That’s when the woman’s gaze shifted again and landed squarely on Amber.She felt her toes curl inside the Ugg boots she’d hastily pulled on when she was leaving the house.
The woman’s gaze went up and down, taking in Amber’s clothes, her hair, and then there was some kind of realisation, followed by a knowing smile.
‘Well, isn’t this cosy.’The jaw was unhinged again, and Amber felt the fear as the stranger went on.‘And who would you be?’
There was such scorn, such dismissiveness, such lofty entitlement, that she reminded Amber of exactly how Murray had been behaving all afternoon.Who did these people think they were, talking to other human beings like this?Sod that.She wasn’t bowing down to this.She wasn’t going to crumble.This woman might be standing there looking like she’d just walked off the cover of a magazine, but Amber had two boys under six, so she was well equipped for confrontations and emotional power plays.
‘I’m Amber.And who would you be?’She managed to mask her feeling of impending doom and wrap her words in a carefree, friendly tone.Do not show fear.Do not be intimidated.
The woman’s lip curled as she spoke.
‘Ah.I would be Lila Atkins.And I’m this idiot’s wife.’
16
MARGE – SUNDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2021
‘Marge, are you sure that you don’t mind me leaving?I’ve been out since 5a.m.this morning and my boobs are about ready to burst.’
Marge watched as Amber turned her back on the other mourners and tried to discreetly adjust her top.She remembered both the wonders and the aches of breastfeeding, even though it had been decades since she experienced them.Amber’s gorgeous little boy, Alfie, was only six months old and she brought him over to the house often, usually with Estelle too.Sometimes, Marge would babysit him to let Estelle and Amber have a couple of hours of adult-only time, but only for as long as Alfie’s breastfeeding schedule would allow.
‘Of course I don’t mind,’ Marge assured her.‘I’m so grateful that you came with me.I’m just going to stay for a little while longer anyway and then I’ll get off home too.’
In truth, Marge hadn’t anticipated being at Kenneth’s wake all day, but as one of the people who’d helped Nina and Stuart organise today, she felt a responsibility to wait until the very end and make sure there were no unforeseen issues or problems.As Kenneth’s secretary for the last thirty years, it was no less than he would expect.And if she were being honest, now that the bar had been liberally frequented by many of the mourners, she was beginning to fear that a couple of potentially dangerous situations were brewing.
‘Okay, well, I’ll get off then.If you need anything, just call and I’ll come racing back – just as long as you give me time to pump these boobs.’
Marge gave her a distanced hug, so as not to put any more pressure on Amber’s chest.‘Thanks again, Amber.And I’ll see you next weekend with the little one.’
‘Are you sure you’re happy to watch him, Marge?He’s a handful.’
‘Och, I love it.Especially now.Gives me something to look forward to now that everything is up in the air.’Marge knew that Amber understood what she was referring to because they’d spoken about it a couple of times since Kenneth’s sudden death just over two weeks ago.Did she really want to keep working or was it time to retire?Her pension had matured a couple of months ago when she turned sixty, and she still had Ian’s pension too.The mortgage was long paid off and she lived a fairly frugal life.Did she have the energy or the inclination to start all over again and work for someone new?Right now, she didn’t think so, but she was taking time to mull it over.No rash decisions, especially in times of turmoil.That had been Ian’s motto and it had never served them wrong.In fact, the only rash decision he’d ever made was the one when he’d asked her to marry him.And that hadn’t worked out too badly for them.
But the decision to stop working would mean a complete life shift.Estelle and her boyfriend, Craig, worked hard and had busy lives, so Marge only saw her daughter a couple of times a week at most.And yes, she had friends, but still… What would she do with her time if she retired?She already struggled to fill her weekends.That was why she loved to babysit – it made her feel useful again.
Marge walked Amber over to the door, then hugged her goodbye.Estelle was so lucky to have this friendship in her life.And Amber was too.Sometimes Marge wished she had that kind of bond with another woman, but she’d always worked such long hours that the person she’d most wanted to spend her free time with was Ian.In hindsight, she should probably have made more of an effort to cultivate close friendships, but the casual ones she’d had – occasional lunches, her book club, or dinner parties with other couples – had been enough for her.Or so it had once seemed, but how had that worked out for her?Basically, alone now, with not even her work to keep her fulfilled.
Maybe it was time to grow her circle, step out of her comfort zone and take a new approach to the next chapter of her life.That would be something to think about in the coming weeks and months, but right now, she was still focusing on her final responsibilities as Kenneth Manson’s secretary.
As soon as Amber got into the lift, to descend down to hotel reception and exit, Marge went back into the bar area of the function suite, where the wake was still surprisingly busy.The cynic in her head told her that was what happened when there was a free bar, even when the assembled attendees were the great and the good of the city.
Marge took a cup of coffee from the table that was serving hot beverages and carried it over to a free table in the corner of a raised floor area, giving her the perfect vantage point to the rest of the room.If this were a different event, in a different time, for a different occasion, she wondered where Kenneth Manson would be sitting now.
Would he be over at Lord Connolly’s table holding court?She doubted it.Kenneth would have chatted to him, affirmed their friendship in front of everyone, taken the plaudits for saving Lord Connolly’s grandson’s life with his surgical brilliance, but then he’d have moved on, because there was nothing – other than social clout – to be gained there.
Her gaze went to another corner of the room.Maybe he’d be at that table, where her former boss, Sir Lester Kelaney, President of the Scottish Society of Surgeons, was sitting with his wife and an assortment of other influential people in the medical circles.Of course, when Marge had worked for him, he’d just been Professor Kelaney.The knighthood had come later, for services to medicine and, according to Kenneth, had been well deserved.Marge had met his wife a couple of times over the years, and she seemed like a very nice lady.Quiet.Refined.Reserved.From what she could see now, that hadn’t changed.Sir Lester appeared to be deep in conversation, while she sat quietly by his side.No, Kenneth probably wouldn’t sit there for too long either.
Marge’s gaze swiftly moved on to a table near the bar that Kenneth would definitely be avoiding at all costs.Danielle Strang, a former model, was having what could only be described as a very animated conversation with Annabel Stevenson, Member of Scottish Parliament.Marge had spotted them together right before Amber left, and it was one of the situations that was definitely causing her concern.These women were not friends, and they were both the type of ladies who were used to getting what they wanted and altogether unpredictable when they felt scorned or rejected.And the reason that Marge knew that was because Kenneth had once had affairs with them both.Not at the same time, of course.His twisted moral values and social snobbery would have considered that uncouth.
Marge took a sip of her coffee, as her almost computer-like memory identified the correct files.The Danielle Strang affair had been about ten years ago, and it had, at one point, been so intense, Marge had wondered if it would break Kenneth’s marriage.She should have known better.Kenneth had never shared details with her – again, that would have been uncouth in his book – but from what she’d pieced together, he’d ended it when Danielle discovered he was still very married.Apparently, it was a small detail he’d omitted.Outraged, she’d given him an ultimatum and there had been no contest.Nothing would have made Kenneth give up the perception of a perfect marriage and a happy family because both were judicious for his career and provided the ideal cover for his dalliances.
The end of his relationship with Annabel had been every bit as contentious and had broken down for the same reason.Marge only knew that because she’d stormed into his office and thrown a pair of thousand-pound Tiffany earrings at him.Kenneth had asked Marge to return them for a refund the next day.
There were a couple of other ladies in the room who’d been on her radar at one point or another.Ones who’d called the office.Left messages.Asked him to return calls.Or he’d blocked evenings off in his diary and asked her to make reservations and then send flowers to their addresses the next morning.If Amber’s shop had been open in those days, she’d have made a fortune.
Marge’s stare flicked back to Danielle and Annabel’s table, when the potential for escalation rose exponentially with a new arrival to join the other two ladies.Diana Atkins.Murray Atkins’ former wife.Marge had already noticed that Diana and Murray had avoided each other all day, not unusual for a divorced couple, especially when the split had been notoriously acrimonious.There had been many gossipy tales in the medical offices across the city, citing slashed tyres, shredded suits and threats of litigation.
What the gossipers never knew was the biggest story of all, one that would have kept them talking for months.And the reason they never found out was that Marge was the only other person working late on a Monday night, when Murray Atkins had stormed into Kenneth’s office, berated him for sleeping with his wife, and then proceeded to punch him in the face, causing his nose to burst all over the pile of patient records that she’d just left on his desk.Yes, the same Murray Atkins that had just delivered his eulogy.Marge didn’t know when or how the two men had later made up – she suspected they’d both realised it was more career-enhancing and socially beneficial to them to be friends as opposed to enemies, but a few months later, she had witnessed them at a gala dinner acting as if absolutely nothing had happened.
