Alphabet Weekends - Elizabeth Noble [55]
She told herself she didn’t need to feel bad because nothing would ever happen. They wouldn’t let it. She never would. And she guessed that Alec couldn’t be as wonderful as she thought he was and be the kind of man who would do something like that to his wife. So it was safe, this schoolgirl fantasising. It was harmless. An ego boost, a diversion from the everyday.
They weren’t doing anything wrong. That was what she told herself.
Natalie
Rose was cross with her, and Natalie hated that. They were having brunch with Bridget a few days after the health-farm débâcle, as Rose had insisted on calling it since Natalie had rung her that Sunday afternoon and told her what had happened. Almost all of it. She hadn’t confessed to telling him, en route, that there would be sex. Good job. They were cross enough.
‘It’s no good looking at me with those puppy-dog eyes, Nat. I’m not going to let you off the hook. You had no bloody business kissing him. I don’t care how much Jack Daniel’s you’d had. Am I right. Bridge?’
‘Absolutely. Poor bloke. Take him to some health farm – when you could have taken us, by the way – get him all wound up and not go through with it. Really rotten.’
‘So you’re saying I should have done it?’
‘We’re saying you should never have put yourself in that position in the first place, Nat, not that you should have done something you didn’t want to. But I mean, come on, you were asking for trouble, weren’t you? Two of you in the same hotel room. That’s some dangerous game you’re playing, girlie. What the hell did you think would happen?
‘You two are ganging up on me now.’
‘We’re not seven-year-olds! We’re not ganging up. We just agree that you’ve behaved less than well.’
Natalie knew they were right.
Rose was still talking: ‘We know Simon hurt you, Nat, but that doesn’t give you carte blanche to lumber about doing whatever damage you like to other people.’
‘He said it was okay.’
‘And maybe it is. I don’t know how Tom’s feeling. My point is that you don’t either.’
‘I think she does. A bit,’ Bridget was saying. ‘And I think she quite likes having him lavish attention on her.’
‘Don’t talk about me in the third person, like I wasn’t here. And incidentally, who wouldn’t like having a great bloke lavish attention on them?’
‘Which is all fair enough, so long as no one is getting hurt. And that includes Tom.’
‘I honestly think you’re worrying about nothing.’
Bridget raised her palms in surrender. ‘All right then, if you won’t be told. I wash my hands. I’ve got to go anyway. Karl’ll be wondering where I am. Two children under two for two hours makes him a disagreeable boy. And I’ve got to get nappies on the way home.’
She kissed them both and stood up. ‘How’s Mum?’
Natalie got to her feet too. ‘Better. I’ve been to see her a few times.’
‘She told me. I’ve been over quite a bit, too with the kids. She loves it.’
Natalie was glad Bridget was making the same effort. They hadn’t talked about it, not properly. She remembered something that Bridget had said to her, though, after Christina had been born, that being a mother made you think a lot about being a daughter.
‘Suze is going to come at Easter, isn’t she?’ Bridget said.
‘Far as I know. Mum’s looking forward to it, isn’t she? I think, after Christmas, she really wants us all to be together.’
‘Someone should talk to Suze before she gets there. You know what she can be like.’
Natalie nodded. ‘Mum says she’s the one who’s most like her.’
‘That’s why they spark so much, I suppose.’
‘I’ll talk to her.’
‘Great.’ Bridget kissed her again and urged Rose, over her shoulder, to ‘Talk some sense into her about Tom, will you?’
‘I’ve got a plan, actually,’ Rose smiled.
‘Oh, no.’
‘Oh, yes. I think this alphabet game is fine up to a point, but it seems to me that you need to meet some new people. Peter and I are having a dinner party, and you’re coming, and I’m inviting new people for you to meet alone.’
‘That sounds gruesome.’
‘Thanks a lot.’
‘No, Rosie, you know what I mean. Being set up