Chapter 23 –Confrontation
That was the quickest cocktail hour in history, more like fifteen minutes. You could have heard a pin drop at Isabella’s announcement. Heath looked uncomfortable as he watched me for my reaction, I looked like I needed one of those defibrillation machines to start my heart again, and Edgar looked less than impressed with his potential new brother-in-law. He snapped out of it and congratulated them both. I didn’t say anything. I should have but I couldn’t. Forming words, let alone breathing, was out of my control.
Heath drank half his beer, placed it on the table and got Isabella’s attention.
‘Best we head off,’ he said. He thanked Edgar for the drink, nodded at both of us and was walking away before she had time to debate the subject.
I cleared my throat and called to him. ‘I want to come by home tomorrow, preferably in the morning, to grab a few things. What time will you be out?’ Let’s put it out there that I have no desire to see either of them.
His eyes narrowed. ‘We’ll be going for breakfast in the village at our—’ he almost said favourite café but it wasn’t their favourite café, it was mine and Heaths, ‘—at one of the cafes, so from 9.30am for a few hours.’
I nodded. ‘That will work,’ I said.
‘Bye then, Cathy,’ Isabella said, and Heath turned away from me.
‘Bye Isabella, and congratulations,’ I managed to say. Better late than never.
Edgar saw them out.
When they were out of sight, I leant over like a boxer punched in the stomach. The air rushed out of me; the pain was as if I had taken a direct hit.
I. Hated. Him.
How could he do this to me? Such pain. Let me just crawl into my bed, bury myself and cry my heart out. Heath knew how to wound me. Our sufferings were entwined but this, this was too much. Treachery!
Then Edgar came back in. ‘Well that was awkward,’ he said and grabbed his beer. ‘Are you sure you want to risk going over there tomorrow?’
I straightened up and nodded, trying for my best ‘normal’ face even though I had just been hit with one of the biggest shocks in my life while standing.
‘It’ll be fine, I just want to check everything is okay and grab a few things. I’ll make sure they are both out. The walk will do me good after months in the city.’
‘You’re going to walk?’ he said like the idea was so foreign.
‘I am. Do you want to meet me in the village for lunch and we can drive home together?’ I asked.
He smiled. ‘That would work perfectly for me. I’ve got half a dozen calls to make in the morning and stacks of emails to return.’ I think he was relieved he didn’t have to entertain me all morning. He moved closer. ‘Let’s go to bed and eat later,’ he said, with a very sexy smile.
‘Well,’ I said, ‘now that you’ve suggested that, who could eat?’ God knows I can hardly breathe with the pain and shock but I’m an actress … be here now, I told myself.
He put his drink down, grabbed my hand and I followed him to his bedroom up a flight of stairs that looked like we were on a movie set. Surreal, the whole night was nothing short of surreal.
*****
Entertainment Weekly
RUMOUR FILE:
Edgar Linton and theWyldegirl get out of town
Our sources tell us that hot director, Edgar Linton, and his supporting actress (in more ways than one) Catherine Earnshaw, headed out of town Friday afternoon in his silver Merc for a romantic weekend away.
The two have been getting hot and heavy since casting director, Tamara Langer of TL Casting, signed Catherine to play Portia in Linton’s soon-to-be-released film,Between Night and Day.
The two lovebirds met a few months earlier when Linton caught Earnshaw on stage with her then partner Heath Earnshaw inCat on a Hot Tin Roof.
But while Linton offered Heath Earnshaw a film contract, he’s clearly offered Catherine Earnshaw a piece of his heart or maybe, soon the whole thing.
Watch this space.