Returning to Perth was like returning to prison after the open freedom of the countryside. Megan could feel herself getting edgy within minutes of hitting the city traffic and she noticed that Ben had lost his relaxed air.
‘We could go and look at cars before we go back to the hotel,’ he said as they approached the city centre. ‘Not too tired, are you?’
‘No, of course not.’
They examined dozens of vehicles and eventually they, or rather Ben, chose two, a dark blue four-wheel drive vehicle for him and a white station wagon for her.
Just like that, she thought in amazement as they drove to the hotel. Buy two new cars as if they were grocery items. She could remember how hard she’d had to save for her first and only car.
I’ll never let myself get blasé about such things, she vowed. Never. Nor will I waste money, just because I can afford to.
An urgent message from Cynthia was waiting for them at the hotel. As Megan watched Ben read it, his expression grew grim and her instincts told her it would take him away from her. She was right.
‘Nick’s in hospital,’ he said curtly, in answer to her questioning look. ‘I’ll have to go and see him.’
‘Has he had another heart attack?’
‘Cynthia doesn’t say, exactly.’
‘Do you want me to come with you?’
‘No. I’d rather see how ill he is first. He’ll talk more freely if it’s just me.’ Almost as an afterthought, he added, ‘Will you be all right?’
‘Of course I will. Don’t worry about me. I’ll unpack and start on the shopping list for the house.’
A ghost of a smile crossed his face. ‘You won’t run off and go cruising down the river without me? You will be here when I return?’
‘I’ll be here unless you keep me waiting too long. In which case, I’ll be down in the coffee shop having something to eat. How long do you think you’ll be?’
‘Shouldn’t be more than an hour.’
She unpacked, made her first shopping list for the house, then curled up on the bed with one of the novels she had bought. But she couldn’t settle to reading and found she was missing Ben’s company more than she’d expected.
As two hours turned into four, she went down for a snack, then returned. She tried watching TV, but couldn’t find anything that interested her. Where was Ben? Why hadn’t he got in touch? It shouldn’t have taken him this long to visit the hospital. And anyway, even though he hadn’t got her a mobile phone yet, he could have called her via the hotel.
At six-thirty she had a shower and changed for dinner, not wanting to eat alone in their suite. She scribbled a note and was just about to go down to the restaurant when Ben returned.
He came across and gave her a perfunctory peck on the cheek. ‘I’m sorry, Megan. Everything took much longer than I’d expected. I had to help Nick with some business as well as attend to my own.’
‘You might have rung and let me know.’
‘It wasn’t convenient to leave the discussions. I’ve said I’m sorry.’ His tone was sharper than usual.
‘What exactly have you been doing for Nick?’
‘Cynthia and I had to look at some property he was negotiating for, so that I could take over the negotiations, then I had to discuss prices and terms with the vendors. Nick will lose the whole deal if it isn’t sewn up quickly, and it’s rather a big one, so I’ve agreed to take it on board.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘Look, I’ll just take a quick shower and change, hmm? I feel grubby.’
She watched him vanish into the bathroom. He had his leave-me-alone-I’m-busy look again. How she hated it when he shut her out!
And he’d been with Cynthia. She hated that, too.
He put his head round the bathroom door. ‘Could you get my navy suit out, please? And a shirt and tie? We have to go to a business dinner with Cynthia, I’m afraid. What you’re wearing will be fine.’
Heart sinking, Megan did as he asked and then sat watching as he dressed. He had scarcely looked at her. She could have been ninety years old and dressed in a sack for all he seemed to have noticed, and she was wearing a very flattering dress and had taken great care with her hair. How could he change so quickly?
When they all met, it seemed to her that for a woman whose husband was in hospital, Cynthia was in fine fettle.
The evening passed slowly. The other men were pleasant enough and had brought their wives along, but after the meal, the women gathered around one end of the table and left the men to talk business at the other end.
The other women discussed clothes and followed that by a lively debate on the attractions of various jewels, not so much concerned with their beauty, as with which were more likely to increase in value.
Megan was driven nearly to screaming point by it all and when pressed for her opinion on jewels said curtly that she preferred a good book, which made them all stare at her as if she had two heads. Then, when the topic changed to fur coats and they asked her which fur she preferred she said bluntly that many of those skins came from endangered species, and she was surprised they were still even considering wearing them.
‘Oh, that eco-stuff is old hat now,’ one woman said languidly. ‘And about time, too. There’s nothing as beautiful as fur and people are using it as a fashion statement again.’
‘It’s especially beautiful when it’s on a live creature’s back,’ Megan snapped.
That got her a few more funny looks, but she didn’t care.
From down the table Ben shook his head at her, as if warning her not to pursue this point. She snapped her lips shut, breathing slowly and evenly, ignoring the next fascinating discussion about which designer labels were more ‘in’ at the moment.
Cynthia was included in the men’s discussion, but that sounded equally boring to Megan. One man went on and on about property development and the iniquities of local government regulations. He seemed to be more interested in getting round the rules, than in building safely. Ben didn’t contribute much at all to the conversation, just smiled slightly and nodded from time to time.
The final straw came when the party broke up and Cynthia claimed Ben’s arm on the grounds that she was just a trifle tiddly. She was, thought Megan grimly, watching the other woman wobble towards a taxi, more than a trifle tiddly; she was downright drunk.
At the hotel, Ben took Cynthia to her hotel room while Megan went back to their suite on her own, feeling angry and abandoned.
He wasn’t long in rejoining her. ‘Goodness!’ she said sourly as he came in. ‘I’d expected you to stay for another nightcap or two with dear Cynthia.’
‘Could we drop the sarcasm and just get to bed? I’m exhausted.’ For once, he made no attempt to make love to her, just sighed and lay down, one arm across his eyes.
‘Is the business finished now?’ she asked, feeling a bit guilty for her sharpness when she realised how tired he looked.
‘Mine is. Nick’s needs a little more attention.’ He roused himself to look at her and say, ‘It always tires me out, negotiating, don’t know why. Perhaps because you have to be hyper-alert the whole time, if you want to win.’ He sighed and rubbed his forehead, then closed his eyes again.
She hadn’t realised that. He didn’t often confide in her. ‘How is Nick? Better?’
‘Mmm.’
Deep, even breathing told her that he was asleep. She switched off the light and hunched herself into a ball of misery. She had missed him today more than she would have believed possible before their visit to the house. And although he didn’t use endearments, he usually cuddled her before they went to sleep, even if they weren’t making love.
It was a while before she managed to get to asleep. She told herself she was a fool to be jealous of his work, but that didn’t make any difference to how she felt.
Was it always so hard being in love with someone?
Or was it only when that person didn’t love you in return?
In the morning, Ben jerked out of a heavy sleep, looking strained even before he began and Megan felt guilty about her own resentment of the previous evening. After gulping down a cup of black coffee, he looked at the time. ‘I’m afraid I’ll be gone all day again. Will you be all right?’
‘I’ll be fine. I have plenty of shopping to do, after all.’ Megan could not keep the edge from her voice, but she refrained from asking if dear Cynthia would be spending the day with him.
He looked at her then at his watch again and shook his head. ‘I’m sorry. I really am, but I must go.’
At the door he turned. ‘Look, would you buy yourself a mobile phone – and could you visit Nick this afternoon? Tell him everything’s going really well with the deal. We don’t want him worrying about anything?’
‘Yes, I’ll do that. Is it really going well?’
‘It’s touch and go at the moment, I’m afraid.’ He hesitated, blew her a kiss from the door and then hurried away.
His remark made Megan feel guilty about her own sharp words. Clearly he had a heavy burden on his shoulders. Though why Cynthia couldn’t visit her own husband was more than she would ever understand. If Ben had been in hospital she’d have been camped outside his room.
But then, she was stupid like that.
In a sudden fit of annoyance at the whole situation, including herself, she picked up a fat, self-satisfied cushion from the fat, self-satisfied sofa and hurled it at the door.
That made her feel slightly better. But only slightly.
She felt left out. Uncertain. Marking time.
When she visited the hospital later, she thought Nick looked grey and tired.
‘I’m turning into an old crock,’ he said apologetically.
No need to take out her ill humour on him. ‘Oh, we all have our bad patches. You’ll get better gradually.’
‘I’ve spoiled your honeymoon, too.’
‘No, you haven’t.’ She launched into a sprightly description of their days in Singapore, then went on to describe the block and the tiny wooden house. That soon had him laughing.
‘I’m glad Ben married you,’ he said unexpectedly. ‘You’ll be good for him.’
‘Oh. Well, thank you.’ She could feel herself blushing. ‘I hope so.’
‘Tell Cynth not to bother visiting me tonight,’ he called as she left. ‘She’ll be tired after the day’s meetings.’
From which Megan deduced that Cynthia was spending the day with Ben again. Why had he not told her that himself?
She went off to buy a mobile phone, choosing a case for it out covered in glittery beads.
Two long days followed, during which Megan explored the town and purchased some things for the house. She tried not to worry about exactly what Cynthia and Ben were doing, but couldn’t help wondering. And she had to endure the other woman’s company over dinner each evening until quite a late hour.
She had decided to stay up with them, however long it took. She wasn’t giving Cynthia free access to Ben. They had to escort the stupid woman to her room, because each evening their glamorous companion drank a great deal, and although she held her liquor well, she did start flirting with any and every man when she’d sunk a few of her favourite dry martinis.
On the afternoon of their third day back in Perth, Ben came back to their hotel room looking triumphant. ‘It’s done! Signed, sealed and delivered. And I did rather well for Nick, if I say so myself.’
He grabbed Megan and waltzed her round the room. ‘That, my fine lady, is the last of these business deals. My herculean toils are done. My life is now my own.’
She brightened up. ‘Does that mean we can go home?’
‘Home? Do you really think of that little shack as home?’
She nodded.
He smiled at her. ‘You’re an incredible woman.’
She could feel herself blushing and said hastily, ‘So – can we go home now?’
‘Well…’ His smile faded and he hesitated.
‘Now what?’ She could hear the edge to her voice, but couldn’t help it.
‘The hospital wants to run a series of tests on Nick. I don’t like to leave Cynthia here on her own.’
Megan pulled out of his arms. ‘What are you going to do, then, invite her to join us in this suite?’ She gestured to the bed. ‘It’ll fit three, if we’re all very friendly!’
He was avoiding her eyes. ‘I’ve, um, invited her to come down to the block with us.’
‘Cynthia?’
‘Why not?’ But he sounded defensive.
Megan gave a scornful laugh. ‘She’ll be bored out of her tiny mind! She’s the last person to enjoy a place like that.’
‘She says she enjoys an occasional visit to the country.’
‘I’ll bet she does.’ Megan breathed deeply for a moment or two to prevent herself from saying something she might regret. She simply couldn’t understand what Cynthia was after. ‘Just a small point, though – where is she going to sleep?’
‘We have a spare bedroom.’
‘It’s microbe-sized and unfurnished.’
‘I’ll have some furniture delivered. A single bed and a wardrobe should do it. I’ll ring a shop up in Mandurah or Bunbury.’
‘Better add a dressing table for her make-up. She even wears lipstick to breakfast. We wouldn’t want to subject her to the hardship of putting it on with a hand mirror, would we?’
His lips tightened, but he only said, ‘Very well.’
‘Ben—’
‘Yes?’
‘Oh, Ben, I don’t want that woman at our house! She’ll spoil things.’
He scowled at her. ‘You’re being very childish. She won’t be an easy guest, I agree, but Nick’s worrying about her and that’s not good for him. I’m doing this for him, not for her.’
‘You didn’t even think to ask me, though! Don’t I have any say about who comes to stay in my home?’ She knew even as she said it she was being unfair, but she was so disappointed, she couldn’t help it. She didn’t want that woman spoiling their little paradise.
The quarrel lasted barely five minutes, but it proved that Ben hadn’t forgotten how to lose his temper and that Megan’s tongue had retained its bite.
In the end, he stormed over to the door. ‘I’m going downstairs for a drink and a bit of peace. You can stay here and sulk on your own. No one in his right mind would want to spend time with someone in such a shrewish mood!’
Megan sank down on the couch, but her fury gradually turned into embarrassment at the things she had said about Cynthia. Temper and yes, jealousy, had made her behave like a spoilt brat, no dignity, just what he had said – a shrew.
It was bad tactics, too, no way to keep him out of that woman’s clutches. That was much more important.
Only you shouldn’t need to consider tactics when speaking to your own husband.
She dashed away a tear. She would not cry! Another tear followed, so she blew her nose vigorously and began to walk round the room, breathing in and out very loudly, and stopping a couple of time to pummel the cushions on the couch. Very satisfying, that.
‘Oh, hell, I suppose I’ll have to apologise,’ she said aloud after a while. She couldn’t fool herself that she had behaved anything but abominably.
‘He shouldn’t have invited her, but I shouldn’t have spoken like that, shouldn’t have accused him of flaunting his mistress in front of my nose. Even if he is. Which he isn’t. At least, I don’t think he is.’
But she wasn’t even sure of that; she was just sure she didn’t want to do anything else that might alienate him, especially now. At the block, she had felt they were really starting to get close, then the minute they returned to Perth, he’d changed abruptly.
Even if what he was doing was stressful, he shouldn’t shut her out like that. And she didn’t enjoy living with a Jekyll and Hyde of a husband. She needed stability, certainty. She had done ever since her parents died, perhaps more than other people did. She acknowledged that.
But what did he need emotionally?
Anything at all?
The telephone rang. She sat staring at it, and only when it had rung five times did she reach out and pick it up. ‘Hello?’ Even in her own ears, her voice sounded sulky.
‘Ben here. Darling, I’ve just bumped into Cynthia in the lobby. Why don’t you come down and join us for drinks? Please, Megan!’
Bitterness flooded through her. The first time he had ever called her ‘Darling’ and it was, quite clearly, for that woman’s benefit. She opened her mouth to say no, then she heard Cynthia’s drawling voice in the background and took a deep breath instead. She wasn’t going to let that sneaky bitch walk away with her husband! No way. ‘How delightful of you to think of me!’ she said coolly. ‘I’ll be about ten minutes. I haven’t changed yet.’
‘Thanks, love. I know you’re tired and we’d agreed to eat in our room, but Cynthia was on her own.’
So that was the excuse he’d made? Megan smiled, albeit a bit grimly, but hope twitched again in her heart. He’d called to her for help. He hadn’t just gone off with Cynthia.
She put the phone down and stared at it. Best of all, he had sounded really relieved when she agreed to join them. ‘Oh, damn!’ she said aloud. ‘I don’t know what to think any more!’
She kicked a stray cushion out of her way and dived for the wardrobe, choosing a sexy little black dress that had rather embarrassed her when Ben chose it in Singapore. She left her hair loose in a cloud and contented herself with the merest lick of make-up, but sprayed herself liberally with his favourite perfume.
She was unaware of how magnificent she looked, with her eyes still sparkling with anger and her cheeks softly flushed, but Ben noticed at least three men turn to watch her as she walked across the foyer to join them.
He also noticed the annoyance on Cynthia’s face as Megan leaned across to kiss his cheek and whisper something in his ear, before pulling up a chair as close to him as she could get and saying casually, ‘Hi, Cynthia!’
The meal was studded with innuendo, spiced with malice, but Megan gave as good as she got. Ben watched her in both admiration and amusement. Later, when she began making noises about it being late, he stood up immediately and they left Cynthia sitting sulking on her own in the foyer bar.
‘Don’t forget we’re making an early start,’ he called back over his shoulder.
Well, thought Megan, triumphantly as they walked across the foyer, that went better than I’d expected. I hope Cynthia is so tiddly that she falls over when she tries to go up to her own room, and is too ill to come with us tomorrow. This image made her feel quite cheerful.
‘Thanks for coming down,’ Ben said as they got ready for bed.
‘You sounded a bit desperate when you phoned.’
‘I was. I really didn’t fancy a tête-à-tête with Cynthia. Not after a long, tiring day in her company.’
In the darkness Megan smiled. Things were looking up. When he reached for her, she turned to him happily, revelling in his masculine hardness, his oh-so-clever fingers and soon riding with him down a white water trail of sheer ecstasy.
‘It doesn’t come much better than that,’ he gasped afterwards.
But somehow, that remark spoiled her mood. Skilful techniques were no substitute for tenderness, well, not in her book. And the fact that he’d called her ‘Darling’ only for Cynthia’s benefit still rankled.
The following morning, Megan woke to the realisation that she was about to spend a few days in close contact with Cynthia. For once she didn’t feel like her normal, cheerful morning self. She scowled at Ben across the breakfast table and when they were getting ready to leave for the block in Ben’s new Land Cruiser, she could hardly bring herself to be civil to him.
‘I’ll go and see if Cynthia is ready,’ he said stiffly.
Megan grunted. She did not dare answer that remark or she’d have said something she might regret.
When he came back, he was looking even more tight-lipped. ‘We’ll have to get the other car and drive both of them down. Cynthia has rather a lot of luggage and there’s all the new stuff you bought for the house as well. I’ll go up and phone from our room. You might as well grab a coffee while we wait for it.’
There followed an hour’s delay while the other car was hastily delivered by the dealer and the luggage redistributed. Cynthia, of course, was riding with Ben.
‘I’m sorry about this,’ he whispered to Megan as they put things into the boot of her car.
‘Not as much as I am!’ She walked round to the driving seat and made herself comfortable.
Ben came across to hover beside the driver’s window. ‘Are you sure you’ll be all right driving on your own?’
‘Of course I will! I bought a little booklet and I know the road rules off by heart now,’ she said brightly, aware that Cynthia was standing listening to every word, a smug smile on her face. As Megan started the motor, she watched resentfully as Ben helped Cynthia into the Land Cruiser.
‘I’ll be just fine!’ she said aloud, but her hands were trembling as she put the car into drive and eased off the hand brake. She wasn’t going to let that woman find out how nervous she felt about driving in Australia for the first time.
The morning rush was long past, so the journey down the freeway was quite peaceful and Megan’s confidence grew quickly. This wasn’t all that different from driving in England. She didn’t know why she’d been worrying.
By the time they arrived in Mandurah, she was actually enjoying herself and would have been content to grab a quick sandwich, but Cynthia insisted she was starving, so they had lunch in a large hotel built round an indoor swimming pool.
‘We should have gone to that café we found last time,’ Megan said, keeping her expression wide-eyed and innocent. ‘The food was delicious and the decor most original. Such lovely expensive furniture.’
Ben choked on his orange juice. ‘Er – not quite Cynthia’s style.’ They exchanged amused glances and the tension between them eased a little.
‘We’d better get some groceries,’ she said.
‘Yes. Coming, Cynthia?’
‘I’ll wait here. You can come back for me.’
Megan cheered up some more at the sight of Ben’s annoyed expression.
When they went to pick her up, she’d gone missing. Ben found her in the bar and his face grew even grimmer.
That pleased Megan.
When they arrived at the entrance to their block, Megan enjoyed watching Cynthia get out of Ben’s car with a sulky expression on her face and totter along in her high heels to open the rusty gate.
But there was no pleasure in allowing that woman on to their private territory. In fact, it felt as if they were bringing Plague Mary home with them.
Megan watched as Cynthia gulped audibly at the sight of the tiny shack and looked around to check that this was really it. Grinning, she led the way inside. ‘Welcome to our bijou country residence.’
The small bedroom was still unfurnished, so Cynthia couldn’t unpack, but the shop had promised to deliver the bed and other things that afternoon.
How about a walk down to the water?’ Megan asked once they had unloaded everything. ‘We’ll be able to hear anyone coming to deliver the bed if we don’t go too far.’
Cynthia yawned. ‘I’d much rather have a nice little G and T and put my feet up.’
‘Oh, sorry!’ said Megan briskly. ‘We forgot to buy any gin. In fact, I don’t think we have any alcohol here at all apart from a couple of cans of beer and one bottle of white wine.’
Ben looked sideways at her, as if he perfectly well understood that she had done that on purpose, and she found it hard to keep her face straight. So did he and they both had to look away from one another or they’d have burst out laughing.
‘Let’s go for that walk, then,’ Ben suggested.
Cynthia ignored that offer and glared at her hostess. ‘Well, I’ll just have to go out and buy us all something to drink, won’t I? My contribution to the weekend. I’ll leave you two country cousins to go walkabout here. Lend me your car keys, Ben.’
He hesitated, then handed the keys over.
‘Which way do I turn outside the gates?’
‘Right. You might as well go into Bunbury, which is closer. Sure you can find your way back?’
‘Oh, yes. Quite sure.’
Once Cynthia had gone, the quietness wrapped them round and they both let out long sighs of relief. Ben came and put his arms round Megan, standing holding her close. ‘I hope she takes all afternoon.’
‘So do I!’ In fact, Megan couldn’t understand why Cynthia had come with them at all, but it wouldn’t be wise to say so. ‘What did you do with your new mobile phone? Mine’s not working properly, I’m afraid.’
‘Oh, hell! I left mine in our room when I was talking to the car yard. Why? Do you need something?’
‘I was just hoping Cynthia would get tired and want to go back to Perth. We could have phoned for a limousine to take her there in style. I wouldn’t complain at all about the extravagance of that.’
They looked at one another and burst out laughing. As before, the block was working its magic on them.
But would that continue once Cynthia returned?
Megan found that she had underestimated Cynthia’s sticking power. When the latter returned at dusk, the Land Cruiser was loaded with booze and parcels. Cynthia emerged from it wearing a new outfit - pale blue jeans and designer sneakers.
‘I’ve been into Bunbury,’ she announced. ‘There aren’t any good shops there, but I did manage to find a few things I needed. Do you like my country gear?’ She paraded in front of Ben, her breasts thrusting against the sweater and her bottom undulating.
‘You look lovely, as always.’ But his glance didn’t linger on her.
‘Dark blue or black jeans might have been more practical,’ Megan said. ‘Those will show the dirt.’
Cynthia pouted. ‘Oh, practical! Who cares about that? Anyway, I’ve bought several pairs, so it won’t matter. I can have them laundered when we get back.’ She draped herself over the couch. ‘Make me a martini, will you, Ben? The booze is in that box you just carried in. Shopping’s made me thirsty.’
With great reluctance, Megan pulled out one of her brand new highball glasses and plonked it down in front of her husband.
‘Now, darlings, did my bed arrive, or am I sleeping on the floor?’ From the glitter in Cynthia’s eyes, Megan was beginning to wonder if she had had a drink or two while she was out.
‘Yes, it arrived. I’ve made it up for you.’
‘Such a gracious hostess!’ Cynthia murmured softly, one eye on Ben. ‘I know exactly how pleased you are to have me here, Megan.’
She decided on equal frankness. ‘Why the hell did you come, then?’
‘I thought it might be interesting. Such fun to see you squirm. You won’t keep him, you know. You’re just a novelty. A man like that prefers sophisticated women.’ She raised her voice, ‘Ah, thank you, Ben! You always remember exactly how I like it.’ Her voice was husky with other meanings.
Megan got up, sickened to see that woman blatantly flirting with her husband in her own home and itching to respond. ‘I need a cup of coffee. What about you, Ben?’
‘That’d be lovely.’
Megan had too much pride to burn the steaks, or produce anything except a perfect salad, but she couldn’t help fantasising about making a dressing of arsenic or ground glass for Cynthia as she shredded the lettuce and tried to listen to what the other two were discussing. And she kept wondering how they would keep up even this superficial politeness for several days.
Well, Ben might manage it, but she’d find it extremely difficult.
No, impossible.
During the next two days, Megan felt her rapport with her husband slipping and couldn’t work out how to remedy that. Their guest, she decided grimly, could out-act her any day – and did so regularly.
Cynthia, having decided to ‘go country’, as she phrased it, made no complaints about short walks in the bush, or bird-watching by the water, though she did seek alcoholic refreshment at regular intervals. She phoned the hospital to check on Nick’s progress the next afternoon and spoke to him briefly.
On the second day, she discovered that the battery of her mobile was flat and she’d forgotten her charger. Thereafter, she insisted on Ben driving her along to the nearest phone morning and afternoon, to check that ‘poor dear Nick’ was all right.
‘Why don’t you drive yourself?’ Megan asked bluntly.
‘I’m worried the news might be bad. And then I’d be too upset to drive. Besides, I enjoy the company.’ She smiled smugly.
If Cynthia really thought that there was a chance of Nick getting worse, Megan fumed as she waited for them to return, then she should have stayed up in Perth near him.
Going to bed was no relief, either, because Megan was so tense she couldn’t enjoy making love. The mere thought of Cynthia overhearing them gave her the shudders and took all the pleasure out of it.
‘Can’t you relax a little,’ he murmured in her ear the first night.
‘Not with her in the house! She might hear us.’ The bed next door creaked and she added, ‘In fact, she’d definitely hear us.’
‘For goodness’ sake, she’s not a monster, just a rather foolish woman who needs company. I’ll switch the radio on when we make love.’
‘You will not! She’ll know exactly why we’ve done that.’
‘Who cares?’
‘I do!’
He sighed and turned over. ‘Then we’ll leave it for tonight. I’m not into necrophilia.’
Which didn’t make Megan feel any better. ‘What is that woman, a child who needs baby-sitting?’
‘In some ways, yes.’
She turned her back to him. ‘Well, I’ve no desire to be her baby-sitter, thank you very much!’
‘I’m under considerable obligation to Nick.’
‘Well, you baby-sit her, then! Take her out somewhere tomorrow and give me a bit of peace!’
‘I’d rather you came with us.’
‘I’d rather not spend any more time with her than I have to! She’s driving me crazy!’
Even a game of Scrabble the previous evening had been filled with sexual innuendoes from Cynthia. But Megan had won.
For what that was worth.
The following morning, Ben suggested they all drive down to Busselton, where there was apparently a long jetty which you could ride along in a little train and watch the fish swimming in the water beneath you.
‘No thanks! You two go.’ Megan began to wash the dishes. ‘But you can bring back some steaks for tea. We’ll have a barbecue.’ She glanced out of the window. ‘If it stays fine.’
Cynthia purred her approval and was ready to leave in record time, her blond hair gleaming softly behind a white bandeau.
Ben scowled at Megan, pausing at the door to ask, ‘Are you sure you won’t change your mind and come with us?’
‘I’m certain. You’re welcome to dance attendance on dear Cynthia. I’ll have a nice restful day. Don’t forget to take some booze with you. She probably won’t last until you get to Busselton without a tipple or two.’
‘Keep your voice down. She’ll hear you.’
‘I don’t care if she does.’
He moved towards the door. ‘You’ve been nothing but bad-tempered since we came down here and I’m getting tired of it. Quite frankly, I’ll be glad to spend a day with someone who isn’t sulking.’
‘That’s fine by me!’
But it wasn’t fine by her. When they had left, she threw herself on the bed and sobbed, then got mad at herself for being so spineless. She stood up, blew her nose several times and went to clean the kitchen, attacking it as if it were her personal enemy.
Afterwards, she went out for a walk, taking her new Australian bird book with her. But she couldn’t concentrate on it, couldn’t concentrate on anything but her own worries about her marriage.
When she was a long way from the house, it started to rain. She had been too preoccupied to study the sky, so it took her completely by surprise.
‘That’s all I needed!’ she shrieked at the grey clouds.
The rain pelted down even harder and she stuffed the book under her top.
By the time she got back, she was soaked through and her legs were plastered with mud. ‘Fine sunny country this is!’ she grumbled as she peeled off her soggy clothing and left it in the laundry trough. ‘It does nothing but rain.’
A lukewarm shower did not help much and she still felt chilled as she piled on some clothes afterwards.
As she huddled on the couch, she decided she had been utterly stupid to play into Cynthia’s hands by leaving her alone with Ben. She wished she had gone with them, wished she didn’t love him, because it made her so vulnerable, wished she had never married him – No! She shook her head. She didn’t wish that, would not undo it even if she could. ‘You’re a fool, though!’ she told herself.
‘I know I am,’ she sighed a moment later. ‘But I can’t seem to help myself where he’s concerned.’
She went back into the laundry to wash her clothes. It felt so cold out there she left them soaking. There was no hot water left, anyway.
It was chilly inside the house, too, because she’d forgotten to stoke up the ancient pot-bellied stove which also heated the water. The old fire was rather awkward and she hadn’t really got the hang of it yet. If they were going to live here, they’d have to get a better heater for the house, and an electric heater for the water.
It had been paradise when there were just the two of them. Now it was more like purgatory. And a damp, chilly purgatory, too.
She sneezed and shivered as she struggled with the last of their newspaper and tried to light a fire with the damp wood. Was she catching a cold? That’d be the final straw. Fancy trying to compete against Cynthia’s elegance with a red nose!
She couldn’t concentrate on the book. And when she went over to turn up the fire, she found it had gone out again. But she wouldn’t let herself cry. Well, only a stray tear or two.