perplexed. Izzy shook her head and Gina caught a waft of expensive scent. Thorntons truffles and Diorella, she thought darkly; so much for the homeless, impoverished, six-feet-below-the-breadline sob story spun to her by the daughter.
‘I was driving the car that collided with your motor bike,’ she said, enunciating the words with care. Although the accident had undoubtedly been her fault, her solicitor had cautioned her most sternly against admitting anything at all.
‘Oh, right!’ exclaimed Izzy, through a mouthful of truffle. Then, to Gina’s amazement, she stuck out her hand. ‘Gosh, no wonder you were so twitchy when you came in. And how nice of you to come and see me. I’m sorry, I really should have recognised you, but I was in a bit of a state that night. Apart from your legs, I didn’t take much in at all. God, sorry - I didn’t realise my nails were still wet . . . look, are you quite sure you won’t have a chocolate?’
Bemused, Gina shook her head. ‘Your . . . daughter,’ she said falteringly, ‘came to see me yesterday morning.’
‘She did?’ Now it was Izzy’s turn to look stunned. ‘Why on earth should she have done that? She didn’t even mention it last night.’
‘Mrs Van Asch,’ began Gina. ‘She—’
‘Miss. I’m not married. But please call me Izzy,’ said Izzy, chucking the box of truffles back on to her locker. ‘But how strange.What did she want, anyway?’
‘My husband left me,’ said Gina hurriedly. There, another hurdle cleared. If she said it fast enough, it didn’t make her cry. ‘And your daughter told me that I was a selfish bitch. She said that as a result of the accident you’d lost two . . . er . . . boyfriends. I don’t really know why I’m here, but I suppose I thought I ought to come to see you and apologise. And something else I don’t understand,’ she added with a burst of honest to goodness curiosity, ‘is how you can lose two boyfriends at the same time.What happened?’
‘So, she made you feel guilty,’ mused Izzy, a wry smile lifting the corners of her mouth. ‘My God, that girl has a positive talent for digging at consciences. She does exactly the same to me when I haven’t hung my clothes up for a week. Still,’ she added sternly, ‘she shouldn’t have called you a selfish bitch. That’s going too far. Don’t worry, I’ll have a word with her about that. And you really mustn’t worry,’ she added, leaning forward impulsively and resting her hand upon Gina’s. ‘She can be a bit self-righteous at times but she doesn’t really mean it. You know what teenagers are like.’
Gina shook her head, sadly. ‘No, I don’t.’
‘Well!’ Izzy rolled her eyes. ‘Let me tell you that they can be the living end! Kat’s an absolute angel but sometimes I almost wish I could disown her - like now. She might have twelve GCSEs, but she can still make an idiot of herself when she wants to. I really am sorry she upset you, Mrs Lawrence. And when I see her tonight I promise you I’ll give her a good slapping.’
‘Oh, but you mustn’t—’ Gina broke off, realizing a couple of milliseconds too late that the other woman was joking. Colour rose in her pale cheeks. ‘Please,’ she amended hastily. ‘My name’s Gina.’
She hadn’t fooled Izzy, however, and they both knew it.
‘Tell me about the boyfriends,’ said Gina, changing the subject, and Izzy pulled a face.
‘It has its funny side, I suppose, although I was too out of it at the time to appreciate the humour, and when I did realise what I’d done I was pretty pissed off. Maybe it’ll be funny in a few weeks’ time.’ She shrugged, pausing to admire her painted nails, then briefly outlined the details of the mix-up, culminating in the prompt departure of both Mike and Ralph from her life.
The unorthodox arrangement - not to mention Izzy’s pragmatic attitude towards it - was something quite outside
‘I was driving the car that collided with your motor bike,’ she said, enunciating the words with care. Although the accident had undoubtedly been her fault, her solicitor had cautioned her most sternly against admitting anything at all.
‘Oh, right!’ exclaimed Izzy, through a mouthful of truffle. Then, to Gina’s amazement, she stuck out her hand. ‘Gosh, no wonder you were so twitchy when you came in. And how nice of you to come and see me. I’m sorry, I really should have recognised you, but I was in a bit of a state that night. Apart from your legs, I didn’t take much in at all. God, sorry - I didn’t realise my nails were still wet . . . look, are you quite sure you won’t have a chocolate?’
Bemused, Gina shook her head. ‘Your . . . daughter,’ she said falteringly, ‘came to see me yesterday morning.’
‘She did?’ Now it was Izzy’s turn to look stunned. ‘Why on earth should she have done that? She didn’t even mention it last night.’
‘Mrs Van Asch,’ began Gina. ‘She—’
‘Miss. I’m not married. But please call me Izzy,’ said Izzy, chucking the box of truffles back on to her locker. ‘But how strange.What did she want, anyway?’
‘My husband left me,’ said Gina hurriedly. There, another hurdle cleared. If she said it fast enough, it didn’t make her cry. ‘And your daughter told me that I was a selfish bitch. She said that as a result of the accident you’d lost two . . . er . . . boyfriends. I don’t really know why I’m here, but I suppose I thought I ought to come to see you and apologise. And something else I don’t understand,’ she added with a burst of honest to goodness curiosity, ‘is how you can lose two boyfriends at the same time.What happened?’
‘So, she made you feel guilty,’ mused Izzy, a wry smile lifting the corners of her mouth. ‘My God, that girl has a positive talent for digging at consciences. She does exactly the same to me when I haven’t hung my clothes up for a week. Still,’ she added sternly, ‘she shouldn’t have called you a selfish bitch. That’s going too far. Don’t worry, I’ll have a word with her about that. And you really mustn’t worry,’ she added, leaning forward impulsively and resting her hand upon Gina’s. ‘She can be a bit self-righteous at times but she doesn’t really mean it. You know what teenagers are like.’
Gina shook her head, sadly. ‘No, I don’t.’
‘Well!’ Izzy rolled her eyes. ‘Let me tell you that they can be the living end! Kat’s an absolute angel but sometimes I almost wish I could disown her - like now. She might have twelve GCSEs, but she can still make an idiot of herself when she wants to. I really am sorry she upset you, Mrs Lawrence. And when I see her tonight I promise you I’ll give her a good slapping.’
‘Oh, but you mustn’t—’ Gina broke off, realizing a couple of milliseconds too late that the other woman was joking. Colour rose in her pale cheeks. ‘Please,’ she amended hastily. ‘My name’s Gina.’
She hadn’t fooled Izzy, however, and they both knew it.
‘Tell me about the boyfriends,’ said Gina, changing the subject, and Izzy pulled a face.
‘It has its funny side, I suppose, although I was too out of it at the time to appreciate the humour, and when I did realise what I’d done I was pretty pissed off. Maybe it’ll be funny in a few weeks’ time.’ She shrugged, pausing to admire her painted nails, then briefly outlined the details of the mix-up, culminating in the prompt departure of both Mike and Ralph from her life.
The unorthodox arrangement - not to mention Izzy’s pragmatic attitude towards it - was something quite outside
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