To Make A Marriage

Audrey gave a shaky sigh before placing the vase of freesias back on the dressing-table. ‘I thought it might have been someone else,’ she admitted.

Rome… Despite Audrey’s having had the vase of flowers raised as another weapon to launch at him, Andie could see that Audrey was actually disappointed it wasn’t him!

Andie closed the bedroom door behind her, taking in the open suitcase on the bed, the clothes thrown haphazardly inside. Audrey really was packing to leave!

She moved to sit on the edge of the bed, realising as she looked around just how much this room had become Audrey’s over the years. The décor was blue and cream, family photographs adorned the table by the window, Audrey’s own as well as ones of Harrie, Danie, and Andie as they were growing up; the pastels on the walls were to Audrey’s taste too. Audrey wasn’t just leaving a job; this was her home!

‘Audrey.’ Andie spoke firmly as the other woman continued to throw her clothes into the suitcase. ‘I asked you earlier today why you were leaving, and you mumbled something about it being time to move on—’

‘I believe I spoke quite clearly,’ Audrey rebuked—although she didn’t meet Andie’s questioning gaze.

‘Maybe,’ Andie acknowledged. ‘But now I would like you to tell me the real reason—and please, don’t insult my intelligence again with that mumbo-jumbo,’ she continued as Audrey would have spoken. ‘I’m pregnant, Audrey, not mentally deficient!’

Audrey paused in her trips backwards and forwards between the wardrobe and the suitcase. ‘I never for one moment thought that you were.’

‘Well?’ Andie prompted.

The other woman seemed to crumple in front of her eyes, tears filling those deep blue eyes. Audrey completely lost the tight control she had had over her emotions as she began to cry in earnest.

Andie rushed over to gather the older woman in her arms, moved beyond words at this complete breakdown of defences. She loved Audrey, they all did, and to see her hurting in this way was unacceptable.

‘Audrey, you have to tell me.’ Andie moved back slightly to look at her. ‘I promise you I won’t tell a single soul,’ she promised chokingly, close to tears herself now.

Audrey gave a tearful smile. ‘Surely it’s obvious, Andie; I’m in love with your father! I always have been. And I always will be!’

Andie blinked. She didn’t know what explanation she had been expecting; an affair with a married man possibly, perhaps even-wildly!—a past tale of manslaughter that Audrey could no longer live with, but it certainly hadn’t been this…

‘Oh, Andie…!’ Audrey laughed mirthlessly at Andie’s stunned expression as she moved away to reach for a tissue from the dressing-table, mopping up all trace of tears from her cheeks. ‘You don’t see any problem with that, do you?’ she asked hesitantly.

Considering Andie knew she had loved Adam as hopelessly most of her own life…no!

But, as she also knew only too well, it hurt to love someone so helplessly, to spend hours in the company of him and know that love would never be returned.

Although after the way her father had been behaving since Audrey had given him her resignation, Andie wasn’t sure that was completely true in this case…