E for England (21 page)

‘We used to have all of that.' Was he mad? Or was she? Some of what he was saying was making sense. ‘And what about you? What about your boyfriends?'

‘Or yours,' he fired back. ‘We can be discreet. But you said you don't have anyone else. Unless this Hugh is a contender.' He chuckled smugly.

‘He's a friend and you haven't answered my question. What about your boyfriends? Do you have someone?'

‘Not specially.'

But the way he said it and the way his glance slid away from her to follow the children made her wonder. She'd thought she knew the man, now she knew she didn't. He'd kept a major part of himself from her, not even able to broach his secret with her when it became impossible for him to bear. How could she entrust that most important part of her life — her children — to him?

Leonie, newly home from Tokyo, was horrified. ‘You're not seriously considering it, are you?'

‘Some of it makes sense. We'd be sharing a house, that's all. We did it before, when the kids were babies.'

‘I don't believe it.' She slumped onto the couch with her glass of wine balanced precariously on her stomach. ‘I can't believe you'd actually live with the guy again. And under those insane circumstances.'

‘It might work.'

‘Surely you can find something else.'

‘At least if he's living there I know he'll pay his share of the rent.'

‘He didn't before! You don't need that man, Annie! You don't need any man. You're managing perfectly well on your own.'

‘Only thanks to you and when you leave… I don't think I am managing very well.'

‘You are! You haven't said yes, have you?'

‘No.' But she was teetering. The way the property market looked at the moment she'd have to share and if she had to do that who better to share with than Kevin? If she refused his offer he might refuse to pay anything at all. She couldn't risk being evicted again.

‘Thank God for that.'

Enough! ‘Look it's easy enough for you to talk, Leonie, it doesn't affect you but this is reality for me. I have to find a home for my children and if it means sharing with their father for a while, then maybe that's what I'll have to do. It would only be until I can finish my MBA.'

‘Annie, Annie, Annie. Listen to yourself.' Leonie's arm waved wildly. ‘He's manipulating you again. He doesn't want a divorce and he wants the world to think he's a happy family man because he's too scared to come out. He's using you as his cover and I bet he blames you for the split. He'll tell people you want the divorce, implying it's all your fault.'

He'd already done that with the children. ‘Mummy wants a divorce.' Her anger fizzled and died extinguished by cold hard facts. Leonie wasn't a successful lawyer for no reason. ‘What do you suggest I do?'

‘Look for a house and if you need to, find someone to share. Someone neutral.'

‘I have looked but it's expensive and finding someone to share will be hard. Hugh offered but I don't think he really meant it. He was just being supportive.'

‘E for England Hugh?' Leonie sat upright, eyebrows raised like symmetrical drawbridges.

Annie nodded.

‘Been getting on well, have you?' The drawbridges lowered. A suspicious gleam shone in her eye now.

‘He's turned into a good friend.'

‘But nothing else?' The gleam became a suggestive leer.

‘The last thing I need is another man and the last thing he wants is children.' But he'd kissed her like a potential lover.

‘I wonder why.'

‘Why what?'

‘Why he doesn't want children. He likes yours — but then so do I and I don't want children either.'

‘Maybe it's the same reason. Doesn't want the responsibility.' Too selfish, in other words.

‘Could be. There are plenty of men like that around.'

‘Whatever it is, it's immaterial to me because he's just a friend.'

‘In that case you won't mind if I have another crack at him while I'm here. E is still an empty space.' Leonie laughed and stood up. She stretched her arms overhead. ‘I'd better go and sort some more stuff out. What a pain moving is.'

A sick lump settled in Annie's stomach. E for England. Surely Hugh wouldn't succumb. But Leonie was leaving soon, she was cheerfully unconstrained by morals and clear about her intentions. He'd tried Annie and been turned down. He was a man, why wouldn't he?

Hugh answered the door after dinner the following evening. James lounged on the couch refusing to move, eyes glued to some inane reality TV show. Maybe moving out wouldn't be such a bad idea after all. He and James had completely different lifestyles and interests. The three year age gap seemed wider than ever, and although James' friends were pleasant enough Hugh just wasn't into going out every other night and sitting in bars drinking and shouting over too loud, thumping, tuneless music. He much preferred the night out with Leonie's friends at the jazz club, and even more than that the quiet evenings with Annie upstairs, talking, drinking tea and eating cake.

Maybe this was Annie at the door. His heart rate climbed a notch before he realised it was too late for her to be gadding around the building visiting neighbours. Unless there was something wrong. Knickers in the oleanders again? He chuckled under his breath and opened the door.

‘Hi Hugh.'

‘Leonie!' Her arms whipped around him and soft lips landed on his in a smoochy kiss. ‘You're back.' He swallowed and gulped for air after the onslaught of warm, inviting female. As usual she looked stunning in jeans and a formfitting red t-shirt with Japanese characters on it.

‘I am but only for a few days. Got back yesterday. Did Annie tell you I'm moving to Tokyo? I came to say hello and goodbye in case I missed you later.'

‘Yes, she did. Come in. Have you met James?'

James craned his neck over the back of the couch to see who was visiting. His eyes lit up at the sight of Leonie's blonde beauty sashaying down the hallway. He bounced to his feet, hand outstretched.

‘Hello.'

She held his hand for a fraction too long, assessing him and his masculine attributes with an expert eye. ‘Hello James, Leonie from upstairs. How come we've never met?'

‘I've no idea.'

Hugh clamped down on the smirk threatening to take over his face. ‘Like a drink, Leonie? James?'

‘Love one, thanks.' She flashed him a smile but her eyes returned to James who was ushering her to a seat on the couch. He sat next to her. A lamb snuggling up to the tiger. Except he was no lamb — more like two tigers.

‘Red wine okay?'

‘Lovely.'

Hugh uncorked the bottle they'd opened with dinner and poured two glasses. He was on call so no more for him.

‘When are you leaving?'

She smiled. ‘Thanks. On Sunday. I'm in the middle of a case over there so I can't stay here long. I'll be back in about a month to finish things off.'

‘Big move.'

‘Yes, it is. You did it though, moving from London.'

‘Yes but I sold just about everything and only brought essentials like clothes, CDs and books.'

‘I moved here from Adelaide,' said James. ‘But I didn't have much, either. Can you speak Japanese?'

‘Yes. What do you do, James? Are you a doctor, too?'

‘No. I work in finance. I'm with Shelley and Robbins. Insurance.'

She nodded. ‘That's what I do except I'm on the legal side of it. Claims. I'm a lawyer.'

‘Really? Who do you work for?'

Hugh sat back. Insurance. How excruciatingly dull. But these two seemed fascinated by it — or each other. Now he thought about it, they were kindred spirits. Both liked partying and socialising, both liked insurance, both liked the opposite sex, neither wanted a permanent partner yet.

James said, ‘Like to go out while you're here?'

‘What did you have in mind?'

‘Dinner? Lunch, brunch? Something else?'

A slow sexy smile curled her mouth. She nodded at him over the rim of her wine glass. ‘I only have a couple of days.'

‘We'd better not waste any time.' James grinned and clinked his glass against hers.

Hugh's phone buzzed. Thank goodness for that. Much more of this and he'd have to invent an excuse to go out or go to bed with a headache. Nothing like being third wheel on a bike.

‘Sorry.' He scooped up the phone and headed for the bedroom.

‘He's on call,' said James.

‘What a pain that would be,' said Leonie. ‘When I finish work I want to enjoy myself not have to go back at random times. Especially if something more interesting is developing.'

He recognised that tone in her voice. Hugh closed his bedroom door.

‘Popping down for a minute to say goodbye to Hugh.' That's what Leonie had said. If that was a minute Annie was Cleopatra.

She poured more tea, glanced at the clock. Five forty. Plenty of time for once. That's what a sleepless night did for you. Got you up early because your brain was too wired to shut down. Matt and Floss weren't awake; neither was the sun, although a pinkish glow indicated dawn wasn't far off.

Two o'clock she'd come in. Two o'clock! What on earth could she and Hugh have talked about till that hour? He had to work. So did James. Had he stayed up with them? He'd probably been out most of the evening. Hugh said he went out a lot. What could they possibly have found to talk about till two in the morning? Leonie had gone down there at about eight. Six hours. Of what? Talk? Not if Leonie could help it. She preferred action.

Had E for England succumbed? Perhaps she could sneak a peek at the chart. But Leonie might not have filled it in last night. A blank E may not mean anything. Could she? Should she?

Definitely not.

Annie crept down the hall and stood outside Leonie's door. Not latched, slightly ajar. She pushed it wider and peered in. Leonie was a lump in a bundle of bedclothes. Dead to the world, and no wonder after the evening she'd had. Six hours of action would really take the stuffing out of a girl. It's a wonder she hadn't stayed the night. But that would indicate commitment and Leonie wasn't into that.

One step, two steps. Heavy breathing from the bed. The wardrobe door was shut. Hadn't she said she'd put it in there out of reach of small eyes and gentlemen callers? Annie held her breath and opened the door. Clothes. Shoes lined up in orderly rows on the floor. Empty top shelf. Packed already? No chart. She shut the door.

Leonie rolled over. Annie darted for the door, hair prickling on the back of her neck. What the hell was she doing?

‘Annie?' Bleary, half asleep.

Annie froze in the doorway, turned slowly. ‘Sorry. Did I wake you?'

‘Mmmph.'

‘Go back to sleep. It's okay.' Her ‘soothing the children' voice.

Rustle, rustle. Heavy sigh, a muttered, ‘Sure?'

‘Yes. Go to sleep. It's early.'

Leonie settled back into oblivion. She closed the door behind her. What a total idiot! If Hugh preferred Leonie, so be it. Annie had more than enough worries without adding that one. The whole thing was a fabrication of her own making anyway.

She cleared her breakfast dishes and set the table for the children. If Kevin worked in the city his office would be closer to the school than hers, he could easily drop them on his way to work. No more before-school care. They could have an extra half hour in bed. She'd save money immediately.

They'd need to look for a house in this area. Maybe Woollahra or Bellevue Hill. A four bedroom terrace with two bathrooms and parking. Cripes. It would cost a fortune. They might have to move further out, move schools after all. Bugger, bugger, bugger.

Six oh five. Still too early to wake them. She'd nip down to the corner shop and get the newspaper and milk.

The air outside had the tang of winter. Crisp and blustery. Only a week or so to go before it was official. Annie hurried along the path, head bent against the wind. A few drops of rain smacked onto the ground, just as forecast last night. Showers intensifying during the day. Winds strengthening to gale force. Great.

‘Good morning.'

Feet in joggers bounced in her view for a moment. She looked up.

‘Hi, James. You're keen.'

‘Got up early. Had trouble sleeping so I thought I might as well make use of the time. You're up early too.' He jogged on the spot, breathing easily, face flushed from the exercise, or the cold.

‘I'm heading for the shop. I don't make a habit of going out at dawn. It's a bit chilly.' She smiled and hugged her arms across her chest, squinted at the lowering sky. ‘And wet.'

‘You have to run to keep warm. See you later. You'll need to sprint before the rain comes.' He laughed, waved and continued for home.

Annie headed for the shop. James obviously hadn't been up half the night doing whatever it was with Leonie. He'd be as groggy as she was if he had been, and he looked way too bright-eyed. Far too much energy.

That left Hugh. Hugh and Leonie. Leonie and Hugh. When that woman set her mind on something or someone she got it. She'd even told Annie that's what her intention was. ‘Have another crack at E for England,' or words to that effect. But she could hardly object. Leonie had asked if the way was clear and received the go-ahead. Enough said. Annie's future was elsewhere. She lifted her face to the biting wind. That way she could barely tell whether the moisture on her cheeks was rain or tears.

At lunchtime she phoned Kevin.

‘I've been thinking about the house.'

‘Good,' he said. ‘What did you think?'

‘We'd need four bedrooms and two bathrooms and it has to be in the Woollahra, Bellevue Hill area so the kids can stay at the same school.'

‘Okay.'

‘It'll cost a bomb.'