Page 76 of Original Sin

Brooke slept for most of the rest of the journey back to the city.

‘Can you drop me a block away from my apartment?’ she said, uncoiling her body and stretching out her arms. They were back in the canyons of Manhattan and already she could feel anxiety creep back in as she looked around for paparazzi. Matt pulled the car up outside a convenience store on Lexington.

‘Thanks Matt, I had a really good time,’ smiled Brooke, putting her sunglasses back on.

‘Me too,’ said Matt. ‘Although it was a long way to go for a buggy ride.’

‘It’s never too far for an experience like that, Matt. I could do with more friends like you who take me places like that. Nice, normal friends outside my crazy new world.’

‘Hey, you love your world,’ he laughed. ‘Next time I see you you’re going to be holding one of those rat–like little dogs under your arm.’

‘Flanked by big burly bodyguards,’ she laughed. As she waved him off and walked back along Lex, she suddenly realized that a much less light–hearted discussion about bodyguards with David was exactly what had made her call Matt in the first place, and would be the first thing they talked – or rowed – about as soon as he got back from Damascus. Back to reality, she thought with a twisted smile as she put her sunglasses back on and strode toward home.

CHAPTER TWENTY–THREE

The first time Tess came back to London, it was for work, not pleasure. Neither she nor Dom were particularly surprised; as time went on it was becoming obvious that their original vision of a jet–set transatlantic relationship, with each visiting the other once a month, was almost impossible. Tess had to attend events at weekends, and Dom was often flying out to exotic resorts to report on them for the Chronicle. Even this visit was fraught; Tess was in England to attend the Annual UK Asgill Cosmetics sales conference at a luxury hotel in Windsor – it was a flying visit, only staying overnight at the hotel, then heading back across the pond in the morning. Meredith had suggested it would be a good idea for Tess to attend the conference, firstly to get a feel for the international side of the business, but it would also be a suitable opportunity to meet Sean, who was hosting a party in London to launch the latest Asgill fragrance, Lupin. Tess had spent the day with scores of Asgill sales consultants, brand managers, and sales teams from t

he UK offices. Not her favourite way to pass the day, but at least it hadn’t been completely alien to her; she had been to countless focus groups when they had been trying to reposition the Globe and was fluent in marketing bullshit: the phrases ‘dynamic multi–platform dissemination’ and ‘blue–sky viral paradigms’ did not faze her. She had, however, been glad to escape for a drink with Leonard Carter, Meredith’s brother and head of Asgill’s international development.

‘I’m amazed this is your first trip back to London since you joined us,’ said Leonard when they had settled into a corner table of the hotel’s bar. He was wearing a light grey three–piece Prince of Wales check suit, which complemented his white hair and alert blue eyes.

‘Well, I actually only left eight weeks ago,’ said Tess, gazing out at the view of the formal gardens. Everything seemed so much more spacious and airy after New York that even her breathing felt deeper and fuller. ‘So much has happened, it seems so much longer.’

‘I can imagine it feels even longer given that your boyfriend is still here,’ said Leonard kindly. Tess smiled at him; he had the easy–going manner of a wealthy old man who had been around the block and seen everything that life could throw at you. She was starting to think of him as ‘Uncle Leonard’, like the rest of the Asgill children. Still, she didn’t yet know him well enough to tell him that relations with Dom had seemed strained over the last few weeks, their conversations snappy and distant. She knew Dom wanted to be in New York too, but she was upset that he seemed to take his career frustrations out on her.

‘Well, I’m back for five days at the end of this month,’ said Tess vaguely. ‘We can catch up then. Thanks for getting him an invitation to the party tonight, by the way.’

‘The least I could do. How long have you been together?’

‘Since we were twenty–one. It struck me the other day that it’s been a third of my life.’

‘And will you marry him?’

Tess smiled. ‘I’m not a big believer in marriage.’

‘Why not?’

‘My parents had a difficult relationship. They were two people who shouldn’t have got married and I think they only did because I came along. When I was twelve I found their marriage certificate stuffed in a book and I did the maths; they were married four months before I was born. It kind of made sense why they argued so much.’

Leonard took a drink of his Scotch, the ice cubes tinkling.

‘Well, with all due respect to your parents, I’ve never been convinced by the argument that having failed once in love, you shouldn’t have another stab at it. Isn’t that what love’s all about? Going into life’s adventure with hope in your heart?’

‘Would you remarry?’

‘Perhaps,’ he smiled sadly. ‘My wife Marie died three years ago now. I doubt I’ll ever meet anyone to match her, but I’m not too old to try.’

‘Tell that to Meredith. Maybe it’s time she found someone new.’

Leonard laughed at the idea. ‘Oh, she’ll never marry again. They had a wonderful marriage. She told me once that the day she married Howard was the day she committed one hundred per cent to him. I don’t think that’s changed because he’s not with us any more.’

Tess suddenly thought back to a story that Charles Devine had told her at Brooke’s engagement party. A story that had been nagging at her since her arrival, a story she had since researched, although the press cuttings she had ordered had thrown up nothing beyond what Charles had told her back in March. She’d been waiting for a convenient opportunity to quiz the family on it further, but there had barely been the chance to do so. Until now.

‘Was Howard faithful to Meredith?’ asked Tess, unable to contain her curiosity.

‘Probably not,’ said Leonard with a gentle shrug. ‘But it doesn’t mean he had a bad marriage. Why do you ask?’

‘I heard about the Olivia Martin story. People suspected Howard of murdering her, didn’t they?, because he was having an affair with Olivia.’