Eva Mazza - Sex, Lies & Stellenbosch

“What?” Frankie was immediately alert. Panicked, even. What if Lee had decided to leave her with nothing after he had found out about her affairs?

“There is a property that he bought in the city. Upon his death, it goes to his goddaughter, Brigit Pearce. He said that he hadn’t been the most loving godparent and he wanted to make up for neglecting her.”

Frankie’s relief that she was still in line to be a very rich widow was soon replaced by irritation at Brigit’s little windfall.

“She’s living in the apartment at the moment, as a tenant,” continued Grant. “She has been paying a substantially reduced rental into Lee’s account, and he never spent a cent of it. So that money will go to you, as the apartment has been paid for. He never wanted her to know. He wanted her to feel that she was making it on her own. And she is, I guess, because she never missed a payment. Now that the property is hers, and there is no bond, she won’t have to pay rent. Isn’t it a lovely gesture?”

“Mmmm,” Frankie said distractedly.

“Your husband was a kind man,” he remarked, his voice thick with emotion. “He will be sorely missed, Frankie, he really will be.”

“I know,” Frankie said in a half-whisper. “Although I’m sure Brigit Pearce will be delighted. She’s hit the jackpot, hasn’t she, now that my husband is dead?”

Grant frowned. “I don’t think she has any expectations, Frankie, so don’t be sore. Just see it as a wonderful gesture on your husband’s part◦– testimony to the decent man he was.”

He followed Frankie’s eyes to the sash window where Brigit was huddled together with her friends chatting.

“I will speak to her for you, unless you want to tell her yourself?”

“No, I just want to be left alone with my thoughts. It’s been a very sad time for me. I hope you understand, Grant.”

Grant clapped his hands gently on his thighs◦– a gesture that he was done and that he would do as she desired. “Of course, I do. I will see you tomorrow at the memorial service. Stay as strong as you’ve always been, Frankie.”

Frankie watched him leave the room and saw him through the sash window as he approached Brigit and Clive’s group of young friends on the veranda. Brigit shrugged her shoulders at the group and excused herself before walking away with Grant. Frankie guessed that they would have a chat under the big oak tree that had seen years of family gatherings.

Last night had been a chilling foretaste of others to come. She had ached for Lee next to her in bed. Knowing she would never have him near her again filled her with intense sadness and loneliness. She could not imagine her life without him. His death had forced her to reflect on her marriage, and the issues that had irked her so now seemed miniscule and ridiculous◦– except of course this surprise matter of Brigit’s inheritance. She hauled herself out of Lee’s chair to pour herself a second glass of whisky.

“I can’t believe Lee’s dead, never mind all the other things that my mind has to absorb,” Jen said. “Do you know what kind of a whirlwind five days it’s been, Patty?” she asked.

“I do. It’s been pretty shocking on my side, too.”

“Ever since I caught you and John…”

“I’m sorry,” Patty said earnestly. “I really am. You were collateral damage. You weren’t meant to catch us. It was never supposed to happen the way it did. Lee was furious with me, but it worked in our favour in the end. I’m… we’re only sorry that it hurt you so much.”

Jen blinked and sat up straight. “What the hell are you talking about, Patty? Are you trying to tell me that you colluded with Lee against my husband? That you blew him for a ‘noble’ cause, and not because you’re a…?” Jen checked herself. “Am I expected to believe your bullshit?” She felt ganged up against, angry, betrayed and stupid. The sympathy, which had compelled her to reach out to Patty, had lasted only an instant.

“God, Jen, I can imagine how hurt you are, and I’m sorry. The story is so complicated, even unbelievable, and I don’t blame you for hating me. I just want you to give me a chance to explain.”

“Well it sounds as if you and Lee trapped my husband. Not only that, you managed to get rich off it, too. I should be exposing you, Patty, not giving you a chance to explain yourself.”

“Lee had nothing to do with me, um, and John, in the tasting room. In fact, he was furious with me when he found out.”

Jen glared at Patty. Patty held her glare.

“I’m sorry for what I did, but I’ve done you a favour.”

“A favour!”

“All you need to do, Jen, is listen.”

There was a silence. Jen noticed Patty’s hand shaking as she reached for her water. “Well, tell me, for God’s sake. Tell me why I shouldn’t go to the cops about this! In fact, I’m interested to know how you’re okay with prostituting yourself?”

Patty took another sip of water followed by a deep breath. “I need to start from the beginning◦– to tell you how I became Lee’s good friend and personal assistant.”

Jen rolled her eyes. Can’t she just edit her story? It’s bad enough having to sit here with her after what she did, never mind having to listen to her justify things.

Patty ignored Jen’s obvious hostility and launched into her explanation. “When I first met Lee, my divorce had just gone through and it was my thirtieth birthday. I had absolutely no money, but I felt a newfound sense of freedom. I also had no friends. My husband hadn’t allowed me any, so I was very alone. But that didn’t deter me from celebrating, even on my own.

“I went to a club because I wanted to dance. I hadn’t danced for as long as I’d been married, and I danced alone, shamelessly. I was just so happy to be free to do exactly as I pleased and to do what I had loved doing so much. Occasionally, guys would join me on the dance floor, and I danced for what felt like hours, lost in the music.”

Jen sat back and looked out of the window. It was a beautiful day, belying the fact that it had poured with rain the night before.

Patty finished her water and continued. “I spotted a very good-looking man at the bar. He hadn’t looked up once, and it seemed as if he was lost in thought. After a few glasses of bubbly, I felt brave enough to approach him. I’ve always loved sex.”

Jen turned from the window and looked at her reproachfully. “Well, it’s the truth. That’s why I stayed so long in my marriage. Our sex life was phenomenal, if you can believe that! Anyway, I went straight up to him and propositioned him. The man was Lee, and we landed up having sex in the club’s toilet.”

“Oh my God! Spare me the gory details!”

“No. I need to tell you the details.” She paused, and Jen nodded for her to continue. “We both felt so fucking guilty. Lee more so than me. He’d cheated on Frankie to get back at her.”

“What was he getting back at her for?”

“She told him that she’d had her tubes tied.”

“That’s news to me!”

“It was news to Lee, too. Apparently, when she married him, she promised she’d try for two children. But she changed her mind after having Clive. She said she didn’t want to go through it all again. He thought that, with time, she’d come around and they would try for their second, but the more time passed, the less keen she seemed.”

Jen crossed her arms and snorted.

“So anyway, that day, Lee had brought it up with her. Time was running out. They had a fight, and that’s when Frankie told him that it didn’t matter what he wanted because she’d had her tubes tied years ago.”

Jen unfolded her arms. “How? When?”

“I don’t know the details. Apparently, Lee had booked an overseas trip with the boys. Frankie was furious. She eventually said he could go on condition that she book herself in at a health farm. Seems she checked in to a hospital instead.