Double Fault (17 page)

“I don’t care what sort of person
you
think you are when I know the truth. As far as I’m concerned you can do exactly as you like from now on. You can even take Marissa out for the lunch which you so kindly cancelled on my behalf.”

He stared at her for a moment, his face tight with anger, and then he turned on his heel and made for the door, kicking boxes out of his way in a fury of movement.

“Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll do just that!” And he was gone; slamming the door behind him while Kerry sank down onto the bed and stared blindly into space.

Chapter Nine

Pierce didn’t return until just before the twin’s teatime. They were drawing at the kitchen table while Kerry attempted to make the spare room habitable by pushing as many boxes as possible under the bed.  He ignored her as he walked through to the kitchen, only to reappear moments later with Ben and Lauren in tow.

“We’re going to the gym,” he told her unsmilingly. “Do you want to come too?”

She shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. Lauren, already out of sorts due to Kerry’s short temper during the day, dragged on her hand with a plaintive whine.

“Mummy come,” she demanded, loath to leave behind a mother who was being so uncharacteristically inconsistent in case she changed again while she and Ben were with Pierce. Recognizing the signs of insecurity Kerry gave in and followed the three of them into the corridor.

Greenleas
was much busier now and there were a lot of people wandering about in designer jogging kits and expensive sports shoes. She sighed. Pierce’s life hadn’t changed; it had merely altered its direction. He was still part of the glamour of a sport that rewarded its best players handsomely, and he was still surrounding himself with wealthy people whatever he said about remembering the less affluent days of his childhood. 

She wondered if things would change once the whole complex was complete and it was opened up to a wider mix of people. Pierce had told her and Mel about his plans for the future; how he wanted to develop a tennis-training centre that would link with schools, and how he was going to do the same with golf eventually too. Perhaps the rarified atmosphere would fade once it stopped being an exclusive membership club.

“Come ‘long,” Lauren pulled at her hand impatiently as she sensed her mother’s mind wandering.

With a tired smile, Kerry obeyed. She listened to Lauren’s chatter as they followed Ben and Pierce down the long corridor leading to the gym but it didn’t distract her enough to stop her noticing how alike they were. Ben’s shoulders were just as square and although he was barely two, he moved in the same way, using an economy of effort and, despite the slightly rolling gait of his chubby legs, with a noticeable athleticism. She gritted her teeth and looked away. It was bad enough having to live with Pierce let alone be reminded of him every time she looked at his son.

When they reached the gym she followed reluctantly, pulled along by an excited Lauren who trotted past the complicated array of shiny equipment without a second glance so intent was she on catching up with Pierce and Ben before they found the bouncy mat. Pierce glanced behind him and laughed when he saw her eagerness.

“Don’t use all your energy up before you get there, angel. The mat won’t go away.”

* * *

The small anteroom was stacked with extra equipment including rolled up netting, a ball machine full of used tennis balls and a couple of exercise bikes. Pierce pointed towards a pile of enormously thick landing mats that were spread across the floor. They were bright blue and looked well used. Ben ran across the floor and attempted to climb up on his own but Lauren hung back in sudden trepidation.

Pierce gave his son a boost and then held onto him for long enough to explain why he needed to stay well away from the edge. “If you don’t,” he said, “you’ll fall off and hurt yourself, and then you won’t be able to bounce anymore.”

Ben listened solemnly. He liked the blue mats. They felt squashy and wobbly under his feet and he wanted to jump all over them, but he wasn’t going to if Pierce told him not to because he didn’t like it when Pierce got cross with him.

Kerry, watching, could almost read his thoughts. She gave an inward sigh. If only she could have the same sort of authority over him then Pierce would be superfluous, but unfortunately that wasn’t going to happen. Even at two Ben had a mind of his own and in recent months she’d found herself struggling with him as he started to exert his will. In her worst moments she had even begun to wonder how she would cope with him when he was older. Now she knew. It was Pierce who would cope with him. He would be the one who was prepared to say no and who would set the sort of rules necessary to keep an impulsive child, like Ben, safe. She just wished she could feel more grateful.

She looked down to where Lauren was still clutching her hand. She, at least, was less of a problem. As long as Kerry was somewhere around Lauren was content.

“Do you want to climb up too or shall I lift you?” Pierce bent down until his face was level with his daughter’s and gave her an encouraging smile. She pushed her thumb into her mouth and shook her head.

“You don’t need to be frightened sweetheart. It’s really easy once you’re up there. Look at Ben. See what fun he’s having. Come on, I’ll climb up with you and hold your hand if you like.”

Very slowly Lauren wriggled her fingers out of Kerry’s hand and transferred them to Pierce. He smiled at her as he led her across to the mats and lifted her onto them. Then, with a casual hitch of his hips, he joined her, and before long both children were squealing with delight as he bounced and jumped with them. When he was sure Lauren was confident enough for him to leave her, he retreated to the edge of the mats with a grin.

“They should sleep well after this.”

His tone, as he glanced at Kerry, was polite but cool, and she recognized it. It was the voice he used with people who didn’t hold his interest but who warranted common courtesy. It cut her to the quick although she knew better than to expect anything else. After all she had blown his cover as far as Marissa was concerned, spoiling any hope he might have cherished of keeping them both happy. No! A distant politeness was all she could expect now and she would have to be satisfied with that while she searched for a way to get on with her own life.

* * *

She was rapidly proved right. From the moment they argued over Marissa, Pierce ceased to be interested in her. He rarely sought her out, only spoke when he needed to, and never tried to pursue the intimacy of their first night together. At the same time, however, he remained courteous and thoughtful, bringing her an early morning mug of coffee with all the impersonality of a waiter, and making sure he took the children off her hands at least once during the day. Now that their relationship was devoid of any sort of emotional conflict their life together quickly settled into a routine.

Not that Kerry had much time to brood because by the end of the following week she and Mel were too busy planning the future of
Melanie’s Kitchen
for her to give much thought to anything else. They dreamt up and discarded a number of unlikely plans before submitting their final suggestions to Pierce for his approval. He was cautiously enthusiastic.

“Don’t try to do too much at first,” he warned. “I like your ideas but I think you need to curb your enthusiasm. Start small and expand. Continual development is always better than having to cut back. How about offering a limited lunch menu alongside the usual coffee, juice and donuts, and then moving into breakfasts for the early morning regulars once your reputation starts growing. Light suppers could come later.”

Mel shook her head decisively. “Not good enough when part of the deal is to promote
Greenleas
. If the main restaurant and the conference centre are going to provide the sort of high quality meals you say they are, then we need to as well, although faster and at a fraction of the price.
Melanie’s Kitchen
is for people who are in a rush…you know, the executive visiting the conference centre who likes to swim before breakfast, or go to the gym, instead of spending forty minutes eating a cooked breakfast in the restaurant. And then there are the young mums who will come in after dropping their kids off at school. Lots of them won’t have had time for breakfast or, if they have, it will have been a rushed affair. They’ll appreciate a leisurely coffee or maybe juice and toast. They might like to meet friends for a light lunch as well… as long as we can keep our prices down.”

He eyed her thoughtfully. “You’re right of course, but can you manage it?”

“Yes…with the right support.”

“Which is?”

“Our own kitchen and a small office where we can plan our menus and cope with all the paperwork.”

“No extra investment or special favors?”

“None. We’re an independent company and all we ask is the chance to reorganize things, and manage your outdated bistro our way.”

She didn’t tell him Kerry had already put her house in the hands of an agent and that the money she would raise was what was going to hold them together for the first few months. She didn’t understand Kerry’s need for secrecy but she wasn’t going to give her away.

She had given up trying to reconcile this new unsmiling Kerry with the laughing girl she had known before Pierce came onto the scene. It wasn’t her business unless her friend decided to share it with her, but
Melanie’s Kitchen
was, so if Kerry was prepared to sink her money into the company then she wasn’t going to complain.

Kerry gave an apologetic smile when Mel glanced at her. She knew the secret about her money was safe but she wished she could tell her friend the truth. It would be a relief to talk to her about everything but she wasn’t going to do it because it wouldn’t be fair to any of them. If she and Mel and Pierce were all going to be working together then the least she could do was to keep emotion out of it and make sure everything stayed on a professional footing. Besides, she wasn’t sure she could explain the situation to Mel any more, not when she was still puzzling over it herself.

She was still no clearer as to why Pierce had insisted on marrying her when it would have been so easy for him to say she was an unfit parent and fight for custody. She guessed she would have to believe him when he said it was for the children because he was proving to be a very good father. He mixed fun with discipline and affection while maintaining a healthy disregard for the small bumps and falls sustained when they were playing. Already they were responding to him more and more. They were less inclined to whine and cry when they fell over too.  And most of all they no longer worried if Kerry wasn’t with them.

She watched him as he bent over Mel’s meticulously detailed lists and wished things could have been different. For the briefest moment she even wished she hadn’t walked in on him and Marissa. If she hadn’t known about their relationship then perhaps things would have worked out, but knowing had unbalanced the equation, so now it was impossible for her to behave in any other way. With the memory of Marissa between them everything they did was shadowed by separateness, even the time they shared with the children.

As if he sensed her thoughts, Pierce suddenly raised his head and looked straight at her. His eyes were very blue as they reflected the winter sunlight streaming in through the window. “What’s your view of all this Kerry?” It was the first time he’d spoken to her directly that day.

She gave him a frosty smile. “I agree with Mel. It’s an all or nothing situation. Any attempt to mix catering standards will affect your reputation. You need everyone who visits
Greenleas
to rave about it when they meet their friends.”

His answering smile was edged with a scornful amusement that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “And that’s from an expert on how all or nothing situations affect my reputation as I remember it.”

Kerry paled slightly as he referred to the words she had spat at him when she found out about Marissa, but she kept her head high as he turned back to Mel.

“Okay. Go ahead and plan for excellence! The bistro is yours as from the beginning of next month. My only stipulation is that Ben and Lauren aren’t neglected so maybe you’d better talk my wife into employing a qualified nanny because until then she isn’t available.”

Kerry bit her lip as she wondered why he was suddenly pushing for all out war. It wasn’t like him to involve other people, least of all Mel who he appeared to like and respect. She glanced at her friend apologetically.

“Actually I have an idea of my own about that. I think we should open up a daycare and employ qualified nursery nurses to run it. If we do that then Ben and Lauren will meet other children and be able to play safely when we’re both busy.  It will also make it easier for young mums with babies and very small children to use the sports facilities during the day. You could even offer them a special price for the times when the gym and pool are under-utilized.”

Mel and Pierce both stared at her. She gave a short, bitter laugh. “Don’t look so flabbergasted. I do have the occasional idea of my own you know.”