‘Oh Christ, Olivia. What a waste. I always said that you should have let me invest that money for you years ago. We’d be sitting on a nice little pot now.’
‘You mean I would be. It’s my money remember, Tobias. To do with as I see fit.’
‘Right, meanwhile I pay for everything else including the bankrolling of this renovation, which by the way is spirallingout of control thanks to you and the vagaries of that bloody architect.’
‘Marcus is doing a brilliant job,’ she says, rather too quickly for his liking. ‘In fact, he’s going to help me with the interiors of my gallery and studio space.’
‘Gallery and studio space?’ he parrots.
‘Yes, Tobias. I was an artist when you met me, in case you’d forgotten.’
‘Not a proper one, though. Be real, Livvy. It was only ever a hobby.’
‘And I worked in a gallery before Bella came along, remember? I was pretty good at that job as a matter of fact.’
‘Oh come on, it was a fill-in until you could get up the duff. You always made it very clear that you couldn’t wait to start a family.’
‘More importantly, I enjoyed it,’ she continues, railroading over his words.
He heaves a deep sigh.
‘That’s all well and good but how are you going to run this thing all the way from London?’
‘I’m not. That’s just it, Tobias. I’m going to move down here. Permanently. As soon as the renovation’s finished. I’m going to live and work here by the coast and start my own business and have a career again.’
It is his turn to allow the silence to draw out between them. He has stopped pacing up and down on the bare floorboards like a caged animal and comes to an abrupt halt.
‘What? And who’s going to look after everything at home? Look after me and Drew? And Belle, when she’s back from uni?’
‘You can look after yourselves. You’re all old enough now. Or you can hire some help. Find out how much it really costs to pay a cook, cleaner or nanny.’
He can’t believe he is hearing this.
‘I see,’ he says eventually. ‘Anything else you’d like to tell me, while we’re at it?’
She takes a breath as though weighing something up and then responds.
‘No, that’s all for now.’
33
Olivia ends the call and slings her phone on the bed, running the conversation through her mind like a ringer. Standing in the sunlit suite she has already air-dried and she throws off her towel with abandon – everyone else is out after all. Bella and Drew have taken themselves off for an early swim to take advantage of one of the last full days by the sea. As she dawdles naked, she wonders whether Marcus is in his room but then she dismisses the idea. Too dangerous, even for this wild new wanton version of herself.
Instead, she pulls on her favourite kaftan – a turquoise one that brings out the blue in her eyes, complements her blonde hair – and tries not to feel too ruffled by the row with Tobias.
So what if he’s found out about the shop rental, her plans for the studio and gallery space? He had to find out sooner or later and this has saved her the trouble. She will have to withdraw some funds soon though and get it to the owner. This Ted Stark sounds like a bit of a one and she doesn’t want to get off on the wrong foot with him. Who knows, if everything goes well and the business is a success, she might want to buy the place outright from him eventually. Maybe even branch out further. Her stomach fizzes at the thought.
But for now she needs to focus on getting through the next few days, in particular this evening. Tobias will probably be in a sulk but that might play in her favour if it means he drowns his sorrows at the fireworks party and she can slip away. Marcus could be a little more enthusiastic, she thinks. He has been abit distant of late although it’s to be expected when they can’t be truly themselves around one another. She’s hoping they can reconnect tonight. Find somewhere romantic, mark the occasion, toast their future now that everything is really coming together.
For a moment, she feels a pang of guilt. Tobias is not a bad person after all, just a bad husband. And he has been working hard on the renovation, to create this coastal idyll for her. Although she suspects that it is just like any other project for him; a mountain he needs to conquer, a game he needs to win, yet another outward expression of his superiority rather than a desire to make all her dreams come true.
No, she refuses to feel guilty. She has been an apologist all her life, a people-pleaser, putting everyone else’s happiness before her own for as long as she can remember. Tobias may not deserve this but somehow it feels fair anyhow. Just desserts. Payback. And she is determined to see her plans through.
34
Marcus swings his legs out of the car, depositing his phone in his trouser pocket before undoing his shirt a couple of buttons and donning his hi-vis jacket. He shouldn’t be expected to wear business dress in this heat, not when everyone else is in shorts and T-shirts, but he likes to look professional at all times. Besides, he knows how good he looks in a suit.
‘Ah, there you are,’ comes the rasping voice of Tobias Woolf carrying across the air. Marcus breathes through his nose and squares his shoulders. Just a few more days and this man will be out of his hair, he reminds himself.
