‘How dare you do such a thing to Joey?’
‘Joey didn’t mind, did you, darling?’
The child was trying to cope with a host of unfamiliar noises. He made a sound that Gina understood but which caused his mother to look down at him with a frown.
‘What?’ she asked, a tad sharply.
‘He said “Mummy”,’ Gina told her quietly.
Angelica straightened, and looked Gina up and down with deep, deep blue eyes. Her beautiful mouth twitched as though she’d seen something funny. And Gina, who until then had thought herself smartly dressed, knew that she was a little brown mouse after all.
‘I don’t believe we’ve been introduced,’ Angelica cooed.
‘My name is Gina Tennison,’ she said, pulling herself together. ‘I’m here because I can help Joey.’
Before Gina could stop her the film star enveloped her in a scented embrace.
‘Then you’re my friend,’ she said in accents of passionate sincerity. ‘Anyone who helps my dear little son is my friend, as I am hers.’
‘You ought to know, Brenda,’ Carson broke in harshly, ‘that Gina is a great deal more than-’
‘Carson.’ Gina stopped him in a voice that was half a plea, half a warning. ‘Not now.’
Angelica’s narrowed eyes flickered between them. She wasn’t an intelligent woman, but she had a stiletto- sharp instinct where her own interests were concerned. Carson’s words had been revealing, but the way Gina felt free to interrupt him, and the familiarity of that, ‘Not now,’ alerted her far more.
She kept her smile in place to say, ‘Tell me about yourself. You’re some kind of speech therapist?’
‘No, I’m a lawyer. But I’m deaf.’
‘Oh, really? You must be wonderful at lip-reading. I thought you could hear.’
‘I can hear, because I have a cochlear implant, just like Joey. But I’m still deaf, just as he is.’
Angelica gave a trill of disbelieving laughter. ‘Nonsense. Joey isn’t deaf any more. He’s been cured.’
‘There is no cure,’ Gina said firmly. ‘Joey is as deaf as he ever was. With time and a lot of work he’ll pass as what you call “normal”.’ For the life of her, she couldn’t have kept a tinge of contempt out of the last four words. ‘But he’ll still be deaf.’
‘Really?’ Angelica said frostily. ‘That’s not quite what I-well, never mind. I’m sure we’ll all manage somehow.’
‘We?’ Carson asked ominously.
‘Well, we are a family, darling,’ Angelica said sweetly. ‘You, me and our little son. And family reunions are happy occasions.’
Carson’s face was pale. ‘What the devil brought you back here, Brenda?’
She winced. ‘I do wish you wouldn’t use that name. It’s not me.’
‘I said, what brought you back here? Why this sudden display of maternal concern?’
Angelica shrugged, beautifully. ‘Well, my dear, it’s expected, especially if- Oh, hell! Some stupid cow from
‘They’ve found out, haven’t they?’ Carson said savagely. ‘Someone in that self-centred little hell-hole you live in has heard about Joey and is asking awkward questions-like how could the beautiful Angelica Duvaine desert a sick child? And suddenly you don’t look so good.’
Angelica shrugged again. ‘Put it how you like. I’m here now and there’s nothing you can do about it.’
‘Can’t I? I could have you out of that door so fast-’
‘Oh, I don’t think Joey would like that,’ she replied, turning her wide eyes on him. ‘Would you?’
Carson was speechless. It was Gina who answered.
‘No,’ she said. ‘Joey wouldn’t like that at all.’
Carson wheeled on her. ‘Can’t you see the game she’s playing?’
‘Of course I can see it. But you have to go along with it, at least for the moment.’
‘He’ll go along with it for as long as it suits me,’ Angelica snapped at her. ‘Now, if you wouldn’t mind leaving us, I need to have a long, private talk with
‘I’m no husband of yours,’ Carson said. ‘Our marriage was over long ago.’
‘Not according to the law. There are papers that make it very clear that we are still husband and wife for the next few days, at least.’
‘After which our divorce will become final,’ Carson said firmly.
‘Why don’t we talk about that later? I just want to enjoy my little boy’s birthday.’
She had come with a mountain of presents, which she unloaded onto the child, apparently oblivious of the fact that her presence was enough to make him happy. Joey exclaimed over the parcels and tried, haltingly, to thank her. The few words he could manage came out distorted, and Gina had to interpret for him, while Brenda’s smile grew more frayed.
But she persevered, covering Joey with kisses at regular intervals. The child looked up, beaming first at his mother, then at his father. To him, this was the longed-for family reunion.
Gina turned away from that sight. Her heart was heavy.
The house was very quiet and dark. Gina had undressed for bed, but although she lay down for a while she didn’t expect to sleep, and soon rose again.
A glance into Joey’s room showed her that he was asleep. Brenda had made a great performance of putting him to bed, and if there was anything missing in her attitude he didn’t seem to notice.
Perhaps, Gina thought, the actress still had some genuine, motherly feeling for him. For Joey’s sake, she would have been glad to believe it.
Gina had slipped away to her room without trying to talk to Carson. Now she wondered where he was. In his bedroom, presumably. And Angelica? Where was she?
She’d forgotten to bring a glass of water upstairs as she normally did. Pulling on her dressing gown, she slipped out into the corridor and headed down the stairs to the kitchen.
There was a faint light in the hall downstairs, coming from beyond an open door. As Gina reached the bottom step she froze, realising that she’d been mistaken. Angelica and Carson weren’t in his bedroom at all. Through the door to the front room she could see them, in each other’s arms.
At first everything was a confused jumble-two bodies pressed together-two mouths locked-Angelica half naked in a seductive diaphanous creation-hands embracing, caressing, inciting to passion-
Then Gina’s head cleared and she saw that Carson’s arms were by his sides. It was Angelica’s hands that writhed, sliding over his head, his shoulders, vainly trying to rekindle desire. The man stood motionless, coldly waiting for her to be finished.
Eventually Angelica drew back, her lovely mouth curved in laughing disbelief.
‘Don’t be so stuffy, darling. You and I always had the hots for each other, and some things simply don’t die. I’ve thought of you a lot recently-’
Carson didn’t move and he didn’t speak.
‘Oh, sweetie, are you trying to punish me? Playing hard to get? Well, that might even be rather fun. Remember how we used to-?’
‘Shut up and get out, Brenda.’ Carson’s voice was like ice as he pushed her away from him. ‘And don’t try to touch me again or I’ll make you very sorry.’
‘You’re afraid,’ she jeered. ‘You know you can’t resist me.’
‘I think I’ve just proved that I can. No, it’s simpler than that. You make my skin crawl. All I can think of is the rottenness inside you.’
‘I see. It’s Miss Goody Two-Shoes now, is it?’
‘I’m going to marry Gina, yes. And we’ll have a real marriage, which is more than you and I ever had.’
‘Oh, you’re so smug and sure of yourself. That was always what I couldn’t stand about you. Well, don’t make any plans for an early marriage. It doesn’t suit me to be divorced just yet. It wouldn’t go well with the reconciliation story I’ve given the press.
‘But one day-who knows? Be nice to me, and in the end I’ll probably be nice to you. In the meantime, we can always-’
She slipped a silk-clad arm about his neck again and tried to fasten her mouth on his, but Carson moved fast, fending her off with a gesture so vigorous that it sent her reeling back to land sprawling in an undignified heap on
