The Lie of Love Page 8

  ‘Someone’s dressed for the occasion,’ Amanda said approvingly.

  ‘It’s the reporter from the Echo.’

  ‘Then I’m very sorry I missed him at your house.’

  Darcy shot her a weary look. ‘Do I need to remind you about a certain husband?’

  ‘Oh absolutely. My heart will always belong to my Mr Right, but sometimes my eyes belong to all the Mr Wrongs.’

  ‘As long as it’s only your eyes,’ Darcy laughed.

  ‘I haven’t missed the start, have I?’ Ethan panted as he caught up.

  ‘I think they’re just about to announce the first event.’ Amanda held out a hand. ‘I’m Amanda Gale, by the way, campaign manager for Sophie’s Steps.’

  ‘Ah, yes,’ Ethan held Amanda’s hand in a firm grip as they shook. ‘Darcy told me all about your instrumental role in the fundraising efforts. I’ll be sure to get a few words and a photo, but now I need to catch the lifeguards before they start.’

  ‘Of course,’ Amanda purred. ‘I’m not going anywhere in a hurry.’

  Ethan tilted his head in acknowledgement and then rushed after a man carrying a camera case who was making his way to the group of lifeguards now warming up and taunting each other, their raucous laughter ringing out across the beach.

  ‘He’s rather charming,’ Amanda said as she watched him go.

  Darcy gave a theatrical frown. ‘You need tablets for that.’

  ‘What?’ Amanda’s eyes were wide with mock innocence.

  ‘Your hormones going loco.’

  Amanda laughed. ‘I don’t think I’m the only one.’

  ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Darcy asked. Even as the words left her lips she felt herself colour. She knew exactly what Amanda meant and she wished there was no way to deny it that wouldn’t sound like a pathetic lie.

  ‘I’ve seen the way you go all gooey-eyed when Harry talks to you. It’s disgusting.’

  Darcy looked across to see that Amanda was grinning at her, despite her words of disapproval. ‘He’s cute,’ Darcy said, ‘but far too young, obviously,’ she added quickly. ‘It’s just a bit of harmless flirting, that’s all.’

  ‘And we all enjoy a little bit of that from time to time. Don’t worry; I’m not judging you. Just don’t deny me my silver-fox fantasies if you’re going to have your toy boy ones.’

  Darcy laughed self-consciously. ‘Ok, it’s a deal. Now I suppose we should do some actual fundraising at some point instead of discussing the finer points of the opposite sex.’

  ‘Agreed. Let’s start with that affluent and generous looking bunch over there…’

  ‘Perhaps we ought to split up,’ Darcy said. ‘You deploy your charm with them and I’ll go the other way, rattle my bucket and try to look desperate enough to get the sympathy vote.’

  Amanda roared with laughter. ‘We’ve got this fundraising pegged, haven’t we?’

  ‘We seem to.’

  ‘Right, let’s work the crowd and I’ll see you back here in half an hour, just before the games start.’

  ‘Don’t forget…’ Darcy called after Amanda’s already retreating figure, ‘you’re not supposed to ask…’

  ‘Yes, yes,’ Amanda called back. ‘People have to offer to give, I know. But how can they refuse such a worthy cause?’

  Darcy smiled. She loved Amanda’s faith in people and her endless enthusiasm. She wished she could be more like that instead of constantly sliding down the slimed walls of her own bottomless well of self-doubt. Once again she found herself scanning the crowds for a sign of Ged and the children. And once again she was disappointed. Why couldn’t he support her, just once? Was it really that much to ask?

  Her attention was drawn by another familiar figure. Darcy looked to see Rachel pick her way gracefully over the sand. She was wearing a short flared dress, pulled in at her tiny waist by a wide belt. Her hair had been tousled into loose waves that spilled over her shoulders and down her back and her skin had a subtle, sun-kissed glow which brought out the intense brown of her eyes. She gave Darcy a shy wave, before turning to the crowd of lifeguards. Darcy guessed she was searching for one in particular and the sudden dart of resentment and envy that pierced her heart took Darcy completely by surprise. Rachel was young and pretty and charming – any boy would be a fool not to be flattered by her attentions and any boy would desire her. When Harry looked at Darcy, she could never be sure that the lust in his eyes was real or in her imagination, but when he looked at Rachel, there was no mistaking it.

  Darcy watched her trip over the sand, watched Harry get nudged by one of his companions as she approached them, watched his head flick up from a clipboard he had been studying, watched his genuine grin of delight as he saw her. Darcy watched all these things and felt a hollow sickness inside.

  ‘What are you collecting for?’

  Darcy turned to find a young woman with an ice-cream encrusted toddler clamped to her hip standing next to her, trying to peer at the details on the side of her bucket. She stared at the woman almost as if surprised to find anyone else there. Shaking herself she forced a smile, reminded of the reason why she needed to rid herself of all the selfish impulses that seemed to rule her lately and concentrate on the things that really mattered.

  ‘It’s for my daughter… she has cerebral palsy and we’re trying to take her to America for an operation that could help her to walk.’

  ‘Really?’ the woman asked, sounding impressed. ‘That’s an incredible thing to do.’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Darcy shrugged, ‘I think most mums would do the same if they could.’

  ‘Not all mums…’ the woman set the protesting toddler down for a moment and rifled in a small satchel slung across her shoulder. ‘Just for a minute, Nancy…’ the woman said to the little girl who had now started to wail. She produced a handful of coins and gave them to the girl. ‘Why don’t you put these in the lady’s bucket?’

  At this, the little girl stopped her crying, like a switch had been flicked, and she beamed. Carefully, she slotted the coins, one by one, into the hole in the lid of the bucket.

  ‘Thank you so much,’ Darcy said, smiling at the little girl and then up at her mum. ‘Every person who helps us takes us a little bit closer to Sophie’s dreams of walking.’

  The woman reached for Darcy’s hand and gave it a squeeze. For a moment, Darcy was taken aback by the familiarity of the gesture, but then she relaxed.

  ‘I hope you raise the money and make her dreams come true,’ the woman said. ‘I wish you all the luck in the world… you deserve it and so does your little girl.’ She scooped up her own daughter and ledged her back on one hip. ‘Wave goodbye, Nancy…’

  The little girl waved a podgy hand.

  ‘Are you staying for the games?’ Darcy asked.

  The woman shook her head. ‘We’re on holiday, love, came down to the beach for one last look before we head home. And I have a husband waiting impatiently in a car somewhere so we can get going.’

  Darcy wished she could say the same as she bid the woman goodbye. Even an impatient husband would be better than an absent one right now.

  Darcy spent the next half hour wandering amongst the crowds, smiling politely, offering thanks and a kind word or more information about their cause whenever she received a donation. By the time she had caught up with Amanda again, the first event had been announced and was about to begin.

  ‘How did you get on?’ Amanda asked.

  Darcy shook her bucket in reply, a satisfying rattle of coins issuing forth. ‘How about you?’

  Amanda handed her bucket over and Darcy frowned as she weighed it up. ‘It feels light… Your end was not so good?’

  ‘Silly… it’s full of notes!’ Amanda laughed.

  Darcy grinned in return as she handed it back. ‘Good old Amanda… working your magic, eh?’

  ‘Naturally…’

  Their attention was drawn by a row of four lifeguards lining up at makeshift starting blocks further up the beach.

/>   ‘Looks like we’re off,’ Amanda said. ‘I’ve been so looking forward to this one.’

  ‘You mean to say that you weren’t bowled over with excitement by the bingo at the old folks’ home last week?’ Darcy grinned.

  ‘Strange how it doesn’t have quite the same appeal, isn’t it? Must be something to do with the lovely beach air…’

  ‘More like the lovely toned beach bodies,’ Darcy laughed.

  ‘That too.’

  Darcy was continually being amazed by the generosity and good nature of the public on which her quest relied, and as they stood in the audience, entertained for the next few hours by sporting antics as diverse as dinghy dragging, sandcastle jumping and a trampoline based game dubbed Baywatch Bouncing, they were barely left alone for two minutes without someone wanting to donate. It gave her the warmest feeling to know that people cared so much for a girl they didn’t know and a family who hardly registered the tiniest indent on the face of the earth. For a short while, as she watched the lifeguards cajole and win over the crowd with their good humoured antics and infectious enthusiasm, as she watched Harry in particular display the kind of physical prowess that had given him the supple young body he now boasted, she could almost forget that she had been abandoned by her own husband. But not quite.

  The morning passed and Ged did not show. Whenever she stopped to think about it, a wave of rage would wash over her, followed by an equal one of despair. He wasn’t answering his phone and he wasn’t there with her. As the day wore on, a vast range of emotions took their turn: panic, worry, anger and sadness. More than anything, she was desperately concerned that Sophie and Jake were alright, but as Amanda had reminded her many times, if anything had happened to them, he would surely call her the instant he was able to. Amanda almost looked as vexed about it as Darcy whenever she thought Darcy wasn’t looking, and it was only the distractions of the games and the endless stream of people willing to donate that kept either of them from voicing really savage thoughts.

  ‘There’s Julia,’ Amanda said, squinting across at a figure making her way toward them through the crowds. ‘Thank God she’s here, I’m desperate for a coffee…. She can take the bucket for a while.’

  ‘Perhaps you ought to ask her first if she minds,’ Darcy smiled thinly.

  ‘She’ll be alright… she loves all this fundraising lark… makes her look virtuous.’ Amanda started out to meet her. ‘I’ll pick you up a coffee too,’ she called behind her as she went.

  There was an exchange of words and the charity bucket, and then Amanda was gone. Julia held up a hand to Darcy in greeting and then gestured that she was going to wander the crowds with it. Darcy nodded her understanding. Over the speaker system, Mark announced that the games were taking a short break before they began the final couple of water based activities, and reminded people of why they were all there, helpfully mentioning the various ways people could donate to Sophie’s cause.

  ‘It looks as thought it has been a fantastic success today…’

  Darcy spun around to see Ethan Reeves looking down at her with an amiable expression.

  ‘You made me jump,’ Darcy laughed, her hand flying to her chest.

  ‘Sorry about that,’ he smiled. ‘I thought I’d grab a quick word with you about how you think it’s gone today.’

  ‘I thought you were concentrating on the lifeguards,’ Darcy began, hoping to put him off the scent of the family photo he had mentioned earlier. ‘They’re far more interesting and better looking,’ she added with a forced smile.

  ‘Oh, I wouldn’t say that…’ He scanned the crowd. ‘I have a photographer around here somewhere. Perhaps we could get that family shot. And I’d love to meet them all. Your husband must be incredibly proud of you.’

  ‘Oh… I’m sorry… he had to take Sophie home not long after they arrived… she wasn’t feeling well…’ Darcy blushed as the lie flew from her lips. She just hoped it wasn’t too noticeable. ‘So they’re not here.’

  ‘Who’s not here?’ Darcy turned to find Ged standing behind her, Jake at his side and Sophie in her wheelchair. He smiled and nodded as Ethan turned to him too. ‘I’ve had a devil of a job getting Sophie’s chair over the sand, although she seemed to find it quite funny, and the sweat dripping from my brow after my exertions tells me I’m very definitely here.’

  ‘Oh…’ Ethan began, but then stopped as he looked from one to the other. He seemed to guess the real story straightaway and Darcy could only be thankful that he didn’t further embarrass her by exposing her white lies. ‘That’s fantastic timing,’ he said instead, ‘I’d like to get a few words and a photo of the whole family, if that’s alright.’

  ‘No problem at all,’ Ged replied with his most earnest smile. Darcy knew the smile well – it was a glib showing of his teeth he reserved for clients, or for when he brought his boss home for dinner – it was the one that didn’t really mean anything. It came so naturally to him it was frightening. If he could turn this on so easily, Darcy had wondered on more than one occasion, how could she be sure that he ever really meant anything he did or said? What did the real Ged actually think?

  And the platitudes came just as easily as Ged told Ethan all that he thought the reporter wanted to hear. When Ethan congratulated him on his wonderful family and the amazing work he and Darcy were doing for Sophie, Ged soaked it all up as Darcy looked on, itching for them to be left alone so she could vent the anger and frustration now building inside her, ready to pop.

  The photographer arrived, red-faced and huffing, looking as if he’d rather be anywhere else at that moment. A few snaps later, he nodded curtly and disappeared into the crowds again.

  ‘Well, I’ve had a fabulous day but I really should head back to the office and do some work,’ Ethan smiled. ‘Thank you for your time and I wish you all the luck in the world with your enterprise… if there’s anything else we can do at the Echo, any way we can help, please don’t hesitate to give me a call.’ He looked at Darcy. ‘You have my card, don’t you?’

  Darcy nodded.

  ‘Great. I’m not sure exactly what night the piece will be in but it should be early next week.’

  ‘That’s ok,’ Ged replied, holding out his hand to shake with Ethan, ‘we always buy the paper every night anyway so we’ll see it.’

  They never bought the Echo; Ged always said that it was a cheap rag for uneducated yokels and wouldn’t entertain it in the house, but Darcy kept tight lipped about that particular lie. It was just another of Ged’s slick lines and one that even she, in her agitated state, could see the wisdom of.

  Ethan bid Jake and Sophie goodbye and then held up a hand in farewell to Darcy and Ged before making his way back to the promenade. In the distance, Darcy was faintly aware of the sounds of the games getting underway again, but now she was far too distracted to take any notice.

  ‘Can I go and watch the boat race?’ Jake asked. ‘Brandon’s over there with his nan… can I go and stand with him?’

  ‘Of course you can,’ Ged smiled, ruffling Jake’s hair. ‘Just don’t go wandering too far, ok?’

  ‘I won’t,’ Jake called as he sprinted across the sand towards where his best friend stood with a tall, slender, silver-haired woman.

  ‘This had better be good,’ Darcy growled as they stood, side-by-side watching their son go.

  Ged turned to her, seemingly unconcerned by the malice in her tone. ‘What had?’

  ‘Your excuse for not being here.’

  ‘I am here.’

  ‘Five hours late.’

  ‘Oh, come on, that’s pushing it a bit. I am late but I’ve had stuff to do this morning.’

  ‘More important stuff than this? You promised you’d be here –’

  ‘And I am here. You seem to be having problems with that concept.’

  Darcy spun around to face him. ‘How dare you!’

  Sophie was still in her chair, facing away from them. She cricked her neck to look for the source of the commotion.

  �
��Keep it down,’ Ged hissed.

  ‘Keep it down?’ Darcy replied, lowering her voice anyway. ‘Do you think this is all a game?’

  ‘No but you seem to. Some of us have better things to do than swan around the beach all day watching sports and chit chatting.’

  Darcy drew a steadying breath, doing her best to keep her temper in check. ‘Ok,’ she said in a low voice, ‘why don’t you enlighten me? What was so urgent at home that you had to spend all morning there instead of here supporting me?’

  ‘Work called, they needed something sorting.’

  ‘Couldn’t you tell them that you had important family things on today? It is Saturday, after all. Surely you get weekends off once in a while?’

  ‘It’s easy for you to say, you don’t have a boss to answer to.’

  ‘And while this was happening, what were the kids doing?’

  ‘I don’t know… watching TV or something.’

  ‘Great… All morning?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘And this thing for work had to take all morning?’

  ‘It needed sorting.’

  Darcy folded her arms across her chest. I don’t believe you.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I think you wanted an excuse to stay away. Either work didn’t really need you or whatever it was could have waited. I don’t believe for a minute anything was that urgent.’

  ‘Believe what you want; there’s no arguing with you when you’re in this mood.’

  ‘Is it any wonder I’m in a mood? I had to lie through my teeth to that reporter about where you were and he knew it. We’re supposed to be showing a united front, we’re supposed to be a solid family working together for our daughter but you can’t even be bothered to turn up on time for the biggest fundraising event we’ve ever planned. What does that say about us?’

  ‘That we’re busy?’

  ‘Argh!’ Darcy stamped her foot. ‘I hate it when you patronise me. I’m not a child, Ged!’

  ‘Then stop acting like one. I’m sick to death of your hair-brained schemes, and your constant need for everyone to do what you want.’