Chapter 6
‘How was your day?’ Jill asked him, as he climbed the stairs and walked wearily through the door.
‘It was fun, but very tiring,’ Edward replied, throwing himself down on the sofa. ‘I’m not used to being on my feet all day. It’s a bit of a shock to the system.’
‘Well, you did bring it on yourself. You’re meant to be retired,’ Jill reminded him.
‘That’s true. It’s my own doing,’ Edward admitted. ‘But I don’t regret it yet.’
‘Give it a while longer and you might,’ Jill suggested.
‘That’s why I have staff, so I don’t have to do it all myself,’ Edward pointed out. ‘Anyway, mine was OK. How was yours?’
‘It was quiet here,’ Jill sighed. ‘So I shut early and took the dog for a walk, and then popped in on mum.’
‘How is your mother?’ Edward enquired.
‘I guess she’s all right, but her heath’s not getting any better for sure. I think we did the right thing moving her. She’s been going downhill quite rapidly for some while, but she seems happy enough. I suppose that’s the main thing,’ Jill commented, with a slightly forlorn expression on her face.
‘You can only do your best,’ Edward agreed. ‘And you’re definitely doing that. You go and see her as often as you can. Her other children barely see her by comparison.’
‘I know, but it never seems enough,’ Jill commented sadly. ‘It’s not nice seeing her gradually getting worse each time I visit, but I know there’s not much I can do about it.’
‘It comes to all of us in the end,’ Edward observed. ‘At least you’re there for her.’
‘I suppose you won’t be wanting anything to eat?’ Jill enquired, changing the subject.
She didn’t like to think about her mother too much. It made her sad. She felt a sense of guilt for putting her into a home against her wishes, but she understood there really hadn’t been much choice. It had been on the advice of medical experts. It had got to the point Mary couldn’t really be left alone, and Jill couldn’t be there all the time. Neither could the carers. She would inevitably have hurt herself in the end, and there would have been no one there to help her. Jill understood all that. She’d discussed it many times with Edward. It still didn’t stop the guilt.
‘You’ve remembered I’m see Alice again then,’ Edward confirmed.
‘How could I forget? I’ve got that woman on my brain. You know she only wants to get her claws into you,’ Jill stated.
‘I know, but I’m old enough to look after myself,’ Edward assured her.
‘You know I’m not entirely comfortable with this, just so you are aware,’ Jill continued.
‘I’m not either,’ Edward smiled, thinking perhaps it was time he got up and started getting ready. ‘In fact I’m no more happy about it than you.’
‘I suppose you have to go?’ Jill asked, putting on a sweet smile, as if to suggest Edward might be better off staying at home instead, if he knew what was good for him.
Jill was certainly willing to make it worth his while if he did.
‘Just think about it, we could stay in the warm with a bottle of wine and get an early night,’ Jill suggested, trying to paint a cosy picture of domestic bliss in Edward’s head. ‘Instead you have to go out in the cold and rain without me.’
‘If only I could stay in, but it’s better just to get this over with,’ Edward insisted. ‘You know you can come with me if you like,’ he added.
‘No thanks,’ Jill said, pouting grumpily like a child and pretending to sulk.
‘I don’t even know what you two have to talk about,’ Jill continued.
‘We’ve got a lot to talk about – the divorce, the house. There’s a lot of money at stake, don’t forget,’ Edward said. ‘This could become a very expensive business for me. I have to try to keep on the right side of her.’
‘I suppose,’ Jill conceded grudgingly. ‘But you know she’s going to keep doing this until she gets her own way.’
‘I won’t let her,’ Edward said.
‘I’m not sure you’ll have any choice,’ Jill replied.
‘Mark my words, she’ll be gone by Christmas, and you’ll probably never see her again,’ Edward predicted.
‘Well, I hope you’re right,’ Jill said.
‘I know I am,’ Edward declared. ‘She’ll be gone as soon as she realises she isn’t going to get what she wants. Then she’ll turn her attention to how much she can get out of me instead. Anyway, I’d better get ready, or I shall be late. I don’t want to keep Alice waiting. She won’t like it.’
With that Edward got up and went to the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror. His beard had grown a little unkempt, he noticed. He decided to give it a slight trim with his clippers. He also found himself putting on slightly smarter clothes than he had for their previous meeting. He wondered if it was a subconscious attempt to impress Alice. Or perhaps her unflattering remarks before had wounded him in some way. He wasn’t entirely sure of the reasoning behind his choices himself. What was certain was he cut a fine figure of a man by the time he was ready to leave.
‘You’re making a big effort to impress her,’ Jill remarked, looking somewhat shocked, as he emerged suited and booted from the bedroom.
‘Well, I am picking her up at her hotel. I should look smart, although I’m not quite sure where we’re going after,’ Edward commented.
‘It’s a bit odd seeing your man go off for a date with another woman,’ Jill observed. ‘But have fun.’
‘I did tell you to come,’ Edward said again.
‘Just don’t be back too late,’ Jill told him.
She had no intention of going. She had no wish to spend more time in the same room as Alice than absolutely necessary. Instead she let Edward go for his date with his estranged wife by himself. Edward found himself battling the elements to a degree, as he made his way down Oystermouth Road and eastwards around the bay towards the city centre. It was a walk he’d made many times as a student, and in similar conditions in the weeks leading up to Christmas, with the wind starting to get up and light rain overhead. Of course he could easily have got a taxi, but it was his habit to go by foot on his own two legs where he could, as God and nature intended.
Tonight would be no different. If nothing else it was helping him to keep fit and maintain his recent weight loss. He might start putting on weight again, however, if he kept on going out for elaborate dinners and meals all the time, he realised. There had been quite a number of late, with Jill, Victoria and now Alice to entertain, as well as lunch with Megan. No doubt there would be a number more, before the festive season was over.
This time when Edward arrived outside the Swansea Marriott Hotel, he didn’t feel quite so nervous. He didn’t feel the need to pause before going on in, as he had before. He’d met Alice face to face twice now after over six months apart. She no longer wielded that sense of fear of the unknown over him. He now had a better understanding of her reasons for being here. The element of surprise had largely gone. What was the worst she could do? She could tell him he had to return to Oxford, and he could refuse again. They could drag each other through the courts, and he be forced to surrender half his money and worldly goods to her. They’d only been married a decade. He probably wouldn’t have to give her that much. Letting her have the house and a quantity of cash might be enough. Even Alice didn’t know everything he had invested.
Edward was a fair-minded man. It would be his wish to give her a generous settlement, but not more than she deserved. He was the injured party after all. She’d run off with another man. She’d committed adultery. It was her selfish actions that had caused him to run away to Wales in the first place. His sympathy for her was somewhat limited and in short supply. He had no wish to make matters worse or harder than they need be. The fact remained that he was only where he was, enjoying a new life with Jill in Swansea and now Neath too, because Alice had been unfaithful to him. But bearing grudges wasn’t going to help build bridges. He had to put all that out of his mind for the time being. Edward found Alice enjoying a gin and tonic at the bar, just as she had been when he’d met her there before a couple of days earlier.
‘Oh Edward, you made an effort for me,’ she commented and congratulated him on seeing his smarter appearance.
He felt somewhat embarrassed and shuffled rather awkwardly on his feet. Perhaps it had been a mistake to tidy himself up and look a little more formal than he had at their previous meeting. It wasn’t just for Alice, he told himself, or he didn’t think it was. But perhaps he should have just remained true to himself, or his new self at least. He had no reason to impress the woman he once loved, he realised. He loved someone else now instead. Still Alice was a master of manipulation, and looked rather pleased with herself that she’d managed to manipulate him again on this occasion. A knowing smile settled on her face. To her it felt like a small victory and a sign her plan was beginning to work. She’d unsettled Edward enough that he’d put on smarter clothes and tidied his beard just for her. She wondered what else he might do given enough time and appropriate encouragement. She was willing to play the long game to find out.
‘So where are you taking me tonight?’ Alice continued, not giving Edward the chance to answer back or refute her claim that his smart appearance was purely for her benefit. ‘I expect you’ll want to show me the sights and sounds of the city.’
‘I hadn’t really thought,’ Edward admitted.
‘Well, I don’t want to eat at the hotel again. I’ve done that the last few nights,’ Alice said.
It was strange Edward had never brought Alice to Swansea before, he realised. Perhaps it was because he associated it too much with memories of his first wife, Angela. It had always been their place, and he didn’t want Alice to interfere with those precious recollections of when he and Angela had first met as undergraduates all those decades ago. And Alice had never shown any inclination to come to Wales during their years together. She was an Oxford and London person through and through. She was like a fish out of water elsewhere. It didn’t really suit her. It was like an alien climate of too much fresh salt air by the sea.
‘There is a little Italian I know in St Helen’s Road,’ Edward proposed, after weighing up the various options.
It was a lovely, homely, traditional, family-owned place, which had been there since the 1980s and Edward’s first days in Swansea. He had been with Jill, but not often, as it didn’t do much for vegans. He imagined it would suit Alice’s tastes rather better. By contrast he would of course never take Alice to Nonna’s Plant Based Café in Swansea Market. It was naturally a case of horses for courses. He guessed Alice would appreciate the delightful intimacy of the independent Italian restaurant more. Few people who visited it weren’t captivated by its charms.
‘Let’s go there then,’ Alice agreed, with what seemed like exaggerated enthusiasm to Edward.
‘I’ll order a taxi, and we can have a quick drink here whilst we wait for it to arrive,’ he suggested.
‘That sounds like a wonderful plan,’ Alice nodded approvingly.
Edward knew there was no way she’d walk, even though it wasn’t that far. It was just on the other side of the city centre, going out towards where he and Jill lived. Alice wouldn’t want to get wet on foot, and the modest breeze that was beginning to increase in force might mess her hair up. Even though walking would have allowed her to see more of the city she claimed not to have investigated that much yet. She was impressed by the restaurant when they arrived, however, and were shown to their table. They’d been lucky and only got in because of a cancellation due to the weather. Edward hadn’t thought to book. Of course he hadn’t known where they’d end up, or if they’d just be eating at the hotel again. He guessed he’d be paying either way, despite Alice’s promise to treat him this time. He guessed she would have forgotten.
‘It’s so romantic here. What are you trying to do to me, Edward?’ Alice speculated suggestively once they were seated.
It was clear she was in the mood to play games and toy with him. It was a Saturday night, and they were sitting together in the pleasant surroundings of an enchanting Italian restaurant under the subdued lighting of candlelight. Edward thought it best not to take the bait she was offering. He made a mental note not to drink too much either.
‘Perhaps we should order,’ he said instead. ‘What would you like?’
Whilst Edward ordered a simple vegetarian pasta dish, Alice chose escallops of veal in a white wine, cream and mushroom sauce. It was something Edward himself would have eaten back in the day, probably even until he returned to Swansea, but it was the last thing in the world he’d eat now. Even so he didn’t pass comment on her choice. He felt it rude to do so.
‘And a bottle of your best Soave Classico,’ Alice added. ‘I expect we’ll need more than one in fact.’
‘Let’s not get carried away,’ Edward cautioned.
‘Don’t be silly, Edward. I just want to lighten the mood, and for us to be friends and on good terms again,’ Alice insisted.
‘As long as that’s all it is,’ Edward warned.
‘Of course, what else would it be?’ Alice asked innocently.
‘I’m just a little worried about what you’re hoping to achieve by all these intimate reunions,’ Edward pondered.
‘I’m after nothing that you need to worry your head about,’ Alice told him. ‘I just want us to get to know each other again, that’s all. Now have some more wine,’ she said, topping up his glass.
‘Jill isn’t entirely happy about us meeting like this, I think it’s only fair you should know,’ Edward announced, making Jill’s reservations about them seeing each other known to Alice.
‘Don’t worry about Jill. She’s not here. Neither is Paul. It’s just us, and we’re still a married couple, don’t forget,’ Alice remarked.
‘But my life is now here in Swansea with Jill,’ Edward repeated.
‘Hush, let’s enjoy our food,’ Alice whispered seductively. ‘We can talk about all that later. There’s no hurry.’
When their food arrived, they continued to enjoy pleasantries as they ate. There were no sly digs from Alice on this occasion. She was keen to stay on the right side of him. She wasn’t likely to win him back by throwing minor criticisms or bitterness in his direction. She tried to be the perfect dinner guest. She was immaculately presented, and tried to maintain a soothing, calming tone to her voice, designed to relax Edward and put him at his ease, whilst she continued to ply him with wine.
For Edward’s part he wasn’t quite sure what he was doing or exactly what was happening. He didn’t know how he’d got himself into this situation. Jill was right. There was something slightly surreal about it. There he was going off for intimate meals with his estranged wife, whilst his new partner was sat at home alone. Edward felt like a pawn in Alice’s game, but felt he had little choice but to go along with it, until everything was settled and sorted. He didn’t want to antagonise her further. He wondered whether some small part of him in fact wanted to go along with the charade. Perhaps he liked the attention in some way. Perhaps he was enjoying Alice’s company to a degree, and felt flattered by the lengths she was going to and her determination and efforts to win him back. Perhaps it was reawakening old feelings, despite his protestations to the contrary. He wasn’t sure of his own motives and reasons for doing what he was doing. He knew they weren’t entirely healthy.
Edward settled the bill, as he’d fully expected to do, despite Alice’s promise she’d pay this time. It had included starter, main course and dessert. They’d also consumed two bottles of good wine, and Alice had insisted on a brandy each to finish the meal with. The final bill wasn’t cheap. It wasn’t a cheap restaurant. Of course it wasn’t a lot to Edward. He’d picked up bar bills ten times the amount during his working days. He didn’t really mind, but it was the principle. Why offer in the first place?
‘I do believe I’m a bit tipsy,’ Alice said, once they were outside.
Luckily the wind and rain had eased a little. It was now just a typical damp and slightly chilly December night in Swansea.
‘Why don’t we walk, Edward?’ Alice suggested. ‘Let’s see where we end up. Perhaps you know somewhere exciting you could take me, or we could go to a nightclub.’
This polite but slightly forced attempts to recreate their old familiarity caught Edward a little off guard. Alice was behaving as if they’d recently resumed dating, and were in the gradual process of getting to know one another again. Perhaps that was how she viewed the evening and situation they were in, even if Edward didn’t. He’d rather assumed she’d want a taxi straight back to her hotel. He hadn’t forgotten he promised Jill he wouldn’t be too late back. He would be late at this rate. He’d better text her, he thought.
‘We may be a bit old for that,’ Edward observed.
‘We could relive our wild youth,’ Alice proposed.
‘I was on my feet at work all day. I’m ready for bed,’ Edward replied. ‘But it has been nice,’ he conceded.
‘It’s been wonderful, just like old times,’ Alice said.
Edward turned down the suggestion of a nightclub, but did agree to walk Alice back, showing her some of the sights and the sounds of the city on a Saturday night. It was almost 11pm and it was just getting into full swing. Alice pretended to be unsteady on her feet. She used it at as an excuse to take Edward’s arm and snuggle in closely to his chest. To his surprise, he didn’t mind too much.
They walked to the end of St Helen’s Road, past the Wetherspoons on the roundabout and proceeded down The Kingsway, before eventually joining the High Street and Castle Street. Edward took Alice along the hustle and bustle of Swansea’s famous Wind Street, which remained the heartbeat of the city’s nightlife. A lot of the partygoers were already in Christmas spirit and fancy dress, even though the big day was still several weeks away. Edward and Alice gave the loudest and drunkest ones a slightly wider berth, even though they were a little tipsy themselves. But generally the atmosphere was friendly and good-natured. A couple of people spoke cheerily to them. No one tried to block their way or cause any trouble, even though they were rather older than the other revellers.
Once they’d crossed Victoria Road and began heading away from the bars, it suddenly got much quieter, as they meandered their way back through the museum and maritime quarter to the hotel where Alice was staying. A couple of the bars on the Marina were still open. Naturally the bar at the Marriott was still serving hotel guests.
‘One for the road?’ Alice proposed.
‘I really should be getting back to Jill,’ Edward insisted. ‘She’ll be wondering where I am.’
‘One more won’t hurt. Besides, she’s probably already gone to bed,’ Alice speculated. ‘It must be my round,’ she added, getting out her purse and ordering two drinks, before Edward had the chance to refuse.
‘Just this one then,’ Edward said, with a resigned tone in his voice, as he sat down with Alice to drink it.
‘You know you look attractive in this light, Edward,’ Alice told him.
‘You mustn’t say things like that. We’re not together anymore,’ Edward reminded her.
‘Don’t say you haven’t enjoyed this evening. I know you have,’ Alice observed.
‘I’m not saying I haven’t, but that’s not really the point,’ Edward told her.
‘There could be plenty more of them if you play your cards right,’ Alice suggested.
She didn’t wait for him to reply. Instead she lent in close and kissed him lightly on the cheek. Edward could feel her sensuous breath on his skin.
‘You can come upstairs if you like,’ she whispered. ‘I’m quite tipsy. You could do whatever you liked with me.’
‘Heavens,’ Edward exclaimed, not quite sure what to reply.
Part of him was tempted naturally enough. Part of him would have liked nothing more than to go upstairs with Alice, and undress her and make love to her. But he was with Jill now. Another part of him was appalled by the idea. He was torn. He was conflicted, but he knew there was only one right thing to do.
‘I really must be going,’ he announced. ‘I think you’re quite drunk, and don’t really know what you’re saying.’
‘I know exactly what I’m saying,’ Alice insisted, although she was slurring her words a little.
Perhaps it was real. Perhaps it was just part of her act. Edward was unsure. Perhaps it was a bit of both. Either way he certainly couldn’t act on it, despite the obvious temptations to do so.
‘Apart from anything else, it would be wrong for me to take advantage of you in this state,’ Edward declared.
‘You’ll weaken and give in eventually,’ Alice speculated. ‘All men do. Now I’m going outside for a cigarette.’
‘But you don’t smoke,’ Edward said, looking a little perplexed.
‘I do when I’m drunk, or I do now since you left,’ she said, taking a cigarette from a packet in her handbag.
It was Edward’s cue to leave. He followed her outside, but didn’t stop. They did exchange the usual embraces of former man and wife. Part of him wanted to kiss her, but he knew one thing would almost certainly lead to another. She looked up at him, with her lips pouting, seemingly giving him an open invitation for his lips to touch hers if he so wished. He had to stop himself, so he kissed her on the cheek again instead, and turned to leave.
‘I’ll be in touch,’ she said, as she lit her cigarette.
‘I’m sure you will,’ Edward responded.
It had been a very narrow escape, he realised, as he made his way back in the dark, the wind of Swansea Bay blowing light rain and sand in his hair and face. He’d nearly given in to temptation. He wasn’t as strong as he thought he was. She knew how to play him. She’d played him well. Of course it was easier for a person blessed with Alice’s good looks. She had that natural advantage on her side. Few men, if any, turned her down. She could have had her pick of younger ones, let alone rich men of Edward’s age.
Inevitably there would be more of this to come. It would carry on until Christmas no doubt. It would be hard to keep saying no to her, and they hadn’t even said much about the divorce yet. That had largely gone unmentioned. Edward needed to stick to daytime meetings, and keep it more businesslike, he thought. Evening restaurants and alcohol was a dangerous combination. If Edward had hoped Jill would be in bed and asleep when he got in, he’d be disappointed. She was very much up and waiting for him, when he arrived home some while after midnight.
‘What time do you call this?’ she demanded to know, looking up from her book. ‘I thought you said you weren’t going to be late.’
‘I’m very sorry,’ Edward apologised, squirming slightly awkwardly. ‘I assumed Alice would want to eat at the hotel again, but she wanted to see the town. I did text.’
‘Did you go anywhere nice?’ Alice asked.
Her voice was laced with thinly disguised sarcasm.
‘We did as a matter of fact, to that little Italian place on St Helen’s Road,’ Edward admitted.
There seemed no point in doing otherwise. Jill would get it out of him one way or another anyway in the end. Edward wasn’t a good liar. It wasn’t in his nature to tell anything but the truth, but there were certain details of what nearly happened, or could have happened, that were better kept to himself. If he couldn’t lie, he could at least maintain a poker face if he had to. His success at business had depended on it, and keeping a cool head in a crisis.
‘So did you sort out the details of the divorce?’ Jill continued.
‘We skirted around it,’ Edward replied noncommittally.
He didn’t know how else to word it. He used the term skirted around loosely. In fact they hadn’t talked much about the divorce at all. There had been other things on Alice’s mind. Edward had spent most of his time making sure those other things hadn’t got out of hand, and he’d maintained a respectable distance from her. He couldn’t believe he’d left her outside the hotel, smoking a cigarette, looking like some common piece waiting to be picked up. Yet, paradoxically, seeing her like that had actually made him want her more. That had probably been the intention, and a means to grab his attention. It was best not to think about it too much, now he had Jill’s simmering wrath to contend with.
‘What does that mean? You either did or you didn’t?’ Jill pressed him.
‘Nothing is finalised,’ Edward conceded.
‘So does that mean you’ll have to see her again?’ Jill sighed.
‘I guess,’ Edward nodded.
‘So how long is she hanging about, like a bad smell?’ Jill wondered.
‘She said until Christmas, didn’t she?’ Edward reminded Jill.
‘I wish she’d just vanish,’ Jill declared.
‘I don’t think she’s going to do that, so we must be patient and see how it all pans out,’ Edward stated. ‘Upsetting her could cost me literally millions more than it need to.’
‘So if you didn’t talk about the divorce, what did you talk about?’ Jill enquired.
‘This and that,’ Edward answered.
‘I bet it was very cosy,’ Jill sneered.
‘You were invited too,’ Edward pointed out.
‘I’d have gone over my dead body,’ Jill told him. ‘I can’t imagine anything worse than spending time with that woman.
‘It’s true you’re very different people,’ Edward acknowledged. ‘She does have her strengths, apart from the obvious ones, if you got to know her better. They’re just not always very apparent and are often quite well hidden. You’re certainly the better and nicer person.’
That was something Edward had to keep reminding himself of. It was easy to forget when he’d had a drink and was caught in Alice’s web. It was then that his more carnal desires seemed to take over and blur his judgement. He was getting sex with Jill. He didn’t need to be seduced by Alice and her come-to-bed eyes too. He should resist, as he knew was the right and correct thing to do. Then he also would be a better person, for standing firm and saying no to the woman who’d been his wife for the past ten years, even if a small part of him was crying out to say the opposite.
‘Anyway, I’m going to bed,’ Jill announced suddenly.
She’d normally have asked Edward if he was joining her. She didn’t on this occasion. She left him on his own to contemplate his thoughts in silence. They didn’t make love that night. They could both sense Alice had driven a wedge between them again. The distance had returned. It would get harder to bridge it each time. Jill feared what they’d worked hard to build up was being chipped away by Alice piece by piece, and they were both powerless to stop it. At some point she’d have to fight back, to keep hold of her man and keep him out of Alice’s determined clutches.
The following day was Sunday. Christmas was just two and a half weeks away. What with opening the new coffee shop and bookshop in Neath and Alice’s unexpected arrival in Swansea after an estrangement of over six months, Edward had given little thought to what he might buy Jill as a Christmas present. He wanted it to be something special, but he was unsure what might be special enough for her, and would adequately reflect his true and honest feelings for this new person in his life, particularly given the changed circumstances they now found themselves in.
Of course Alice had soured some of their newfound happiness, no doubt deliberately on her part. She’d also taken some of the shine off the opening of the new business, and having a second home where they could stay any time they wished. It should have been a week of celebration. Edward should have been fully focussed on the new enterprise. Instead it had been tarnished to a degree. He’d had two meetings with Alice over dinner, as well as her uninvited appearance at the Swansea bookshop, where Jill’s presence had only added to the sense of awkwardness. No doubt further meetings would take place over the next fortnight. It didn’t help that Edward felt his resistance had been weakened by Alice’s continuous flirting. She’d started to get under his skin. She knew how to turn him on. It was an uncomfortable position he found himself in, and not of his own making. He knew he had to be strong, but almost inevitably he was weakening. He’d had a good life back in Oxford, and a very comfortable one, until Alice had messed it up by having an affair.
With so much other stuff going on, and ongoing distractions that had developed a momentum of their own and were becoming hard to control, Edward realised he and Jill hadn’t even discussed their Christmas plans. It would be their first Christmas together. It should be a memorable one. Perhaps he should ask her if she wanted to go away with him. She might prefer to have a quiet one at home, just the two of them. But which home, Swansea or Neath? Perhaps she’d like them to invite Megan over? Perhaps she’d like to visit her mother. With just a couple of weeks to go, it was something that would need to be discussed and resolved very soon, even with Alice’s not entirely welcome presence in the city.
As it had been a busy and stressful week, they took advantage of it being a Sunday to get up late. Neither shop was open, so they could forget all about that for 24 hours. They had no worries of that nature until the following day at least, if not longer. In Megan, Meredith and Daisy, Edward was confident he’d found people he could trust to run the two shops, whether he and Jill were there or not. Of course there were other elements to running a business they had to keep on top of. But it was nice knowing they didn’t have to be there every day. Alice hadn’t been in touch either, which was something of a blessing. She definitely knew how to upset the apple cart, and no doubt took pleasure in doing so.
Edward and Jill enjoyed a late and leisurely breakfast. They both deliberately avoided further mention of Alice. Neither of them wanted their day off together to be soured. Edward was fully aware Jill was displeased by Alice’s ongoing presence in Swansea and in their lives, and rightly so. He was confident things would eventually be resolved and normality returned, whatever that normality turned out to be. He knew if he was a sensible man, he’d continue in his new life and not be tempted to return to his old one. He also knew things weren’t quite as simple as that. Nothing ever was, particularly where Alice was involved.
After breakfast Edward took Beti for a short walk, and returned with the Sunday papers. He liked to keep abreast of the news, although for a short while after coming to Swansea he’d deliberately cut himself off from it as far as he could. He’d avoided the news, newspapers and magazines, and even looking at his phone as far as possible. He’d wanted to forget about the world and it to forget about him. He’d wanted to cut all contact. He hadn’t wanted people to know where he was, particularly Alice. Gradually he’d returned to the habits of a lifetime, and now was back up to speed with current affairs. He’d started to look at the financial news again. Now he was a local businessman, he had some kind of vested interest in it.
Edward and Jill enjoyed a quiet lunch at home. One way or another he’d been out for a lot of meals lately. A few more healthy ones prepared by Jill wouldn’t hurt, if he wanted to maintain his weight loss, which over six months had been quite impressive. Normally they would have gone for a car ride somewhere, perhaps westwards or up the valleys. They even had a new car to go in, but they were both a little drained by the week’s events to go far. Instead after lunch they just drove the short distance of four or so miles to Mumbles.
Once there had been a rail track round the bay. It was considered the world’s first passenger railway, carrying fare-paying passengers. Locomotives had been a regular sight in both directions. They had eventually been replaced by the largest trams ever operated in the UK. Edward wished such forms of transport were still in service on the bay. He would certainly have used them. Of course there was a land train, but it wasn’t quite the same. It was easier just to get in the car, and park in one of the car parks near the Newton Road shops in the shadows on the impressive Oystermouth Castle.
Edward and Jill walked all the way to the end of Mumbles Pier and back again, with Beti ambling slowly by their side. She was now an elderly dog and didn’t like to rush, but could maintain a similar steady pace to her human owners. They got a takeaway coffee from a kiosk, and sat on a bench at the end for a bit, admiring the view eastwards across the bay towards Port Talbot, whilst the light began to fade, before walking unhurriedly back. The temperature was gradually falling, and the coffee helped to keep them warm. The fresh sea air helped to revive them and restore their spirits and faith in life. They held hands as they sat on the bench. It helped them forget all about Alice, although Edward couldn’t help wondering what she was doing at that moment, and what new plan she was hatching to nab him and make him hers. No doubt it would reveal itself in due course.
Edward was looking forward to a quiet evening in. He was keen to return to his drawing and writing. He’d been neglecting his hobbies somewhat of late. In getting the Neath shop ready to open, he’d missed some of his weekly art classes and other things. He was keen to get back to all that. He knew he could leave much of the daily running of the two shops to Megan and Meredith, and Daisy too. He didn’t need to be there all the time, although he planned to show his face in the Neath shop for a couple of days at the beginning of the week, just to check all was running smoothly and to welcome more new customers. As time passed he’d gradually ease back his involvement, just as Jill would hers in the Swansea shop. They’d eventually be almost silent partners or owners, and have more time for each other. At least that was the idea. Edward realised it might not work like that, and it might take some time to reach that idyllic stage. In the meantime they both still had to work hard.
Edward was busying himself, organising new stock on the shelves one morning that week, whilst Meredith worked in the kitchen, when he got a big surprise, although perhaps he shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was. Who should come in from the rain outside, but Alice. She’d made no appointment, and hadn’t rung or texted to say she was dropping in. Indeed she’d been remarkably quiet since Edward had seen her the previous Saturday evening, and taken her to the little Italian restaurant in St Helen’s Road, and they’d got rather tipsy and flirty together. Of course Alice still managed to look elegant, even wet and with raindrops dripping off her coat.
‘What brings you here?’ Edward asked, looking over his reading spectacles at the person he considered to be his former wife, even if legally they were still very much wed.
He put down the book he’d just been cataloguing and had been about to put in its correct place. Instead, he turned his full attention to Alice. He could hardly do otherwise. He couldn’t just ignore her and pretend she wasn’t there. She was, and Edward quickly surmised she wasn’t about to go away, not having taken the trouble to get here, presumably by train, the same way Edward normally travelled to Neath himself. He preferred it to the car, unless both he and Jill were staying over.
‘I wanted to see you in your lair,’ Alice replied mysteriously.
At their first meeting, she’d spoken to him quite sternly. She’d as good as told him off about what she saw as declining standards in his appearance. She’d left him in no doubt she wasn’t greatly taken by his new, more casual dress sense that he’d adopted. Now her tone was much softer and carried more than a hint of affection. There was even an insinuation of sexual attraction and availability in her voice. She seemed more eager to keep on the right side of him, and remind him what he’d been missing. He’d been missing a lot without question, but that had largely been her choice. She’d chosen to share her affections with Paul rather than her husband. It wasn’t an easy matter for Edward just to forget all that, as if it had never happened. It had happened. That was aside from the fact he now had a new partner himself.
That didn’t seem to concern Alice, or put her off one bit. She arrived each time to see him dressed to the nines, even in the rain. Her hair remained in place. Her nails were always immaculately polished. There wasn’t the slightest smudge to her red lipstick. She was a picture of feminine beauty and refinement. Edward could never deny that, and wouldn’t attempt to. She outshone most women half her age. A lot of men had been jealous, if not to say disappointed, when he finally persuaded her to accept his hand in marriage. Of course having a woman of that desirability had always been a doubled-edged sword. There had always been others lurking in the shadows and waiting to step into his shoes. Eventually one had snared her, but now Alice had returned.
‘I’m surprised you found me,’ Edward stated.
‘Oh Edward, it wasn’t exactly difficult,’ Alice laughed. ‘I didn’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to track you down. There are about as many bookshops in Neath as there are in Swansea.’
‘Of course, this is the only specialist one,’ Edward conceded. ‘So now you’ve found me, what do you think of it?’
Alice cast her eyes around her surroundings, to the books on her right and the coffee shop on her left.
‘I can see you’ve done a good job,’ she congratulated him. ‘It looks very nice.’
‘Well thank you, I’m glad you don’t think I’ve just been wasting my time then,’ Edward remarked.
All but one of the tables were occupied. The early signs were very promising. There was every indication the venture would be a success, even though it was only in its second week. Those who’d visited had liked what they found and were returning, and new customers were coming in all the time. Even the books were selling. Still, Edward couldn’t help but feel not entirely comfortable with Alice present in the shop. It was as if she’d invaded his personal territory. He preferred it when they met on neutral ground. Without the benefit of alcohol in his system, he couldn’t help but feel more vulnerable. He recognised he’d allowed things to get a little out of hand on their Saturday dinner date. He’d made the mistake of flirting back in response to her not so subtle advances. It had evidently only served to encourage Alice more. Now here she was in his new shop in Neath, and as usual looking very attractive, at least to his ageing male eyes.
‘Well, aren’t you going to offer me a drink?’ she enquired, waiting for Edward to show her to a chair, and demonstrate he had all the skills of the perfect host that the proprietor of such an establishment should have.
He realised not only had he not offered her a drink, he hadn’t even introduced her to Meredith yet. One thing at a time, he thought. No doubt Meredith was wondering who on earth she was, although as the perceptive person she was, she’d possibly already guessed. Alice’s arrival had caught Edward momentarily on the hop. Naturally, he should have anticipated something like this, but he hadn’t. Now he had to cover for himself quickly.
‘Of course, but if you want to talk, perhaps we should go somewhere more private,’ Edward suggested.
‘Wherever you like,’ Alice agreed amiably.
‘I’ll just get my coat,’ he told her.
Edward then turned to Meredith.
‘I’m just popping out,’ he called. ‘Is it OK if you cover for a bit?’
Explanations would have to wait until later, when Alice had gone. He didn’t have time for them now.
‘No problem,’ Meredith replied. ‘I’m sure I can manage.’
Edward was paying her well for her time, and rather more than she’d been earning before. It was in her own interests to make this new arrangement work, as well as his. Already she could see there was potential for her to take it over by mutual consent, when Edward and Jill finally decided to retire completely in a couple of years from now perhaps. As long as it continued to make money, that was a distinct possibility. She liked it here and wanted to stay. She could picture it as her own business eventually. She definitely didn’t want strange but attractive women turning up and rocking the boat in the meantime. But even that could possibly just hasten the day she took it over herself. She’d just have to wait and see. Edward had been good to her. She had every intention of repaying that loyalty in any way she could. It was the least he deserved.
‘I know where we can go,’ Edward announced, leading Alice out of the shop entrance and across the park to the top of Queen Street.
They stopped outside the Forty Six Coffee Shop, where Edward had been several times by himself before, as well as with Jill.
‘I think you’ll like it here,’ he told Alice.
They found a quiet table in a corner. The café was full of little nooks and crannies. Every room was different, and packed with vintage items and memorabilia on display.
‘I love it,’ Alice said, her eyes gleaming. ‘It’s like being in a museum.’
‘It is,’ Edward acknowledged. ‘You can say you prefer it to mine if you like. I won’t be offended.’
‘I like them both,’ Alice commented tactfully. ‘They’re just different I suppose. I’d be happy in either if I lived here.’
‘Anyway, what can I get you?’ Edward asked.
‘What are you having?’ Alice replied. ‘Are you eating, or just getting a drink?’
‘I’ll probably have something to eat, now we’re here,’ Edward said.
He eventually settled on a vegan sausage roll and a cake to follow, as well as his usual latte coffee. He could have had one for nothing back at his own place, he reflected. Alice ordered a tea and a sandwich. She was probably watching her weight. She liked to keep trim. She only ate to excess on occasion, as she had at the Italian restaurant at the weekend, but she considered that to be special circumstances. This was just an early lunch, so best not to be excessive and have a cake too.
‘So, what did you want to talk about?’ Edward enquired at last, whilst they were waiting for their food to come out.
‘Oh Edward, you always have to be so formal,’ she chided him.
‘Well, it’s best not to beat around the bush,’ Edward responded, trying his best to get the conversation to the point.
‘I realise we do have important things to discuss,’ Alice admitted. ‘I was wondering if you’d come to my hotel one afternoon this week, and we can go through everything, just the two of us.’
‘You mean talk about the divorce?’ Edward wondered.
‘Well, that and other things,’ Alice answered.
‘Christmas is coming. We do really need to get some things sorted by then,’ Edward proposed.
‘So that’s agreed?’ Alice said, seeking confirmation of a further meeting at her hotel would take place that week.
‘I suppose,’ Edward nodded. ‘But Jill won’t like it,’ he added.
‘You’re not married to Jill,’ Alice reminded him. ‘You’re married to me.’
‘But only in name,’ Edward reminded her. ‘You had an affair, remember.’
‘You don’t need to keep bringing that up,’ Alice insisted. ‘It meant nothing, and you know it. Anyway, it’s over and all in the past now. Besides, some older husbands like their wives occasionally to go with a younger man,’ she added suggestively.
‘I’m not one of those men,’ Edward said firmly.
‘I was just thinking some men like to watch,’ Alice said, not missing an opportunity to keep sex in the conversation.
‘Really,’ Edward said, trying his best to sound indignant.
‘Oh, don’t be so prudish, Edward,’ Alice interrupted. ‘Don’t tell me you and Jill haven’t been at it like rabbits. I wasn’t born yesterday. We’ve both been unfaithful. You could say we’re now equal.’
‘I’m not sure this is a suitable topic for conversation,’ Edward protested.
‘I’m just trying to be honest,’ Alice stated. ‘We’ll have to talk it about it one day.’
It was a relief when the food came and they could start to eat. Some elements of the conversation had made Edward feel decidedly uncomfortable. Alice knew what she was doing. She wanted to put thoughts of sex into his head. She wanted him to think it was OK to be promiscuous. That way he was more likely to fall into bed with her again. Despite his reservations, he was a man of his word and he would still meet her as agreed. It was the only way he’d be able to bring up the small matter of the divorce.
As they ate, he felt Alice’s foot brush against his leg. He glanced up with a slight look of shock and embarrassment. Alice just smiled, as if the brief physical touch had been entirely accidental on her part. It hadn’t been of course. The truth was she’d done her homework well, and things were going more or less to plan. She’d turned up without warning. She’d not only found Edward, she’d cornered him to herself again and was slowly getting her hooks into him. It was easy for Edward to forget how attractive she was in the flesh when she wasn’t there. Out of sight meant out of mind most of the time. He couldn’t forget when he was sitting opposite her. When he was with her, he became confused and torn about everything and every decision he was making, however resolute he tried to be. His resolve was slowly weakening. He was reminded of the many good times they’d shared together in the past. And he knew she wasn’t going away any time soon. He was right about one other thing. Jill wasn’t best pleased he’d be seeing Alice again, when he told her when he got in from work that evening.
