Chapter 26
Driving back towards Den’s flat the morning after his discovery, Leo felt so sick that he thought he was going to have to stop and say goodbye to the breakfast that Alex had insisted on cooking.
He had half expected Den to turn up at the family home last night, or at least to call.
There had been no word from either his older brother, or from Sophie.
Did this mean they were past caring what Leo thought, or were they actually ashamed of themselves?
Leo had no idea what he was going to say to Den, but he knew that he couldn’t put off a showdown with Sophie any longer.
The time had come to draw the line under his and Sophie’s engagement.
Leo realised now that he’d been manipulated into buying Sophie’s ring during that fateful weekend in Marbella.
Sophie had been on fire, dragging him back to their hotel room every half hour, it seemed, in retrospect.
After a particularly demanding session (‘Yes, Leo, yes! Oh my God, you’re sensational!
’) Sophie had showered, put on her most sophisticated dress, and led him into an incredibly expensive area of the town.
There she had lingered outside a jeweller’s with only a very few hand-crafted pieces displayed on black velvet, moodily lit.
‘Oh, Leokins, look at these. Don’t you think white gold would look good with my tan?’
Leo had dragged his heels, worried about his depleted bank account and heavily hammered credit card.
Sophie on holiday was even more dangerous financially than Sophie in Newcastle, but he’d finally given in, and entered the shop with her, only to find that the bauble that had caught her eye was a large and beautiful emerald ring.
It sparkled in the dim light as the attentive assistant held it out on its tiny cushion. Sophie gasped with pleasure.
‘That’s the one, Leokins. Let’s see if it fits.’
As Sophie slid the ring onto the third finger of her left hand, Leo at last realised what was happening, and opened his mouth to protest. But the sight of Sophie’s delighted face made him close it again, and she smiled up at him ecstatically as the manager of the shop was summoned to look at this wonderful sight.
Champagne was produced to toast the happy couple and half an hour later, Leo and Sophie wandered back out into the street, as Sophie pulled out her mobile.
‘Daddy, it’s me; guess what? I’m engaged! Yes, to Leo, obviously…’ She rolled her eyes at Leo in mock despair. ‘So, are you pleased? Yes, of course I’m sure. Yes, of course I’ll still be your baby. Well, in Newcastle, of course, where else would we live?’
After this, it seemed churlish to mention that he hadn’t planned on getting married for years, and that if he had been thinking of moving in with someone, Leo wasn’t sure that Sophie was ideal for the job.
She’d spent the rest of the day texting her friends and talking about what sort of wedding they would have.
It would need to be at Mummy and Daddy’s house, and there would be a marquee, so it would have to be a summer wedding.
She would have her dress made by a new and totally original designer, the new darling of the stars, who was apparently based in a divine cottage on Holy Island and had recently featured in an Apple TV documentary.
Within twenty-four hours, the date had been set, the cake ordered and the vicar and photographer booked.
Leo had always imagined that if he ever married, it would be in his local Catholic church with Father Brian officiating somewhat drunkenly.
Sophie had no religious beliefs, not even the vestiges of any, so the church selected was the most photogenic one.
Needing to show willing, Leo had telephoned his own father and been congratulated in turn by all his brothers. Now he came to think of it, they had definitely seemed underwhelmed, and Den had laughed, and commented, ‘Good luck, mate, and I hope you’re prepared to do shedloads of overtime.’
Leo pulled up outside Den’s flat, feeling a sense of déjà vu.
The curtains were still drawn but it wasn’t yet half past seven, and Sophie had never been a morning person.
This time when he hammered on the door, a wary-looking Den answered.
The shadows under his eyes were more pronounced than usual and he hadn’t shaved.
‘Oh, morning, mate. We were kind of expecting you,’ he said, grinning suddenly and lowering his voice to a whisper as he said, ‘Sophie thought you’d come back last night on your white charger and try to whisk her away. I guessed you might be pleased to see the back of her, myself.’
The beginnings of a red mist began to descend. Leo looked at his brother and saw him clearly for the first time. Tall, handsome, but incredibly smug. Why had he never noticed the third point before?
‘I want to speak to Sophie, if you don’t mind,’ Leo said, pushing his way past Den and walking towards the bedroom.
‘Oh, I don’t think…’
‘You don’t need to think, mate. Maybe if you’d done a bit more of that, you wouldn’t have fucked my girlfriend?’ Leo was at the bedroom door now, and could see Sophie sitting up in Den’s king-sized bed, with the duvet clutched to her chest.
‘Morning, Sophie. Sleep well?’ he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
‘Leo! Oh, so you’ve come back.’ Sophie had always had a talent for stating the obvious.
‘Yes, I just wondered what your plans were?’
‘Plans?’ She looked confused.
‘Yes, not sure if it slipped your mind, but we were supposed to be getting married in a few weeks? Or did I get the wrong end of the stick? I notice you’re not wearing your ring.’
‘Well, we assumed, I mean, I thought…’
‘Yes?’
‘I guess it’s all off between us, isn’t it? I never wanted to move to the Midlands. It’s so horribly provincial, and I need to be near my family. Can you see me as a shop assistant, darling? Really?’
‘You’re cancelling the wedding, then?’ Leo felt a wild surge of hope. Surely he should be devastated? His fiancée was sleeping with his older brother and was ditching him, he reminded himself, waiting for the pain to kick in. It didn’t.
‘Well, we thought it seemed a shame to waste all those arrangements, didn’t we, Den? It would be so expensive to cancel the day, and my dress is almost ready.’
‘And your point is?’
‘We’ll just carry on with the wedding and everything, only I’ll marry Den instead of you.
’ Sophie smiled brightly. ‘That’ll solve all the problems, won’t it?
Den loves me, and he wants to stay in Newcastle.
Daddy’s pleased, and he’s buying us that penthouse flat overlooking the river, you remember?
The one that I liked so much? Daddy’s always liked Den.
He’s going to help him with his signwriting business. ’
‘Den’s business? Don’t you think my dad might have something to say about that?’ Leo was amazed. Even Sophie couldn’t be this unfeeling.
‘Harry’s getting on a bit now, Leo, let’s face it, and he had that scare with his heart last year, didn’t he? He won’t last forever, and anyway, Den will inherit everything when he retires, won’t he? Den’s got a great future in front of him.’
Leo began to laugh. The other two gazed at him in consternation as he rocked helplessly, tears rolling down his face. After a few moments, Den said doubtfully, ‘So, you don’t mind then, mate?’
Leo had been trying to control himself, but this just set him off again.
He tried to think of something sad to calm the hysteria.
Sophie was looking boot-faced. He wondered if she’d been expecting him to cry, or to beg her to stay with him.
Finally, with a shuddering breath, Leo was calm enough to speak.
‘Mind? Not in the least, Denis. In fact, I’m delighted for you. I think it’s a marriage made in heaven. The pair of you are ideally suited. You’re both unfaithful, selfish and rather stupid. Good luck for your future together, you deserve each other.’
With that, Leo left the building, head held high, and trying not to skip. Within seconds, he was in the van and heading back to his two other brothers. They would love this story.
At the family home, Alex and Josh were just getting ready to leave for work. They sat down again in the kitchen, and Alex made a fresh pot of tea as Leo poured out his tale. Josh frowned.
‘So, you’re honestly not bothered? Not even a bit angry or jealous?’
‘No, it’s weird, isn’t it? I should be planning a big binge to drown my sorrows now, either that or plotting revenge. I reckon Den was expecting me to punch him on the nose. He kept just out of reach all the time.’ Leo started to laugh again at the memory.
Alex put a mug of tea in front of each of his brothers and sat down with one of his own.
There was one part of the story that was worrying him more than the rest. ‘What do you think Sophie meant about Dad? Do you think he’s ready to retire?
It’s true that he wasn’t well at all last year, and he’s been looking tired lately. ’
‘And now he’s in love, too,’ said Leo, forgetting that Alex and Josh wouldn’t know about Nina until he noticed their horrified expressions.
After he’d carefully explained the situation and reassured them that it could only be a good thing for their dad to be with such a lovely woman, Leo considered Alex’s question.
He was beginning to think that Sophie might have had a point.
‘Alex, if Dad did decide to retire, would you want to run the business with Den?’ he asked.
‘You must be joking. I’d rather eat my own arm,’ said Alex.
‘If I had a chance to get out, I’d ask Dad to give me a small cash share of the business and I’d paint.
I’m good, you know. I just need time to develop my work.
I’ve got the offer of an exhibition in that new gallery in town if I can just produce enough new stuff. ’
‘Really? That’s great! So Den would take over Lamb Signing?’
‘No, he bloody wouldn’t,’ said Josh. ‘You’re forgetting about me. I’m at least as good as Den, and I want my share of the credit for what’s been going on lately. Den’s been busy fannying about in Morpeth while Alex and me have been running things for him here. If Alex goes, I want a partnership.’
‘But Josh, I know you’re good at what you do, but you’re only fifteen.’
‘I’ll be sixteen soon, and whatever Dad says I am definitely not going to school any longer. The exams are nearly done, and then I’m out of there.’
Leo thought for a moment. This changed everything.
If Harry really loved Nina he would want to stay in the Midlands, because Leo was sure that Nina would never leave Jess and George.
Alex could paint anywhere he liked, so it was quite possible that the enormous white elephant of a family home could be sold, and Den and Josh could run the business from a more economical site.
Perhaps Josh could even ‘live over the shop’.
But could Josh and Den work side by side without falling out?
He put these ideas to his brothers as they drank their tea.
He had never felt so close to them. The three of them were so similar in looks but so different in their talents and characters. Josh was the first to comment.
‘I’m not scared of our Denis. If the business was fairly and legally divided, he’d have to respect my opinions.
I’m better at the organising side than him anyway, and just as good at the painting, now I’m checking everything carefully…
’ He grinned at Leo ruefully. Alex stood up, and cleared the mugs away.
‘If Dad agrees, it would be fantastic. I tell you what, you and I need to see him to discuss it properly, Leo, if Josh doesn’t mind holding the fort up here. I’ve got some unfinished business in Clayton-on-the-Bream to see to anyway.’
‘Have you?’ asked Josh. ‘What’s that all about then?
’ When Alex didn’t reply, Josh continued, ‘But leaving me here’s no problem.
I’ll get the agency to send an extra bloke.
I’ll be fine. You two get going. I can’t wait to hear what Dad says.
He’s mad about The Chocolate Cake Bookstore so even without Nina, he’ll want to stay down there if our business is in safe hands. ’
Alex and Leo looked at each other. Leo could feel the crackle of barely suppressed excitement in the air and knew that his own anticipation was all to do with Mab.
Could he get past whatever barriers she was raising and win her over?
He would try every way he could think of.
He watched Alex leave the room and heard him run upstairs to pack.
What was Alex’s unfinished business, and why was his brother grinning from ear to ear?
As he opened his mouth to ask Josh’s opinion on this, Leo’s phone buzzed in his pocket.
He fished it out, dreading seeing the name ‘Sophie’ on the screen, but to his joy, the word was ‘Mab’.