Chapter 13
Thirteen
Audrey had spent the morning videoconferencing: first a long conversation with her agent, Debbie Malkin, to whom she’d sent a few preliminary pages of her first draft; and then with the book’s publisher, managing editor and art director, talking about the schedule and plans for the various stages of production.
The conversation with Debbie had been particularly invigorating, as her agent identified the aspects she liked best in the sample pages, and the things she didn’t like quite as much—and in both she was direct but never brutal, full of useful insights yet not interfering.
Debbie had been Audrey’s agent for nine years now, ever since her career had really taken off, and she’d always been a great support, as well as an honest sounding board.
Audrey trusted her implicitly, and that went both ways.
Debbie had been delighted when Audrey decided at last to take the leap into book-length writing, something she’d long suggested to her client.
By the time the videoconferences were over, it was just on midday.
Audrey went out and had a delicious smoked salmon and potato salad before returning to her hotel to go over her notes.
Afterwards, she sent her parents and siblings a cheery message with photos on the family WhatsApp group.
There was no message from James, but that was fine, they didn’t need to live and breathe each other; they were sensible grown-ups, not lovesick kids.
Life was better like that, calmer, and much safer.
But when Isabelle Bernard had called, Audrey completely surprised herself by blurting out a request for Romy’s phone number at the end of their conversation.
Sure, after talking with Kristy yesterday, she’d decided she was going to deal with it once and for all, to lay that nagging ghost to rest. But she’d thought she’d do it later, strategically, not like that, on impulse, without planning.
For heaven’s sake, what had come over her?
Stop it, Audrey. Clear thinking now. She would get Alex’s number from Romy, she would meet him, have it out with him, and then she’d be free of it forever, free to commit herself fully to marriage with James.
Taking a deep breath, she keyed in the number.
It was answered on the second ring. ‘Hello, Romy, it’s Audrey Oliver. I hope I’m not disturbing you.’
‘Oh. Oh no,’ Romy said in a voice halfway between a whisper and a squeak. ‘You aren’t disturbing me at all. Isabelle told me you might call. Have you seen her yet?’
‘No. We’re meeting in an hour or so.’ Audrey was astonished that her voice was so calm, so normal. It was Romy who sounded nervous. Did that mean she already knew why she was calling?
‘Romy, I need to speak to Alex. To your uncle.’ There was a silence then. What if she doesn’t know? Audrey thought. ‘Romy,’ she began again, ‘I know this must seem strange …’
‘No,’ Romy said. ‘That is, I mean, it doesn’t sound strange. Last night, Alex … well, he told me what happened between you. I—I didn’t know till then, I swear.’
Audrey exhaled. ‘You don’t need to swear.
I understand. The way we spoke yesterday, it would have been different if you’d known.
’ She paused. ‘When Mickael gave me your family name after you’d left, that was the first I knew, too—that you were related to Alex, I mean.
’ It was a strange feeling, saying his name aloud like that to someone from his family. It made her nerves tingle.
‘I’m sorry if it was a shock,’ Romy said, her voice almost a whisper.
‘You don’t need to be sorry about anything, Romy,’ Audrey said. Not you, anyway, she thought, as her chest tightened. ‘But—’ She stopped and swallowed. ‘I need to ask you something.’
‘Of course,’ Romy said, her voice now a little stronger. ‘Anything.’
Audrey smiled at that. ‘I just want to ask … would he be angry with you if you give me his number?’
‘Oh no!’ Romy said at once. ‘I think he would want me to. Last night, I almost gave him your number because I could tell—I knew—he would have wanted it if he’d known I had it. But then I changed my mind.’
‘Why?’ Audrey asked quietly.
‘Because, well, I love Alex dearly, but it sounded like he’d caused you a lot of pain, and though he’s never got over his stupid mistake, I didn’t want to put another woman in such a difficult situation …’ She trailed off.
‘Oh, Romy, that is so kind. Thank you,’ said Audrey, touched. ‘And you are quite right, I am glad you didn’t give him my number. But are you comfortable giving me his?’
‘He is desperate to talk to you,’ Romy said. ‘I can sense it. He will be glad to hear from you.’
Audrey was not so sure of that. ‘We’ll see, I suppose,’ she said, in a lighter tone.
A fraction of a second after the call ended, the phone buzzed with a message: Alex’s number and email address.
Audrey stared at it before saving the details.
Her finger hovered over the number, then away.
Again she hovered, and again away. Come on, Audrey, she scolded herself, best to get this over and done with.
She hit the number without giving herself any more time to think, but it went straight to voicemail.
So she left a message. Alex, it’s Audrey.
Romy gave me your number. We need to talk …
Her voice failed her at that point and she ended the message and put her phone away.