Miranda's Big Mistake - Jill Mansell [76]
Danny, sitting back down next to Chloe, took off his sunglasses.
`We've been working out the best methods of revenge. Chloe thinks you should let her answer the door.'
`Like in one of those creepy movies,' Chloe explained, `where I say, "Miranda? Miranda who? I'm sorry, there's nobody by that name living here, this is my house."'
`Gaslight.' Florence clasped her hands with relish. `Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman. Such a good film.'
`Who cut your hair?' said Miranda, momentarily distracted.
`Darling, what a question! You did, of course, just before you passed out.'
`What? My God, did I really?'
Florence barked with laughter. `While you were nineteen sheets to the wind? What do you think I am, completely loopy? Fenn did it.'
Oh yes, Miranda vaguely remembered that happening now. She must have passed out before the end.
`It's great. Suits you.'
Florence preened; she already knew that.
`Anyway, we're not so sure Greg will actually believe he's going round the twist,' Chloe told Miranda, `but Danny's come up with another brilliant idea-'
`Look, don't you think you're all being a bit mean?' Every head abruptly swivelled in Bev's direction. There was a brief, astonished silence.
`Don't look at me like that.' Bev's tone was defiant. `I'm just saying it doesn't seem very fair. You're ganging up on him because he didn't tell Miranda he was married, but she didn't tell me she was seeing Greg, did she?'
Miranda stared at her. Was Bev seriously leaping to Greg's defence?
`That was because I didn't want to hurt your feelings!' `So?' Bev retaliated. `Maybe he didn't want to hurt yours.'
`He's asked me to move in with him! Don't you think it's about time he took the risk?'
`Don't squeal at me.' Bev sounded cross. `I'm just saying, you liked him a lot. Up until this morning you were ready to move in with him!'
`And?' said Miranda.
`I think you should give him one last chance to tell you, that's all. He might be gearing himself up for it. Teetering on the brink, that kind of thing.'
`Shame he couldn't teeter on the edge of a high building,' Chloe heard Danny, next to her, murmur under his breath.
Chapter 32
The last time Miranda had done any real acting, she'd been one half of a pushmi-pullyu in the school production of Dr Dolittle. Then, she'd tripped over her tail and fallen off the stage.
Now, acting for all she was worth, she was making the discovery that pretending to be normal was far harder than being the rear end of a pushmi-pullyu.
`… I just can't get over how easy it was! It's so silly, I should have done it weeks ago. Bev was brilliant, she understood completely-'
`That's great,' said Greg, `but you've hardly eaten a thing.'
`Sorry.' Miranda gave her Thai crab cake a feeble prod with her fork. `Still hungover, I suppose, from lunchtime. It goes to show, though, doesn't it? Honesty's the best policy. All that secrecy for no reason at all. Why couldn't I have just come straight out and told her the truth in the first place?'
Gently, Greg leaned across the table and took the fork from her hand.
`If you aren't hungry, leave it. I won't be offended. And I'm really pleased the Bev thing's sorted out, but could we talk about something else now?' His grey eyes crinkled atthe corners as he squeezed Miranda's twitching fingers. `Like us?'
It's like that film The Stepford Wives, Miranda thought, where the woman suddenly realises all the other women are really robots. She was here talking to Greg but he was no longer her Greg. He was Chloe's husband, father of Chloe's baby, and he had announced he was leaving her the moment Chloe had discovered she was pregnant.
`Us?'
`I want to be with you. I want to know when you're going to move in with me.'
Despite everything, a lump sprang into Miranda's throat. He was still Greg on the outside, that was the trouble. He was handsome and he loved her and men like that didn't come along every day.
Oh God, it wasn't easy, discovering that the man in your life