Page 54 of The Girlfriend

B ACKWARD AND FORWARD, SHE SLOWLY TILTED HER HAND, ENTRANCED by the leaping colors that flashed at her before vanishing and being replaced by other, seemingly brighter colors.

It utterly captivated her and she knew she’d never get bored of it.

They’d gone shopping immediately, Daniel saying he wanted to make it official, propose to her properly, and he apologized for not being better prepared.

At first, Cherry had been so stunned she didn’t quite believe it.

She allowed herself to be pulled along to a small, exclusive jewelers just five minutes from the boathouse, where she was presented as “my fiancée.” The assistants had cooed over how “romantic” the proposal was, and she and he were asked if they had a preference for a particular type of stone.

This made Cherry sit up and take notice; she had to exert some influence here if she was going to get what she wanted.

In fact, Cherry knew just what she wanted—a diamond, of course, a distinctive one—but there was an opportunity here to fantasize with a rainbow of jewels, some of which would appear later in her life in a different form.

A gift for her birthday, their first child perhaps, an eternity ring.

She tried on a sapphire first, surrounded by smaller diamonds, then an aquamarine, which was the color of the Caribbean Sea, then a bloodred ruby, before she sensed a note of restlessness in Daniel, and the assistant was clearly beginning to lose interest too.

So she chose the one she’d spotted a full ten minutes before.

It was a two-carat, square-cut diamond in a platinum band.

She left the shop wearing it. As she walked along, her right hand in Daniel’s, with the other she rubbed her thumb against the underside of the ring, smiling and feeling its cold hardness in some sort of private acknowledgment that they were going to be friends for life.

After Daniel had left for work the next day, Cherry had tried her ring in each room, seeing how it looked in certain lights and against particular fabrics and then with numerous outfits too.

She experimented in how it looked when she poured some water from the kettle, when she was on the phone, hand held aloft, when she typed on a keyboard.

She became more delighted with every scenario.

She draped the ivory curtains in the living room around her waist and twirled, her heart soaring with happiness.

She’d done it! She was going to marry someone who would keep her from her old life forever.

She would never have to worry about struggling, about money, or the pure drudgery of a dead-end, monotonous job, like her mum had had to endure.

She was better than that and she could hold her head high.

Stuff Nicolas and his bigoted views. Maybe they’d buy a house on the Webb Estate.

Imagine if it was next door. If Nicolas and his stupid wife just came out one day and there she was.

She delighted herself for a good while with this notion and the imagined looks on their faces; then she began to grow restless and looked out the window.

She wanted to go out and tell someone her good news.

Take her ring on a trip to someone. She found herself driving toward Croydon and thought she’d surprise her mum.

She’d go and see her and wait to see how long it took her to notice.

Wendy, so unused to impromptu visits, was convinced there was something wrong. In the end, Cherry had to show her the ring, just to shut her up, which spoiled her plan of waiting to see when she caught sight of the ten thousand pounds of rock on her finger.

“Oh, my good God,” exclaimed Wendy, clutching her hand, “is that real?”

“Of course, it is. ”

“Are you . . . ?” Wendy’s face lit up, and Cherry grinned and swerved to avoid the ensuing kiss.

“Congratulations!” Wendy clasped a hand over her mouth and her eyes shone with threatened tears of happiness.

“To think, my girl, marrying . . . oh, Cherry . . . to Daniel. He’s so lovely.

... Honest, I liked him so much. Oh, it’s like a fairy tale.

Like that Catherine and William. I’ll have to go somewhere proper for me dress, Designers at Debenhams or something. . . .”

* * *

As Cherry drove back home, she passed various old haunts that used to bring shame or dread.

The restaurant where she’d worked, the school.

They were nothing to her anymore. She was a different person, a better person, and they would never be able to threaten her again.

As she escaped their stranglehold, she felt a new freedom and it was exhilarating.

She got back just before two, still in a state of bliss. As she walked past the porter, he called out to her, “You on your own, love?”

“Yes. Daniel’s at work.”

Ian stood up from the desk and disappeared into the room behind, calling back over his shoulder. “That’ll explain this, then.”

Cherry wondered idly what it was he’d gone to get, when her eye was suddenly drawn to an envelope tucked into a small cubbyhole, which she knew he reserved for registered mail that he signed for on the residents’ behalf.

It was a handwritten letter and it was addressed to Daniel.

She was about to ask if he wanted her to take it for him, when she recognized the handwriting.

Laura’s. Without thinking, she snatched it up and slipped it into her handbag just as Ian came back through with a large bunch of flowers.

“Unless you have another admirer.”

“They’re beautiful!” She read the card tucked into the foliage. “ ‘To my fiancée, on the first day of our engagement.’ ”

“Yep, ring’s still blinding me,” joked Ian, shielding his eyes from Cherry’s finger.

Back in the flat, Cherry sat down on the lemon sofa and took out the letter.

She fingered it for a moment, thinking. It was probably a plea, full of pathetic begging—but then again, it might have more poison about herself and she couldn’t afford anything to upset this engagement.

She’d already mentioned she wanted a winter wedding and was planning something for January—the sooner, the better, as far as she was concerned.

There was still the hurdle of Laura, and despite all Daniel’s protestations that he decided what went on in his life, Cherry was a little worried.

Laura would have to keep her interfering nose out—and that included letters to Daniel blackening her name.

She opened it and read quickly:

Daniel,

I’m sorry you don’t feel you can return my calls and I know that’s in part because you don’t want to hear what I keep saying.

But I can’t stand back and watch when there’s something very wrong.

I also know you love Cherry and it’s hard to hear negative things about the person you love, but all I ask is that you consider what I’ve said.

Investigate it. Believe me when I say that I would not exaggerate just to destroy a relationship simply because I didn’t approve.

This is a situation much more serious than that.

Maybe you could do some simple unobtrusive inquiries.

Remember the story about her grandmother who died—the one Cherry told her boss?

That’s exactly what they said and yet she didn’t mention anything to us at all.

Why not? Was it not true? Or perhaps there’s something else, something about her past that you could find out.

Has she ever told you about any of her ex-boyfriends? Who they were? Why it ended?

If you find that there’s nothing in my fear, then you can tell me so and I’ll back off, but please just try.

I don’t care what she does to me, as long as you try, and in a way I wish she would do something, just so you could see.

It goes without saying that I miss you hugely and I want more than anything for us to be on speaking terms again.

With love,

Mum

Cherry placed the letter on her lap and knew immediately that Daniel mustn’t see it.

It would have to get lost, mislaid by Ian.

There was a chance he’d mention it to Daniel, might even say it was from Laura; but as Daniel was not talking to her, he’d probably not bother to find out what it had contained.

She stood suddenly. Laura didn’t yet know of the engagement, but Cherry knew Daniel would have to tell her.

His mum needed to back right off and do what any prospective mother-in-law did when her son got married: recognize her new, diminished place in his life and keep her mouth shut.

Laura needed to know whom she was dealing with and what was best for her.

Cherry screwed up the letter and stuffed it in her pocket.

* * *

She waited until Monday, as there was a better chance that Howard would not be at the golf course.

Daniel had mentioned which one he was a member of, and as she drove through the gates of the Royal Surrey Golf Club, she saw it was as exclusive as it had looked online.

With the car wheels crunching on the gravel, she slowly passed the clubhouse, with its ivy-clad brick, and headed for the car park.