Chapter 8 #2
‘A busy morning, then,’ he said, glancing at the page of his still-open book. It was obvious he was itching to get back to it and couldn’t really be bothered with Anthea or Jean-Luc and Hannah.
In a way, Edie didn’t blame him. She half wished she hadn’t gone into Porto Liakáda with the others, then she’d be none the wiser about Hannah’s little flirtation and the awkward moment when Mac arrived. She’d enjoyed meeting Anthea, though.
She spent most of the afternoon by Ralph’s side, reading, swimming and dozing. It was just what she needed. Jessica and Hannah joined them for a bit, but they didn’t see anything of Mac.
At around 6p.m. Edie went upstairs for a shower, leaving Ralph to finish his novel. He was so engrossed, he couldn’t bring himself to put it down till he’d found out what happened in the end.
On the top stair, Edie stopped dead and her heart pitter-pattered. She could hear shouting coming from Mac and Hannah’s room. The door was closed but she clearly heard Mac say, ‘You’re a fucking cow, you hear me?’
Hannah’s voice was quieter so Edie couldn’t catch what she said, then Mac came back: ‘You’re vile, you know that?’
There was a noise, like a sob, and Hannah whisper-shouted something in reply.
Tiptoeing towards the door, Edie waited for a moment, wondering what to do. Then someone tapped her on the arm, making her start. She swung round to find Jessica right behind her. She’d obviously been listening, too.
Just then, there was another shout from Mac and the sound of something being thrown and landing with a crash.
Edie gasped. ‘Oh God! What should we do? D’you think Hannah’s all right?’
Jessica’s features seemed to fix into a tight mask of fury. She stepped forward and put her hand on the doorknob, ready to turn it, but before she could do so, the door flew open and Mac marched out.
‘She’s a fucking lunatic!’ he said, his face red and spit spurting from his mouth.
Edie and Jessica had no time to respond as he raced downstairs, two steps at a time. They heard a door slam and heavy footsteps on the gravel outside, disappearing into the distance.
Now he was gone, they walked tentatively into Hannah’s room. She was sitting on the bed, her face in her hands and her body heaving with sobs.
Before Edie had even had time to think, Jessica hurried over and sat down beside their friend, putting an arm round her shoulders.
‘What did he do? Are you all right?’ she asked urgently. ‘Did he hurt you?’
Hannah sniffed and rubbed her eyes. ‘No, he didn’t hit me or anything. He just gets so jealous. He accused me of deliberately flirting with Jean-Luc. But I wasn’t.’
All of a sudden, she jerked up her head and jutted her chin.
‘We were just chatting,’ she insisted, staring hard at Edie, as if challenging her to disagree.
Her jaw and neck were visibly tight and snot dribbled from her nose.
‘I told him that. He was so angry.’ Her red, puffy face crumpled again. ‘He said some horrible things.’
Jessica made a tutting sound. ‘It’s not right, Hannah. You shouldn’t put up with it. He’s a bully. I heard what he said. It’s emotional and verbal abuse.’
Hannah sobbed again. ‘I know. He’s not normally that bad, though. It’s only when he sees me talking to another man, or even a woman sometimes. I don’t know why he’s so jealous.’
Edie was still standing by the bed, not wishing to crowd out Hannah and feeling a bit useless.
It was distressing to see her friend so upset but at the same time, a tiny worm in her ear was whispering to her that Hannah wasn’t being entirely honest. She had been flirting. It wasn’t exactly a crime, and she could at least own up to it.
Ralph would probably have been put out if he’d seen Edie behaving in that way. The difference was, he wouldn’t have shouted and sworn at her.
There was silence for a moment and Jessica breathed in and out deeply.
‘I’m worried about you, Hannah,’ she said at last. ‘Things might escalate.’
Edie was about to join them on the bed when she noticed a wood-framed dressing table mirror lying in pieces in the corner of the room.
‘What happened?’ She went over to take a better look; the mirror was pretty much smashed.
‘Did he throw it at you?’ Jessica asked shrilly.
Edie glanced at Hannah, who lowered her eyes.
‘Yes.’
‘Did it hit you?’
‘No, it missed.’ Hannah bit her lip.
‘That’s still assault, you know. He could be arrested for it, even if you weren’t physically hurt. Imagine if he hadn’t missed. We might be taking you to hospital now.’
Hannah shuddered. ‘Thank God it didn’t come to that.’
‘No, but it could have.’
Jessica’s words seemed to impregnate the air surrounding them, compressing their lungs and making it difficult to breathe.
‘I think you should take my room tonight,’ she insisted. ‘While you decide what you want to do. I’ll sleep on the sofa downstairs.’
‘Thank you.’
‘And remember to lock the door.’
Hannah glanced fearfully at Jessica, then Edie. ‘I will.’
* * *
They were a sombre group at supper that evening. Ralph had said he’d have a chat with Mac and had tried calling, but Mac hadn’t picked up.
Meanwhile, Jessica had stayed close to Hannah, checking on her constantly and asking if she needed anything.
Hannah seemed to need and want the attention, so Edie had taken a back seat and left them to it.
Instead, she’d prepared the meal and laid the table on the patio. Just before they ate, she’d asked Hannah if she’d like to talk in private, but Hannah had said no.
‘It’ll blow over, honestly. I’m sorry you and Jessica got caught up in it.’
Edie frowned. ‘This is serious, Hannah. You do know that, don’t you? Mac can’t go on behaving like this.’
‘I’ll talk to him – I really will. He’ll have calmed down by the time he gets back.’
They’d just finished their main course and started on the sweet pastries Jessica and Edie had bought when Mac reappeared. He stood uncomfortably in the kitchen doorway, illuminated by the light behind, with his arms crossed and his head lowered.
‘Hello,’ he said hoarsely.
He was met with absolute silence; no one knew what to say.
‘I’m sorry about the argument,’ he went on, hesitantly. ‘Not what you want to hear on holiday.’ He gave a humourless laugh. ‘I lost my temper. I was a prat.’
Edie nervously cleared her throat.
‘Look, mate—’ Ralph started to say, rising, but Jessica interrupted.
‘DON’T try and make light of it.’ Her teeth were half clenched. ‘You tried to assault Hannah with that mirror. She could have been seriously injured.’
Mac’s eyes opened wide. ‘I didn’t?—’
In a flash, Hannah abruptly stood up and pushed back her chair. ‘Mac and I will sort this, won’t we, Mac? The rest of you shouldn’t have to get involved.’
Mac nodded.
Jessica started to protest but Hannah, who was next to her, put a hand on her arm.
‘Don’t,’ she said. ‘It’s all right?—’
‘No, it bloody well isn’t! He’s a bully and a bastard. I can’t stand by and watch you get hurt.’
Ignoring her, Hannah started to move away but Jessica followed.
‘Leave them!’ Ralph said suddenly, stopping Jessica in her tracks.
She turned to him with a deep frown and eyes that looked hot enough to scorch his pupils, but he didn’t flinch.
‘Let them try and sort this out themselves,’ he went on. ‘They don’t need our interference.’
He looked at Mac and Hannah, who was now hovering nervously by her husband’s side.
‘Mac, mate,’ he said, carrying on where he’d left off a few minutes earlier. ‘Listen, stop the shouting and stuff, OK? Talk to each other sensibly. If you want a mediator or a third opinion, I’m here.’
Mac nodded. ‘Thanks.’
As soon as he and Hannah turned their backs and disappeared into the villa, Jessica glared at Ralph, looking for all the world as if she wanted to kill him.
‘I can’t believe you just did that. Why would you? You sent her back into the lion’s den.’
Ralph squared his shoulders and held Jessica’s gaze, with his hands on his hips and both feet firmly planted on the ground.
Edie stared at him in wonder; she couldn’t remember when she last saw him so angry yet, at the same time, completely in control.
‘With respect,’ he said quietly, carefully enunciating every word, ‘to my knowledge, you’re not a marriage counsellor. And you hardly know either of them. Do us all a favour, will you? Stop meddling and give them some space.’