Part 22 (1/2)

'They cannae hear you!'

'No, but the voice comes free with the expression.' Honestly, what did he think? That she was actually trying to seduce him? She watched as Matthew followed Jo into the house and closed the door meekly behind him. Boy, what Stevie wouldn't give to be a fly with big ears on that wall.

'It looks to me as if my neighbours across the street might just have had a row. She's stomping about and he looks totally whitewashed,' reported Stevie.

'Guid. Wonder if it's anything to do with us?'

'No doubt we'll get to know in due course if it is.'

'Have you got your invite?'

'What invite?'

'For Will and Pam's barbecue.'

'No.'

'Well, it's on its way. You know what I'm going to say, don't ye?'

It wasn't hard to work out.

'What? You and me to go together?'

'Absolutely.'

'Colour co-ordinated?'

'As long as it's blue. No yellow or pink.'

'When is it though? It all depends if I can get a babysitter.'

'Sat.u.r.day. Apparently, the weather at the weekend is going to be gorgeous and the good news is that you don't need to find a babysitter because the kids are invited too. Pam's organized a Bouncy Castle and a magician and thousands of e-numbers-worth of sweets and pop. Will asked me if I minded him inviting Matthew and Jo and I said not at all. In fact, I positively encouraged him to do so.'

'I don't know if I dare.'

'Oh, you dare,' said Adam with a sort of jolly threat. 'And what's more, we'll take centre-stage on this one, lady. Just you wait and see.'

Jo had never really forgiven Matthew for carrying no cash with him at Will's wedding. She had got sick of dipping into her purse to pay for all the drinks at the reception that night, but she swallowed it because she thought it was a one-off genuine mistake on his part. But tonight was unforgivable! First she had to bear the embarra.s.sment when his card was declined, then she had to stand by as he looked hopelessly through a wallet he knew was empty, as if he was Paul Daniels and would suddenly shout, 'And that's magic!' and flourish up two fifty-pound notes. They were starting to attract attention for all the wrong reasons, and so she whipped out her Amex to reclaim some dignity, only to have to bear the in dignity when that too was declined. Luckily, she had her chequebook and in anger and embarra.s.sment, she had written out the wrong amount and had to do another. She would never go in that restaurant again, at least not with Matthew. How dare he treat her like that? Funny how he always had money on him when he went shopping for those poncey male moisturizers and face packs. Adam would not have been seen dead with a mudpack on. And he had paid her Amex bill every month. Foolishly, she had not considered that he might have cancelled his direct debit and that she would have to stump up for it from now on. She had taken his generosity for granted for so long. Not even the prospect of Matthew's half a million to come could salve the humiliation of this evening.

'Please, sweetie, I'm so sorry. I'm so stupid. Please, let me make it up to you,' Matthew pleaded in bed and started to smudge his mouth down her body, but she pushed him away and presented him with her back.

'Matthew, just go to sleep,' she said. s.e.x might have had a big place in Jo MacLean's life, but next to money, its importance was negligible.

Chapter 37.

'Have you got your invite?' said Catherine, with a just-dropped-the-kids-at-school Tuesday-morning phone call.

'It's just arrived now in the post.'

'And?'

'Yes, before you ask, I'm going with Adam MacLean.'

'Fandabidozy!'

'Is Matthew going?'

'They've been invited. Apparently, Will asked Adam first if he minded and he said no, and Pam asked me to ask you if it was okay.'

'Yes, it's fine.'

'I said that. In fact, I insisted she invite them because I just know that you two have a plan up your sleeves, don't you?' laughed Catherine.

'I wouldn't say it was a plan exactly. We just want them to see us together.'

'About time too,' giggled Catherine. 'Anyway, what are you going to wear?'

'I'm going shopping for something new.'

'When?'

'Towards the end of the week, probably.'

'Can I come?'

'Absolutely.'

They met for their shopping trip on Thursday, mainly because Stevie needed to get in a couple of days' hard writing on the story of Damme and Evie. Even with his (battle) scar, the big Scot was turning out to be an incredibly powerful characteragainst her will, it had to be said. He was evolving all on his own. Obviously, as a Midnight Moon hero, he had to be wonderful, but Damme MacQueen definitely had the McX factor. Evie presumed his roughness was not consigned to his exterior, and he thought her beauty was only skin deepit was s.e.xual Semtex. They were far too good for Crystal's conveyor-belt fiction and Stevie wished she had saved him for the long romantic novel she so wanted to write. She was having a great deal of fun writing the lovers' verbal battle scenes, each one of them misjudging the other totally.

Was that what she and Adam were doing? she had thought more than once recently. She had seen the scar on Jo's leg, witnessed her tears and fears but really, it was all circ.u.mstantial evidence, as they said on A Touch of Frost. Stevie had made herself a firm promise that she would b.u.t.t out of the Honeywell/MacLean alliance at the first sign of violence, but there had been not even a hint of it so far. Could Jo have been telling lies? Did women have the same capacity for deception that men had? Was there really that much smoke without fire? Not that it mattered really, since Stevie's involvement with Adam was merely a means to an end, as was his involvement with her. She couldn't give a d.a.m.n what happened to either him or Jo after she and Matthew got back together. Really.

Catherine picked out a very floaty summer blue dress from the rack. 'Try this on.'

'Wow, that's perfect,' Stevie said. Just the colour Adam had said he was going in tooalthough she would be dressing for Matthew, not Adam, a nudging thought reminded her.

'Go try.'

Stevie go-ed and tried. Then she came out of the changing rooms and gave her friend a modest twirl.

'That's the one,' said Catherine.

'Do you think?'

'Deffo.'