Page 35 of The Lie
She gave an embarrassed laugh. ‘Thanks … Do you want something?’ She knew she sounded brisk, but she was late already.
‘You’re going out?’ Michael raised his eyebrows.
‘Of course not. I always dress up like this to watchMurder She Wrote,’ she retorted, riled at his obvious assumption that she had no other life. ‘I did tell you.’
‘Who with?’ he asked, ignoring her sarcasm.
‘A friend.’
‘What friend?’
‘He’s a neighbour, in Sussex.’
Michael frowned. ‘Do I know him?’
‘No … Listen, I’ve got to go, Michael. Is there something you need? I can get Daniel …’
Michael blinked hard, as if he couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. ‘Umm, no. I’m fine. Just felt like a chat.’
‘Sorry about that.’ She gave him a small wave. ‘Night. Hope you get some sleep.’
‘Don’t stay out too late,’ Michael called, as she turned away.
‘You look completely gorgeous,’ Finch said, as they took their seats in the restaurant, and Romy heard the uncomfortable echo of Michael’s words. ‘Love the dress.’
Romy couldn’t stop smiling; she was so pleased to see him. She’d been tense on the journey there, holding onto herself tightly, unable to shake off Michael’s expression when she’d referred to Finch. She’d felt an urgent need to put distance between herself and her knowing husband and had hurried to the restaurant as if she had the devil on her tail.
It was a long while later – a good many glasses of deliciously chilled white and an array of spicy dim sum consumed – that Finch gave her a level gaze across the table and said, ‘I’m staying up tonight. Come back with me?’
Romy smiled awkwardly. She didn’t want to ruin the evening, didn’t want to explain again about Michael waking in the night and calling for her – Finch already knew. She watched his tense expression as he waited for her reply. An image swam before her eyes of Michael lyinglonely in the semi-darkness of the boiling room, his eyes lighting up when she staggered in, half asleep. She had not told Daniel she might stay out.Although, she thought,I could text him. She could text Michael too, for that matter.He isn’t a child, she reminded herself.And I’m not one, either.
‘No pressure,’ Finch was saying, his expression hard to read.
Romy gave herself a mental shake. ‘We’d better get going,’ she said, laying her napkin on the table and pushing back her chair. ‘We don’t want to keep the love-nest waiting.’
She was rewarded with a smile worthy of a child on Christmas morning. She realized she’d become so buried in Michael’s life, she’d almost forgotten she had a right to her own pleasures. But as they made their way up the restaurant stairs and out into the cool summer night, Finch’s hand firmly round her own, Romy felt Christmas morning had arrived for her, too.
24
Leo drummed his fingers on the table and checked his phone for the third time in two minutes. She was late. Maybe she wasn’t coming. He thought he’d be partly relieved if she didn’t. He was sitting outside the café at Somerset House, in front of the fountains hidden in the paving stones of the courtyard; they sprang up randomly, wetting any unsuspecting passer-by. He often came here, because it was a short walk from his Chancery Lane office and he liked the open space and the fresh wind from the river, especially on such a lovely summer day.
But he was nervous – reluctant to get involved in his father’s affairs of the heart – as he caught sight of Anezka’s tall figure at the entrance to the courtyard. She had on a sleeveless red dress and large sunglasses, her hair flowing out behind her in the breeze.
‘I’m so sorry, Leo.’ Anezka was slightly breathless. ‘This is supposed to be my day off, but they still phone me with idiot questions.’ She sat down in a billow of skirt, sweeping her shiny hair across her head in the familiar gesture. ‘I have not much time,’ she added, seeming almost impatient.
Leo took a steadying breath. ‘Right, well, I’ll get to the point. Mum asked me to see you.’ He noted Anezka’s slight raise of an eyebrow. ‘I know you’ve finished with Dad. But he still asks after you … and I know he callsyou.’ She gave a wry nod at this. ‘Like he hasn’t got the message?’
Anezka looked away and didn’t answer.
Leo ploughed on: ‘So Mum wondered if you would come round – or just talk to him over the phone – and really sort out what’s bothering him, once and for all.’
She stared at him with her large blue eyes, almost defiantly. ‘Do you want to know what it is, this thing between us?’
‘Umm … not really my business, Anezka.’
Ignoring his reply, she went on, ‘I will tell you what we argue about.’ She gave a heavy sigh. ‘We have been seeing each other a long time, you know. I think we love each other. So, I suggest we move in together. Your father, he says yes,’ she gave a short laugh, ‘but he mean no.’
Leo had no idea how to respond, but before he had time to think, she was asking, ‘You want to know why?’
