Read Online A Perfect Obsession by Caro Fraser - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Caro Fraser
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keep him amused.
‘Who did you go to the film with?’ asked Vince.
‘Maureen.’
‘Oh, yeah? Still not got herself a bloke, then?’
‘No.’
‘Sure it was just you two? No guys?’
Felicity said nothing for a moment. She hated this. ‘It was just me and Mo.’
‘Yeah, yeah …’ Vince drummed his fingers on the table. ‘Get any valentines, then?’
She felt herself flush instantly. A dead giveaway. Why did he always make her feel like she’d done something wrong, like she had something to hide? Because he was convinced she was seeing someone else while he was on remand, that was why. It was almost like he wanted her to be. She couldn’t lie. Vince could read her like a book, and she could feel her cheeks still tingling. She tried to sound diffident. ‘Yeah. Just the one. I thought it might have been from you.’
‘Like I’d be able to send one, stuck away in here. So who’s it from?’
She shrugged, as though the subject bored her. ‘Don’t know. Don’t much care.’
‘Don’t give us that. Who d’you reckon it was? Who fancies you? One of those barristers you work for?’
‘Don’t be stupid.’ She hesitated for a few seconds, then added, ‘It might have been Henry. He’s a bit soft like that.’
‘Him?’
She nodded, wondering whether it had been such a bright idea to mention Henry. Vince had met him a couple of times, and in Vince’s terms, Henry didn’t amount to much, so she’d hoped the idea that Henry might have sent the valentine would amuse him more than anything else. But Vince’s face was angry and sullen.
‘Little bastard. He knows I’m on remand, so he’s trying it on with you. He wouldn’t dare do that if I was around.’
Felicity laughed in astonishment. ‘You really get things out of proportion, don’t you? I don’t even know if it was him who sent it, and you’re getting uptight about it! It’s only a valentine, for God’s sake.’
‘I’ll bet it really made your day, though, didn’t it? I’ll bet you spend half your day giving him the come-on.’ One of the guards glanced in their direction, and Vince gave him a surly look in return.
Felicity sighed. ‘I didn’t come here for an argument, Vince. I’m off if this is how you’re going to be.’ She made as if to rise.
Vince stretched out a quick placatory hand. ‘All right, all right. Sweetheart, don’t go yet. Come on. I’m sorry.’ He covered her hands with his. ‘It really gets to me, being in here, you out there, getting up to all sorts—’
‘Vince! For the last time, I’m not! I went to the pictures with Mo on Saturday, and someone, I don’t know who, sent us one rotten valentine! OK?’
‘OK, OK …’
They didn’t return to the subject for the rest of the visit, but spent the remainder of the time going over what Vince’s solicitor had said, and weighing up the prospects for thetrial. They did this on every visit. It never changed.
Felicity got the bus home and sat on the top deck gazing out at the dark, depressing sprawl of Thamesmead. There was, she reflected, something completely static about her existence at the moment. With Vince on remand, she couldn’t move forward. She thought about the progress of her life up to this point. Three years ago, when she and Vince had got together, she had been a different person. A nineteen-year-old with seven GCSEs (not bad grades) and basic secretarial skills (debatable), living in a pretty squalid flat in Brixton with her brother, moving from one crummy office job to another, with not much hope for anything better in the foreseeable future. Now, thanks to Leo and with the help of Henry – with a bit of effort on her own part as well, of course – she was earning quite a comfortable living at 5 Caper Court, for a girl her age. She could afford a decent flat, the one in which she and Vince lived, and a few nice bits of furniture for it, she didn’t have to shop at Top Shop and Etam all the time. Life had turned around. It was
‘Who did you go to the film with?’ asked Vince.
‘Maureen.’
‘Oh, yeah? Still not got herself a bloke, then?’
‘No.’
‘Sure it was just you two? No guys?’
Felicity said nothing for a moment. She hated this. ‘It was just me and Mo.’
‘Yeah, yeah …’ Vince drummed his fingers on the table. ‘Get any valentines, then?’
She felt herself flush instantly. A dead giveaway. Why did he always make her feel like she’d done something wrong, like she had something to hide? Because he was convinced she was seeing someone else while he was on remand, that was why. It was almost like he wanted her to be. She couldn’t lie. Vince could read her like a book, and she could feel her cheeks still tingling. She tried to sound diffident. ‘Yeah. Just the one. I thought it might have been from you.’
‘Like I’d be able to send one, stuck away in here. So who’s it from?’
She shrugged, as though the subject bored her. ‘Don’t know. Don’t much care.’
‘Don’t give us that. Who d’you reckon it was? Who fancies you? One of those barristers you work for?’
‘Don’t be stupid.’ She hesitated for a few seconds, then added, ‘It might have been Henry. He’s a bit soft like that.’
‘Him?’
She nodded, wondering whether it had been such a bright idea to mention Henry. Vince had met him a couple of times, and in Vince’s terms, Henry didn’t amount to much, so she’d hoped the idea that Henry might have sent the valentine would amuse him more than anything else. But Vince’s face was angry and sullen.
‘Little bastard. He knows I’m on remand, so he’s trying it on with you. He wouldn’t dare do that if I was around.’
Felicity laughed in astonishment. ‘You really get things out of proportion, don’t you? I don’t even know if it was him who sent it, and you’re getting uptight about it! It’s only a valentine, for God’s sake.’
‘I’ll bet it really made your day, though, didn’t it? I’ll bet you spend half your day giving him the come-on.’ One of the guards glanced in their direction, and Vince gave him a surly look in return.
Felicity sighed. ‘I didn’t come here for an argument, Vince. I’m off if this is how you’re going to be.’ She made as if to rise.
Vince stretched out a quick placatory hand. ‘All right, all right. Sweetheart, don’t go yet. Come on. I’m sorry.’ He covered her hands with his. ‘It really gets to me, being in here, you out there, getting up to all sorts—’
‘Vince! For the last time, I’m not! I went to the pictures with Mo on Saturday, and someone, I don’t know who, sent us one rotten valentine! OK?’
‘OK, OK …’
They didn’t return to the subject for the rest of the visit, but spent the remainder of the time going over what Vince’s solicitor had said, and weighing up the prospects for thetrial. They did this on every visit. It never changed.
Felicity got the bus home and sat on the top deck gazing out at the dark, depressing sprawl of Thamesmead. There was, she reflected, something completely static about her existence at the moment. With Vince on remand, she couldn’t move forward. She thought about the progress of her life up to this point. Three years ago, when she and Vince had got together, she had been a different person. A nineteen-year-old with seven GCSEs (not bad grades) and basic secretarial skills (debatable), living in a pretty squalid flat in Brixton with her brother, moving from one crummy office job to another, with not much hope for anything better in the foreseeable future. Now, thanks to Leo and with the help of Henry – with a bit of effort on her own part as well, of course – she was earning quite a comfortable living at 5 Caper Court, for a girl her age. She could afford a decent flat, the one in which she and Vince lived, and a few nice bits of furniture for it, she didn’t have to shop at Top Shop and Etam all the time. Life had turned around. It was
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