But whyshouldn’tshe try to enjoy this money and spend it on herself? You’d have to be an absolute saint to give away that kind of money. Paula is a nice enough person – she’s not exactly going around punching people in the street – but she’s also not a saint.
So why not splash the cash a little on herself? Why not buy herself a nice car with more seating options than this one?
She looks around at this small group of women. ‘What was the first thing you bought with your money?’
‘I booked a trip,’ Teddy explains. ‘Spent my first year after winning the money travelling around Italy and Spain.’ She pauses. ‘I don’t recommend it actually. Too many English people living there. I only officially moved from New York to London a few months ago—’
‘Oh?’ Paula interrupts, jumping on the identifying clue. ‘You’re from New York?’
‘Nope,’ Teddy says smoothly.
‘I bought a diamond necklace I’d always wanted,’ Audrey jumps in. ‘De Beers, 18k white gold, with combined diamond carat-age of 14.34.’ She sighs dreamily. ‘Gorgeous little blighter. Guess how much?’
Paula shakes her head, trying to fathom such a thing. ‘I don’t know,’ she replies. ‘Five thousand pounds?’
‘Try fifty-eight thousand pounds!’ Audrey tells her triumphantly. ‘Isn’t that ludicrous! Of course, I can never wear the bloody thing. My daughters won’t let me. Too dangerous, they say. And it’s not like I’m attending too many royal balls these days.’
Paula’s head spins at the number, but something unfurls in her stomach. How . . .exciting. Just imagine being able to throw away such an enormous sum of money like that. Just imagine!
‘So,’ Teddy begins, ‘if a house isn’t something you want to buy right now, whatdoyou want, Paula?’
Paula strokes the interior of the Jaguar. Terrifying as Audrey’s driving is, it’s also undeniably fun. Her insides are jangling with nerves but also a sort of thrilling feeling. She thinks about how she felt after the house viewing, when she considered the idea of buying a car. How wonderful that felt.
After a few seconds, she tells them in a whisper, ‘A car.’
She can practically hear Teddy smiling. ‘I know the perfect place,’ she says. ‘I’ll make a call. We’ll recruit our new members, then all go shopping together. It’ll be a great bonding experience.’
Audrey nods. ‘Today, Maisie and Ivy. Tomorrow, we help Paula buy a brand-new vehicle.’
A feeling blooms in Paula’s chest that feels a lot like . . . happiness?
12
‘AND STOP PRESSING THE BLOODY RING DOORBELL!’ The door slams in their faces and Paula, Audrey and Teddy stand in a row, silently blinking at one another.
‘That didn’t go very well,’ Teddy says dryly and Paula nods in agreement.
‘She said not to ring the bell,’ Audrey rallies. ‘But shedidn’tsay we couldn’t knock! Let’s give it the old college try. Refuse to take no for an answer!’ She raises her knuckles in readiness and Teddy stops her.
‘That woman has had enough – we all have – of people refusing to take no for an answer,’ she says carefully. ‘Let’s go. We can always come back another time.’
The group collectively turn back in the direction of Audrey’s car.
Paula feels strangely deflated.
They’d been so confident, so sure that Maisie Bernard would listen, that she’d want to be a part of their group. But it was clear from the start that they’d made a mistake.
First off – and Paula isn’t usually one to assign blame –Audrey really didn’t help matters with the doorbell. It was one of those fancy Ring ones, and was definitely making anoise inside the house even if they couldn’t hear it, but Audrey kept saying it wasn’t working. She pressed it over and over, so of course, when Maisie eventually answered the door, she was wildly irritated. And then, before they could get a word in edgeways, she accused them of being from Neighbourhood Watch. Apparently, someone named Sheila from down the road ‘had it in for her’ and the three women on her doorstep were ‘in on it’ with her. Paula couldn’t exactly follow what all the ins were, but it was obvious enough that Maisie wanted them to go away.
It took Teddy a few minutes to find a moment to speak, and when Audrey mentioned the death of Maisie’s husband, it was immediately clear the woman was done with them. She didn’t want to hear any more. She had nothing to say. How dare they come here? She’d even threatened to call the police, before slamming the door.
‘What now?’ Paula says quietly, feeling defeated as they climb back into the car. ‘Do we head home?’
‘No!’ Audrey says with feeling. ‘We can’t do that! We’re not far from Cambridge. This next gal will be much more receptive. Don’t be put off, Paula, my darling.’
The dog in the footwell licks Paula’s hand.
‘OK,’ Paula says obediently.
