honey sliding over her. I could see her shoulders relax even as he spoke. ‘I shan’t be more than a few minutes. Do wait in the car. The door’s open.’
I hadn’t noticed the Mercedes as I’d walked home. It was parked a little farther up the road, and she turned immediately towards it, evidently glad to be away from an awkward encounter.
‘Why didn’t you introduce me?’ I said, pumping myself up for a fight.
‘I hardly thought it worthwhile. We’ll be gone almost immediately.’
‘To Newcastle?’
‘Where else?’ He sounded irritated by my questions and eager to brush the matter to one side. ‘Rebecca has been an enormous asset to the gallery during the last few days and has volunteered to come with me to Newcastle and help out.’
I bet she has
, I thought sourly. ‘And who is Rebecca?’
‘She’s a student, doing work experience with us, and setting up a new exhibition will be excellent practice for her.’ His face wore a satisfied smile.
‘And what else?’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘I think you do. A student? Work experience? Does that ring any bells for you? It certainly does for me.’
‘Now you’re being ridiculous. Rebecca is barely out of her teens, little older than my own daughter.’
‘Something of an exaggeration? Kezia is twelve.’
‘Still, it would hardly be a suitable liaison,’ he joked rather too heavily, his eyes once again refusing to meet mine. ‘You are my partner, you know that.’
‘Yes, of course. I remember. You can’t do without me, can you?’
He was forcing several pairs of socks around the edges of the case with ill-tempered, jabbing motions.
‘I’ve no wish to quarrel with you. I needed all the help I could get yesterday, and Rebecca did her very best. She is keen to see the project through and since you’ve shown little enthusiasm for the job, I felt justified in asking her to accompany me.’
‘Little enthusiasm? My crime was to be busy elsewhere for one day when you needed me.’
His fingers began to pull at his beard in short, sharp tugs. ‘Precisely. As my assistant, I should be able to call on you at any time and have your support. It was highly inconvenient that you were unavailable, as I think I made plain.’
Had he always been this pompous and I hadn’t noticed?
‘Indeed you did. But it’s not an assistant that you need—it’s a handmaiden.’
He refused to respond, his lips closing tightly on themselves, and I was whipped into a fury.
‘So Rebecca is the new bond servant. I can see why she has to be so very young—easily impressed, easily controlled—but why so very blonde?’
‘Now you’re being offensive.’
‘If so, I think I’m justified. I seem to have hit the situation pretty much on the nail. So why don’t you come clean.’
He huffed and pulled himself up to his full height. ‘You have a vulgar mind, Grace, I regret to say.’
He hastily finished packing, abandoning the last few shirts on the bed. The suitcase catches clicked angrily into place, and he strode to the door. I didn’t attempt to stop him. At the top of the staircase, he paused and said calmly enough, ‘When you are yourself again, I hope you’ll consider making the journey to Newcastle. Let me know your train and I’ll meet you.’
The front door banged, and I sat down on the bed with a thump. I found myself shaking and wondered why; I should be getting used to fighting with Oliver. But conflict makes me ill and
I’d
been the one to do the fighting. Throughout he’d remained above the fray, measured and dignified. It was seeing the girl that had stirred me to anger and made me careless of the damage I might cause. But no, that wasn’t really true. I’d become careless weeks ago. Oliver was right: I’d lost enthusiasm, and not just for the work. The disenchantment lurking in the shadows of my life, undefined and unacknowledged, had assumed a sharp focus. Oliver and I never quarrelled, but twice in as many days we had—and
I hadn’t noticed the Mercedes as I’d walked home. It was parked a little farther up the road, and she turned immediately towards it, evidently glad to be away from an awkward encounter.
‘Why didn’t you introduce me?’ I said, pumping myself up for a fight.
‘I hardly thought it worthwhile. We’ll be gone almost immediately.’
‘To Newcastle?’
‘Where else?’ He sounded irritated by my questions and eager to brush the matter to one side. ‘Rebecca has been an enormous asset to the gallery during the last few days and has volunteered to come with me to Newcastle and help out.’
I bet she has
, I thought sourly. ‘And who is Rebecca?’
‘She’s a student, doing work experience with us, and setting up a new exhibition will be excellent practice for her.’ His face wore a satisfied smile.
‘And what else?’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘I think you do. A student? Work experience? Does that ring any bells for you? It certainly does for me.’
‘Now you’re being ridiculous. Rebecca is barely out of her teens, little older than my own daughter.’
‘Something of an exaggeration? Kezia is twelve.’
‘Still, it would hardly be a suitable liaison,’ he joked rather too heavily, his eyes once again refusing to meet mine. ‘You are my partner, you know that.’
‘Yes, of course. I remember. You can’t do without me, can you?’
He was forcing several pairs of socks around the edges of the case with ill-tempered, jabbing motions.
‘I’ve no wish to quarrel with you. I needed all the help I could get yesterday, and Rebecca did her very best. She is keen to see the project through and since you’ve shown little enthusiasm for the job, I felt justified in asking her to accompany me.’
‘Little enthusiasm? My crime was to be busy elsewhere for one day when you needed me.’
His fingers began to pull at his beard in short, sharp tugs. ‘Precisely. As my assistant, I should be able to call on you at any time and have your support. It was highly inconvenient that you were unavailable, as I think I made plain.’
Had he always been this pompous and I hadn’t noticed?
‘Indeed you did. But it’s not an assistant that you need—it’s a handmaiden.’
He refused to respond, his lips closing tightly on themselves, and I was whipped into a fury.
‘So Rebecca is the new bond servant. I can see why she has to be so very young—easily impressed, easily controlled—but why so very blonde?’
‘Now you’re being offensive.’
‘If so, I think I’m justified. I seem to have hit the situation pretty much on the nail. So why don’t you come clean.’
He huffed and pulled himself up to his full height. ‘You have a vulgar mind, Grace, I regret to say.’
He hastily finished packing, abandoning the last few shirts on the bed. The suitcase catches clicked angrily into place, and he strode to the door. I didn’t attempt to stop him. At the top of the staircase, he paused and said calmly enough, ‘When you are yourself again, I hope you’ll consider making the journey to Newcastle. Let me know your train and I’ll meet you.’
The front door banged, and I sat down on the bed with a thump. I found myself shaking and wondered why; I should be getting used to fighting with Oliver. But conflict makes me ill and
I’d
been the one to do the fighting. Throughout he’d remained above the fray, measured and dignified. It was seeing the girl that had stirred me to anger and made me careless of the damage I might cause. But no, that wasn’t really true. I’d become careless weeks ago. Oliver was right: I’d lost enthusiasm, and not just for the work. The disenchantment lurking in the shadows of my life, undefined and unacknowledged, had assumed a sharp focus. Oliver and I never quarrelled, but twice in as many days we had—and
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