CHAPTER FIVE
The sad figure sitting alone on the almost deserted beach on the island of Antigua, was Lord Baldwin. He’d gotten away this early morning because his wife had been in a drunken sleep and hadn’t even noticed him get out of bed. Not that she ever noticed him in bed anymore. The only time they had marital relations these days, was when they had one of her infernal parties and she’d ride him with her eyes closed, probably pretending he was one of the many guests she’d flirted with that particular night. Up until recently, he’d always loved his wife, had turned a blind eye to her excesses. Forgave her mood swings, chided the two children for staying away from her, let her fire and hire staff at will, tolerated her confiding in Kay and Cathy. Hell, he’d even let her have that dog killed on one of the shoots, when she said it was attacking the live birds. Yet now he was in a real quandary. He was seeing her for how she really was and he’d fallen for another woman. Desperately fallen.
He’d come here to their Caribbean home to see if he could salvage the marriage, not wanting to give up yet, and at the back of his mind, not wanting to break up his company that he’d spent years building. Victoria was very understanding. He knew she was uncomfortable being a mistress and the only thing she’d really said was, “I’m prepared to wait for you, even prepared for you to make another go of your marriage, but I don’t want you to leave everything and then have regrets later. I love you, Alistair, so take your time and sort things out, however long that may take.”
As he sat staring at the waves breaking on the white sand and at a middle aged couple who had appeared, walking along the shore with their excited dog, he wondered where it had begun to go wrong. How this, his second marriage, was failing. He’d lost his first wife in a car accident before they’d had chance to start a family, and Charlotte, who’d been a friend until then to them both, had been so supportive and understanding. He was unsure how they’d eventually began to be romantically involved. It had been a very trying period, but he woke up with Charlotte one day and that was it. Two children had come along in quick succession. Then before he’d been ready, the children had been despatched to boarding school and C, short for Charlotte, had been more and more drawn to these show business types. Since then, he felt like he’d been losing the battle. She didn’t like their home Crompton anymore. She didn’t like his friends much. He knew now she was sleeping around. She’d arranged for his vasectomy yet she was still taking birth control pills and she was just so spiteful. He knew she’d bought the restaurant in Paris because he’d had to sign the check, He knew she’d spoiled Kay’s happiness when the children were younger, but wasn’t sure how, and she was now making Cathy spend too much time away from her home. Not that he was too bothered about Kay and Cathy, because he knew they gossiped and conspired on things with her, but he was bothered that other lives were dallied with for purely selfish and spiteful reasons. Yet still he persevered with her, hoping against hope she’d see sense and that they could return home, to their old simple life.
So he came to Antigua, being told that it will be just the family for this vacation, along with Kay, who the children adore. Yet within three days of arriving here, along comes Jane Robins and her effeminate boyfriend , Tristan, who always seems to be whispering and giggling with C. Jane is okay, a bit over the hill he thought for the roles she still wanted, but he didn’t really have much in common with her. Nor with the folk she’d brought with her, like the aging pop star and the slimy PR people. So now the children, who also didn’t like these people, had more or less vanished, and he was feeling more and more alone, although he had made a couple of calls to Victoria. He just didn’t know what to do anymore.
In Lady B’s dressing room that morning, she was more concerned about how she looked in the new bikini she’d bought, than why Charles and Sophie had practically disappeared.
“How do I look, Kay? Is this flattering?”
“Very, Milady. You’ll stop traffic in this.”
“I doubt that, but it does look good, doesn’t it?” which was more statement than question as she twirled in front of the full length mirror, adjusting her breasts in the bra.
“They won’t be able to take their eyes off you,” promised Kay.
“John was feeling me up during dinner last night,” she smiled, recalling his hand sliding up her thighs under the tabletop.
“John Steele?”
“Yes, I think he’ll come back for more today. He’s very well endowed, you know?”
“You know that?”
“Kay,” she said almost indignantly, “If I’m going to let someone feel me up, then it’s only fair that I can reciprocate.”
“Don’t let Tristan catch you.”
“Oh, him. Jane is hardly leaving his side these days, I can barely get a look in.”
“I’m sure you will before long.”
“Where are Charles and Sophie?” Lady B realized she hadn’t seen her children in some time.
“They went into town a couple of hours ago.”
“I’ve hardly seen them since they came here.”
“I think they went shopping,” Kay replied, as she kept getting out different sheer bathing gowns for her Ladyship to model and to settle on.
“They were as miserable as their father during dinner last night, such bad company. My guests must think they’re brats. You must tell them to behave and be more sociable.”
“I’ll tell them. I think white on white looks good on you” she commented, as Lady B twirled some more, admiring her fake tan and the contrast it made with the white bikini. She slipped on some high heels to accentuate the length of her legs.
“Make sure you do. I’m going down to the pool now, so tell Winston to get some champagne out there and some appetizers.”
With that, she flounced out of the dressing room, picking up a racy novel to take with her, whilst Kay remained behind to tidy her discarded outfits. Then Kay called down to the kitchen to tell Winston, the butler, about the champagne.
Kay was secretly very glad about the children’s manner. This was what she’d strived for. Although in most instances she was extremely loyal to Lady B, willing to pander to her whims, make excuses for her, tell tales, lie for her and plan trysts. When it came to the children, however, she made sure that they knew how bad their mother was. She did this partly because she felt that she was their true mother, but more so because she knew that Lady B had forced her one true love to leave so many years ago.
Kay wasn’t exactly sure how she’d done it, although she could make guesses, especially when she’d witnessed many men being seduced. She’d been extremely hurt losing her boyfriend, so had eventually come up with this strategy of slowly taking away the children’s affection. It had been nothing overt, just agreeing with them if they thought their mother was being mean or something, letting them accidentally catch their mother flirting with her various men, or overhearing her talk badly about their father who they adored.
Lady Baldwin was quite right when she said her children hated her. They did and Kay was very proud of them. As for Lord Baldwin, she knew the children loved him and always would, and she never had reason to try and stop that. She basically just felt sorry for him. He was no match for his wife’s wiles and schemes.
“Now,” she thought wistfully as she put the unused bikinis away, “ if only I could take a leaf out of her book and get someone interested in me.”