thought. She's bipolar or amnesiac or something. ‘Katie, maybe you didn't hear what I said before. I'm James's wife . I know about the two of you.’
She thought she heard Katie gulp. In fact she did but not for the reason she thought. Katie was, in fact, swigging from a bottle of Evian water as she spoke.
‘Of course you do. James told me he'd told you.’
Now Stephanie was really confused. And, what was more, she was growing irritated. This wasn't playing out in any of the ways she'd imagined. ‘James didn't tell me. I saw one of your text messages. Accidentally. I wasn't looking or anything.’ She didn't want this woman to think she was the jealous, irrational type.
Now it was Katie's turn to sound confused. ‘Well, maybe I've got it wrong. I thought he told me he'd told you himself because he didn't want you to hear anything on the grapevine, you know. In case you bumped into anybody you knew from up here and it was a bit awkward.’ Katie was beginning to wish she hadn't called back without talking to James first. Clearly Stephanie had issues. Maybe the break-up hadn't been as amicable as Jameshad made out. In fact, she had tried to ring him, once Owen had left, but James, who must have had his hand up in the inside of a cow somewhere, hadn't answered. ‘Either way, I'm glad you do know. It's much more civilized that way, don't you think? Everything out in the open.’
‘That's all you can say? “I'm glad you do know,’” Stephanie snapped. ‘How about “sorry” or that you feel ashamed of yourself or something? You're fucking my husband after all.’
Katie flinched, as much from the language as from the implication behind Stephanie's accusation. She rarely swore. She didn't believe it was necessary or, at least, only as a last resort. ‘Ex-husband,’ she said cautiously. Clearly Stephanie was a bit unhinged.
Stephanie stopped dead in her tracks. ‘What did you say?’
‘I said he's your ex-husband. The man I'm… the man I'm going out with. If you have a problem with that, then that's between you and him.’
‘He told you we're separated?’
‘Of course,’ Katie said anxiously. ‘You are, aren't you?’
‘No,’ Stephanie said. ‘Not the last time I looked, anyway.’
Katie felt as if she were falling down a rabbit hole. Wind rushed past her ears and the floor seemed to be slipping away from her. ‘What about Peter and Abi?’ she said, quietly.
‘Who?’
‘Peter and Abi. The people he lodges with when he'sin London. What about the put-me-up and Abi's bad cooking and Peter's terrible jokes?’
‘I have no idea what you're talking about,’ Stephanie said. ‘When James is in London he lives with me. In our house. With our son.’
Katie knew all about denial. It was a defence mechanism that protected the deluded person from having to deal with the gravity of something that had happened to them, hopefully until they were strong enough to take the consequences. A year and a half seemed like a long time to still not be acknowledging that your husband had moved out though. She was sure she read somewhere in one of her many self-help books that you shouldn't indulge deluded people in their fantasies. She took a deep breath. ‘I'm really sorry, Stephanie, and know this must be hard for you to accept but James is with me now. There's nothing you can do to change what's happened. You have to move on.’
Stephanie felt a shot of adrenalin-fuelled oxygen flood her brain. This was like a bad dream. She had thought Katie might deny her involvement with James but what she had never — could never have — imagined was that Katie would actually deny Stephanie's relationship with him. She knew though, as soon as Katie spoke to her in that rather patronizing way, that Katie believed she was telling the truth. There was no doubt in Stephanie's mind that James had convinced his mistress that his marriage was over.
‘Katie,’ she said, trying to stay calm, ‘I don't know what James has told
She thought she heard Katie gulp. In fact she did but not for the reason she thought. Katie was, in fact, swigging from a bottle of Evian water as she spoke.
‘Of course you do. James told me he'd told you.’
Now Stephanie was really confused. And, what was more, she was growing irritated. This wasn't playing out in any of the ways she'd imagined. ‘James didn't tell me. I saw one of your text messages. Accidentally. I wasn't looking or anything.’ She didn't want this woman to think she was the jealous, irrational type.
Now it was Katie's turn to sound confused. ‘Well, maybe I've got it wrong. I thought he told me he'd told you himself because he didn't want you to hear anything on the grapevine, you know. In case you bumped into anybody you knew from up here and it was a bit awkward.’ Katie was beginning to wish she hadn't called back without talking to James first. Clearly Stephanie had issues. Maybe the break-up hadn't been as amicable as Jameshad made out. In fact, she had tried to ring him, once Owen had left, but James, who must have had his hand up in the inside of a cow somewhere, hadn't answered. ‘Either way, I'm glad you do know. It's much more civilized that way, don't you think? Everything out in the open.’
‘That's all you can say? “I'm glad you do know,’” Stephanie snapped. ‘How about “sorry” or that you feel ashamed of yourself or something? You're fucking my husband after all.’
Katie flinched, as much from the language as from the implication behind Stephanie's accusation. She rarely swore. She didn't believe it was necessary or, at least, only as a last resort. ‘Ex-husband,’ she said cautiously. Clearly Stephanie was a bit unhinged.
Stephanie stopped dead in her tracks. ‘What did you say?’
‘I said he's your ex-husband. The man I'm… the man I'm going out with. If you have a problem with that, then that's between you and him.’
‘He told you we're separated?’
‘Of course,’ Katie said anxiously. ‘You are, aren't you?’
‘No,’ Stephanie said. ‘Not the last time I looked, anyway.’
Katie felt as if she were falling down a rabbit hole. Wind rushed past her ears and the floor seemed to be slipping away from her. ‘What about Peter and Abi?’ she said, quietly.
‘Who?’
‘Peter and Abi. The people he lodges with when he'sin London. What about the put-me-up and Abi's bad cooking and Peter's terrible jokes?’
‘I have no idea what you're talking about,’ Stephanie said. ‘When James is in London he lives with me. In our house. With our son.’
Katie knew all about denial. It was a defence mechanism that protected the deluded person from having to deal with the gravity of something that had happened to them, hopefully until they were strong enough to take the consequences. A year and a half seemed like a long time to still not be acknowledging that your husband had moved out though. She was sure she read somewhere in one of her many self-help books that you shouldn't indulge deluded people in their fantasies. She took a deep breath. ‘I'm really sorry, Stephanie, and know this must be hard for you to accept but James is with me now. There's nothing you can do to change what's happened. You have to move on.’
Stephanie felt a shot of adrenalin-fuelled oxygen flood her brain. This was like a bad dream. She had thought Katie might deny her involvement with James but what she had never — could never have — imagined was that Katie would actually deny Stephanie's relationship with him. She knew though, as soon as Katie spoke to her in that rather patronizing way, that Katie believed she was telling the truth. There was no doubt in Stephanie's mind that James had convinced his mistress that his marriage was over.
‘Katie,’ she said, trying to stay calm, ‘I don't know what James has told
Similar Books
