Before We Met(15)

‘New York?’ Neesha sounded puzzled.

‘Yes, he missed his flight yesterday and I was worried because he hadn’t called, but it turns out he’d just dropped his phone in a cab.’

Neesha said nothing and Hannah felt herself frown. ‘Is everything all right?’ she asked.

Another pause, momentary but perceptible. ‘Fine.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Yes. I mean, of course.’

Hannah could almost feel the weight of confusion at the other end of the line. ‘What’s up?’ she said.

‘Nothing.’

‘No, come on.’

Neesha hesitated again. ‘Really, it’s nothing,’ she said. ‘It’s just . . . I’ve got my wires crossed again, that’s all. I didn’t think he was in New York.’

‘Where did you think he was?’ Another pause. ‘Neesha?’

‘Look, I . . . I thought you were going to Rome this weekend.’

‘Rome?’ Hannah leaned against the kitchen counter. ‘You? You mean, Mark and me?’

‘I thought he said he was taking you. As a surprise.’ Neesha breathed out heavily. ‘God, Hannah, I’m sorry. I’ve totally ballsed up, haven’t I? I’ve got the wrong weekend, obviously, and now I’ve ruined it all. Shit, Mark’s going to kill me.’

‘No, Neesh . . .’

‘It’s my own fault – I’ve just got so much going on. I love the projects he’s given me and I want to do them well – really well – but I can’t do that and the PA work, too, not properly, especially when I have to leave early to pick up Pierre. This isn’t the first stupid mistake I’ve made. Look, I feel bad for asking but . . . You couldn’t keep this under your hat, could you? I know there’s no reason for you to after I’ve wrecked things for you but if you . . .’

‘Don’t worry about it, it’s fine,’ Hannah said. ‘It’s my fault – I shouldn’t have pressed you. Anyway, I hate surprises so you’ve done me a favour. Our secret.’



Out in the yard Hannah climbed the ladder again but the sense of relaxation she’d had before was gone and in its place was a strange itchy feeling, as if she’d put on a rough wool jumper next to her skin.

What was the matter with her? Everything was fine. Mark was safe, and probably about to sign a new deal that would make a difference to the potential buy-out offer, which itself would mean they’d be able to spend more time together in future. He’d be home on Tuesday and if he could take the afternoon off, they’d do something fun, he’d said. And tonight she was having dinner with Tom, just the two of them, and how long was it since they’d done that? Everything was good – great, actually.

She started pruning small dead branches and ones that had snapped in the wind, dropping them to the ground at the foot of the ladder. Suddenly Neesha’s voice replayed in her ear: I thought you were going to Rome this weekend. I thought he said he was taking you. As a surprise. Oh, for God’s sake, Hannah, she told herself, it was just a mistake – hadn’t Neesha said so? Hadn’t she said she’d made others since she’d been juggling her new workload? She was like any other working mother, trying to do it all and occasionally getting things wrong under pressure. She, Hannah, would drive herself mad if she started getting hung up about things like this.

But, said a quiet voice, there’s something else, isn’t there? Early last week – had it been Monday or Tuesday? – Mark had been doing an hour’s work in his study before supper and she’d taken him a gin and tonic. As she’d come up the stairs she’d heard him talking, but when she’d opened the door he’d turned quickly – jumped, said the voice; he’d jumped – and hung up the call straight away without saying goodbye, at least as far as she’d been able to hear. When she’d asked him who it had been, he’d said David Harris and she’d been surprised: his partner had only joined DataPro a year ago and, from what she’d seen of it, their relationship was quite formal; she wouldn’t have thought they’d just hang up on each other like that.

At the time, she hadn’t dwelt on it too much. They could easily just have said goodbye when she turned the handle: the door had been closed and she hadn’t been able to make out Mark’s words clearly. And he’d jumped because she’d startled him: he hadn’t been expecting her to come in. Anyway, what did she really know about how he and David talked on the phone? They talked to each other all the time – things were bound to have relaxed between them.