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Whoever had contacted her was asking her to take a massive leap of faith. But there was no question she would go. The trip to Neuf-Marché had given her direction and led her to Allegro. This was the second stage of a journey she had to make, and it didn’t matter how far it took her. Besides, since her return from Normandy, she’d been itching to escape again.
Beth wanted to be anywhere but sitting in Jody’s flat, calculating the volume of legal and Avellana paperwork that would have to be surmounted before she could find some space to grieve properly. Why should she delay? What had she to detain her?
She looked down at her stomach, touched it tenderly and thought about the two inches of life inside her. It was growing quickly, and soon it would take possession of her. Beth still didn’t know how she felt about that. She was juggling that and the implications of what Lin had said to her, not wanting to grasp either thought for too long.
She closed the BriskyPix page, punched up Lin’s number and looked at it until her iPhone went into standby. How could she possibly accuse her? It was ludicrous. Luc had never spent any time outside Avellana away from her. Their weekends had always been sacred. There wasn’t one occasion she could recall when he’d made an excuse to spend a night elsewhere. She detested herself for even entertaining the suspicion. But Luc and Lin had worked together for nine years, eight hours a day, five days a week. She touched the screen and hit the number. She would ask her outright whom she’d been seeing. She listened to it ring and it went to her answering service.
She hung up. It was ridiculous. But Beth didn’t like the sense of relief she felt about not having the conversation.
*
“Who do you know in LA?” Jody shifted awkwardly around in his swivel chair and put his bottle of Sprite on the studio desk
“Nobody who could look after me as well as you have.” Her brother’s features softened, but she knew she hadn’t placated him. “I think I just need to get away from everything here.”
He nodded slowly, his disapproval obvious.
Beth knew what he was thinking. “OK – run away for a while,” she admitted.
“I understand that, Beth...”
It was strange to hear him use her name. She wasn’t sure of the last time he’d done that. Probably when they were kids. She remained in his doorway, unsure of whether he was comfortable with her venturing any further inside. It was the first time she’d invaded his cluttered workspace. There was a piano keyboard in front of two slim screens and stacks of dusty mixing desks weighing down the shelves behind him. The floor was carpeted with a mass of tangled wires. A plug-in cinnamon air freshener barely combated the smell of body odour.
“But why as far as LA? I can speak to the agency about the condo, but couldn’t I just drive you somewhere here? At least then I can pick you up when you’re ready.”
Her emotions prickled and she felt her resolve waver. But she couldn’t let Jody’s obviously protective gesture deter her. “I just need a complete change of scene. Plus, all the Californian sunshine will be a good source of vitamin D.” She was using the baby as an excuse and they both knew it. Beth could see he suspected she had another agenda. “Trust me. I need this trip.”
He took a sip from the bottle so he could break eye contact. “Look, whatever you want. You have to tell me exactly where you go though.”
It was what she’d hoped for. Jody clearly thought she was still emotionally unstable. Probably envisaged her wandering onto a freeway. But she did want someone to be looking out for her, even from thousands of miles away.
“When was the last time you were there?”
She’d been to Universal Studios in Hollywood. Had worked her way around the major US cities when she’d been a penurious student. “Stop worrying about me. At least you’ll know exactly where I am.”
He seemed slightly reassured by that.
“My next antenatal appointment isn’t for nearly three weeks. I’m going to spank some plastic, relax by your communal pool, and maybe go to Beverly Hills for some pamperage.”
Jody nodded his disapproval again.
