The Exciting Life (25 page)

‘
Modelling my horrible shoes has kept this roof over your head
for the past few months hasn’t it?’ Annie cried. She felt so
wounded by it all. She didn’t know what to believe or what to do or
anything. If Iris had intended to make her suffer then she’d
fulfilled her brief.

‘
Well I don’t need you any more. I’ve got a business and a
wealthy husband to be.’

‘
Leo Andersson…’ Annie uttered, the penny suddenly dropping.
‘Kenneth’s friend?’

‘
Yes. We met through Kenneth.’

‘
Well that’s all very cosy isn’t it?’ said Annie, and to her
consternation, she started to cry. She stood up and had to steady
her shaking legs. ‘I want you at Bruno’s tomorrow morning at ten.
We’re going to talk to Norma.’

‘
Be my guest,’ Iris said arrogantly. ‘She’ll only tell you
lies.’

‘
Maybe so. But I think she’ll be more honest with me than you
ever have.’

Annie
walked out, holding on tightly to the banister as she walked down
the stairs. Her head spinning. Iris's story was fantastical, but
the bit that jarred with Annie was that she knew Alice's real name.
There had never been any sort of biography written about her. Even
Annie only knew scant details, like she'd been born in Battersea,
her real name was Higgins, and like Nesta she'd survived the
sinking of the Titanic - that was how she'd got to New York and
became a star. She never really liked talking about her life prior
to going to America. Annie couldn't deny that people had always
commented on how similar they were. But everyone had put it down to
coincidence. She wished this had all come out earlier, she could
have asked Nesta when she went to see her the other
week.

Somehow,
she stumbled onto the main road and found a phone box. As usual it
had that horrible aroma of urine and cigarettes, but she had to
stifle her nausea and get on with the matter in hand.

She
called Kenneth's home and was a little shocked when a very
young-sounding man picked up the phone.

‘
Can I speak to Kenneth Holland please?’ she asked, wondering
if she had the wrong number.

‘
One minute.’

He put
the phone down on the side and Annie heard him call Kenneth. She
wondered who he was. Kenneth rarely had visitors and when he did,
it was unlikely he'd let them answer his phone.

‘
Who was that?’ she asked when he finally picked it
up.

‘
That? Oh it was just Billy. He’s helping out at the Tanner
Beresford offices for a while. I’ve put him up.’

‘
I see. Well, could you come to Bruno’s tomorrow morning at ten
o’clock? It’s very important.’

‘
What is it?’ he snapped. ‘I’m busy.’

‘
Please. Just do this one thing for me Kenneth. I don’t ask
much of you.’

‘
Alright. Well don’t keep me for too long, I’ve got
meetings.’

Annie
had no desire to make conversation with her brother and put the
phone down. She then put another penny in the slot and dialled
Alice’s house in Belgravia where she stayed when she was in town.
It was picked up by Jenny, her aunt’s personal assistant, and Annie
hoped she was in.

‘
Could I speak to Aunt Alice please?’ Annie asked.

‘
One moment Annie,’ Jenny said. ‘She’s just having her
supper.’

There
was a click and Alice picked up the phone.

‘
Hello Annie,’ she said. ‘Are you alright?’

‘
Not really. Could I possibly ask a favour of you? Could you
come to Bruno's tomorrow morning at ten o'clock?’

‘
Oh yes? Have you something going on there?’

‘
There's someone I want you to meet. Can you come?

‘
Of course, sweetheart. You’ve got me intrigued
now.’

‘
It’ll become more clear tomorrow. I’ll see you in the
morning.’

Annie
ended the call and found she couldn’t move from the phone- box. She
was so utterly exhausted, and her hormones made her cry at the
slightest provocation. She wasn’t even sure why she was so upset.
So what if she and Iris were half-sisters? Kenneth was her proper
brother and they couldn’t stand each other. What had shocked her
most was the sheer hatred in Iris’s voice. As if she blamed Annie
for something that wasn’t even her fault. It was totally
unjustified and if she’d only known it, as a little girl, Annie had
dreamt of having a sister. Under different circumstances they could
have been friends.

Pulling
herself together, she stepped out of the phone-box and looked
around for a taxi. She then remembered that it was South London and
taxi drivers never came this way – it was considered too dangerous.
She saw a bus go past that went into town and she hopped on that.
Eddie would be at home waiting for her. She’d go in and he’d pour
her a drink and run her a bath and she’d tell him all about her day
and he’d listen and be sympathetic. But the thought of it made a
knot of dread form in her stomach. The simple truth was, she didn’t
love him. And she knew that if she split up with him, it would
cause all sorts of problems, seeing as they were business
partners.

As soon
as the bus crossed Westminster Bridge, Annie got off and walked to
Parliament Square, where she hailed a cab.

‘
Where to love?’ the driver asked.

‘
West Hampstead,’ she replied. ‘As fast as you can.’

By the
time she reached Patrick’s flat, she was shaking. She didn’t know
how he was going to react to her turning up on his doorstep. She’d
been so nonchalant with him earlier on when he’d told her how he
felt, it would be so typical of a man to go off in a sulk and find
some girl to go to bed with - just to get back at her. But Annie
loved him. That was all there was to it and even though it was
madness, she wanted to be with him.

When he
opened the door to the flat, he looked frazzled. His tie was undone
and he was holding a tumbler of whisky.

‘
Miss Holland,’ he smiled bitterly. ‘Come to tell me you want
nothing to do with me?’

‘
No,’ she sniffed, those uncontrollable tears slipping out.
‘I've come to tell you I love you. I love you. I always have. I
don't love Eddie.’

‘
Well,’ he smiled. ‘This is a turn up. Come in.’

Annie
stepped into the flat and went into the front room, she saw he had
a bottle of whisky open on the coffee table.

‘
Can I get you one?’ he asked.

‘
No, I'm funny with booze at the moment,’ she said
quietly.

‘
Why's that?’

‘
I'm pregnant.’

He
turned and looked at her.

‘
What?’

‘
I haven't had it confirmed but I'm nearly two months
late.’

‘
Whose is it?’

‘
I always used my cap with Eddie. I didn't with
you.’

‘
Is that the only reason you want to be with me?

‘
No! I slept with you in the first place because I love you.
You pushed me away the next day if you remember
rightly.’

He
laughed and put down his glass and came over to her, stroking the
side of her face.

‘
You do realise that if you call off the engagement, Eddie will
probably withdraw his money from your business?’

‘
I realise that,’ she said. ‘And it’s probably the worst thing
I could ever do. But I can’t stand being with him any longer. I’ve
just had a terrible time with Iris, and when I came out, I couldn’t
bear the thought of going home to Eddie. He’d be so sympathetic and
nice to me and I find it all so stifling. I just wanted you to put
your arms around me.’

And he
did just that. Wrapping his muscular arms around her narrow
shoulders and pulling her to him. It felt so natural to be close to
Patrick. To smell his musky aftershave, and feel his heart beating
against her cheek.

‘
What? Like this?’ he asked.

‘
Yes,’ she whispered. She pulled away and looked up at
him.

‘
What will you do if the baby’s Eddie’s?’ she asked.

‘
How will I know? Just cos I’ve got red hair, doesn’t mean my
baby will. I love you Annie. I was a fool to think I belonged with
Iris. Maybe I’m an idiot, but because of where I come from, I
always somehow felt you were too good for me and that I deserved
someone like Iris. But she’s twisted and spiteful. What was all
that about her being your sister?!’

‘
I think she might be telling the truth.’

‘
What?!’

‘
Oh Patrick,’ she sighed, laying her head on his chest.
‘There’s so much I have to tell you. Life’s so strange for me at
the moment.’

Chapter Fifteen

When
Annie woke up in Patrick’s bed the next morning, suddenly feeling
sick; everything came back to her her. Eddie would be at home,
wondering where she was. She hadn’t even had the decency to call
and tell him she was staying out all night. She just hoped he’d had
enough of waiting for her and had gone back to his own place. She
turned over, swallowing down the nausea, and looked at Patrick. He
was asleep but had a huge smile on his face, like getting with her
had finally made him happy. Annie felt so scared of what the future
held but she had to follow her heart and be with the person she
loved. But this didn’t stop her feeling guilty. Eddie was a nice
guy and he didn’t deserve this.

Annie
got out of bed and had to sit for a moment to quell the sickness.
She felt Patrick run his hand down her spine, and while the
sensation was pleasurable, at the same time there was too much
sensory stimulation going on and she had to rush into the toilet to
be sick. She went back into the bedroom and found Patrick sitting
up, rubbing his eyes. He then ran his hand through his tousled,
ginger hair.

‘
We’d better get you to the doctors,’ he laughed.

‘
I’m too embarrassed,’ she fretted, sitting on the bed. ‘My
doctor knows I’m not married.’

‘
He’s a doctor. He’s got to be discreet.’

‘
And I suppose I am engaged…’ she looked down at the ring Eddie
had given her, and she felt that awful sense of dread again. ‘Oh
for God’s sake let me get this morning out of the way, then I’ll
deal with the rest of my life.’

Patrick
took hold of her left hand and manoeuvred the ring off. Laying it
on the bedside table.

‘
There. You’re not engaged now. Do you want me to go and talk
to Eddie?’

‘
No. I’ve got to do it.’

She
looked at Patrick and stroked his face, where the auburn stubble
had started to sprout on his chin. He looked so young and boyish
compared to Eddie. But she had no regrets. Whatever happened, he
was the right person for her.

‘
You do still want me don’t you?’ she whispered.

He
grasped her hand and kissed her wrist.

‘
More than anything,’ he said.

Annie
realised she had to face going home before going to Bruno’s. She
hated wearing underwear for two days in a row and needed to freshen
up before dealing with her family. Patrick dressed and drove her
into town, dropping her off outside Holland’s.

‘Are you
sure you don’t want me to come in with you?’ he said. ‘Just in case
Eddie gets shirty.’

‘
He won’t,’ she replied. ‘I’ll be fine.’ She kissed him on the
cheek. ‘I’ll call you later.’

Taking a
deep breath, she got out of the car and went into the building. It
was early morning and no one was in yet. She guessed that Lillian
and Dawn, the two front of house girls she’d employed to deal with
the few customers they had each day, were probably only just
getting out of bed after sleeping off the excesses of the night
before. How she envied them their carefree lives.

As she
rode in the lift, up to her flat, her heart raced. She crossed her
fingers and toes, hoping Eddie had gone home last night. She knew
she would have so much to deal with at Bruno’s, she didn’t need to
start her day with an argument as well.

As soon
as she opened the door and smelt cigar smoke, and heard the
wireless in the kitchen playing, she knew she was out of luck. As
she shut the door he came running down the hall, just dressed in
his trousers, vest and braces, his hair dishevelled.

‘
Are you okay?’ he gasped. ‘I didn’t know where you’d got to
last night. I called the club and you weren’t there. I called
Mandy’s and she said she hadn’t seen you. Where were
you?’

‘
With Patrick,’ she replied, looking down.

‘
What?’ he uttered.

She
looked up into those beautiful blue eyes and she’d never hated
herself more. It was like kicking a dog when it was down, and she
wished she could rip out the part of herself that loved Patrick,
and devote herself to Eddie.

‘
I can’t talk about it now,’ she said. ‘I’ve got to be at
Bruno’s at ten. I’ll come back here afterwards.’

‘
Well I won’t be here,’ he said cockily. ‘You don’t expect me
to be hanging up behind the door waiting for you all the time do
you? One night was enough.’