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‘You’re wrong! You must see him, Beth, speak to him, try to sort this out. He—’
‘I think that is Beth’s decision, Maggie.’ Matthew’s voice was stern as he came to stand beside his wife, but Maggie didn’t seem at all convinced.
‘Maybe it is. But I’m not wholly certain that she’s capable of making the right decision!’
‘And this isn’t the time nor the place to discuss it.’ He took her arm, steering her away from Beth’s desk towards the door which separated the showroom from the offices. ‘We have an appointment to keep, Maggie. Let’s get that over and done with first and then see what can be done to sort this mess out.’ His tone brooked no argument, his face set into uncompromising lines as he ushered Maggie ahead of him through the door. He paused to glance back at where Beth was sitting ashen-faced. ‘She is right, though, Beth. You have to see David and try to talk this through. I made a mistake a few years back by being stubborn, which almost cost me Maggie. Don’t let that happen to you and David. Pride is a cold and lonely companion, Beth.’
The door swung to and Beth sank back in the chair, feeling her heart thumping in a rhythm that made her feel sick. She didn’t want to try to sort things out by seeing David. She wanted to be left alone and not be reminded of all she’d lost. Nothing that either Maggie or Matthew could say would change what had happened and the way that David had used her. The rift between them now was far too great to be healed by words.
She stood up abruptly, snatching her bag from the drawer. It was almost lunchtime so she would leave the office and pray that they were gone by the time she got back. She couldn’t face a repeat of Maggie’s well-meaning attempts to help, especially in view of the fact that Maggie was at the very heart of what had caused all the trouble.
She walked round for well over an hour, wandering aimlessly along the crowded streets until finally she was forced to go back. Her boss would take a very dim view of her leaving early and then being late back. She couldn’t afford to jeopardise this job when she needed it so much to support herself. In the first couple of weeks after she’d left David she’d been forced through necessity to use some of the money he had paid her, but since she’d got this job she hadn’t touched another penny. She couldn’t bear the thought of taking anything that had been his.
The office was empty when she got back into work and she settled down at her desk with a feeling of relief. It had been such a shock seeing them so unexpectedly, but hopefully that would be the end of it. Her marriage to David was over and once he arranged the divorce, as he surely would soon, then that would be that. There would be no reason for them to meet again.
She was cold and wet by the time she arrived home. The rain had come down as it had been threatening to do all day, heavy deluges of water swirling across the pavements. Beth slid her key into the front door and let herself into the house, sighing as she shook the water from her coat. The house was divided into a dozen rooms and as she climbed the stairs she could hear the ever-present sound of other tenants’ televisions, smell the stale, lingering odour of food that always seemed to hang in the air.
Reaching the third-floor landing, she dug into her pocket for her key, then jumped when she heard a man’s voice saying her name. She spun round at once, her face ashen as she recognised David standing in the shadows.
‘What do you want?’ There was scant politeness in the abrupt question and his face tightened before he moved towards her across the narrow hall.
‘To speak to you, of course.’
‘I have nothing I want to say to you, not now, not ever!’ She was holding the key so tightly that it bit into her fingers, but she welcomed the pain to help her keep a grip on her control. ‘I suppose Maggie sent you. It’s just a pity that she doesn’t confine her interest to people who would welcome it!’
He shook his head, a strange expression flashing across his face. ‘She didn’t tell me that she’d seen you. It was Matthew who telephoned me.’
‘Oh.’ That surprised her so that for a moment she faltered before gathering herself once more. ‘Then I’m afraid he had a wasted phone call. Goodbye, David.’
