The Book of Revenge (12 page)

She put her briefcase down and hung her jacket up on the hook in the hall. She sniffed the air. ‘Sam?’ she called, before following her nose into the kitchen.

The room was chaotic, the aftermath of a baking explosion. Sam was busy at the hob. ‘Go and get showered and changed.’ She said, shooing her mother out of the room.

‘What’s going on?’

‘Surprise. Go…’

On her bed one of her best dresses was laid out. Liz was surprised and then pleased. If Sam wanted them to have a special evening then she was more than willing. She had a quick shower and re-did her makeup. The dress was lovely. She remembered when she brought it. She had been with Dawn, whose birthday it was, they’d gone into London for a day of shopping followed by a trip to the theatre. It was expensive and seemed extravagant but Dawn had convinced her to buy it. It was soft red silk and fitted her perfectly. She’d only worn it once before, her social life didn’t have much need for silk dresses.

As she walked down the stairs she hoped that after a lovely evening she would be able to persuade Sam to go back to University. Sam had always been sensitive, she should have realised that her own troubled and grieving mind wouldn’t stay hidden from her daughter.

The kitchen chaos had been transformed. It was clean and tidy and something smelt amazing. The table was laid for two with wine glasses and even a lit candle.

‘Oh Sam it’s lovely,’ Liz said, looking around her in amazement. She did a twirl to show off the dress. Sam walked across the kitchen and hugged her.

‘What’s the occasion?’ Liz asked.

The doorbell rang. ‘Is Craig coming?’

Sam didn’t answer; she hurried off to the front door. Liz took the chance to peep in the pans that were simmering on the hob. She turned around smiling. But the smile froze when Matt followed Sam into the kitchen.

He was carrying a huge bunch of roses and a box of chocolates.

‘What are you doing here?’ she demanded.

Matt turned to Sam, he looked confused. ‘Um, I was invited?’

Sam grinned guiltily. ‘It’s all ready, so sit down.’

Matt handed the gifts to Liz, who was still trying to decide how to react. She looked at the chocolates and flowers. Matt shrugged his shoulders. ‘Yeah I know, more clichés.’

Sam took the flowers from her mum and smelt them. ‘Lovely. I’ll put these in water. Mum loves roses.’

Matt and Liz sit down. Liz looked at Sam. ‘This is only laid for two.’

Sam put plates onto the mats in front of them, followed by serving dishes. ‘I ate while I was cooking. Besides, I’ve got work to do.’

‘Sam.’

‘Really, mum, I can’t afford to get behind...’

‘This looks and smells amazing.’ Matt said, helping himself to a warm bread roll.

‘Yes it does.’ Liz agreed, watching her daughter as she hurried out of the kitchen. Sam suddenly stopped and went to the fridge. ‘Almost forgot the wine.’ She opened it and crossed back to the table, pouring it into the two glasses.

Liz picked up her glass and took a sip.

 
‘Oh, mum, where’s the key for your study?’ 

Liz almost spilled her drink. A drop splashed onto her dress. Matt was watching her as she mopped it up.

‘My laptop is playing up, I wanted to use your computer but the door was locked and I couldn’t find the key.’

Liz took a long deep breath. She managed to talk calmly and even to smile. ‘I can’t seem to find it myself. Use my laptop; it’s in my briefcase in the hall.’

Sam left happy enough. Liz looked at Matt. ‘Let’s eat then,’ she said, knowing that she should kick him out of house and never let him back through the door again.

Kylie was in her father’s bedroom. She was on her knees unwrapping the package that he had hidden under the mattress.

It was a hand gun.

She dropped it in shock and surprise.

She heard a car pull up outside. The engine cut, the door shut, then footsteps approaching the house, her father was home. She panicked. His key was already in the door. Hopefully he’d go to the dog first. She quickly wrapped it up again as she heard the front door open. She pushed it back into position under the mattress. Footsteps on the stairs, he was coming, she checked the room was the same as when she entered and then ran out of the door. She rushed straight for the bathroom and quickly pulled open the door just as her father reached the top of the stairs. She escaped into the loo and quickly locked the door behind her.

Matt leant across and re-filled Liz’s glass.

She looked at his still full untouched one. ‘Not drinking?’

‘Driving.’ He said, not wanting to elaborate on his complicated relationship with alcohol. She let it go and he was relieved.

‘So why doesn’t she understand you?’

Then not so relieved. He’d rather do the drink question than talk about Avril, especially given the slightly sarcastic tone used by Liz. ‘Complicated,’ he said.

‘Life always is.’ She finished her glass and re-filled it again herself.

‘She wanted a baby.’ He blurted out. Then unable to stare at it any longer he picked his glass up and drank the wine.

‘And you didn’t,’ she said handing him the bottle.

He felt ill at ease and more than a little embarrassed. He drank the second glass. ‘Well I do. Or at least I did. But it seems we can’t, or at least I can’t. Although tests suggest no reason why I can’t...’ he was babbling. And he had been so determined to prove to her what a great cool guy he was. Stop talking, he told himself.

‘I’m sorry.’ She said.

‘Don’t be, probably for the best. Our marriage was only ever tolerable, recently just awful. Not fair to bring a child into that.’ He filled both glasses again and drank his straight down.

‘Maybe not. Is there nothing you can do?’

Matt shook his head ‘She moved out.’ He paused, took a deep breath and then blurted out the rest. ‘She was having an affair.’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘I’m not. It’s a relief, for both of us. Truth is I’m not good at this relationship stuff. I work stupid hours and I probably drink too much…’ he paused and looked across the table at her. ‘And I have no idea why I’m telling you all of this.’

Why was he telling her all of this? He had to stop drinking. Any minute now she’d start feeling sorry for him. Was he determined to always be a loser?

‘So why are you such a tormented soul?’ She said.

‘Is that what I am? Tormented?’

He reached across the table and took her hand. She didn’t pull away. Encouraged he leant in and kissed her.

They both jumped back as the kitchen door opened and Sam breezed in. She looked chuffed to bits at how close they were. ‘Don’t mind me. I’m really tired, going to bed early.’ She managed a yawn. ‘I’ll sleep like a log. I am really, really tired.’ With a glass of water she left the kitchen.

‘My subtle daughter.’

Matt laughed. ‘Well she is really, really tired.’

He leant forward to kiss her again. Not gently this time, but urgently. Encouraged by her response he stood up and moved around the table. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. She let out a small cry of pain and he released her immediately.

‘I hurt you?’

‘No. No, I slipped on the stairs, hurt my side. I’d forgotten it was there. Just a bruise.’

He moved closer again. Staring at her lips. ‘You’re sure?’

Liz put her arms around his neck and kissed him. He pulled her against him, but gently this time, careful to avoid her bruised side.

‘Let me stay?’ he whispered into her ear.

She drew back and looked searchingly into his eyes. He thought she was going to turn him down.

‘Well after all that wine you can hardly drive home can you?’

‘Were you trying to get me drunk woman?’

‘You know, where you are concerned, I have no idea what I’m doing.’

She took his hand and led him upstairs.

Kylie was in darkness. The only illumination came from her computer. The house was silent and the drawers were up against the door.

She was staring intently at the monitor. A range of handguns were on the screen. She clicked on one and it enlarged to fill the entire window. It was the same as her father had hidden under his mattress. She clicked the mouse again and a list of its specifications came up. She moved the mouse and clicked onto - operation instructions.

Liz was naked and lying in his arms. Her head was resting on his shoulder and for the first time in her life she understood why people lived and died for love. She didn’t know how to speak what was in her heart. Dawn had tried to tell her. But she’d never listened, never understood. She had considered herself incapable of the love and passion that she thought belonged only to poetry and Mills and Boon novels
.

He gently stroked her hair. He was as silent as she was. They both had a new reality to deal with. Liz knew that a force had been unleashed within her and it threatened everything she believed in, everything that she had planned.

He spoke quietly into the darkness. ‘Have you ever wished you could travel back in time? To relive one moment, one stupid misjudged moment, and take a different turn?’

Liz closed her eyes. ‘Yes.’

He twisted around and lifted her chin. She opened her eyes. He looked searchingly into her face. ‘Are forgiveness and redemption ever possible, or do sins always have to be accounted for? Can a tormented soul ever be saved?’

What could she say? In her heart she wanted to set him free, but her head said no. You can’t re-write the past. And sins have to be paid for. She closed her eyes and turned away from him.

Matt woke up and thought for one moment that he was dreaming, and then he remembered. She had her back to him, he moved close against her. He gently pushed her hair aside and started kissing the back of her neck. His hands were roaming. She stretched and then relaxed back against him. ‘I could get used to this.’ He said softly, whispering.

Her hands clamped over his and removed them from her body. She climbed out of bed, grabbed a robe and wrapped it around her before turning to face him.

‘Liz?’ Matt said in confusion.

‘I’ve got to get ready for work.’ She said, hurrying for the bathroom.

Matt closed his eyes. He was hurt. What just happened?

He dressed and went down to the kitchen. He guessed Sam must have been up early since the table had been cleared and the dishwasher was on. He made himself a coffee and sat down at the table to wait.

Sam walked in, smiled when she saw him, and helped herself to a bowl of cereal before sitting down beside him. Then Liz entered the kitchen. She barely looked at either of them. She made herself busy at the sink even though it was already clean.

Matt stood up. ‘Thanks for a lovely meal Sam...’

Sam nodded and smiled.

Matt stood behind Liz. ‘See you then...’

‘Yeah bye.’ She said, without turning around.

Defeated and gutted, he left.

He was just about to get in his car when Sam called after him. She ran out of the house still in her pyjamas.

‘She doesn’t mean it.’

‘Mean what?’ Matt said, too hurt to really care.

‘To push you away. She likes you, I know she does.’

Matt wanted to be convinced but he could only take so many slaps.

‘It’s been tough for her, well for both of us, since the accident. She lost her husband.’

‘Your dad died?’

‘Well he wasn’t actually my dad.’ Sam said, ‘although he was a bloody good substitute. He was killed in a crash, almost two years ago.’

They looked at each other; Matt nodded his head in understanding and then climbed into his car.

Liz heard him drive away. She knew she had been harsh, but what choice did she have? She should never have allowed him into her life, and definitely not into her bed. Liz picked up her handbag and left the house. 

Liz stood in the doorway of the dance studio and watched as Phillip swirled Dawn around the room in some incredibly sexy version of a South American dance. It finished with him staring down at Dawn, deep into her eyes. Then abruptly he stood up, let her go and turned off the music.

Dawn looked across and saw Liz. She walked across the dance floor, a worried frown on her pretty face. ‘What are you doing here?  Is everything alright?’

Phillip waved to them both and left the studio. Liz really felt for her friend, for the first time understanding her pain.

‘That was amazing.’

Dawn gave an elegant shrug. ‘See if the judges agree on Saturday.’

‘Well, watching that Dawn, I’d have to say that he is totally in love with you.’

Hope lighted up Dawn’s eyes. But only briefly, reality soon took over. ‘Yeah he is when we’re dancing. That’s what makes us such a good team.’

‘Surely not just with the dancing, I saw the look in his eyes.’