In Focus (2009) (7 page)

The next part of the show featured a famous opera singer. Her break-up with her lover of many years had been acrimonious and had hit all the headlines. He’d trashed her home, destroying all her photos and mementoes of her youth, for which he’d been jailed. She was eager to find some photos, especially of her parents, who were dead now.

Her appeal had been filmed between performances at La Scala. The computer images showed a pretty little girl and a plump teenager.

When at last the show was over, Pete came off the set. ‘It went well, didn’t it?’

‘As long as you don’t mind hurting people.’

Pete’s smile went a bit glassy. ‘How can we be expected to predict such things. Sheer chance.’

‘Was it?’ Suddenly Edward was sure that Pete had suspected there was something amiss between Cassadee and his uncle. He could bear no more tonight, so turned and walked away.

‘Ed, come back. I want to ask you about—’

He kept walking, needed some fresh air.

As Beth was getting ready for the dinner dance on the Saturday, the doorbell rang. Muttering in annoyance, she went to check who it was on the intercom, then relaxed and let Renée in.

‘I’m going out in half an hour. Had you forgotten?’

‘Nope. I came to check that you’re looking your best.’

Beth looked at her in mingled exasperation and amusement. ‘Yes, Mummy.’

Renée grinned. ‘You know I’m better with hair than you are.’

‘I’ve washed and blow-dried it. It looks fine to me.’

Her friend stood back, studying her. ‘Good cut, that. But it needs this for a formal affair.’ She produced a small object, a jewelled hair slide. ‘Get your dress on and let me fix the hair.’

Ten minutes later Beth knew she was looking her best and smiled at her reflection. ‘You’re right. That hair slide does look good. Subtle enough for my taste, too.’

‘I know. You’re definitely not a show pony. Now look, I know there’s nothing fizzing between you and Daniel, but there will be other men there tonight. Don’t put on your untouchable expression. Smile and enjoy yourself, and if an interesting guy comes along, let nature take its course.’

‘Yes, Mummy.’

Renée hugged her suddenly. ‘You’ve been alone long enough, Beth. Life’s more fun if you have a partner.’

‘As long as it’s the right partner.’

‘I agree. All I’m saying is, don’t keep the door so tightly closed or you’ll never meet anyone, right or wrong.’

When the bell rang again, it was Daniel’s voice on the intercom.

‘I’m ready. I’ll be down in a minute,’ Beth said.

The two women took the lift and Renée said goodbye in the foyer.

‘You look beautiful,’ Daniel said to Beth.

‘I think I look my best, but we both know I’ll never be beautiful.’

‘Lovely, then. Can you accept that word?’

She hesitated then smiled. ‘Tonight, perhaps. Renée did a good job on my hair, didn’t she?’ And the outfit softened her figure, hinting at curves she no longer possessed.

With great reluctance Edward got ready to go out. He hadn’t invited a partner to the ball and wished now that he’d bothered to ask someone, because he enjoyed dancing. But he’d been snowed under since the last show, working all hours of the day to minimize the fall-out from the Cassadee interview.

The uncle had committed suicide straight after the show. The old man might have been suffering from cancer, but he could have lived for quite a while yet if he’d wanted to. Luckily the press hadn’t noticed the suicide.

Cassadee remained furious and rightly so. But with his uncle now out of the picture, he calmed down somewhat. Fortunately, he was hungry for more photographs of his younger self and they did him a whole series from the ReGress program, one for every year of his life from six years onwards. In addition, several former neighbours and family friends had unearthed real snaps of him as a child and contacted the show to offer them. More might still come in, because the incident had made headline news.

Another, briefer follow-up appearance was planned for a few weeks’ time – with Stacey also appearing, if Cassadee agreed. He seemed to have taken his former street friend under his wing and was shielding her from the press. His agent said he’d do his best to persuade the star to appear again.

When Edward arrived at the luxury hotel where the ball was to be held, he wandered over to the cocktail area, noting that Pete and Fran, whose table he was on, were not there yet. He studied the well-dressed assembly. Who did he know that he really wanted to speak to? Ah, yes. He made his way across to a small group in the corner, not letting anyone trap him into conversation en route.

‘Hi, Daniel. How are things?’

Daniel and his partner both turned round. To Edward’s astonishment he recognized the woman standing next to his old friend, but only just. She looked like a different person from the exhausted cleaner he’d escorted out to her car all those weeks ago.

‘Let me introduce you.’

‘Beth and I have met already. How are you?’ He took her hand and awareness shimmered between them before she pulled hers back hastily. They stared at one another for a moment and he could tell she was as surprised by this reaction as he was. In fact, he was so surprised that he struggled for words and she was the first to break the silence.

‘I’m well, thank you, Edward.’

‘You look a lot better. You were absolutely exhausted last time I saw you.’

‘The flu epidemic’s over, so I’m not working as hard.’

Daniel turned to Beth. ‘Perhaps you could teach Edward how to slow down a bit. He’s been working such long hours this year, it’s a wonder he even has time to look in the mirror at himself, let alone make new friends. His cousin Pete is a slave driver.’

‘Someone has to keep the man out of mischief,’ Edward said mildly.

‘I wonder if you’ll manage to do that with that new segment. Everyone’s talking about the Cassadee incident. Is that uncle he punched going to prosecute him for assault?’

‘The old guy’s out of the picture, committed suicide soon afterwards. He had cancer, apparently. You have to wonder how he dared go on the show. That caused enough talk. I’m just relieved the press didn’t pick up on the suicide as well.’

Hope springs eternal, Beth thought. It had sustained her for years.

‘There’s Pete now.’ Daniel nodded towards the door.

Edward raised one hand in greeting to his cousin and his wife, but people moved quickly towards the two celebrities, presumably eager to discuss the incident on the show, so he stayed where he was and let Pete come to him.

The gong sounded for them to take their places for dinner before Pete got even halfway across the room. He was lapping up the publicity, no doubt about it. So was Fran. If you didn’t know better, you’d think they were a loving couple.

But Edward did know better, had seen them quarrel only too often. He walked from the reception room into the dining and dancing area with Daniel and Beth, noting that they made no attempt to touch one another or hold hands. Daniel turned up to functions like this with various attractive women but never seemed to stick with one or show signs of a sexual connection. Perhaps he wasn’t the marrying type?

And was Beth divorced? She wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.

As he stopped beside his chair, Edward wondered why he’d even bothered to check her hand. He wasn’t looking for a relationship with anyone at the moment.

That was another thing he’d have to think about once his life slowed down a bit: finding a life partner. Older women wouldn’t be as set on having children, so he might get a happier outcome, stepchildren, even. Life could get a bit too lonely sometimes, even when you were busy.

He glanced back across the room and saw Beth talking animatedly to her neighbour at the table. She had a lovely smile and scrubbed up well. Elegant was the word he’d use to describe her tonight. Why was she doing an extra job cleaning? Surely she could find something better than that for herself?

Maybe he’d ask her for a dance later. He felt sure Daniel wouldn’t mind.

The function was very well organized and the food tempted Beth to eat more than usual, though she put her hand across her wine glass when the waiter tried to refill it. ‘Could I have a fizzy mineral water instead?’

‘Certainly, madam.’

‘Did anyone see the Cassadee incident on the Pete Newbury Show?’ the man next to her asked, and the whole table instantly began discussing it.

‘It’s certainly got people stirred up, hasn’t it?’ Daniel said to her in a low voice. ‘You couldn’t pay me enough to go on that segment of his show.’

‘Would you need to find something out about yourself?’

‘No. I know who my family are and we’ve got a zillion photos of everyone. And you?’

‘I wouldn’t like to go on the show.’ But she had watched it again and kept remembering how the first attempt to show Pete as a child of three had looked like her lost brother – so incredibly like him that she hadn’t been able to get the image out of her mind. Stupid, really. His mother had said it wasn’t like him and Mrs Newbury should know.

But Beth still wondered sometimes where her brother was. She’d studied other children in the street when she was younger, imagining what her little brother would look like, keeping track mentally of how old he’d be. Each time his birthday came round she’d comforted her mother, similarly at Christmas.

As an adult she’d worried a few times in case she dated her brother without knowing it, and had tended to steer clear of fair-haired men. His hair might have grown darker now, of course, though hers hadn’t. Silly to keep thinking of him, really. The poor kid was probably long dead.

‘Would you like to dance?’ Daniel asked.

‘I’d love to.’

She wasn’t surprised to find that he was a good dancer, not showing off but able to steer her smoothly round the smallish dance floor and maintain a conversation at the same time. She let herself move with the music and was sorry when that set ended. It was rare these days to find someone who danced as well as this.

After they got back to the table, the woman on the other side of Daniel asked his opinion of something and the two of them got into a discussion. As the man on Beth’s other side had got up to dance, she was left to herself, which she didn’t mind in the slightest. There was enough going on around her to keep her interest.

‘Would you like to dance, Beth?’

She turned sharply and saw Edward smiling down at her.

Daniel half-turned and nodded, as if to urge her to accept.

‘I – um, yes, that would be nice.’

She got up and let Edward pull her into his arms. He was taller than her by several inches and led her out on the floor with an expertise that far outdid Daniel’s. He didn’t try to speak, but when she stole a quick glance at him, he was frowning slightly and looking down at her.

‘Are you involved with Daniel?’ he asked abruptly.

She swallowed. This was blunt. ‘Not in the way you mean. We’re friends, that’s all.’

‘Will you have dinner with me one night, then?’

Renée’s words came back to her:
don’t close the door on other men.
‘Yes. That’d be – um, nice.’

He smiled slightly. ‘Good. Next Friday suit you? Since the show’s midweek, Pete’s usually quietened down by then.’

‘Quietened down?’

‘After the show there’s a lot going on behind the scenes that people don’t see: appearances, promotion events, planning for future shows, research. I’m not involved directly in most of it, of course, but I do have to watch Pete’s interests.’

‘Oh. Sounds busy.’

‘It is. Too busy. A bit like your life, I think.’

She nodded.

‘I’ll pick you up at seven, if that’s all right. You’re not working that night, are you?’

‘Ah . . . no.’ Should she tell him she wasn’t really a cleaner? No, not now. When they went out together perhaps. Actually, she thought better of him for not letting that mistaken idea stop him asking her out. People could be so snobbish.

‘Give me your phone number and address when we get off the floor.’

After that he didn’t speak, but he held her closer as they danced – and she let him. That wasn’t like her, but he moved so well and the music was good. Why spoil it with idle chatter?

Yet one thought kept interrupting her enjoyment: why had a man as attractive as Edward Newbury asked her out? And another thought kept following it: why had she said yes so easily?

It wasn’t because of what Renée had said, well only partly. It was because she found him attractive, extremely attractive. It had been a long time since this had happened and it made her feel rather nervous, as well as . . . interested.

She was sorry when the music ended and the MC got up on the small stage as the band filed out.

‘I’d better take you back to your seat. I think we’re in for a few speeches. Phone number, address?’ Edward crouched beside her, pulled out a pen and two business cards, giving her one with his contact number and using the other to scribble down her details before nodding and moving back to his own table.

Daniel smiled at her as she turned to chat to him. ‘There is definite electricity between you two.’

She could feel herself blushing. ‘Does it show that clearly?’

‘Indeed it does.’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘Don’t be. It’s me who’s out of step. Is he taking you out?’

She nodded.

‘About time he started dating again. I think Renée will be pleased that you’ve accepted.’

Hang Renée
, Beth thought,
I’m pleased.

Towards the end of the evening, one of the waitresses skidded on something that had been spilled. Before she could stop herself, she’d fallen over and the tray of drinks had gone flying, sending its contents all over the three people nearest. One of them was Pete Newbury, who copped the main shower of drink.