get it over and done with. Caroline took a deep breath.
‘Good morning, Mrs Yates. I’ll send the lift down to you,’ she said calmly into the handset.
‘Be quick about it. I’m not used to being left standing on doorsteps,’ her mother-in-law hissed.
‘Oh, Lord!’ Caroline groaned as she pressed the button that would send the penthouse lift gliding silently downwards. She wished she was dressed. A towelling dressing-gown was not
the thing to wear when one was going to have a confrontation with a perfectly groomed and turned-out mother-in-law.
Her mouth was dry so she rushed into the kitchen and took a big gulp of water before going to the front door. The gates of the lift were just swishing open as Caroline opened her door.
‘I want a word with you,’ Sarah stalked past her, wasting no time on social greetings.
Caroline closed the door quietly and turned to face her.
‘Do sit down, Mrs Yates. Can I get you some tea?’ she said politely, determined not to be ruffled.
‘Indeed and I don’t want tea, thank you. My son arrived at my house not more than half an hour ago to inform me that you and he are to divorce and that he’s emigrating to
America. Well I’m here to inform you, madam, that the Yates name will not be sullied by divorce. And I will not allow my son to ruin his life and his career and give up everything he’s
worked for just because
you
want out. You are going to talk him out of this madness before it goes any further. I always knew you weren’t right for Richard. He married you against my
wishes. You got what you wanted. Marriage is for life. And I don’t care how you do it, but you had better talk Richard out of this reckless foolishness immediately. Do you hear me,
Caroline?’ Sarah demanded. Her voice shook with anger. Her cheeks were an ugly mottled red.
Caroline felt sick. She wasn’t good at confrontation. And Sarah Yates was a very intimidating woman. A master of manipulation, a controlling emotional blackmailer. The very worst sort of
bully. The only way to deal with bullies was to face up to them. She took a deep breath.
‘And if I don’t do as you say, Mrs Yates?’ Her voice was admirably calm, giving no clue to the tightly coiled knots in her stomach or the sweatiness of her palms.
‘I beg your pardon?’ Sarah was taken aback at the quietly issued challenge.
‘If I don’t do as you . . . order . . . what are you going to do?’
‘Now you listen to me, my girl. If you go ahead with this course of action, Richard will be ruined. He’ll end up penniless. I’ll cut him out of my will. Do you want that on
your conscience? Can you live with the knowledge that you, and you alone, are responsible for wrecking a man’s life?’ Sarah’s eyes were like flints.
She really was a cold, malicious bitch, Caroline thought, horrified. To think that she’d cut her only child out of her will. Anger ripped through her. She wasn’t taking all Sarah
Yates’s crap on board. She’d enough problems to deal with in her own life.
‘You listen to me, you horrible, selfish, despicable woman, don’t you
dare
speak to me about my conscience. You should look at your own . . . if you can . . . and get down
on your knees and apologize to Richard for what you’ve done to him. You’ve fucked up his head so badly he doesn’t know who he is. How
dare
you come to my home and speak
to me the way you just have? I’m entitled to respect. Any human being is and you’ve shown none to me or Richard. We’ll deal with our marriage and our lives as we see fit and not
because of anything you say or do. Now get out, Mrs Yates, and don’t you ever come near me again.’
‘Oh . . . Oh . . . I . . . I’ve never heard . . . Well . . . I . . . such language . . .’ Sarah stuttered.
‘There’s a lot more where that came from, believe me. Out . . . now!’ Caroline marched over to the door and flung it open.
Sarah couldn’t believe her ears or her eyes.
‘I wouldn’t stay here
‘Good morning, Mrs Yates. I’ll send the lift down to you,’ she said calmly into the handset.
‘Be quick about it. I’m not used to being left standing on doorsteps,’ her mother-in-law hissed.
‘Oh, Lord!’ Caroline groaned as she pressed the button that would send the penthouse lift gliding silently downwards. She wished she was dressed. A towelling dressing-gown was not
the thing to wear when one was going to have a confrontation with a perfectly groomed and turned-out mother-in-law.
Her mouth was dry so she rushed into the kitchen and took a big gulp of water before going to the front door. The gates of the lift were just swishing open as Caroline opened her door.
‘I want a word with you,’ Sarah stalked past her, wasting no time on social greetings.
Caroline closed the door quietly and turned to face her.
‘Do sit down, Mrs Yates. Can I get you some tea?’ she said politely, determined not to be ruffled.
‘Indeed and I don’t want tea, thank you. My son arrived at my house not more than half an hour ago to inform me that you and he are to divorce and that he’s emigrating to
America. Well I’m here to inform you, madam, that the Yates name will not be sullied by divorce. And I will not allow my son to ruin his life and his career and give up everything he’s
worked for just because
you
want out. You are going to talk him out of this madness before it goes any further. I always knew you weren’t right for Richard. He married you against my
wishes. You got what you wanted. Marriage is for life. And I don’t care how you do it, but you had better talk Richard out of this reckless foolishness immediately. Do you hear me,
Caroline?’ Sarah demanded. Her voice shook with anger. Her cheeks were an ugly mottled red.
Caroline felt sick. She wasn’t good at confrontation. And Sarah Yates was a very intimidating woman. A master of manipulation, a controlling emotional blackmailer. The very worst sort of
bully. The only way to deal with bullies was to face up to them. She took a deep breath.
‘And if I don’t do as you say, Mrs Yates?’ Her voice was admirably calm, giving no clue to the tightly coiled knots in her stomach or the sweatiness of her palms.
‘I beg your pardon?’ Sarah was taken aback at the quietly issued challenge.
‘If I don’t do as you . . . order . . . what are you going to do?’
‘Now you listen to me, my girl. If you go ahead with this course of action, Richard will be ruined. He’ll end up penniless. I’ll cut him out of my will. Do you want that on
your conscience? Can you live with the knowledge that you, and you alone, are responsible for wrecking a man’s life?’ Sarah’s eyes were like flints.
She really was a cold, malicious bitch, Caroline thought, horrified. To think that she’d cut her only child out of her will. Anger ripped through her. She wasn’t taking all Sarah
Yates’s crap on board. She’d enough problems to deal with in her own life.
‘You listen to me, you horrible, selfish, despicable woman, don’t you
dare
speak to me about my conscience. You should look at your own . . . if you can . . . and get down
on your knees and apologize to Richard for what you’ve done to him. You’ve fucked up his head so badly he doesn’t know who he is. How
dare
you come to my home and speak
to me the way you just have? I’m entitled to respect. Any human being is and you’ve shown none to me or Richard. We’ll deal with our marriage and our lives as we see fit and not
because of anything you say or do. Now get out, Mrs Yates, and don’t you ever come near me again.’
‘Oh . . . Oh . . . I . . . I’ve never heard . . . Well . . . I . . . such language . . .’ Sarah stuttered.
‘There’s a lot more where that came from, believe me. Out . . . now!’ Caroline marched over to the door and flung it open.
Sarah couldn’t believe her ears or her eyes.
‘I wouldn’t stay here
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