Civvy Street (11 page)

With fifteen minutes to spare before the first of the guests was due to make an appearance the children were tucked up in bed, snacks were warming in the oven, Rollo had made three jugs of Pimm’s and Maddy had managed to change into a pretty dress and put on a lick of make-up.

‘Phew,’ she said, with feeling, as she looked at her tidy house and saw the trays of glasses standing ready.

‘Don’t know why you were so worried,’ said Rollo, grinning.

‘I was worried because I didn’t know you had a magic wand.’

Rollo waggled his eyebrows suggestively. ‘Never heard it called that before.’

‘Grow up, Rollo,’ said Seb, coming down the stairs.

‘Killjoy,’ countered Rollo.

‘Nathan wants a goodnight kiss,’ said Seb. ‘Rose is already spark out.’

‘You’re a star,’ said Maddy, giving Seb a peck on the cheek as she headed for the stairs. From being stressed and anxious she was now, suddenly, rather looking forward to the party.

Thirty minutes later, everyone had arrived, Rollo was lapping up the attention just like the guests were lapping up the Pimm’s and the beer, and Maddy was chatting happily to her friends as she passed around the plates of food. It was obvious to Maddy that her party had already developed into two camps: at one end of the room were the Rayners where the conversation was polite and restrained, and at the other end of the room were the Collinses and Rollo and from where guffaws of raucous laughter billowed. Those with the Rayners cast occasional, envious glances at the other group but seemed to be trapped from abandoning the boss and his wife by politeness and protocol. Even Maddy, circulating as she was with the nibbles, found herself drawn to Rollo’s group rather more often than to the Rayners’ end of the room. As she offered her guests some mini sausage rolls she eavesdropped on what Susie was saying to Rollo.

‘So,’ she said, ‘what was it like standing on the podium?’

‘It’s all a bit of a blur,’ said Rollo. ‘The whole event was just so bonkers: the noise as we got to the grandstands; the media circus; the interviews; that thing in Trafalgar Square afterwards... I mean, don’t get me wrong, it was fab but the whole thing blew my mind a bit.’

‘That, and the drink he consumed celebrating,’ added Seb.

Maddy pushed the plate of warm sausage rolls into the little group and everyone took one.

‘And who could blame him,’ said Mike, taking a bite of his. ‘I knew some army rowers – pretty serious ones who did Henley. Their training regime seemed bloody harsh – all the things they were and weren’t allowed to do. I seem to recall that drinking was one of the proscribed things.’ He finished his sausage roll and took another one as Maddy was still holding a half-full plate.

‘I don’t recall that ever applying to Rollo,’ said Seb.

‘Oi,’ said Rollo, ‘I’ll have you know that when we went to the training camp barely a drop touched my lips for weeks. And talking of drink...?’ He nodded at Susie and Mike’s empty glasses.

‘Oh, just fruit juice or lemonade for us,’ said Susie.

‘You sure? You can’t be driving, surely. Don’t you live on the patch?’ said Rollo.

Maddy shot Seb a significant look. He picked up her silent message that the conversation was straying into dodgy territory. ‘I’ll get the drinks,’ he cut in before Rollo could try and force Mike and Susie to reveal the reason for their abstinence.

‘So,’ said Susie, ‘what brings you to this neck of the woods – apart from visiting Seb and Maddy?’

‘House-hunting.’

Bugger, thought Maddy, another minefield. But there was nothing she could do about this new conversation, not without looking crass and obvious.

‘What a fantastic choice there is round here,’ Rollo was saying. ‘All those wonderful villages and some of those old farm houses and barn conversions...’

Maddy glanced at Susie; her mouth was set in a tight line.

‘Mind you,’ continued Rollo, oblivious to Susie’s discomfiture, ‘there’s a place I saw today which knocks the spots off almost everything else – a bit outside my budget but worth it, in my opinion. It’s an old manor in Ashton-cum-Bavant, right on the village green. Jacobean and an absolute beaut of a place. Seven bedrooms, the most wonderful staircase and it’s even got a ballroom. OK, not a very
big
ballroom, but how many houses do you come across that even have one to start with?’

Susie forced a smile and took her refilled glass from Seb with a brief nod of thanks.

Rollo turned to Seb. ‘I was just telling Susie and Mike about that manor house we saw today,’ he said. ‘You know the one. Tell them what a fab place it is.’

Maddy looked at Seb again. Nooo.

‘Well, I think it’s probably a bit over-the-top for us ordinary folk,’ said Seb.

‘Come off it,’ said Rollo. ‘You lot must be in the ideal position to buy a nice pad – jobs for life, fat government pension guaranteed at the end of it, renting quarters at a very non-commercial rate. You’d be bonkers not to take advantage of all that.’

Maddy glanced at Susie, who looked stricken.

‘Hey,’ said Rollo. ‘Just remembered, Maddy says some of her friends are house-hunting. I ought to meet them, exchange notes. You’ve got to introduce me when you get the chance, Seb.’

Seb mightn’t know about the Collinses’ dire financial situation but he did know that Mike was struggling to find work and that having Rollo banging on about his multimillion-pound house budget was hardly tactful.

‘Actually, talking of introductions...’ Seb grabbed Rollo’s arm and tugged him away from the group.

Rollo looked a little surprised but followed Seb like a lamb – not without grabbing one of the last sausage rolls as he left.

Maddy shoved the two remaining sausage rolls under the noses of Susie and Mike as if giving them something to eat would take away the awkwardness of the situation.

Susie shook her head. ‘Actually, Mads, I hope you don’t think I’m horribly rude,’ she said, ‘but I’ve got a terrible headache starting. I’m sorry but I’m going to be a real party-pooper and crash out.’

Maddy gave Susie a sympathetic smile and pretended she believed her friend. ‘Oh, no. Susie, can I get you a painkiller?’

Susie shook her head a second time. ‘I’ve got loads at home. Sweet of you to offer, though.’

‘But you can stay, Mike?’

‘I think I’d like to make sure Susie’s all right.’

Maddy looked from one to the other. No, they wanted out. She didn’t blame them; it couldn’t be much fun to be surrounded by people who could drink themselves silly without risking a trip to rehab, nor having to listen to someone without a financial care in the world. ‘OK, if that’s what you’d like.’ She put down her plate of food and escorted them to the door. ‘Thanks for popping round,’ she said. ‘I’ll catch up with you in the week, Susie. Hope you feel better soon.’

‘Night, Mads,’ the couple said as they headed down her path and across the road to their own quarter.

Maddy watched them go and gave them a last wave as they went in their own door. How she wished she could magic things better for them.

Susie leaned against the inside of her own front door and rubbed her face with her hands. ‘I’m sorry, I couldn’t keep up the pretence any more.’

Mike put his arm round her. ‘I know, I know,’ he said as he rubbed her shoulder. ‘It’s all my fault.’

‘No, it isn’t. It’s no one’s fault; it’s luck, it’s circumstances, it’s... oh, I don’t know what’s to blame but I do know it isn’t
you.
’ She made her way into the sitting room and Mike followed.

As she flopped onto the sofa Mike looked at her with disbelief. ‘Don’t be so naive, Susie. We both know that, somewhere along the line, I fucked up my career. Fucked it up big time.’

Susie sighed. ‘OK, so you
and I
made a few errors but we don’t deserve this kind of shit. I keep thinking that things have got to turn a corner sooner or later.’

‘It’d better be sooner,’ said Mike with heavy emphasis. ‘I don’t think I can cope with pretending that things are all rosy for much longer. Thank God no one on the patch knows what the real situation is.’

Susie looked at her feet and could feel her face was flaring.

‘Susie?’

She looked up.

Mike’s eyes narrowed. ‘So who have you told?’ Susie said nothing. ‘You’ve told Maddy, haven’t you. How much?’

‘Only that there’s a bit of a hitch on the mortgage front.’ She looked up at Mike pleadingly. ‘She’d have guessed anyway as soon as she saw the sort of budget we’ve got for a house. And I needed her onside about the job in the mess – with Seb being the PMC I wanted her to put in a word for me.’

‘So Seb knows.’ Mike’s voice was icy. ‘Well thank you very much.’

‘No, no he doesn’t. I’m sure of that. Maddy promised not to tell him and I’m sure she hasn’t said a word. Mike, I’d trust Maddy with my life – if she promised not to then that’s that.’

But Mike didn’t look convinced. ‘You’d better be right. Let’s face it, I mightn’t have much pride left but I’d like to keep the last trace of what little remains.’

*

A few days later, Jenna parked her little Corsa outside Maddy’s house and got out. She grabbed her big box of hair products and went to the front door to ring the bell. She looked about her. Despite the fact that it had been almost two years since her adulterous affair that had taken place when her then-husband had been out in Afghanistan, she was still wary about spending time on the married patches. Her name had been mud back then and, even though she had helped Maddy when baby Rose had arrived prematurely, Jenna had a feeling it still was where some of the wives were concerned. Most of Maddy’s close friends had accepted her back into the fold and were her customers, but that left an awful lot of other wives who still loathed her. However, as it was much easier for Maddy if Jenna came to her house to do her hair, Jenna, being a good mate, was happy to oblige.

‘Come in, come in,’ said Maddy brightly. ‘Fancy a cuppa before we get started?’

Jenna nodded. ‘Coffee please. Are we in the kitchen as usual?’

‘Yes, go on through. I’m just going to put Rose down for her nap and stick
Peppa Pig
on the DVD for Nathan.’ Maddy followed Jenna into her kitchen, put the kettle on and then darted off to sort her children out.

‘Now,’ said Maddy, on her return. ‘I’ve got some news.’

‘Good, I hope.’

Maddy nodded, her eyes shining. ‘It’s brilliant. Well, I think it is.’ She spooned coffee granules into two mugs.

‘Spit it out then,’ said Jenna.

‘Remember Zoë’s salon?’

‘Yeah,’ said Jenna, warily. Zoë’s was the salon where Jenna had worked at the battalion’s previous barracks until she’d set up as a direct rival. Her relationship with Zoë had, unsurprisingly, ended badly.

‘Well, I’ve got the authorities to agree to the wives setting up a salon in the new community centre and it’ll be properly kitted out and everything.
And
, and this is the best bit, Camilla Rayner says you can run it. How about that?’

‘What?’ This wasn’t good news, this was awful.

‘Yes, really – your very own, official salon.’ Maddy’s enthusiasm for her project was palpable. She passed Jenna her coffee.

‘Hang on...’

‘Why?’

‘I think I should have a say in this, and my say is no, no way.’

‘Oh.’ Maddy looked surprised. ‘But... but I thought you’d be pleased.’

‘Setting up again? Here? Like that’s going to go down well with the wives. It’ll be as popular as a bucket of cold sick.’

‘No. Everyone loved having Zoë’s. It was so convenient. And you’re a fantastic hairdresser.’

‘Mads, I know you mean well, but no one’ll come and get their hair done with me. I’ll be blackballed, won’t I?’

‘Of course you won’t.’

‘I don’t want to find out that I’m right. I love doing your hair and your friends’ hair but you’re all officers’ wives, you’re different. I don’t go to the sergeants’ mess because I’m pretty sure no one’ll talk to me and I’m not prepared to find out if it’s the same with the soldiers’ wives. But a pound to a penny says it is.’

‘But supposing you’re wrong?’

‘And supposing I’m right?’ Jenna glared at Maddy, willing her to see it from her point of view.

‘But I went right out on a limb for you. It took me ages to convince Camilla that it was a good idea. And I’ve got the funding out of the garrison welfare fund. I’ve worked so hard for this – for you.’

Jenna felt like a heel. ‘I’m sorry, Mads, really I am, but I wished you’d asked me first.’

‘I wanted to surprise you.’

‘You did that all right.’

‘At least think about it.’

Jenna shook her head.

‘Why don’t I canvass opinion?’ said Maddy.

‘You’ll be wasting your time. And, to be honest, I’d rather you didn’t. It’d just draw attention to the fact I am here. Living off-base means that an awful lot of people have no idea.’

Maddy sighed. She looked fed up. ‘You’d better get on with my hair then, before word gets out you’re here and the lynch mob arrives.’

‘Don’t be like that, Maddy. I didn’t ask you to go to all that trouble on my account.’

‘No, I’m sorry. I’m being a cow. But think about it... please?’

Jenna sighed. ‘OK, I’ll think about it but I’m making no promises.’ She lifted a lock of Maddy’s auburn hair. ‘Right... the usual?’

*

Seb sat in the mess ante-room with the regimental admin officer, Sergeant McManners and the mess secretary ready to interview the prospective candidates for the post of mess manager. They’d all studied the applications and they’d all agreed there wasn’t a stand-out contender. Susie, like the others, had her good points and was definitely in with a shout, thought Seb, except... except he was really worried about the appropriateness of selecting her. But if he didn’t swing it with his fellow interviewers he’d have Maddy to answer to, to say nothing of the guilt he’d carry at making life even harder for the Collinses.

One by one the applicants trooped in to be quizzed about their previous experience, their knowledge of running events and of accounting and catering. And one by one they were given hypothetical problems regarding complaints or protocol or etiquette. To Seb’s relief, Susie seemed to have the most comprehensive knowledge of the more ceremonial side of mess functions. Not entirely unexpected given that she’d attended a fair few in her time as an officer’s wife but it was definitely a point in her favour.