Chapter 48
Cara looked at her watch. It was only twenty minutes until she had to perform and Margot was still avoiding making any approach towards Raj. In fact, she was muttering under her breath, in between gulps of champagne, like she was reciting a predetermined script. Margot was showing sides to her personality that Cara had never seen before and it was as enlightening as it was concerning. Something about this guy was under Margot’s skin, whether it was because she was overawed by his title – not usually something to put Margot off – or maybe it was down to something from their past. Whatever it was, if Margot needed this opportunity with the maharajah then she should take it.
‘OK,’ Cara said. ‘You should go over there. There’s the least amount of people around him now.’
‘Yes,’ Margot agreed, nodding but not moving.
‘Margot, what’s wrong?’
‘Nothing.’ It wasn’t convincing.
‘Margot, we came all this way for you to surprise this man and schmooze him. And he’s right there.’
‘I know but, I’m wondering now if maybe this was a mistake.’
There was a definite tremble to Margot’s voice. This did not happen on the regular. Suddenly Cara was flooded with a whole mixture of emotions as if a kind of breaking point had been reached and there was no going back.
‘No,’ she said firmly. ‘We’re not doing this. You are Margot Jones, CEO of Carried Away, the boss bitch who slays every day. This guy is just a guy wearing way too much white in my opinion. But if he has something you need to take the business closer to your dreams then you need to go and speak to him!’
Margot was now standing stiller than a statue. It was time for Cara to be in charge. She took Margot by the arm and walked her across the carpet until they were on the very edge of the area where Raj was sitting.
‘I don’t care about his standing on the Forbes billionaire list or whatever, he is just a business proposition like any other,’ Cara told her aunt. ‘Now snap out of whatever this version of you is and get back in the game.’
‘Margot Jones? Is that you?’
Cara turned her head and there was Raj, right next to them, addressing Margot.
‘Gosh, Raj,’ Margot greeted, finally seeming to come to. ‘What on Earth are you doing here? What an absolute coincidence!’
Cara just smiled, hoping her aunt wasn’t going to overplay this.
‘I could ask you the same question. I was told the guest list was very exclusive,’ Raj replied with a wry smile.
‘Oh, darling, still with that sense of humour I adore,’ Margot bleated.
‘We should catch up some time,’ Raj said. ‘I heard from Sofia recently actually. She thought I would have time to go to some little wedding or something. You remember Sofia?’
‘Sofia? Let me think…’ Margot said, looking into the air as if she needed help from the universe. Then Cara watched her smile break. ‘Of course I remember Sofia.’
‘Beautiful girl,’ Raj said. ‘Not very clever, but very beautiful.’ He sighed, looking directly at Margot then. ‘You two were always opposites, weren’t you?’
Cara’s jaw dropped. This man was vile! He had just badly insulted two people in two sentences. She opened her mouth to say something but felt the pressure of Margot’s hand on her skin.
‘Still the charmer, Raj,’ Margot said, cool and collected. ‘So, shall we take a minute now to have a catch-up?’
‘Now?’ Raj said. And then he laughed like Margot had cracked the funniest joke at the Edinburgh Festival. ‘Margot, there are many people who wish to speak with me.’
Cara was seething, but the pressure on her arm increased and Margot added a little bit of nail too.
‘I understand,’ Margot said, smoothly. ‘But surely you can make a few moments for an old “friend”.’
‘I wish I could,’ Raj said. ‘But, sadly, moments in my life are highly in demand.’
Now Margot let go of Cara and planted a hand on the sleeve of Raj’s white suit jacket. Immediately three of his entourage rose from their chairs until Raj swiftly waved them away.
‘Margot, I do hope you’re not going to cause a scene.’
‘All I’m asking for is what I deserved straight after college,’ Margot stated in bitter tones.
‘I’m not sure I’m with you,’ Raj said. ‘And really, Margot, as nice as this is, I really have to?—’
‘What you really have to do,’ Margot said, lips tight. ‘Is sit your royal arse back in that chair, order a bottle of Dom Pérignon, and listen to the fantastic investment opportunity I have for you.’
‘And why would I do that?’ Raj asked, all smug lips.
Margot leaned in close and the entourage all quivered a little.
‘Because,’ Cara heard her aunt say in hushed tones. ‘Otherwise, I am firstly going to tell everyone at this party, and then everyone in the whole world, about how you use and abuse women and how you told me that if I didn’t get rid of our baby you would arrange for me to disappear too.’
Cara felt like someone had just hit her with a wrecking ball and it was all she could do to keep standing upright. But stand upright she did, wanting to give Margot the solidarity. She kept her eyes firmly on the maharajah who had had the decency to pale close to the colour of his suit.
‘I do not know what you are talking about, Margot.’ He stumbled a little over his words.
‘I have a recording,’ Margot carried on. ‘Several copies of it in fact. Your voice saying the words all those years ago. Killing me inside over and over again, shaping who I am, driving me forward, but also never really letting me move on.’
‘Stop talking, Margot,’ Raj said through gritted teeth now.
‘Then start listening,’ Margot said, her voice laced with bitterness.
Cara held her breath, sensing something in her aunt she had never been privy to before.
‘I’ve spoken to women you’ve destroyed. Terrified, damaged women. Some so traumatised they can’t relive the details. But others, when I felt brave enough to share my story with them, finally opened up and told me what they had been through. Some of them gave me statements we can use should we have to go to the police.’
‘You think I do not have people who can make this go away?’ Raj spat.
‘I think you underestimate the power of numbers and the truth. Now, you are going to sit back down and I am going to sit with you and you are going to agree to make a very large investment in my new suitcase and then you are going to go through the list of these women and you are going to make a substantial donation to them and you are going to apologise for every ounce of pain you caused.’
Raj shook his head.
‘No, Raj, I only want to see you nod. Because if you don’t nod and get out your platinum card I am going to be talking to my very close friends at the UK government.’
It took Raj perhaps five seconds to invite Margot into the VIP area but before she moved, Cara held her aunt’s arm.
‘Margot—’
‘Not now, Cara,’ Margot said, her voice calm. ‘But we will talk later.’ She gave her a small smile. ‘Sorry about everything, you know, leading up to this, if I haven’t been, well…’
Her voice trailed off but Cara didn’t need her to say anything more.
‘It’s OK,’ Cara told her. ‘I think everything is going to be better now.’
As Margot moved away, Cara looked across the room and her eyes found Akis. It was time.