Part Sixteen

The one place they were never incompatible was bed and as she lay curled up in his arms, her heart beat returning to normal, her mind wandered and she remembered the summer they’d spent together before she’d bolted like a startled rabbit.

Once they’d agreed that a relationship was what they both wanted, the hard task was meeting up, progressing things without the children being involved. They spent a few sneaky nights together when the kids were in bed, using babysitters where they could. Then they managed to make the most of his mother taking the children to France for a few weeks, with her Aunt Maria taking Taylor to her farm for a few days. Marc swept her off to Cyprus for a long weekend to his friends’ villa. They spent several days lounging on the lush white sands, paddling in the warm, shallow seas. Making love at all times of the day at night, getting to know each other, eating, drinking. It had been pure bliss, not that they didn’t miss the children desperately.

Through guilt after that trip, when all the children returned, they went as a group to Euro Disney, another five days away, which saw Michael ever patiently holding the fort for her, but it was worth every moment of begging and promising that it took to see the children, so enthralled at the delight that was Disney.

After that they’d settled into a casual and happy relationship, Marc was desperate for her to move into his home, to make things official, wanting everyone to know that he loved her, but Isobel was still desperate to hold onto her independence, she wasn’t ready to give that up without some show of lasting commitment from him. Meeting his family was one of the most terrifying things that she’d done. But his mother’s sixty fifth birthday party, hosted in Marc’s garden seemed the perfect time for Isobel to step up as Marc’s significant other. She’d spent hours dressing, both herself and Taylor. Never had she felt under such scrutiny.

Then they’d arrived at the house and the door had been opened by his sister Claudia and her perfect world had been shattered.

Now as she lay in his huge bed, she felt happy, safe, and able to start putting all this behind her, for the first time in months she could look to the future, anticipate happiness. Nothing was easy, she knew that, but the thought that they were here, making a fresh start, that he didn’t hate her for running away, that the children were settled, all made her smile. Richard was an issue, one they couldn’t ignore. But for now, they had each other.

When he grumbled in his sleep, she buried into his shoulder and relaxed. Perfect.

Her first job the next morning, a family Sunday, was to drive to Orla’s. Tim opened the door and gasped, “Thank God you’re back! Maybe my life will get easier now!” he smiled as he pulled her into his arms, “Orla! Look who’s here!”

Orla froze in the doorway as she took in the vision of her friend,               “Oh my God! I thought you were NEVER coming back girl!”

                “Does sorry come close?” There were genuine tears in her eyes as Isobel looked at the friend she’d run out on.

Orla held her at arm’s length and looked her up and down before dragging her into a bear hug. “No it bloody doesn’t!”

Tim disappeared with their children, and Orla led her into the kitchen, “coffee? Tea? Presume you’re not drinking!” she turned and waggled an eyebrow.

                “How did you know?” she laid a hand protectively across her stomach. Despite telling Orla where she was, she’d not told anyone bar Maria that she was pregnant. Trust her best friend to see through everything.

                “Woman you are glowing! The second I saw you I knew! Is that why you went?”

Isobel shook her head slowly, and as she took the warm mug offered, she started on the whole sorry story, knowing that the vague story she’d offered whilst she was away was poor consolation for her disappearance.

                “Shit-a-brick!” Orla announced jumping to her feet. “The bastard.”

                “And the weird coincidence of it all, hey?”

Orla sighed, “I’ve missed you SO much, and I thought I’d be furious when I saw you again, but after all you’ve been through I can’t blame you for being so skittish, I’m just really sorry that you couldn’t tell us.”

Isobel groaned, swiping a hand over her face, “it all sounds a little erratic now, but then I was terrified. I ran as I always have. But Marc is right. Life goes on. He can’t beat me anymore.”

                “And you get to live in the posh house!” Orla screeched as she suddenly realised. And in that moment Isobel knew she was lucky to have such an amazing friend, who was so willing to forgive and more importantly understand her. “Does this mean I finally get to see inside the place? Twenty years of nosiness gone in a flash!” She clicked her fingers and the moment of seriousness was gone.

Isobel laughed, “I promise you’ll see it BEFORE anyone else, ok?”

She nodded enthusiastically, “my reputation is preserved. You are MORE than making up for abandoning me like that!”

Her next stop was Michael. He and Orla were the other two people she really cared about hurting, so she wanted to make amends more than anything. She’d abandoned him and left him to manage the business in such an abrupt manner, that was unforgiveable. So she found herself terrified when she knocked at his door, the same anxiety bringing nausea to her stomach as she waited.

The last thing she expected to see was Michael in a chef’s hat, apron and leather chaps, but then he wasn’t expecting to see her either, judging by the way his mouth opened and he gawped.

She tensed as his expression suddenly changed and an eardrum piercing squeal burst from his throat.

                “Ooooo! I have SO missed you Missie!”

And just like that it was all ok in his house too. Embraced in a huge hug, ignoring the expanses of bare flesh and the obvious party going on behind him, they cried and talked quietly until he was dragged back to his guests. She promised to come and meet him to discuss their future the next day, then left him, heading back to her family.

There were a lot of awkward moments, between her and Marc, she’d run off and disappeared so easily that she could tell he was concerned about upsetting her again. His fear meant that he gave in to her every whim. Which wasn’t practical or sustainable. But rather than confront him, Isobel felt she had to show him that she wasn’t about to do that again, rather than try to plead the truth with him. And a week later they’d settled into their living arrangements and the kids had started to get used to their combined life, their bedrooms, sharing lives and the changes that children seemed to absorb so much easier than adults.  

When he felt things were settled Marc invited his mother to stay, despite Isobel’s concerns, he was insistent that they dealt with things. He wasn’t happy sitting back letting Richard dominate their lives like some ghost. He wanted to take it head on and be in control. Whilst she was nervous, Isobel trusted him, implicitly. The plan was that they would explain about Richard to her first, neither was looking forward to telling Claudia that her husband was an adulterous violent rapist, but as Marc kept reminding Isobel, their relationship was more important, and he knew his mother would understand.

Isobel had met Sylvia only once before and that had been extremely briefly, they’d got on reasonably well, but this was a whole different ball game. So it was with much apprehension that Isobel waited for her to arrive one Friday afternoon. The children were tremendously excited, and the moment she stepped into the house, much to Isobel’s approval, she accepted Taylor as one of the group without a second glance.

The evening was chaotic, all three children fighting for the attention of the older woman who was the perfect grandmother, attentive, fun loving. Isobel and Marc left her and the children making a den out of blankets in the conservatory and made for the kitchen, Isobel's anxiety was palpable and Marc was worried about her.

Massaging her shoulders as she stood at the sink, he placed his lips against her ear.

“It’ll be okay, you know that?” He turned her in his arms, and using a finger slid a long tendril of hair that fell over her eyes behind her ear. “You trust me, don’t you?”

She nodded, hating that tears welled at her eyes, only ever a step away from falling, “of course I trust you. I’m here aren’t I? Everything in me says run away, but I’m here. Ok?”

He nodded, “and I’ll make it good, I promise you that. I told you that when I found you.”

Marc disappeared to help Sylvia put the children to bed, and Isobel was making coffee when they returned to find her. Handing them both a mug, Isobel sat at the kitchen table, and Marc sat beside her.

                “Why do I get the feeling you two are ganging up on me?” Sylvia looked at them with smiling eyes.

Marc smiled, “Mum, why are you so suspicious?” Though there was no humour in his words, this was as serious as it got.

She shrugged, “the fact that we are either side of a large table like an interview…”

                “Sylvia, we have quite a lot of explaining to do. I need to apologise for disappearing, I imagine it ruined your birthday weekend.”

She smiled, “I’m too old to hold birthdays in too much regard, and I’m sure you had your reasons, and that’s nothing to do with me. I hate that I have seen my son looking more distraught than when he lost his wife over the last few months, that has concerned me.” She saw Isobel visibly pale, “but I also presume that you’re not the sort to make rash decisions Isobel, I imagine it was hard for you, and as I say I imagine you had your reasons.”

Marc saw the stress in her face as Isobel tried to vocalise even some of the issues, so he squeezed her hand and spoke for her.

                “You’re right Mum, this has been very difficult for Iz, and even now this is something she isn’t happy doing, but you need to know a few things, and we need your advice on where we go in the future.”

                “This is starting to sound serious Marc.”

He nodded solemnly, “I wish that I didn’t have to sit here and do this, but I do, for our future,” he shook his head; “I don’t even know where to begin.” He turned to Isobel and she nodded, he had to tell his mother everything.

                “Mum, Iz moved back here from London when she was pregnant with Taylor. She had been in a relationship with a man, who when he found out she was pregnant not only insisted she got rid of it, but she also discovered was married and had no intention of being with her. Once she found out, she dropped all contact with him, but a few weeks later he found her and attacked her…”

She could see that he could never actually say the words he needed, so Iz took over, “he made me promise I had aborted the baby, which I hadn’t, then he abused and raped me for over an hour.”

Sylvia looked white, her knuckles taught around the rim of her wine glass. Marc had looked away; the thought of what happened still made him nauseous and angry.

When he looked up he saw his mother’s distraught face and reached out to touch her hand, “sorry to lay all this on you, but it is relevant.”

                “It gets worse?” She shook her head, “don’t feel sorry for me, my God Isobel, what an animal! I’m just so pleased that Taylor survived and you have got over this.”

Isobel gave a half smile, “thank you, it has taken a very long time.”

Marc took a long slug of whiskey, he’d never intended to settle for coffee, this was a whisky conversation, “the reason that we are telling you, is the same reason that she ran away. When Iz turned up here for your party, she recognised Claudia, there’s no easy way of putting this Mum, Richard...he’s Taylor’s father Mum.”

                “No!” his mother whispered. “Oh my God!” With tear filled eyes she looked between the two of them. “Poor Claudia, how will she cope with this?”

Marc took her hand again, “we needed to tell you…”

She looked up, anguish distorting her normally elegant features, “Of course you did, my God Isobel, how terrified you must have been…you walked into this house, and he was here? Oh my God. I have to tell Claudia.”

Isobel moved around the table to sit next to Sylvia, “I feel terrible landing this on you like this, and I promise you that I didn’t know he was married. After he snubbed me I found his address, I didn’t even think anything of the fact I’d never been to his home. God how obvious is it all when you look back? When I knocked the door Claudia answered….then I knew. It was after that he came and attacked me.”

                “We’d never tell anyone this if we didn’t have to,” Marc added. “But I don’t see how we can be part of the same family…Iz and Taylor are important to me Mum, very important.”

She smiled, “I know that dear, and I know this can’t be easy for either of you to deal with.”

                “There is a silver lining though,” he added. And as his mother looked at him expectantly, he murmured, “we’re having a baby.”

She looked at them both incredulously, “well it’s lucky I don’t have a heart complaint or anything! Congratulations, that is wonderful. I promise.” She hugged Isobel, “I thought you were looking…different, but presumed it was with all the stress of moving back here. I’m really, really pleased for you both.”

                “Thanks. And I’m even more sorry to force you to deal with this Mum.”

She shook her head, “it makes even more sense now, though I don’t know what to suggest you do. Are you going to the police Isobel?”

She shook her head, “I hadn’t even considered that, and I wouldn’t do that to Taylor. She never needs to know what he did…”

                “But we can never have him here again Mum, and I don’t know what I should say to Claudia. I don’t want to ruin her life.”

                “He did that a long time ago, they’re not happy Marc, she may never tell you, but she tells me. He’s had numerous affairs, some she knows about, some she just suspects, ironically it’s the desire for a child that keeps her there, something that has never happened to them.” She thought for a few moments. “I’ll tell her. I have to. He’s a danger to you all. I just worry what he’ll do when he finds out.”

                “He won’t get within ten miles of us Mum, and I’ll give up my work completely if I have to, to protect these girls. I just wish it didn’t have to break my sister’s heart.”

Sylvia closed her eyes for a moment, “It won’t be easy, I can’t say how she’ll cope. She may be very resentful Isobel, and whilst she will come around in the end, she will blame you for a while.”

                “I blame my own stupidity as it is; a bit more won’t kill me!”

Sylvia smiled seeing the devotion to her son in the younger woman’s eyes, “Marc you are a very lucky man. At last! You deserve to be happy.”

He nodded, glancing at Isobel, “I know Mum; I keep having to pinch myself!”

Standing she walked around to Marc who had stood awhile ago and was stood at the head of the table, touching his arm she looked up at him with an understanding smile, “I know about your brother, and Sadie, I didn’t at the time, but two and two have come together over time,” She reached out and rubbed his arm, “but you were too proud to tell me.”

Unable to take her eyes off him she smiled, despite the sadness of the moment, “you not only gave them both the best funeral, you took on the kids they were leaving behind, and all without a complaint.” She looked at Isobel her eyes brimming over with tears, “you never stop worrying about them y’know, your children. He’s just thrown himself into work, into bringing up the kids. I was so glad when you brought them out here,” she turned back to him. “So glad that you started to put yourself first, and then when you met Isobel, I finally thought things were moving on. This baby can be the start of new things, for you all.”

Isobel looked up at Marc, but his head was bowed, and she knew he was fighting to control his emotions, this was meant to be about her, but suddenly all his demons were being thrown into the ring too, and he was struggling to keep the control he prided himself on.

His mother wrapped her arms around him, and after a moment he hugged her back, his head buried into her shoulder.

                “I’m just so proud of you, every day,” she whispered.

Iz felt like she was intruding on a very personal moment, the first grief that he had shown for the betrayal of his brother and wife. So she slipped away to the kitchen and loaded the dishwasher.