Lizzie Marshall's Wedding (24 page)

‘Just like that?’ Victoria said, ‘he didn’t try to lie or make some excuse?’

‘Not at first. Then he said, as casually as you like, “It’s not like that”. I said “Oh really, that’s not what she says. She says, it’s
exactly
like that.” He didn’t answer for ages then he said “And you believe her?” And when I said he hadn’t denied it so it was clearly true, he said something about being really hurt that I didn’t trust him; that he’d never cheat on someone he loved, so I reminded him about us and how we met and he just said, “That was different”. I ... I can’t really remember what I said then to be honest but I don’t think it was very nice.’

‘Then what happened?’ Becky asked.

‘He said we could talk about it when he got home at the weekend and I said not to bother coming home because I wouldn’t be there and I wasn’t going to tell him where I was going. Max says that wasn’t very bright but I was just so hurt and angry! I couldn’t believe it was happening to me again and with that bloody woman too! God I hate her!’

‘And that was it?’ Becky said.

‘No. I said that clearly he had a phobia about marriage. Every time he got engaged and the date was set, he ran off and screwed someone else! That he needn’t worry, because the wedding was off and that I’d send his things down to him because I never wanted to see him again. And then I told him to fuck off and I slammed the phone down.’

‘Well,’ Victoria said, ‘I think we can safely say he knows you’re upset.’

‘But he has tried to call you?’ Becky said.

‘A few times, yes; but I wouldn’t answer the phone and Max was right; I’ve turned it off. He says that I’ve got to face Jack sometime and that I should, at least listen to his side of the story but I can’t face it. I’m sorry to bring this up again Becky but I can remember how awful it felt, after I found Max and that bloody woman together. When he told me his side of the story, it didn’t make me feel any better, in fact, if anything it made me feel worse. I didn’t really know what she looked like – all I saw was the long, blond hair but when he said that she hadn’t meant anything and that it was just sex, I kept asking for a description. He clearly didn’t want to tell me but one day, I think when we were having yet another row, I remember he said she was sex on legs! And that, believe me, did me absolutely no favours in my battle to pretend she didn’t matter.’

Becky fiddled with her coffee mug and cleared her throat. ‘I know what you mean. He said the same thing about her to me – and I didn’t find it very comforting either.’ She didn’t say what else he’d said though and that she had found that comforting. Very comforting indeed.

Lunchtime came and went. Max called Becky to say he was running very late and to ask if it was possible for her to stay with Lizzie and to make sure she didn’t get a cab to her grandparents. Becky needed to collect Lily from playgroup so she suggested Lizzie go with her and then to meet her friends Jess at her salon and Susie at her shop and by the time Max arrived at Becky’s at six o’clock that evening, all the girls were in Becky’s sitting room drinking wine and eating chocolates.

‘I hope you didn’t mind,’ he said after getting Becky to follow him into the kitchen, ‘I had a few things to do and it took much longer than I’d expected.’

‘Not at all. We’ve actually had a lot of fun.’

‘I need to get Lizzie back to mum’s now. I’ve managed to get Jack here and they really need to sort this out.’

Becky was astonished. ‘Jack’s here!’

‘I’ve dropped him at mum’s. I didn’t think Lizzie would come with me if she saw him in the car.’

‘I don’t think she’ll talk to him Max. She’s still really hurt and very angry. What does he say about it?’

‘He says she should trust him but he can, finally, see why there might be a little problem with that and he’s willing to talk things through. To be honest, I’ve never seen him like this. Every time I’ve met him he’s always been too laid back and easy going for his own good but for some reason, this has really made him angry. He loves her though so I’m hoping they’ll both see sense.’

‘Well, Lizzie clearly loves him too. The problem is, she just can’t see any reason for Kim to lie or any reason for Jack to see Kim unless they are having an affair.’

‘I know and there’s going to be some fallout from this little bombshell, I can tell you but that can’t be avoided.’

‘So is he? Having an affair I mean?’

Max shook his head. ‘No. The idea never even entered his head and that, funnily enough, is why he’s found himself in this position. I’ll explain it all to you tomorrow. I think I should stay at mum’s this evening, just in case things don’t go as smoothly as I hope they will. Do you mind?’

‘Of course not. Will ... will you be here tomorrow?’

‘Of course I will. It’s Lily birthday. Oh. I’ve got a little surprise for her by the way. You’re still going to be bringing her and her friends up to the Hall for cake after her birthday lunch aren’t you?’

‘Well, I did mention to a couple of the mums that we may just be staying here. I wasn’t sure what with everything that’s happened but if it’s still okay with you and Margaret then yes, please. Lily has told them all about the secret passage I showed you all and they were looking forward to that more than anything else if I’m honest.’

Lizzie saw Jack the minute she walked into the hallway and spun round to leave. ‘What the hell is he doing here Max?’

‘Not so fast madam.’ Max grabbed her by the shoulders and ferried her towards the sitting room door where Jack was hovering nervously. ‘He isn’t having an affair Lizzie and if you let the man speak instead of throwing a temper tantrum, you may actually be able to save your wedding. And I really think you should.’ He gave her a final shove in Jack’s direction. ‘No shouting the pair of you. Be nice.’

He walked off and headed to the kitchen where Margaret was pouring him a very large scotch.

‘Keep those coming mother. I think we’re going to need a lot of them before tonight’s out.’

‘You look lovely Lizzie,’ Jack said, ‘and this is a great house. You were so right to choose it for the wedding.’

‘There isn’t going to be a wedding.’

She saw him clench his fists and it took her totally by surprise. In all the time she’d known him, he had never lost his temper – until Thursday – let alone shown physical violence but the flush in his cheeks and the glint in his sapphire blue eyes made her wonder if there was a side to Jack that she hadn’t seen.

‘I know I was engaged to Kim when I met you so I suppose I deserved the jibe you made on the phone, about infidelity not being a concern for me but really Lizzie, in the two years we’ve been together have I ever given you any cause to doubt my love for you or my loyalty?’

‘Not until now, no.’

‘Have I so much as looked at another woman?’

‘No but –’

‘So the only reason you think I’ve been unfaithful is because Kim phoned you and told you so?’

‘And because you admitted it!’

‘You didn’t ask me if I was having an affair with her. You asked me if I’d seen her and I said yes – which was true and you hadn’t, at that time, told me what she’d told you. Would you rather I’d lied?’

This wasn’t going along the lines she’d expected. ‘Of course not but –’

‘So, in fact, the only reason you said the things you did and called off the wedding is because I told you truthfully that I had seen Kim five times?’

‘Precisely! You’ve been having an –’

‘I have not! I’ve seen Kim on five separate occasions because she asked me for advice and help, which I now realise, was an excuse but at the time, thought was completely genuine. I went because Ross was away on business and Kim said she needed help. I did it for Ross as much as Kim and I had no idea that she was, in fact, playing a nasty little game to hurt you, and me and Ross.’

Lizzie stared at him. ‘But you ... I don’t understand.’

‘Ross told me a few weeks ago that they were having problems. I met him for a drink one night, remember? I told you what he said.’

She did remember. ‘Ross said he thought she was seeing someone behind his back and that she wasn’t happy and wasn’t really interested in their son and –’

‘That’s right. He was going away on business and because he knew he could trust me – in spite of what he’d done to me with Kim, he knew I’m not the sort of person to get my own back, so to speak – he asked me if I would, sort of, keep an eye on her while he was away. I didn’t mention that part to you because, well, he asked me not to and because, strangely enough, I thought it might upset you, which clearly it has.’

‘But –’

‘Let me finish. Kim called me and asked if I could help her move some heavy boxes – which I did. She then called and asked me to read a document through for her mum – which I did. Three more times she asked me to do things for her, all of which I did and I began to think that Ross was imagining things at least as far as her seeing someone else was concerned. If she had another man around, she would have asked him, not me.’

‘So you’re saying it was all innocent. Why then did she call me and tell me you’d had sex with her five times! Well on five different nights. She actually said you had “rampant sex” to use her exact words. But that’s what clinched it for me; you admitted seeing her five times when I asked, not knowing what she’d told me!’

‘Because, on the night before she called you, the last of those five times I’d gone there, she made it clear that she wanted to have sex with me and I told her that, not only was I not interested but that I would have to tell Ross because I wasn’t going to let her treat him like that. It didn’t even occur to me that she would do something as shitty as call you and make up lies just to get back at me. If it had, I would have told you immediately.’

Lizzie felt as if the stuffing had been knocked out of her. ‘If ... if that’s true then why didn’t you just say so when I called you?’

‘Because it also didn’t occur to me that you were going to be accusing me of having an affair and frankly, when you did, I was so hurt and angry that I couldn’t really think straight myself. I’d been worrying how I was going to tell Ross and it hadn’t occurred to me that I might need to explain myself to you or to convince you that I was faithful. You seemed to believe the affair so easily and instantly wanted to call off the wedding, that part of me wondered if you’d actually been having second thoughts and were looking for a way out yourself. I’ve tried to call you several times but you won’t answer my calls. To be totally honest, if Max hadn’t come to the office today and told me where you were and explained things, I think I ... well, I may have thought you didn’t love me anymore.’

She saw his eyes water, saw the forlorn expression, saw the look of total dejection in his usually stunning, sapphire blue eyes and realised that she was an absolute fool. She had very nearly lost the one thing that mattered most to her in the world and all because of a nasty, manipulative woman who would clearly never be happy with her lot, no matter how good it was.

She ran to him and he opened his arms wide for her, scooping her up and kissing her with such fervour that they almost forgot they were in Max’s mum’s house.

‘Can you ever forgive me for being so stupid Jack? I love you so much.’

‘You’re not stupid Lizzie. I suppose with our history, we should have expected at least one little hiccough. I ... I assume that’s all this is now; at least I pray it is. You ... you will still marry me won’t you?’

‘Tomorrow, this instant! Six years from now. I’ll marry you whenever you like, if you forgive me.’ She covered his face with kisses.

‘I forgive you – and I think August is still a good time, especially as this place is so incredible.’

‘Shall we go and tell everyone the good news? And thank Max, of course.’

She saw the light of passion fill his eyes and the devilish smile that she knew and loved so well, return to his lips.

‘In about half an hour,’ he said pulling her even closer, ‘we’ve got a lot more kissing and making up to do first.’

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Max arrived at Becky’s at seven-thirty the next morning laden with presents for Lily.

‘Happy birthday Lily,’ he said depositing them on the floor near the sofa.

‘Max! You shouldn’t have bought so many!’ Becky said, her eyes filling with tears.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her softly. ‘I know. But it’s not every day a little princess turns five, is it Lily?’

Lily beamed up at him, a look of astonishment on her cherubic face. ‘Are they all for me?’ she asked in disbelief.

‘Yes. They’re from mummy and me,’ he said winking at Becky.

‘No they’re – ’Becky began.

Max shook his head at her. ‘Yes they are.’ He knew what she was going to say and he didn’t want Lily to think that he had bought her more presents than her mother. He wasn’t sure if little girls really noticed things like that but he didn’t want to risk it.

‘Oh Max!’ Becky said wrapping her arms tightly around him. ‘Thank you so much. I don’t know what to say.’

‘Don’t say anything. There’s no need. A very large mug of coffee will be ample thanks. I’ve got the “hangover from hell”. And a couple of headache tablets would be good too.’

Becky grinned at him. ‘Oh dear. One of those nights was it? How did things go with Lizzie and Jack? Were you drinking in celebration or commiseration?’

She headed into the kitchen and he followed her.

‘Celebration. The wedding’s back on.’

‘Thank heavens for that.’ Becky poured him a mug of coffee, handed him two headache pills then slid her arm through his and led him back into the sitting room.

Lily had just unwrapped a toy pony and her screams of excitement tore through Max.

He winced. ‘You were right,’ he said. ‘We shouldn’t have bought her so many. I’m not sure my head will take more than two of shrieks of delight.’ He smiled, in spite of the pain in his forehead.

‘You have no one to blame but yourself – on both counts. The presents and the headache.’ Becky grinned at him. ‘But because you were wonderfully kind,’ she whispered, ‘and said the presents were from both of us, I’ll lavish you with sympathy.’