Nantucket (8 page)

“I thought I had.”

“Don't talk until you've had some coffee.” She went into the kitchen. So maybe he didn't have to manage the weekend. Why had he felt so frightened?

Rosemary brought his breakfast and sat down next to him again, but closer. She spread a napkin on his lap and broke off a piece of the muffin. “Let me feed you,” she said. “Butter?”

“Please. I think I'd better hold the mug myself, though.”

“As you like.” She popped a bite of buttered muffin into his
mouth, and prepared another one while he chewed. “This way I can keep you from talking. I don't want you saying anything foolish. It could make you foolish all day.”

“Mmmm,” said Andrew. Food was good. Was it only Saturday?

“Shiva wasn't trying to seduce your wife, I'm pleased to report. He was in the bathroom. The person in your bedroom was Joe. He'd knocked on your door because Cynthia needed an aspirin. Finding Cathy alone, he talked to her for a bit, which must have been a bore for Cynthia. That's their story, anyway, and they're sticking to it.”

“Mmmm.”

“My story is that I couldn't sleep so I went and sat on the porch. My home time zone is London, remember.”

“And what's my story?”

“You snore. Cathy's a light sleeper, she says. There's something wrong about her that I haven't figured out, but she's playing along.” Rosemary buttered another piece of muffin and put it in Andrew's mouth. Her fingers were long and cold.

“Playing along with what?” said Andrew, his mouth still full of muffin.

“I told you not to talk,” said Rosemary. “Just listen.'

She reminded him of Sally at the airport. All the women in his life were doing things for him except Cathy. Even Eleanor had opened a door, if inadvertently.

“Shiva is genuinely interested in your deal or we wouldn't be here. I should have told you that last night. The person you need to focus on is Joe. He strikes me as a control freak. He could get on Shiva's nerves.”

The coffee was beginning to do its job. Rationality returned. “I think I must have had a nightmare,” said Andrew.

“Oh, thank you very much,” said Rosemary.

“No, sorry, that part was nice. Hard to believe. Spectacular. I've never encountered a goddess before. What I meant about a nightmare is, I'm abnormally anxious this morning. Don't know why. Have to get over it. Comes with the job.” He had lots of reasons to be anxious, actually, including the fact that his wife had gone missing and the lurking suspicion that he was relieved. He couldn't tell Rosemary that, though to be honest he half wanted to. “Why did you think your husband was seducing Cathy?” he asked her, trying to take control of the conversation.

“He does that sort of thing sometimes. He thinks it puts me in my place.”

“And you don't?”

“Oh, I throw myself at men occasionally. I told you that last night. But we can discuss ethics later. What we need now is a strategy. Here's my plan. We have at least an hour, probably an hour and a half. You need some horizontal therapy. You will not be able to manage these monsters if you are afraid. The only answer to your anxiety is sex. Fortunately for you, I like sex – as I've told you. Go to the maid's room and undress. There's a shower in there, right? I will bring you clean clothes for afterwards.”

She left her copy of
Moby Dick
on the sofa. She turned and smiled at him just before she went up the stairs. Do as you're told was what the smile said. So much for taking control. If they were going to have an argument, perhaps it was better to do it in the maid's room. He got up and went there, carrying his mug and breakfast dishes to the kitchen on the way. He decided to undress. She seemed so certain that was the right next move.

“You were in a very bad way,” she said afterwards. “Better?”

“Thank you,” he said, “I think.” He had just broken a cardinal rule of his previous existence. It didn't feel bad yet.

“Think about this,” she said, turning towards him and letting him contemplate her breasts, “and I apologise for rushing things. If I am not on your side, if I made love to you for sport, if you're going to regret it, you will see it in my face in the next minute. I will cough and pull away by a few centimetres. My smile will congeal. I will make a joke. Now, look at me. Is any of that happening?”

Andrew studied her for the full minute. “No,” he said. “But are you sure you're not a sorceress?”

“Of course I'm a sorceress. And on this magical island, my powers are increased. I can make my husband fall in love with Joe – as a business matter, that is – so long as you believe in me. And by the way, I think you need an ally.”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Not really.”

“Then I'd better tell you everything.”

“That would be wise.”

“Cathy isn't Cathy. She's the au pair. My wife has disappeared.”

“You are braver than I thought.”

“What about the au pair? She's pretty brave too, don't you think? Her real name is Sally by the way.”

“She's a good actress, but I'm not sure that qualifies as bravery. She has nothing to lose. How long has she worked for you?”

“A bit more than a week.”

“She must like having a new wardrobe.”

“Yes, and I find it quite spooky.”

“It's a magical island,” said Rosemary.

“Will Sally know you know she's not Cathy?” Andrew asked.

“Not unless you tell her. You'll have to get back in bed with her tonight, you realise. I take it you two aren't having sex. But why did you decide to pretend she was Cathy?”

“It was her idea. She offered it as a solution. I had to make the decision quickly. I thought you might be offended that Cathy wasn't here when you'd come all the way from London.”

“Well, I might have been. I get difficult when I'm bored. But this is much more interesting. And now that I have a crush on my host, I hope his wife never reappears.” Rosemary paused and scratched her shoulder. “I'm wondering why pretend Cathy hasn't insisted you fuck her, though. You wouldn't have a choice.”

“Maybe she doesn't fancy me.”

“She's not the sort of woman who would let that stand in her way. She must have other plans.”

“She's quite a good tease.” Andrew explained about intimacy without sex.

“Oh, I expect Sally has many talents. But your wife is terrible.”

Andrew started to come to Cathy's defence, but decided it would be too much trouble.

Joe and Shiva returned as predicted, half an hour after Andrew had shaved and showered and dressed. They sat on the porch sweating and pouring sand out of their shoes. Rosemary brought them both bottled water. “We have beer too,” she said to Joe, “but I'll need a note from your parents.”

“I'll follow Shiva's example,” he said.

“Good plan,” said Rosemary.

Sally and Cynthia appeared fifteen minutes later, in
running shorts and shoes, but having stuffed their sports bras into their pockets. “It is now officially a topless beach,” said Sally.

“She dared me,” said Cynthia. She sat down next to Shiva. She alternated between turning this way and that to show off, and covering herself with her hands. It was amusing to watch, actually. Andrew doubted she fully realised what she was doing.

“For a woman who's had two children, Cathy,” Rosemary said to Sally, “your breasts are very nice.”

“Thank you,” said Sally. “There are benefits to being flat-chested.”

“I wouldn't say she's flat-chested,” said Cynthia reflexively and then looked embarrassed.

“Are you going to give us a point of comparison, Rosemary?” said Shiva.

“No,” said his wife. “I'm going to start making lunch, so you all can take showers.” She stood up. “Come help me, Andrew.”

“It's all in plastic cartons in the refrigerator,” said Sally. “You might take out what's left of the cheese. There are baguettes I bought this morning in a paper sack in the pantry. But I should be doing all that.”

Rosemary turned around. She'd started to roll up her sleeves. “You should be doing exactly what you're doing now,” she said quietly, speaking to herself, really. “Giving the men a treat, and giving Cynthia an excuse to do the same.”

Andrew followed Rosemary into the kitchen. “This is good,” she said. “Is there something we can discover we need to go get in town? I want to leave the four of them alone.”

“I don't think there's enough cheese, probably. And maybe we need more sparkling water. We didn't count on there being
two non-drinkers.”

“Grab your keys,” said Rosemary. “Short errand,” she called out. They were out the door before anyone could object.

“Can you tell me what we're doing?” Andrew said once they were on the road to town.

“Male bonding,” said Rosemary. “Joe and my royal husband are going whoring together.”

“What?”

“Even if nothing happens, the situation will be something they share. Cynthia is attracted to my husband – to the extent she knows how to do that. She has her reasons. He's exotic. She has probably never been with a brown person. Shiva enjoys the fact that she's fascinated. He's been giving blonde English girls a bit of excitement since he was sixteen. Didn't you see him watching her as she displayed? It reminded me of that David Attenborough film with gannets courting: bill up, bill down, touch necks, ruffle tail feathers. Joe, very conveniently, is fixated on your Sally-Cathy person. And he's getting rather tired of Princess Cynthia. I give that marriage less than a year.”

“You can see all that?” said Andrew. Rosemary didn't answer. They drove in silence for a few minutes. “So we're leaving them alone to misbehave,” said Andrew. “You like that word, as I recall.”

“We're leaving them alone to let them think about it. Which they will. Your au pair knows her job.”

“Which is?”

“As I said, she's helping Princess Cynthia be less inhibited. I'll bet you a long wet kiss Sally-Cathy manages to get into the shower and then remember something she needs downstairs and accidentally gets seen and then shrugs it off, setting an example for Mrs Joe.”

“How do you know that?”

“I've done it myself, my sweet. Anyway, the crucial question is, will Princess Cynthia offer herself to my husband. He'd like that. He likes it when he can seduce a woman just by existing.”

“And the fact that she's married to his prospective business partner is of no consequence?”

“Oh, it's of every consequence. Remember, Shiva is a prince. The rules for him are different. If Joe lets him have his wife, that makes Joe his vassal, which means he can allow Joe to make more of the
business
decisions, which is what Joe cares about. They don't talk about it as such, of course. It has to just happen – like dripping wet Sally-Cathy getting surprised in the kitchen.”

“She's supposed to be my wife, remember. Should I care whether Joe fucks her?”

“Of course you should care – officially – but you never say a word about it. Pay attention to the other cars, please.”

“Sorry. Death wish, I suppose.”

“Don't be stupid.”

“So in this psychodrama you're describing, what am I supposed to do?”

“You're supposed to have the hots for me, which Sally-Cathy can see, which gives her the moral right to flirt with Joe. I'm not sure if they should go to bed or not. I'm not sure if anyone should get to consummate their fascination – except us, of course. Sally-Cathy flirting with Joe will get you a bigger fee, by the way, but we won't talk about that because it's disgusting. What is your fee, by the way?”

“Twenty million – ten from each of them. But I haven't raised the subject yet.”

“Don't. The main thing is that Joe stops caring what
Princess Cynthia does, giving her permission to stroke Shiva's ego, at least until you collect your fee. Can you get a couple of lawyers out here tomorrow?”

“You're kidding?”

“Watch me.”

When they got back with the cheese and bottled water, Rosemary instructed Andrew to find Shiva and talk to him. “See what he thought of Joe. I can find out what Joe thought, but the one thing I cannot do is talk business with Shiva.”

“Why not?”

“I'm supposed to be an aristocrat, and therefore completely uninterested in the subject.”

“So…ah…how was the lighthouse?” said Andrew, sitting on the porch with Shiva as Sally and Rosemary set the table.

“Too far away.” Most guests thought that – which was why they were sent to see it.

“I thought you said you got there,” said Andrew.

“We did. And walked up the hundred and fifty stone steps. And walked back quite briskly. That's why I'm exhausted. I live in London. I have a driver. I rarely walk anywhere – and certainly not on loose sand.”

“I would have said something before you set out, only I was asleep.”

“I expect I will live,” said Shiva. “Also I learned something important about your friend Joe.”

“He's not my friend any more than yours,” said Andrew. This was technically correct, though he found the American easier to talk to. “What did you learn?”

“He has a lot of energy. I suppose that's why he needs a new wife every few years. He uses them up. But more to the point, Joe
loves
doing business. He likes it so much, he's honest.
Cheating a customer or a supplier would be a distraction from the pleasure of simply
doing
the deals, building a better mousetrap, capturing market share,
dominating
the market, all the while watching the way the stars and planets are moving, and shifting focus eighteen months ahead of the competition. He's done that trick three times now, you realise, changed gears before his competitors knew they needed to. He's almost supernaturally talented.”