The Exciting Life (20 page)

Annie
slept little that night. Whilst it was nice to be back in the
country, and not have to try and sleep with the sound of buses
going past her window and people spilling out of clubs and bars,
shouting and disturbing her. She was so full after the five course
meal that they’d been served that evening, and it felt strange
sleeping alone that she couldn’t settle. Of course she and Eddie
didn’t live together - it wasn’t the done thing, but Eddie stayed
over at her flat most nights; or on occasion she would stay at his,
and the bed felt cold and empty without him. Added to this, her
head was pounding and if she sat up, she felt dizzy. If she laid
down, her head pounded more and she felt like crying.

In the
end, she gave up and went to the desk in the corner of the room.
She pulled down the flap and took her book of sketches from the bag
on the floor. Fiona had made a few changes to a couple of the
designs and Annie made notes about how to go about accommodating
them. Anything was better than having to contend with her racing
mind. She’d never felt these weird symptoms before, and like any
woman would, she couldn’t help but wonder if she was pregnant. She
hadn’t had a period since she’d spent that night with Patrick a few
weeks ago, which meant she should have been due around now; but she
had none of the usual symptoms. Her belly wasn’t swollen and her
legs didn’t ache. Her breasts were tender but that was about it.
She didn’t normally feel sick and dizzy with it.

Annie
didn’t even want to think about being pregnant. For one, it
couldn’t have come at a worst time. Her business was only just
taking off and having a baby would hold her back; and two, the only
time she’d not had sex recently without wearing her cap, was with
Patrick. What if she told him he was the father and the baby came
out looking just like Eddie? Or what if she convinced Eddie it was
his and it came out with red hair? No, it was just too horrible to
contemplate, and she put it to the back of her mind. She convinced
herself that her weird symptoms were merely down to everything that
had happened. A holiday and a thorough rest would do her the world
of good and she’d get back to normal in no time.

She
finally crawled into bed at 3am and fell asleep. When she awoke
again at just gone 8am, the most horrendous wave of nausea swept
over her, followed by deep-set panic. She wanted to go back to
London and go to Mandy and cry on her shoulder. Mandy was good at
dealing with things like this. She’d know what Annie should do to
sort it all out. Maybe a little man in Harley Street who was quick
and discreet; or some Chinese herbalist in Limehouse who could cook
up a potion to get things moving. It was ironic because all the
time she’d been with Mario, she’d longed to become a mother, but it
never happened. Now she had two possible fathers for her baby and
she was hoping and praying it was a false alarm.

That
morning she went to church for the first time in ages. As the Duke
and Duchess, Fiona and Roland were expected to attend the Sunday
Service when they were at home, and so they went to the little
chapel on the outskirts of the estate, where the villagers all
packed in – most of them eager to get a glimpse of the newlyweds.
Eddie was fortunate enough to get out of it. As a Jew he felt it
inappropriate to attend an Anglican church and so remained at the
house; making phonecalls to his various acts who’d performed at
Saturday night showcases the night before.

Sitting
listening to the vicar give his sermon took Annie back to her
childhood and having to attend church with Nesta, Michael and
Kenneth. Her brother always had a morbid fascination with anything
religious and by the time he was a teenager, unlike most boys who
would have tried to persuade his guardians to allow him to go into
town to go to the pub; Kenneth became verger at the local church.
Annie was positive he would have been happier if he’d not taken
over Tanner Beresford and had become a priest instead.

They got
back to the house and Fiona called down for lunch to be served out
on the terrace. Annie was glad. She needed some fresh air after
being cooped up in that church all morning. She still felt so
wretched, and as she ate the smoked salmon sandwiches and drank the
elderflower cordial, she could feel everything battling to come
back out.

‘
You alright Annie love?’ Eddie asked. ‘You look
peaky.’

‘
I said the same thing to her yesterday,’ Fiona joined in. ‘She
needs a holiday.’

‘
Do you fancy getting away somewhere?’ Eddie smiled, reaching
out and taking Annie’s hand. ‘We could go anywhere you
like.’

‘
I was thinking of going to Switzerland to see Aunt Nesta,’ she
replied. ‘I can’t expect you to keep taking holidays with
me.’

‘
I’m the boss of my company!’ he laughed. ‘I can do as I
like.’

‘
I’ll be fine,’ she said, trying not to snap. ‘This weekend
away will probably do me fine.’

‘
Why don’t we go for a walk this afternoon?’ Eddie suggested.
‘I reckon we could make it down to the cliffs.’

‘
What a splendid idea,’ Roland said. ‘While you’re gone, we’ll
make sure a lavish afternoon tea is laid on for you before you make
your journey home.’

Annie
smiled sweetly but wished she could go home. She was so tired and
dizzy, the last thing she wanted was to have an afternoon walk with
Eddie, but she knew she couldn’t protest. To do so would just
arouse suspicion and until she knew what was happening, she had to
behave as normally as possible.

The walk
to the cliff was bracing. Even though it was a hot summer's day, a
chill wind blew in from the sea and the nearer they got, the more
convinced Annie was that she could feel salty sea spray on her
face. It was strangely refreshing and she enjoyed it. Eddie held on
tightly to her hand, and she felt protected by him. That was the
thing about Eddie. He made her feel safe, in a way no man ever had
before. Patrick was like Mario - he had an air of danger. Whereas
Eddie was mature and dependable and would do anything for her, and
she loved him for that.

‘
It’s amazing to think this was the first thing my grandparents
would have seen when they got to England,’ Eddie said, standing and
staring out at the sea.

‘
Wouldn’t they have sailed into Dover?’ Annie
quipped.

‘
Yeah, well it’s all white cliffs ain’t it? Who’d have thought
their grandson would one day be the guest of the Duke of
Loxborough?’ He put his arm around Annie’s shoulder and pulled her
to him, kissing the top of her head. ‘And it’s all thanks to
you.’

‘
Don’t be silly,’ she replied. ‘You were a success long before
you met me.’

‘
Yeah, but being with you has given me the drive to do even
better. I want to give you the world.’

She
looked up into that craggy face and wished she felt the same way
about him. They were so comfortable with each other, but the
feeling wasn’t there that she shared with Patrick. Even after him
rejecting her, she still wanted him. Sometimes she wondered why
love made people act so stupidly.

Eddie
let go of her and stepped back. Annie could only stand and watch in
horror as he took something from his trouser pocket and got down on
one knee. She cringed inside, terrified of what was going to happen
next.

‘
I know we haven’t been together long,’ he said. ‘But I love
you. It’s taken me thirty-nine years to meet someone so special and
I’m glad it’s you. I want you to be my partner in life as well as
my partner in business. Will you marry me Annie?’

What did
she say? If she turned him down there was a chance he would
withdraw his money from the purchase of the Dagenham factory. But
what if she accepted and she was pregnant with Patrick’s baby? How
would she fob a ginger haired baby off as Eddie’s?

His face
fell. She’d paused for too long.

‘
Well?’ he asked.

‘
Okay,’ she replied.

‘
You’ll marry me?’

‘
Yes,’ she smiled.

‘
Oh Annie,’ he gasped, standing up and pulling her to him. ‘Oh
my darling. Thank you. I’ll make you the happiest girl on earth, I
promise.’

He eased
her away and took hold of her left hand. He slipped the ring onto
her finger. It was a beautiful solitaire on a shiny gold band and
fitted perfectly. Eddie raised her hand to his lips and kissed the
engagement ring.

‘
I love you Mrs Glass to be,’ he laughed.

‘
I love you too,’ she replied quietly.

‘
Come on,’ he said, putting his arm around her shoulder. ‘Let’s
go and tell Fiona and Roland.’

Afternoon tea was replaced by champagne, as the four of them
raised a toast to Annie and Eddie’s engagement. Annie faked a smile
and got on with it. At the end of the day, an engagement wasn’t as
concrete as a wedding, and maybe once they got back to London they
could talk about it and postpone things.

The
champagne had a terrible effect on Annie, and as they stood on the
veranda, she felt the most overwhelming need to vomit. Quickly
excusing herself, she ran from the veranda and through the house
and up the stairs, just making it to one of the bathrooms on the
first floor, and was sick into the toilet. This was followed by
violent shaking from head to toe and she had to sit on the bath and
steady herself. Fiona appeared in the doorway, a worried frown on
her face.

‘
Are you alright?’ she asked.

‘
Yeah,’ Annie replied. ‘I’ll be fine.’

Fiona
flushed the toilet, washed her hands then came and sat beside
Annie, putting her arm around her shoulder.

‘
Are you having to get married?’ she asked outright.

Annie
looked at her.

‘
What?’

‘
Are you pregnant? Is that why you and Eddie are getting
married?’

‘
He doesn’t know anything about it. I’ve only started getting
symptoms today. I’m not even sure if I am.’

‘
I’m in pretty much the same boat as you,’ Fiona said. ‘I had
it confirmed with my doctor on Friday?’

‘
You’re pregnant?’

She
nodded.

‘
Not a word to anyone though. We’ve got to tell Roland’s mother
when she comes back from Australia in October. Then we can tell
everyone else.’

‘
Congratulations.’

‘
You need to get yourself to a doctor Annie. Get it confirmed
and get Eddie to the register office before anyone can
tell.’

‘
I guess you’re right,’ Annie sighed. ‘I hope I’m not. It’s the
last thing I need.’

‘
But you and Eddie are getting married. It would work out okay.
I must have got pregnant before Roland and I married, but no one
will ever know. People get so confused about dates and
things.’

‘
I suppose so.’

To
Annie’s absolute mortification, Eddie had found her and was
standing in the doorway, a puzzled look on his face.

‘
What’s going on here?’ he asked.

‘
Annie’s just feeling a bit sick,’ Fiona said, rubbing Annie on
the back. ‘She’ll be down in a minute.’

Eddie
came into the room and sat on the toilet, leaning forward and
looking at Annie.

‘
Are you okay darling?’ he asked. ‘You look really
pale.’

‘
I’ll be fine,’ she said through gritted teeth. ‘Just go
downstairs Eddie.’

‘
Alright. You’ll be well enough for the car journey
home?’

‘
Yes.’

‘
Okay. I’ll see you in a minute.’

He got
up and left the room and Fiona hugged Annie once more.

‘
Why don’t you wash your face and come downstairs? I’ll get Mrs
Elms to make you a nice cup of tea before your journey.

Even the
delicious cup of tea made by the housekeeper wasn’t enough to stop
Annie feeling sick, and as she and Eddie sat in the car heading
back to London, she had to keep taking deep breaths to stop herself
from throwing up. She hoped Eddie didn’t want to come home with
her. She needed some time by herself to come to terms with
everything before she made her next move.

‘
You’re not keeping something from me are you?’ Eddie asked her
all of a sudden, as they drove through Redhill.

‘
What do you mean?’ Annie uttered, scared he had some suspicion
about what had happened with Patrick.

‘
You and Fiona. You looked very close in that bathroom, like
you were confiding in her about something. You’ve been a bit quiet
and peaky this weekend. You’re not pregnant are you?’

‘
Of course not,’ she blushed. ‘I’m over-worked, that’s all. I
just need a holiday.’

‘
Because if you were, we could bring the wedding forward so no
one would know.’

‘
There’s no need because I’m not pregnant,’ she insisted. ‘And
I’d prefer it if we got married next year.’

‘
You don’t seem very excited about it.’

‘
You just sprung it on me Eddie. I’ve a lot on my plate,
without having to organise a wedding as well.’

‘
I know, I’m sorry. I’m just excited about finally getting
married. But I understand you need a break. We need to get you away
somewhere. I’ve a friend with a private jet. He’ll fly us to
Switzerland.’