The Lie of Love (9 page)

Darcy frowned. She could have
said that in a year the previous night was the only time
Ged
had put his children to bed, and that far from getting drunk as he had accused,
she was at Amanda’s house with Julia making plans for the next few months of
events, that they only had a couple of glasses of wine as they worked, at
Amanda’s insistence. But she realised that her words would be wasted and there
was no point in souring the mood of the morning for her children as well as for
her and
Ged
.  ‘I didn’t
mean anything by it,’ she said instead. ‘It was good of you to take charge of
bedtime last night as I was busy with the campaign.’

He turned to her and forced a
smile. ‘I suppose I can’t complain if it means more bake sales. I could
definitely eat more leftover stock.’

‘I’ll make some for you today,’
Darcy said, relieved that the awkward moment was over. ‘We can have apple
crumble after tea if you like.’

‘Sounds good to
me.’
He placed a plate of toast in front of each child and kissed Darcy
on the cheek. ‘I’ve got to hurry in today so I’d better get ready, but I’ll be
looking forward to that crumble later on.’

After a frantic school run, Darcy
arrived home and changed straight into her tracksuit and a pair of dusty
trainers dragged from under the bed.  It hadn’t seemed like a good time to
mention to
Ged
that one of
her ideas the previous night had been to enter a local ten kilometre run to
help raise some sponsorship money. She knew what
Ged’s
reaction would be to the idea, and what her reaction would be to his scoffing that
she couldn’t run more than ten metres without passing out. But she was
determined, now that the idea had been given life, to go through with it. She
had decided that she would train for a while in secret, and then break it to
Ged
when she was good enough to
prove his doubts wrong.

Just as she was heading for the
front door, the phone in the hallway rang. With an impatient sigh, Darcy halted
to answer it.

‘Mrs Blake?’ the suave voice at the
other end of the line asked.

‘Yes.’

‘I’m Ethan Reeves, from the
Echo
…
I wondered if you would be able to chat to me about your fundraising activities
some time. I’d like to run a feature in the paper about it.’

‘Um… sure, of
course.
When were you thinking?’

‘I can pop over to yours today if
you like.’

‘The kids will be at school,’
Darcy said, ‘so if you wanted photos…’

‘That’s ok. I can come to do the
words and our photographer can come any time you like to get some shots. Would
that be ok?’

The thought of another interview
was like torture, but she knew that it could only be a good thing for Sophie’s
cause. ‘That would be great,’ she said with forced enthusiasm.

‘Fantastic. How are you fixed
this afternoon?’

Darcy paused for a moment. He had
thrown her a lifeline. Perhaps by this afternoon she could enlist some support
in the form of Amanda. ‘This afternoon is good.
About two?’

‘Great. Let
me have your address and I’ll see you then.’

After managing a mile and returning home dripping with sweat
and red-faced, Darcy stripped and showered and phoned Amanda immediately. 
As soon as Amanda answered the phone, Darcy realised that she should have
called before she went out for her run, but she was so afraid that any tiny
excuse would deter her from even venturing out for exercise that she had made
the decision to go out no matter what and deal with everything else when she
got back.

‘I’m sorry, darling, but I have a
dentist appointment this afternoon and it’s just too late to cancel it now.’

‘Right…’ Darcy said, a vague
sense of dread washing over her. ‘It’s just that…. it’s alright, I can manage.’

‘I know you can. But if you’re
after a bit of moral support, perhaps Julia can help.’

Darcy paused as she mulled over
the possibility. Perhaps that wasn’t such a bad idea. ‘I’ll phone her, see if
she’s free. She knows loads about what’s coming up for us and she is really
good at talking.’

‘By which you mean she never
shuts up,’ Amanda laughed.

‘Of course not,’ Darcy grinned.
‘But she does rather like the sound of her own voice, and I mean that in the
nicest possible way.’

‘So do
I
,’
Amanda said. ‘Let me know how you get on with your reporter.’

‘I will.’

Julia had been only too pleased to be involved, and so, just
after two o’clock Darcy sat at her kitchen table with her and Ethan Reeves – a
man who looked every bit as suave and silver fox-like as his voice had
suggested – nursing a mug of tea each and a plate of fairy cakes between
them.  A brief introduction to the cause and to Sophie and her family followed,
where Julia put the subject back on course whenever Darcy forgot what she meant
to say or didn’t quite make it clear. Then the subject of Harry’s lifeguard
Olympics came up.  As Ethan listened, his eyes began to shine. Clearly, he
was intrigued by this particular event.

‘It sounds fantastic,’ he
enthused. ‘And you say they already have permission to do this all on the
beach?’

Julia nodded. ‘Anyone can come
along and watch, we only ask that they leave donations in the buckets that will
be going around.’

‘Your son has organised all
this?’ Ethan asked as he scribbled on a pad.

‘Yes.’

‘And his name is…’

‘Harry Simmons.’

‘I’d love to come down to the
event and chat to some of the lifeguards, Harry included of course, bring a photographer,
that sort of thing.’

‘Of course,’ Darcy said as Julia
nodded in agreement. ‘I think that’s a great idea.’ Even Darcy, as publicity
shy as she was, knew a good PR stunt when she saw one. That sort of coverage
could give
Sophie’s Steps
a real boost.

‘Brilliant,’ he said, flipping
onto a clean page of his pad. ‘I think then, I will just do a small write up
for now, and then we’ll save the bigger feature for that day, make more of a
splash. Would you be agreeable to that?’ he asked, looking at Darcy.

‘Absolutely,’ Darcy said, more
than a little relieved that the spotlight would doubtless be taken off her
somewhat in the face of all those lithe young bodies leaping about on
Lyme
Regis’s tiny stretch of imported sand.

‘You’ll mention the Olympic day
in the paper beforehand, won’t you?’ Julia asked. ‘Help to drum up a little bit
of support? We’d appreciate the help.’

‘No problem.’ Ethan reached for
his mug and took a sip. ‘You can be sure that the
Echo
loves to get
behind a good local cause and we’ll support you as much as we can.’

Darcy pushed the plate of cakes
towards him. ‘That would be so helpful. I just know that with your assistance
we can reach that target so much quicker.’

‘Absolutely.
And if it helps more, we’ll add a link for your donation page to our
website,
see if we can’t get you some casual donations that
way.’

Darcy beamed at him.
‘Really?
That would be incredible. Thank you so much.’

‘No… thank you,’ Ethan
smiled.  ‘After all, without people like you I’d have no stories to
write.’

‘I never thought about it like
that.’

‘People
don’t.’ Ethan checked his watch and drained his cup. ‘I need to be off to my
next appointment. So I’ll just get the details of the Olympics and I’ll see you
there.’

The forecast had given rain, but although a sparse layer of
smoky-grey cloud scudded across the bay and out to sea, not a drop had been
felt on the beach and the day was balmy.  Harry had said, as he, Julia,
Amanda and Darcy studied the sky together, that he was glad it wasn’t red hot
anyway; the weather they had today was the best sort to race up and down in.
 Darcy tried not to think about him sweating, topless in the sun as she
watched him, eyes trained on the horizon as he spoke. They had been the first
to arrive at the beach ready to set up, but as they organised collection
points, prizes and the council officials who turned up shortly afterwards, the
rest of the participants of the Olympics, along with a steadily growing crowd
of curious onlookers, began to fill the sand.  That particular stretch of
the beach was always busier on any normal day, being much softer on the feet
than the shingle that formed the town’s natural beach, but today promised to
really challenge the space.  As she watched the day come to life, Darcy
felt a thrill of anticipation. This promised to be their most successful
venture yet if the early signs were anything to go by.  

‘Harry’s got all the actual
sports stuff covered,’ Julia said. Darcy glanced across the sand where he had a
crowd of orange-clad colleagues standing around him listening to instructions.
She never failed to be impressed by his easy charm and confidence, qualities
which he was displaying in spades now.  Julia’s voice brought her back to
earth. ‘So all we need to worry about is collecting from the crowds.’

‘Don’t forget that Ethan is
coming down,’ Darcy reminded her. ‘I might be busy with him for a little while…
that’s if
Ged
shows up with
the kids like he promised. I don’t see how we’re going to do a family photo
without him.’

‘Don’t worry,’ Amanda said, ‘they
can do wonders with Photoshop these days.’

‘I think he’ll want some of Harry
and the other lifeguards too, so the paper can always use those if necessary,’
Julia agreed.

‘He should just come anyway,’
Darcy muttered, feeling her optimism dissipate even as she spoke. ‘What sort of
husband wouldn’t?’

‘He’ll be here,’ Amanda said in a
reassuring tone. ‘Have a little faith.’

‘I expect Sophie and Jake are
desperate to come,’ Julia added. ‘I can’t imagine he’ll get much peace if he
doesn’t bring them down at some point to see the fun and games.’

‘You’re right,’ Darcy said. ‘I’m
being silly.’  Her attention was drawn to Harry, who was making his way
back towards them. His dark hair was tousled, obviously not even combed that
morning, tracksuit top zipped right up, teamed with his regulation shorts and a
pair of battered trainers worn without socks. The whole effect was effortless
sex-appeal.  Darcy noticed admiring glances from one or two female
colleagues and a few onlookers who had gathered, and she could see why.

‘I’ve persuaded Mark to do the
commentary and announcements,’ he said airily. ‘Not that it took much…. Any
excuse
to hear
his own voice,’ he added with a grin.
Darcy imagined that a tiny amount of persuasion from Harry would usually take
him a long way, no matter who the subject of his persuasive powers was. 
‘I’ve got a list of the events if you need one…’

Julia nodded.
‘Might
be a good idea.’

‘Right, I’ll get one…’ Turning on
his heel, Harry sprinted up the beach to the lifeguard hut. Moments later, he
returned, brandishing a sheet of paper which he offered to his mother.

‘Body Board race… Dinghy pulling…
hundred metre
dash
…’ she read the first few events out
loud and then handed the list to Darcy, who ran her gaze down it, with Amanda
looking over her shoulder.

‘Sounds like the day is going to
be a hoot,’ Amanda grinned. ‘I’m particularly keen to see the Sandcastle Long
Jump.’

‘I thought of that one.’ Harry
rubbed a hand through his hair with a sheepish smile. ‘You have to build a
sandcastle first, jump it, and then keep building them further away until you
can’t clear them… Not exactly your average Olympic event, granted…’

‘Almost makes me wish I was
taking part,’ Amanda said.
‘Almost…. but not quite.’

‘You know that any form of
physical activity makes you come out in a rash,’ Darcy said with a sly sideways
look.

‘Alas, so
true.’
Amanda smoothed a hand over her pencil skirt.  As usual, she
was dressed outrageously inappropriately for her current surroundings, but
where other people would look silly in heels on a sandy beach, Amanda still
managed to look glamorous, as if stilettos on sand was the most natural and
sensible choice of footwear in the world. ‘It’s lucky my surgeon does the job
that a treadmill does for other women.’

‘And that
Howie
is happy to foot the bill,’ Darcy said.

‘Naturally.’

Harry grinned. ‘Well, I think you
look amazing…’ as Amanda shot him her most radiant smile, his gaze travelled
the group of women, coming to rest on Darcy. ‘You all do, of course,’ he said,
his eyes locking onto hers. His expression seemed to have
an
intensity
, a hunger that was suddenly unnerving. Darcy found herself
flustered under the weight of his stare, all at once lost in it but terrified
that the meaning would be obvious to anyone catching the exchange. She had
thought lots of times that he was flirting with her, and she had put the idea
firmly out of her mind as nonsense, but this time there was no mistaking the
lust in his eyes.

Darcy forced a self-conscious
laugh. ‘You should see me first thing in the morning; your opinion would soon
change.’

‘I doubt it,’ Harry replied, his
fearless gaze continuing to consume her.

‘You’ve not seen anything until
you’ve seen the state of Harry in the morning,’ Julia cut in, breaking the
spell of the moment. Darcy looked across at her. She seemed relaxed and
unaffected by the conversation. Perhaps, Darcy mused, she was so certain that
her son was a good Christian boy who would date appropriately and marry a
suitable girl from their own church that it didn’t even occur to her to
question such an overt display of flirting.  But if Harry had worn a sign
declaring his desire to know Darcy in a way that was distinctly biblical, he
couldn’t have made it more obvious in her eyes. And knowing that she felt the
same was dangerous, like walking through a field of hidden mines – one step off
the path and both lives would be blown to kingdom come.  She had to be the
voice of reason here, she had the family, the reputation, the friends,
everything she had built during her life; she had it all to lose.  All
Harry had to guide him was his inexperience and his libido – not a combination
likely to guide him to safety.