at all.’
Jul ia heard Marianne’s voice fade away as if she had stormed out of the kitchen.
‘You’r e a fucking idiot Paula, fancy saying that to Julia’s best friend?’
‘What? I’m just saying Duncan shouldn’t have gone back to work so soon; maybe he’d still be here if he’d taken it easier.’
‘Maybe s o, but that’s not Julia’s fault; you could be a bit more sympathetic. How would you feel if something like that happened to you?’
‘Pleased as punch; I’d be raking in the life insurance and jetting off somewhere hot.’
‘ Oi! I heard that,’ a male voice joined in.
‘Sorry dearest .’
The kitchen filled with laughter.
‘It’s getting a bit cold in here, anyone mind if I close this window now?’
Julia looked up and saw a female hand reaching up to the window, bracelets jangling merrily as she pulled it closed. The sounds coming from inside were instantly muffled. Julia stood up and headed towards the back door. She intended to go home. She lifted up the empty whisky glass and calculated how many units she had drunk. One small glass of Champagne and one whisky; she thought she would be alright to drive home.
She was about to go inside the house when Cameron appeared in the door frame; he stood back to let her in.
‘Marianne was looking for you just now. Are you OK?’
Julia stepped back outside and stood with her back to the wind and looked up at Duncan’s best friend.
‘Not really. I was just about to go home. It wasn’t a good idea coming out tonight.’
Julia looked down at her feet; she had her arms wrapped tightly around her body, with one hand clutching the empty glass.
‘Early days eh? Tell me about it!’
Julia shrugged, but did not look up.
‘I nearly didn’t come either , to tell you the truth. I need a party like a hole in the head. But you can’t turn Marianne down can you?’
Julia looked up and smiled.
‘No, you really can’t. You can tell her till your blue in the face you don’t want to do something, but somehow she gets her way.’
‘Ah wel l, it was nice to see you. I miss that idiot of a husband of yours,’ Cameron said quietly. He leaned forward and put his hand on her shoulder.
‘Me too!’
Julia turned away slightly and the cold wind slapped into her face, drawing tears to her eyes.
Cameron pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her and hugged her.
‘It will get better. One day. It has to; you’ll see.’
He let go of her and Julia mov ed away, not sure whether to feel comforted or embarrassed by his affection. She wanted to change the subject though.
‘So , how are you getting on? I was sorry to hear about you and Laura.’
Cameron laughed caustically. He leaned against the wall of the house, as if he suddenly needed the support. He was a giant of a man, but now he reminded Julia of a small unhappy boy who was trying to put on a brave face.
‘Well I could cheerfully kill my brother, but otherwise…’
‘That bad eh?’
‘I just can ’t believe it, can you? You’d think you could trust your own brother, even if you couldn’t trust your wife? And now they’re both living in my house – the house I built – and I’m back living in my mum’s old house. And my poor old mum’s not even there now; God bless her, so I rattle around on my own going nuts. It’s not fair.’
‘No , it’s not fair. Why don’t you just sell your house and move on, both of you?’
‘Amy would be heartbroken if she h ad to move. It’s bad enough her mum and dad have split up; and I don’t know how she’s getting on with her Uncle John as her new “dad”. How does a five year old process that?’ Cameron ran a hand through his hair and paused for a moment. ‘I just think it would be better if we left it a while. Laura’s not in a hurry to move, that’s for sure.’
‘I can’ t imagine she would be; it’s a lovely house. What about John’s wife? How’s she getting on?’
‘Well wouldn’t you know it , but
Jul ia heard Marianne’s voice fade away as if she had stormed out of the kitchen.
‘You’r e a fucking idiot Paula, fancy saying that to Julia’s best friend?’
‘What? I’m just saying Duncan shouldn’t have gone back to work so soon; maybe he’d still be here if he’d taken it easier.’
‘Maybe s o, but that’s not Julia’s fault; you could be a bit more sympathetic. How would you feel if something like that happened to you?’
‘Pleased as punch; I’d be raking in the life insurance and jetting off somewhere hot.’
‘ Oi! I heard that,’ a male voice joined in.
‘Sorry dearest .’
The kitchen filled with laughter.
‘It’s getting a bit cold in here, anyone mind if I close this window now?’
Julia looked up and saw a female hand reaching up to the window, bracelets jangling merrily as she pulled it closed. The sounds coming from inside were instantly muffled. Julia stood up and headed towards the back door. She intended to go home. She lifted up the empty whisky glass and calculated how many units she had drunk. One small glass of Champagne and one whisky; she thought she would be alright to drive home.
She was about to go inside the house when Cameron appeared in the door frame; he stood back to let her in.
‘Marianne was looking for you just now. Are you OK?’
Julia stepped back outside and stood with her back to the wind and looked up at Duncan’s best friend.
‘Not really. I was just about to go home. It wasn’t a good idea coming out tonight.’
Julia looked down at her feet; she had her arms wrapped tightly around her body, with one hand clutching the empty glass.
‘Early days eh? Tell me about it!’
Julia shrugged, but did not look up.
‘I nearly didn’t come either , to tell you the truth. I need a party like a hole in the head. But you can’t turn Marianne down can you?’
Julia looked up and smiled.
‘No, you really can’t. You can tell her till your blue in the face you don’t want to do something, but somehow she gets her way.’
‘Ah wel l, it was nice to see you. I miss that idiot of a husband of yours,’ Cameron said quietly. He leaned forward and put his hand on her shoulder.
‘Me too!’
Julia turned away slightly and the cold wind slapped into her face, drawing tears to her eyes.
Cameron pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her and hugged her.
‘It will get better. One day. It has to; you’ll see.’
He let go of her and Julia mov ed away, not sure whether to feel comforted or embarrassed by his affection. She wanted to change the subject though.
‘So , how are you getting on? I was sorry to hear about you and Laura.’
Cameron laughed caustically. He leaned against the wall of the house, as if he suddenly needed the support. He was a giant of a man, but now he reminded Julia of a small unhappy boy who was trying to put on a brave face.
‘Well I could cheerfully kill my brother, but otherwise…’
‘That bad eh?’
‘I just can ’t believe it, can you? You’d think you could trust your own brother, even if you couldn’t trust your wife? And now they’re both living in my house – the house I built – and I’m back living in my mum’s old house. And my poor old mum’s not even there now; God bless her, so I rattle around on my own going nuts. It’s not fair.’
‘No , it’s not fair. Why don’t you just sell your house and move on, both of you?’
‘Amy would be heartbroken if she h ad to move. It’s bad enough her mum and dad have split up; and I don’t know how she’s getting on with her Uncle John as her new “dad”. How does a five year old process that?’ Cameron ran a hand through his hair and paused for a moment. ‘I just think it would be better if we left it a while. Laura’s not in a hurry to move, that’s for sure.’
‘I can’ t imagine she would be; it’s a lovely house. What about John’s wife? How’s she getting on?’
‘Well wouldn’t you know it , but
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