Page 24 of Barging In
“I happened to be at the spa this weekend, so I think Iwas successful. I’ve not had any complaints so far. Perhaps I should send you the bill.”
She hoped her attempt at humour would ease the tension, but Clem shuffled uneasily and looked down, plunging her hands into her pockets.
“All weekend?”
“Yes, Saturday and Sunday,” Victoria confirmed, unsure why it was any of Clem’s business. She took a deep breath to calm the exasperation rising within her and studied Clem as she looked around the room again.
“So, the wharf seems like a great place,” Clem said, finally making eye contact.
“Thank you,” Victoria replied, feeling slightly fidgety at all the small talk.
“Great reuse of a building.”
Victoria inclined her head. “Thank you, again.”
“Was it your idea, then?”
“Yes, from a derelict building to this. All me.”
Why was she bragging? It wasn’t all her; she had a team of people who had helped make it happen.
“I bet you have big plans for it.”
“Mmm,” Victoria murmured, unsure exactly which part of the wharf’s set-up wasn’t meeting Clem’s requirements already and what more she expected from it.
Another awkward pause hung in the air until Clem broke it.
“My parents were here for the weekend.”
“Oh,” Victoria replied, somewhat puzzled as to why Clem was sharing that.
“We had dinner on their boat.”
“Well, I expect it will be some time before the house is ready. How long do they think it will take?” she probed, taking the opportunity for a bit of fact-finding.
“Erm, a few months.” Clem blinked as if she had losther train of thought. “They retire at the end of the summer, so it needs to be ready to move in to then.”
Victoria nodded. “Oh, right.” She desperately wanted to raise the noise issue but worried it might pour water on a situation that felt like it was only just beginning to dry out.
“It’s just,” Clem ventured, “that night… when I left my parents to go back to Florence — erm, my boat — I saw a man in your house.”
“My husband, at a guess,” Victoria said, her nerves twitching at the randomness of the remark. Noticing the door was ajar and unsure where the conversation was going, she got up to close it.
Clem meanwhile forged ahead. “There was someone else there with him. A woman.”
Victoria’s heart skipped a beat. She forced a smile, casually replying, “He probably invited a friend to dinner.”
“Upstairs?”
Her smile faltered as she sat back down. “Maybe he was showing her around.”
“While she kissed his neck?”
Victoria blinked, her mouth suddenly dry. A sharp pulse throbbed behind her eyes, but she kept her tone even.
“Are you sure that’s what you saw?” she asked calmly, though the weight in her chest told her she already knew the answer.
Clem nodded. “Yes. I saw enough to know. She had short hair. Like a pixie cut, if that helps?”
