Now all she had to do was tell her mum.
‘Here you are, a nice cup of tea, and I’ve grabbed us some of your shortbread. Is anyone else about? The house is ever so quiet.’
‘No, love. Polly is out in Roscarrock; she took her guitar, muttered something at us and headed out ever so early, and I think your brother is in Plymouth today for the match. Your dad’s about somewhere, probably the shed, which he uses as an excuse to escape from the things I need done around the house. That cupboard door in the bathroom is still wonky. He doesn’t seem in the slightest bit inclined to fix it. He just gets that glazed look if I ask him to look at it and then, poof, I don’t see him for hours.’
‘That’s alright isn’t it? It gives us time to chat anyway.’
‘True. Did you want to talk about something specific, love? You seem to be building up to something.’
‘Okay, I can’t get much past you. I do and I want you to hear me out before you interrupt or say anything. Ready?’
‘Ready. Although I do think—’
‘Nah, nah, nah. No thinking, just listening, or do I have to stuff so much shortbread in your mouth that you won’t be able to talk until I’ve finished?’
‘Ready. I’ll be as quiet as a church mouse.’
Pippa’s friend, Alice, spent a lot of time helping out in the village church and had fairly vocal views about the church mice, but Pippa decided now was not the time to bring that up. Plus, her mum had her most innocent I’m-going-to-do-my-best face on and it made Pippa melt a little bit.
‘Okay, now I know you have big plans for me, and I love that you care so much and all of that, but this relationship fantasy you have about me and James… no, no, no, do not say a word. Quickly close your mouth. You promised! Okay, thank you. James and I are never going to work, largely because he’s an arsehole. I don’t ever want to sleep with him and we could never build a happy ever after.’
‘Well, really.’
‘Oh hush, you’ve had three children, none of this a-relationship-is-about-more-than-sex nonsense. I know that’s true, of course it is, but you still have to have a flutter and the only flutter I have when I think of James feels distinctly more gastrointestinal in nature than romantic. He is a not a nice person underneath that veneer of charm, and I am not going along with this ridiculous charade any longer.’
‘But—’
‘Nope, you promised you’d listen. I know you’re going to tell me what a sweet child he was, and I agree he was. The past tense being the important bit here. Just because he asks the right questions, promises Polly festival tickets, and talks to Pete about cars does not make him a decent human being. In fact, in this instance it makes him a manipulative rat who is well versed in what strings to pull to get people to do what he wants, and it has worked brilliantly. I know you think I’m being unreasonable but I have evidence for you although, quite frankly, the fact that I want nothing to do with him should be enough.’
‘But—’
‘Nope! Now I’m going to be kind here, but I have a deep-seated feeling that your desire for this relationship has actually less to do with me and James personally and more to do with the fact that you want to be a grandparent with Karen. And I understand that, really I do. And if we lived in the seventeenth century then you probably could get away with bundling me up and marrying me off to your friend’s son, but we’re not, and these days I get to have a say and I am saying no. I want children and will have them, hopefully, one day, but with the partner of my choosing not yours. Have faith that the right person will come along and I will commit to them and raise a family with them. I have faith in it and beg that you do too. But James is not that person. Not by a long stretch. Now I know that you think I’m just being difficult…’
It was as Pippa was rattling off her defence at full speed that she suddenly realised her plan wasn’t going to work. Her mother was so good, so loyal, that if she heard a snippet of what Pippa was about to tell her about James’ potentially illegal business practices and the fact that the FCA were on to him, then she wouldn’t hesitate to pick up the phone and warn Karen. And if Pippa managed to persuade her not to, but to come down on the side of right and understand that the hundreds of people disadvantaged by his behaviour deserved to have him in custody, the mere knowing and having to keep it from her best friend would tear Jan to bits. It may make Pippa’s life easier but it would stop her mother sleeping for weeks. She paused in her speech, giving her mother a chance to respond, as she worked out what the best thing to do was.
It didn’t take long.
She had no choice; she couldn’t risk the trust of Simone and Lottie or the upset of her mother. She would have to keep quiet, hope the Instagram screenshots were enough and pray the FCA got their man fairly bloody soon!
‘No, I don’t. It’s not that I think you’re being difficult. I just think you’re misjudging this situation.’
The irony! Pippa took a deep breath, reluctantly shelved the information about his criminal dealings and tried again.
‘Mum, you may have to trust me on this, but I promise I’m not imagining things when I say this man is lower than low.’
‘He’s so devoted to you.’
‘A-ha, because that is what he wants you to believe, but he’s not. He makes a good pretence of being so, and has managed to fool his own family and ours with the exception of me, and I have proof that he is not sat in London spending every second pining for me.’ Pippa pulled her phone out of her pocket and waved it triumphantly in the air. ‘And I’m going to show you. Ready?’
She really hoped this was going to be enough.
‘Okay, what are you going to show me exactly?’
‘I’m going to show you some images Lottie recently captured off social media from one of James’ friend’s accounts. It proves he’s never been interested in me for me; he is only interested in me because I don’t want anything to do with him, and it bothers his ego so much that he can’t bear it.’
‘You know I don’t understand social media. I don’t do that. But it seems to me, if it’s his friend’s—’
‘Shh, just look, here.’ And Pippa showed her mum the first image of James kissing a very young girl as he pressed her against a wall in some seedy club. ‘Look, if he was desperately in love with me, would he have his tongue rammed down that poor girl’s mouth?’
