Original Sin (49 page)

‘Darling, it’s me.’

‘Oh, hi. How’s Bermuda?’

Suddenly she felt a rush of warmth for her husband. ‘Oh darling, you’re going to absolutely love it. The golf here is fantastic. The house I’m standing in front of at the minute is going to blow your mind. I mean, it’s Price on Application, so I don’t even know how much it is yet but–’

‘Paula, the Bermuda house will have to wait.’

Despite the heat, her skin felt icy cold. I don’t understand. We agreed … ’

‘Honey, the deal is off.’

William’s voice sounded tired and weary down the line.

‘Canopus have pulled their offer,’ he continued. ‘Or rather, they’ve revalued the company and are now offering half the value per share.’

‘
Half
?’ she almost shrieked. ‘Why the hell have they done that?
Can
they do that? A deal’s a deal.’

‘Not exactly, honey,’ he said patiently. ‘They have to do due diligence first, investigate the company, look at the accounts, and work out if the company is worth what they’ve offered.’

Paula looked around at the house. Suddenly it seemed even more beautiful than before, now that it was slipping from her grasp. ‘So what’s wrong with the company?’

William sighed. ‘It’s too complicated to go into right now. We are trying to answer Bruno Harris’s concerns, but if they won’t back down, the bottom line is that we can’t sell Asgill’s.’

‘I … ’ she stuttered, ‘I just don’t believe it.’

‘I know it’s disappointing, honey.’

‘But this house is in Tucker’s Town,’ she said, her voice almost pleading. ‘It’s so beautiful. Do you know how rarely properties like this come on the market?’

‘Honey, a house in Bermuda wasn’t really a priority anyway.’

She fell silent, unable to speak. Her heart was racing, her breath fluttery.
Not a priority?
How dare he! After all she’d done to position them in high society!
She flipped her mobile shut angrily.

Tom Hawsley walked out onto the veranda.

‘Is everything all right, Mrs Asgill?’

‘It will be,’ she said coolly, opening her phone again and scrolling through her numbers.

Who shall I call, she wondered. Buffy Meyers, perhaps? Jasmine Pilcher? Someone in her social database would be able to help. Because, for the first time ever, Paula Asgill was looking for a good divorce lawyer.

CHAPTER THIRTY–SEVEN

Tess was on a mission. As soon as she got into the office on Monday morning, she headed straight for Patty Shackleton’s.

‘Pats, I need a favour,’ she said, popping her head around the door.

It was seven a.m. and Patty Shackleton already looked hard at work.

‘I’m not sure I can handle another sex scandal,’ she said wearily. ‘Everyone seems to be getting it except me.’

Sliding into the chair opposite the lawyer, Tess launched into her story of Kevin’s custody fight with Melissa. When she had finished, Patty sat back in her chair and steepled her fingers in front of her mouth and chuckled, ‘And when did you become the patron saint of lost causes?’

‘Hey, don’t be like that,’ said Tess. ‘Jack is my friend and he needs my help.’

‘And the father, this Kevin? He wouldn’t be the strong handsome type by any chance, would he?’

‘I’ve had enough of men,’ Tess smiled cynically.

For a moment, Patty sat there, thinking. Even though they were friends, Patty’s calm unnerved Tess. She wasn’t used to dealing with someone so composed, not after a decade of working in newspapers, where anger was regularly vented in outbursts of expletives and desk–thumping. Finally Patty said, ‘I’m not a family lawyer.’

‘But you are a lawyer,’ insisted Tess, ‘a good one.’

‘I’m a lawyer who works fifteen hours a day for the Asgills. I have no life, let alone spare time to go on a crusade. I just don’t have the time for taking on board Kramer versus Kramer.’

It was exactly the way Tess had expected her to respond. After all, Tess would have said the same thing six months ago. Back then she had practically been allergic to children, but now, having got to know and care for Jack and his father, she couldn’t stand by and watch their family broken up.

‘That little boy means the world to Kevin,’ she said. ‘I don’t know how he’d react if his wife took Jack away.’

‘Then why can’t he get a lawyer?’

‘Because he just hasn’t got that type of money. As we speak, he’s probably on the Internet trying to do it himself, taking advice from amateur Judge Judys.’

Patty raised a hand, ‘Okay, okay. I get the picture.’

‘He’s single–’

‘And that’s supposed to make a difference?’

‘He’s cute too … ’

Tess could see the crack of a smile on her friend’s lips.

‘All right, what do you want me to do?’ said Patty with a note of slight exasperation.

‘Meet Kevin. Give him some advice. In fact, let’s make a night of it. Come to mine for supper tomorrow and I’ll invite Kevin. I’ll get Jemma in too and we can all put our thinking caps on.’

Patty looked wary. ‘I’ll be working late all week,’ she said.

‘Friday night then,’ said Tess, refusing to give up. ‘No one works late on a Friday night.’

Patty let out a long breath. ‘Okay, as long as you make one of those English roasts with those funny little potatoes.’

‘It’s a deal!’ said Tess. ‘I might even do bread sauce.’

‘Eweugh!’

Tess got up and backed out through the door before she could change her mind.

‘Eight p.m.,’ she said, ‘and maybe you should think about dressing up?’

‘Out!’ shouted Patty, throwing a paper clip at the space where Tess had been.

*

Tess’s apartment was more crowded than it had been since she had arrived in New York.

Four people in the little flat was enough to make it feel like a party, especially as Kevin and Jemma were already halfway through a bottle of Chablis by the time Patty rang the doorbell.

‘So where’s the roast?’ she asked as she handed Tess her Armani coat.

Tess held up a carton of noodles. ‘Well … I thought I’d call in Chinese instead. Didn’t want anyone to die of food poisoning.’

Patty rolled her eyes, then extended her hand to Kevin and Jemma. Kevin stood up, almost jumping to attention as he shook her hand. Tess could see why Kevin was looking intimidated, especially as Patty wasted no time in sitting down and opening her notebook.

‘The situation is this,’ she said finally, pausing for a sip of wine. ‘New York State doesn’t recognize one parent as being
better
than the other. However, the fact that you and Melissa never married puts a slightly different complexion on things.’

Kevin face, which minutes before had looked hopeful, now seemed to fall. ‘So the court will rule in Melissa’s favour?’

‘No, not exactly. The fact that Jack currently lives with you helps enormously. What we need to do is prove to the court that this is a stable home for Jack.’

Tess looked at Kevin. ‘Well, that will be easy – it is, isn’t it?’

Patty shook her head. ‘I’m afraid it is a claim that Melissa will try and sabotage.’

Kevin nodded. ‘I thought of that, so I’ve already asked about getting school reports to show that Jack is happy and settled and doing well.’

‘Good start,’ said Patty. ‘We need more of that. People in the community who can attest to your stability as a family unit – perhaps a priest or a doctor? We just need to gather as much evidence in our favour as possible and try and anticipate where Melissa’s people will try to trip you up.’

She paused and smiled. ‘And on top of that, there are a few tricks I’ve learned in corporate law. Winning is not just about firefighting, it’s about going on the attack.’

‘You mean you need to prove Melissa is a crappy mother?’ said Jemma.

Patty smiled. ‘That would certainly help.’

‘Well, you’ve come to the right place. I can do some snooping around,’ said Jemma, snapping a prawn cracker. ‘She lives in Greenwich right? That’s not too far. I bet you fifty quid she’s no Mother Teresa.’

‘It’s dollars now, Jem,’ smiled Tess. They continued the discussion as they picked at the takeaway and opened more wine, laughing and joking, although Tess thought that Kevin was still looking cautious. As Jemma cleared away the plates, he began playing nervously with the cuff of his smart pale blue shirt.

‘I just want to say how grateful I am to all you ladies,’ he said haltingly. ‘But I want you to know I’ve got money. I got a five thousand–buck loan from a friend, so I want to pay everyone for what they’re doing.’

A quiet, uncomfortable hush descended around the table.

‘That won’t be necessary, Kevin,’ said Patty gently. ‘I’m happy to look after this for the moment, and if it starts getting too time–consuming, then I’ll hand it over to a friend of mine who has a great family law practice in Brooklyn.’

‘I don’t know what to say,’ said Kevin.

‘My pleasure,’ she said, waving his thanks away, then glanced down at her Cartier watch. If Tess didn’t know better, she’d say she was a little embarrassed.

‘I’d better go,’ she said, closing her notebook. ‘I have to be in work at six.’

‘It’s Saturday tomorrow, Pats,’ smiled Tess, walking her to the door. ‘I thought it was only me who was on duty twenty–four/seven.’

‘Thanks,’ said Tess simply when they were out of earshot of Kevin and Jemma. Patty hooked her Bottega Veneta bag over her shoulder and opened the front door. ‘You know what?’ she said, her face shining, ‘it felt good tonight. I’ve definitely been working in the corporate jungle too long – sometimes you need to come up for fresh air.’

Silently Tess agreed with her.

When she had gone, Tess walked back into the living room.

‘Well, I’m going to bed,’ said Jemma, stretching her arms out. ‘I was out until four a.m. last night.’

‘Good luck in Greenwich,’ said Kevin.

‘She’s a wily old fox. She’ll get results,’ grinned Tess.

‘Less of the old, more of the foxy,’ said Jemma playfully. Yawning she waved at them. ‘G’night.’

Tess poured herself another glass of Chablis and sank onto the sofa next to Kevin.

‘Remind me not to get on your bad side,’ he said as they heard Jemma’s bedroom door click shut.

Tess frowned. ‘My bad side? What do you mean? It’s Patty Shackleton you have to worry about.’

‘Oh yes, she’s great too,’ said Kevin. ‘But you got this whole ball rolling, getting things fixed and arranged. I’m impressed.’

Tess shrugged modestly. ‘Is that a compliment?’ she smiled, the wine’s warm fuzziness making her a little flirtatious.

‘Sure,’ he grinned.

‘Well thank you,’ said Tess. ‘A lot of men seem to think that strong women are intimidating.’

‘Hey, I didn’t say I wasn’t intimidated,’ he teased.

Suddenly Tess was very aware of just how close they were sitting on the sofa, his warm thigh against hers. Four glasses of wine had made her feel light–headed and unusually calm, and she found she was enjoying Kevin’s company. Maybe she was projecting an image of the strong, sensitive type onto Kevin after all the crap with Dom and his shallowness, but Kevin seemed different, and not in a bad way. Plus, she couldn’t help noticing what blue eyes he had.

‘Listen,’ he began, leaning over to put his wine glass on the coffee table. In almost slow motion, Tess saw it overbalance and tip sideways in a perfect arc onto the floor.

‘Oh shit, damn!’ he said, jumping up. ‘Sorry, sorry,’ he muttered, stretching to pick it up.

Tess grabbed his arm, which felt strong to the touch.

‘It’s only wine. Forget it,’ she said, and without thinking she leant forward and touched her lips against his, her eyes closing as she opened her mouth gently for a sweet featherlite kiss. But it never came. Kevin was moving back, his lips pulling away until there was nothing between them but three feet of air prickling with awkwardness.

‘Oh, uh, that’s probably not a good idea,’ he said, looking at the floor.

Tess felt her cheeks flare. ‘Yeah, I’m sorry … Kevin, sorry,’ she said cursing. She felt stupid and ashamed, suddenly realizing how it must look to him: that the whole night had been cooked up with the sole intention of seducing him.

Kevin smiled and pointed to the wine. ‘Don’t worry, I blame the devil’s soda.’

‘Absolutely,’ said Tess firmly. ‘I think my alcohol tolerance is way down from what it was in London. I’m just so drunk, I … ’ She shook her head. ‘I’ll just stop babbling now.’

‘Heck, and I thought it was my movie–star good looks,’ said Kevin kindly.

They both laughed weakly.

‘I think I should go,’ said Kevin, grabbing his jacket. ‘I told the babysitter I wouldn’t be late.’

She waved him out of the room. ‘Yes, go. Go pick up Jack. Go.’

When he was gone, Tess sank down into a chair and put her head in her hands. ‘Nooo … ’ she whispered to herself. ‘Someone tell me that didn’t just happen.’