‘I had a message. I rang him back.’
‘Then he’s noticed your absence.’
‘Oh, he’s noticed that I’ve gone. He just won’t acknowledge why.’
Mallory crunched into her toast thoughtfully. ‘He knows why. You can’t expect a man like Roger to own up to anything. But you have the upper hand, you just need to know how to make the most of it.’
‘Make the most of it?’ How like Mallory to find an opportunity in even the direst marital impasse. ‘He won’t even speak to me about it, Mal.’
‘Of course not. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have the upper hand. He won’t want a scandal, Grace. It could ruin his career.’
‘I don’t think he cares about that.’
‘Don’t be fooled. He’s full of bravado but that’s all it is. And, with all due respect, darling, he’s no golden boy. He needs a good reputation to survive. If you play your cards right, you could end up at an advantage.’
‘What advantage? What advantage is there being in a . . . a . . .’ A cuckold sounded too medieval, ‘a loveless marriage’ like some cheap romance novel.
Mallory took another bite of toast. ‘He’ll be in your debt.’
‘So you’re suggesting I put up with it? Regardless?’
‘I’m trying to think about your best interests, Grace. Really, what other options are there?’
‘I don’t know. I could divorce him, couldn’t I?’
‘Oh my Lord! Talk about cutting your nose off to spite your face! What will that accomplish?
Grace frowned at her. ‘What are you saying – that I’m too old to re-marry?’
‘Of course not! But whom will you remarry? How will you meet anyone worth knowing if you’re divorced? It’s not as if you’ll be invited to the same parties on your own. In fact, you won’t be invited anywhere.’ She jammed a pillow into a more comfortable position underneath her elbow. ‘Face it, a woman has to be very rich indeed to change husbands the way one changes clothes and get away with it.’
Grace felt overwhelmed by Mal’s harsh assessment. ‘Well, I may not even want to re-marry.’
‘What are you going to do? Race back to Oxford and become some lonely eccentric, with ugly shoes, mad hair and a library card? You need to walk every scenario through, in detail, right to the very end. At the moment you may want to run away but will you want it in five years time? One can’t simply waltz into a whole new life. Doors will close, Grace. Doors that will never reopen.’ Mallory looked across at her. ‘One doesn’t want to act in haste.’
‘I thought you hated Roger.’
‘I do! The man’s an ass. For Christ’s sake, I’m trying to be level-headed!’
‘So, you’re advocating that I . . . what?’
‘I’m advocating that you weigh up your options carefully. A repentant husband can be a very useful thing.’
Grace felt her throat tighten. ‘I don’t care about that.’
‘Darling, don’t be naïve.’
‘Can’t we talk about something else?’
Mallory sighed. ‘Of course.’
They sat a moment in silence.
Finally Mallory sat up. ‘Let’s plan our attack for the day, shall we? I’m warning you, I intend to go shopping and drain every last penny from my current account. I suggest that you do the same.’
‘Roger would kill me.’
‘Roger will countersign anything you do now.’
Grace shot her a look. ‘I thought we’d agreed to talk of something else.’
‘Fine.’ Mallory took out a small notebook from her handbag and flipped it open. ‘I’ve got the names and addresses of several boutiques, a beauty salon that promises to reduce your waist by two inches in an hour, the furrier Josephine Wexley uses . . .’ She pursed her lips, concentrating. ‘But I think the only place to start is at the Galeries Lafayette,’ she decided, snapping the notebook shut. ‘After all, I want to break you in slowly. Now,’ she stood up, brushing the crumbs off her skirt and slipping her shoes back on, ‘get in the bath before I wash you myself. Your hair looks like a piece of avant-garde art and I don’t mean that in a good way. I’m going to check on my room. And when I come back, I expect you to be scrubbed, scented and ready to spend.’
Grace nodded. ‘Done.’
Turning to adjust her lipstick in the mirror, Mallory caught Grace’s eye. ‘I really do only want to help,’ she said softly.
‘I know. But I wish with all my heart this wasn’t my life right now.’