Her sister’s words came back to her.
Something Daddy’s not telling us.
‘It looked important,’ she said, narrowing her eyes.
‘It wasn’t.’
She held up her hand, showing him her engagement ring like an identity badge. Elisabeth loved diamonds. It struck Robert then that he’d never thought he would marry a woman about whom he could say that.
‘We’re going to be married,’ she announced. ‘Let’s start by being honest.’
Elisabeth was shocked at how far she could push her hypocrisy. It’s easier to point the finger, isn’t it?
‘Can I get everyone’s attention?’ bellowed Bernstein, mercifully coming to the rescue. His terracotta face was cracked in a wide smile as he fondled Christie Carmen’s behind. ‘Me an’ Christie’ve got a special announcement of our own.’
‘What is it?’ asked Jessica, impatiently tapping her foot.
‘Well …’ said Bernstein, giving Christie a quick kiss on the lips, ‘we’re tying the knot.’
‘What?’ Elisabeth made no attempt to conceal her shock. She turned to Robert for reassurance. He shrugged. Jessica started laughing.
‘An’ you know what this calls for?’
‘More champagne!’ recommended Jessica, hiccupping.
‘Honeys,’ Bernstein held his arms out to Christie and Elisabeth, ‘this is gonna be the double wedding of the century!’
‘What do you want?’ Elisabeth said coldly, pushing past Alberto Bellini and stalking into her dressing room.
‘I had to see you.’ He followed her in and closed the door. ‘It has been too long.’
‘Forget it, Alberto. I have.’
Elisabeth pulled off her clothes and lifted a Dior gown from where it hung in waiting. She stood for a moment in her underwear, trying to work out how to put it on.
‘Could I get a little privacy?’ she snapped, sliding her wrists through the armholes.
Alberto watched her hungrily, his eyes scanning her body. ‘We must talk.’
‘There’s nothing to talk about.’ She turned and unfastened her bra, tossing it over the back of a chair. ‘Now, please, I’ve got a show to do.’ Dropping the fabric over her head and trying to tug it down to cover herself, she thought she heard a tear. Shit!
There was a tentative knock at the door.
‘I’m capable of dressing myself!’ barked Elisabeth blindly through the folds of material. Why did Alberto have to choose now of all times to make an appearance? The New Year Show wasn’t something she could afford to blow.
‘Let me help, bellissima,’ he crooned, approaching her half-clothed form.
Elisabeth gritted her teeth. She felt Alberto’s rough hands pull gently at the fabric, and a couple of times the cold metal of his rings as they brushed against her naked skin. His face was close to hers, she could feel his hot breath. Her nipples hardened and she realised she was aching to be touched.
‘Thank you,’ she said tartly, as with a final movement he slipped the dress over her head.
‘My Elisabeth,’ he whispered. He looked in her sea-blue eyes. ‘How I have missed you.’
Elisabeth shook her head. ‘Give it up, Alberto.’ She dragged an ivory-handled brush through her hair, now something of a nest after the scuffle with the gown. ‘Our night together was a mistake. I’m sorry for having led you on. I’m marrying Robert and that’s the end of it. Please,’ she looked at him, ‘let’s forget it ever happened.’
‘Amore mio,’ Alberto murmured, ‘I cannot forget.’
‘Then try.’
He shook his head sadly. ‘Do you disregard all that we talked about?’
‘I made a mistake,’ Elisabeth retorted sharply, spritzing fragrance behind her ears. ‘This is my future, Alberto, and you had better get used to it.’
In a heartbeat he was behind her, his fingers tracing a line down her spine. ‘You cannot erase the passion we have shared.’ He planted a chain of soft kisses across her shoulders.
‘Passion?’ She tried to make a joke of it. But she could feel her resolve crumbling.
What is one last time? she reasoned as Alberto began to kiss her neck. His hands crept round and cupped her breasts, caressing her between a finger and thumb, covering her delicate frame with his bear paws. She turned, and in a flash his lips were on hers. In her heels she was almost as tall as him and could smell the ginger in his hair. When he placed his hands on her waist, they were so big they almost met round the middle.
Call it one last time before she walked down the aisle, Elisabeth thought. Call it a lucky charm before the show. Call it a poison she had to bleed. She ignored the voice that called it different. Call it infidelity.
London
Christmas in Hampstead had been bleak. England was grey and cold and Chloe couldn’t wait to get back to America. Brock had several castings lined up already-word had got out fast about her performance in Eastern Sky, helped along by Sam Lucas’s glowing approval.
The London house had been monopolised by Janet and her boys-it seemed the hole Chloe had left in her absence had rapidly been filled. Janet did Christmas in her own, different manner, and everybody knew you should only ever do Christmas one way: in the way you always had. She and her father had muddled through after the divorce, always digging out the same moth-eaten decorations, ripped streamers and balding tinsel, an angel with a smudged face she had chewed when she was four. Now everything was changed-it was all from Liberty and neat and good quality and none of it she recognised.
Chloe lay on her bed, black hair fanned out across the pillow, and stared up at the ceiling. Next week she’d be back in LA. It was a new year and she could start to get her head together-beginning with her finally finding the guts to dump Nate. She’d been wondering if maybe she could learn to live with her gruesome discovery, just get on and turn a blind eye-didn’t people do it all the time? But seeing her father again over Christmas, she knew she could not. The only person she was cheating was herself-and she’d been cheated on enough.
She rolled over, her stomach crunching at the thought. She’d been a coward these past few weeks, but she’d also learned a lot. It was time for a change.
Thursday was Nate’s album launch, a big fancy affair at some club in Soho. The event itself would be too public-she’d do it after, she could play the charade until then. The break-up would be painful, but she had to rip it off quickly, like a plaster. The scab would heal eventually.
‘Darling!’ Gordon French
