took her hand and led her out of the apartment. Down the lift, to the door and out into the rapidly darkening night. They were on the street.
‘Well?’ he asked a little impatiently after a few minutes’ silence.
Maggie looked up and down, more and more bemused. ‘Caleb, I don’t know what you want me to—’ She stopped suddenly and he felt her hand tighten on his. ‘My car…my car is gone…It was just here…’ She pulled free and stepped closer to the road. ‘Where…? I mean, I parked it just here. I know I did.’ She could feel panic start to rise and turned to face him. ‘Maybe it’s been towed. I paid the meter earlier, though; no one could possibly want to take it—’
‘Maggie, stop.’ Caleb came and turned her back round to face the cars parked on the street. He brought his arms around her body and pointed at a gleaming brand-new Mini Cooper, sitting in exactly the same spot as her car had been.
‘No…my one was old, remember?’ she said, slightly bitterly in light of his recent opinion on why she might own a car like it.
‘I got it towed away, Maggie. It was an accident waiting to happen, believe me. This is your new car.’ He dangled a key in front of her face.
What? Just like that?
‘But…I…Where…what did you do with mine?’
‘It’s probably the size of a tin can by now.’
As Maggie was still held in the circle of his arms, her back to him, she couldn’t stop the wobble in her lip. She felt inexplicably as though Caleb had just pulled her soul out, wrung it dry and handed it back. She knew it was just a car, but it had been hers, the first thing she’d bought. A symbol of her independence from Tom. She’d taught her mother how to drive in it. And now, without so much as a by your leave, Caleb had thrown it away.
She bit down furiously on her lip to stop the tremble. There was no way he could know how much this hurt her—he’d probably think she was just acting again. He was still dangling the key. She picked it out of his hand—still hadn’t said anything, couldn’t trust herself. He let her go and she walked over. It was so silly, she knew, to be this upset. And she was angry. She blinked her eyes, ignored the ache in her heart, took a deep breath and turned around with a huge smile on her face. ‘It’s beautiful. Sorry, I was just stunned…I’ve never…I mean it’s been so long since anyone gave me a gift so generous…’
The anger and pain galvanised her actions; she came back and reached up to kiss him and pouted prettily. ‘I presume it’ll be mine after the two months are up? After all, I do need a car…’ here she trailed a finger down his front and the gesture jarred uncomfortably with him ‘…and the jewels too…?’
She looked up coquettishly from under long lashes and could see the hoped for reaction set in, the hardening of his jaw, that harsh glitter in his eyes. She was acting true to the form he expected. And it made her sick inside. But also, bizarrely, for some reason, protected.
‘Of course.’ As much as he detested her behaviour, he could feel a sense of relief flood through him. Had he actually for one moment thought that she was anything other than this? What a fool! It somehow helped to justify giving her priceless gems, even the car.
It was no less than he’d given any other mistress.
You’re just giving into her mercenary little heart. It’s what she wanted all along…and more…
He furiously reasoned with himself—her car, if it had been hers, which he seriously doubted, had been a liability…and, as for the jewels…he wanted to adorn her luminous skin in fiery rubies and flashing emeralds. It was purely for his pleasure alone. Their collective worth was chicken-feed to him. He took her hand and led her back inside. Maggie shut out the image of the sparkly new car that she would have traded any day of the week to have her own again.
She took the car for a drive the next day, on a visit to her mother. When they came out of the house a few hours later, her mother sounded suspicious.
‘He’s a very generous employer, giving you a car just like that…’
Maggie tried to avoid the scrutiny of her mother’s gaze. ‘Yes, well, the other thing was a rattle trap and you were the one always telling me to get rid of it.’
‘I know, but I also know how much you loved it.’
‘Yes, well…’ Maggie said airily. ‘As Caleb’s assistant now, I have to look a certain way, maintain a certain…image.’
Her mother had that all too familiar worried frown again. ‘Maggie…are you sure everything is all right? I remember that you and Caleb had that—’
Maggie cut her off rapidly. ‘Mum, that was dinner—once. I’m not in his league—don’t worry.’
She leant in to kiss her. She longed to give in and lean on her mother…but years of being the support had ingrained her sense of responsibility too deep.
‘And what about your painting?’
Maggie pulled back. ‘That’ll just have to wait for a few weeks.’
She didn’t look convinced but let Maggie sit in the small car before saying innocently, ‘I’ve invited Caleb for lunch next week, to say thank you for being so kind—I’m still so embarrassed that Tom tried his best to ruin him.’
Maggie looked up wildly. Caleb here? At the house? With her mother gushing about how wonderful he was?
‘He’s far too busy. He can’t possibly make time—’ She went cold. ‘Hang on a second, did you say invited?’
‘Yes, dear. I asked Michael Murphy to call him and extend the invitation; he said yes immediately. You’ll come too, of course.’
Her words were still reverberating in Maggie’s head as she arrived back at the apartment. Disaster. Her mother was likely to give everything away with just a few words. Yet she knew if she tried to dissuade Caleb from going, he’d suspect something immediately and be even more determined to go. No doubt he was wondering what on earth Tom’s widow wanted with him. Maggie would have to watch her mother like a hawk and just make sure she said nothing incriminating. Her head was throbbing.
The phone was ringing as she got in, but stopped before she could reach it. She knew it was Caleb, could feel his impatience as, sure enough, her mobile started to shrill.
‘Where were you?’
‘Out…I went for a drive; is that okay?’
He grunted.
She had to check, to confirm for herself. ‘I believe my mother has asked you for lunch…?’
Please say no, laugh, say you won’t be able to go…
‘Yes and I’m looking forward to it…I’m even intrigued, you could say. I was calling to say I’ll be back at eight.’
Maggie felt sick as the phone went dead.
That night and for the next few days they seemed to settle into an uneasy truce. Uneasy because Maggie had to guard her tongue all the time.
