Escape to the Riviera: The perfect summer romance!. Jules Wake

       CHAPTER ELEVEN

      ‘I can’t believe you never told me,’ said Jade for the ninety-fifth time, slurping a tall glass of coke noisily. You’re married to Richard Maddox. The Richard Maddox. That’s awesome.’

      Carrie contemplated the view from the bay window overlooking at the valley, absentmindedly sipping the large glass of wine that Angela had poured her as soon as they arrived home.

      ‘That’s unreal. You’re married to Richard Maddox.’

      ‘Jade,’ her mother interrupted in a warning tone, which made no impact on her overexcited daughter.

      ‘Yes, but Richard Maddox.’ She paced around the kitchen. ‘That is sick. And you never said.’

      Carrie tightened her jaw.

      ‘I can’t wait to tell the others.’

      ‘No.’ Carrie swung around and shot a fierce glare at her. ‘You can’t tell anybody.’

      ‘Okay, okay.’ Jade held up her hands. ‘No one’s died.’ She sank into the chair opposite and drained her glass before looking at Carrie in an unashamed examination, as if trying to work out how the hell her aunt had ever snagged an international sex symbol. ‘Can I just ask …’

      ‘No,’ chorused Angela and Carrie together.

      ‘… why don’t you want anyone to know? If it were me, I’d tell everyone.’ She leaned back in her chair, a dreamy expression on her face.

      ‘What happened?’ asked Angela.

      ‘The film unit was there but he’d finished filming. However I did get chatting to one of the crew and I found out where he’s staying.’

      ‘Are you going to go and see him?’ Jade leaned forward. ‘Can I come?’

      ‘No, I’m not going to see him,’ said Carrie tightly. ‘I needed to contact him.’

      ‘Why don’t you want to see him? He’s your husband.’ Jade emphasised the final word. ‘It’s not like we’ve got many in the family.’ She shot a sly look her mother’s way. It still niggled her that her mother had never married her father, who by all accounts had been desperate to marry Angela. It still surprised Carrie that she’d turned him down.

      Angela didn’t rise, instead she took a steady sip of her wine.

      ‘Jade, we got married when we were both young and stupid.’

      ‘How come you’re still married and why haven’t you ever said anything? I mean, if I were you I’d be living it up in Hollywood. He must have, like, a million homes.’

      ‘He went to Hollywood. I stayed here. We drifted apart. At the time I wasn’t planning on marrying anyone else. I left it and left it and after a while I, sort of, forgot.’

      ‘You forgot you were married to a superstar? Man, that’s nuts.’

      ‘I didn’t forget, I put it out of my mind.’

      A horror-struck expression hit Jade’s face. ‘OMG! Alan. Does he know?’

      ‘Of course he doesn’t know,’ said Carrie, hurriedly.

      ‘When are you going to tell him?’

      Angela raised an eyebrow. Carrie realised that Jade was asking all the questions that Angela wanted answered.

      ‘I’m not going to. I’ll tell him I was married before and that it didn’t work out. That’s all he needs to know,’ she narrowed a fierce stare at Jade, ‘and you are not to tell him or even breathe a word to anyone.’

      ‘What no one? Not even my friends? That’s ridiculous. They won’t …’ Jade winced. ‘Yeah they would.’ She pouted. ‘That’s mean.’

      ‘Tough. I don’t want anyone knowing. Everyone would talk, there’d be all sorts of comments. Can you imagine it at school? Alan would hate it and it’s unnecessary. He never needs to know who I was married to.’

      ‘What are you going to do? You’ve got to see Richard.’