff. Because eventually you had to go back in with your tail between your legs.
This was her first big row with Ed. She and Roddy, her first husband, had had countless raging rows, walkouts and arguments and looking back, she'd thought it was something to do with being younger. She'd begun to believe that she and Ed weren't going to do big rows and heated disagreements. So she was surprised at this outburst. She hated shouting. It never got you anywhere anyway, just raised your blood pressure. Made you more likely to die of a heart attack before you were fifty.
Now that she was out here on the street, she thought she would walk to the nearest pub; there was quite a nice place on the high street, where she could calm down. Maybe she'd phone Connor and he could come and join her for a beer. Or mineral water. God, when was he going to stop with the AA thing?
She walked on briskly, intending to fish her mobile out of her pocket, not paying any attention at all to the tall man jogging towards her on her side of the pavement when all of a sudden he stuck out his hand, right in front of her face. Before Annie could even grasp what was happening, she felt a terrible pain smack hard into her forehead and she was falling helplessly backwards.
Chapter Nine
City banker Manzoor Khan:
Custom-made dark grey suit (Oswald Boteng)
Blue shirt with white collar and cuffs (Thomas Pink)
Blue tie (Gieves & Hawkes)
Custom-made black brogues (James Taylor & Son)
Black overcoat (Gieves & Hawkes)
Black briefcase (Mulberry)
Total est. cost: £4,600
'Over £1,000? My word!'
'Mrs Valentine? Is that you?'
Annie opened her eyes very slowly. It was dark but she could make out in the glimmer of the orange street light that a man was bending over her.
She felt the most terrible throbbing and aching in her head. All over her forehead, down into her eyes and nose.
'Are you OK?' the man was asking, although it was pretty obvious that she was not. 'I'm Manzoor Khan from number ten,' he added.
Ah, Annie was able to register the flashy City banker from next door. He must have been coming home late from work.
But what the hell had happened to her? It had taken her some time to work out from the angle of the street light that she was lying on the ground. She put a hand up to her aching head and felt it very gingerly. The skin was grazed, burning and weirdly spongy.
'Do you think you can
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