Chapter 3: Pippa gets involved

It was not too often that Pippa, Mike's secretary managed a day off. She had been putting in a lot of hours lately and Andrew had noticed. He caught her leaving the office one evening at six o' clock.

"Philippa!"

"Yes Mr. Sellors."

"The office closes at five. But you seem to think that our hours go on until six. I know there a lot to do with this exhibition coming up, but we can't have you getting tired on us, can we?"

"I am not tired Mr. Sellors."

"Are ye not?" Andrew had the habit of slipping into dialect at times. "Well I know that Mike is not in the office tomorrow, so I don't want to see you here either. Go see your family or go shopping, I understand that Lassies like to shop. But whatever you do, don't come into the office." Pippa smiled.

"Thank you Mr. Sellors."

"Aye, now get along with you Lassie."

Pippa had gone shopping. There were things she wanted for herself, and her husband, Steve needed a new pair of Jeans and some T shirts. After she had got the things for her husband she had time for herself to wander and window shop. Along the way she stopped into Witherspoons for coffee. She was sitting relaxing when her calm mood went out of the window. She saw Jas, who had just sat down. Pippa could not hide the anger she felt towards this woman, and got up and walked over to Jasmine's table. Jas looked up as Pippa blocked her light.

"Oh Hello Pippa."

"You Bitch! You cruel heartless evil Bitch! How could you do that to him. You gutted him, do you know that? Gutted him, one of the nicest guys anyone could ever meet, and you did that to him. I'm ashamed to be the same sex as you." Jas stood up her eyes blazing.

"Well ask him why he cheated on me." Pippa looked astounded.

"Tim? Cheat on you? Never. Not in a thousand years. That man loved you more than his own life. He would have done anything for you, and you know it. Where you get this idea that he was cheating?"

"He was seen." Pippa was shaking her head.

"Where? With whom?"

"In Stoke. With a woman called Margaret Lane. They were having Lunch together." Pippa sat down a memory coming to her.

"When was this?"

"Last year, they were Lunching at the Hilton. I know that Mr. Sellors doesn't allow entertaining of customers so it had to be personal. Then later Tim phoned to say that his car had broken down. Well I know what that meant. He was spending the night with her." Slowly lights started to come on in Pippa's head. The memory clarified and time and place were fixed.

"Oh, Bugger." Jas thought that Pippa now understood and smiled thinly. "Jas, why didn't you stay around long enough to ask Tim? He did have Lunch with a customer, Margaret Lane ran a business called Lane Carpets and Curtains. Andrew gave permission for the Lunch, and I was with Mike when he phoned Tim to say it was OK. She was a good customer for Tim but she was closing her business down and moving to Australia to join her Fiancé. I believe she flew out later that afternoon. And Tim's car did break down. He couldn't get it fixed until the following morning. He stayed in the cheapest B. and B. he could find." Jas's face was blanched white. Her eyes reflected a look of horror.

"No, no." She whispered. She reached for her cup, and it shook in her hand as she raised it to her lips. She looked beseechingly at Pippa.

"Tell me you're just covering up for him." Pippa shook her head.

"I wouldn't do that. If a husband or wife cheats then they deserve all the shit that comes their way. You know what Mr. Sellors would do. If he thought that Tim was doing anything like that, Tim would be out of a job."

"But he didn't say anything, he just signed the divorce paper."

"Yes, he did. He loved you so much that he wanted you to be happy with the new man in your life, even at the expense of his own happiness. We all told him that he was stupid, and his solicitor wanted to get you in court, where he would have taken you to pieces. But Tim wouldn't agree to that. And as far as saying anything, you didn't give him a chance, did you?"

"But there is no new man in my life!"

"Well Tim concluded there was. He didn't know you suspected him of cheating, you didn't stay to confront him. All he knew was that you had gone. He thought that you had probably met someone else."

Jas was shaking, sobbing in tears, and Pippa stayed with her until she calmed down. One of the staff came over to ask if everything was alright.

"Yes and no." Replied Pippa. "My friend has just discovered she made a terrible mistake." The girl nodded and asked if they would like fresh coffee.

"I think that would be a good idea. Thanks."

Eventually Jas recovered her composure, and went to the Ladies Room to repair her face. She came back just as the waitress brought the coffee.

"Are you alright, Madam?" Jas smiled weakly.

"Yes, thank you." Jas sat down but couldn't look at Pippa as she asked.

"Oh God. What have I done?" There was no need to answer, Jas knew what she had done, as well did Pippa. But Pippa moved the question on.

"We all know what you have done. The real question is what are you going to do now?" Jas shook her head.

"I don't know."

"Well I do. You have to do what you should have done eighteen months ago, and explain to Tim what you suspected, and why you took the course you did." Jas was shaking her head.

"I couldn't. I couldn't face him."

"Tell me Jas. Do you still love him." Jas nodded.

"Yes, I do. I doubt that I will ever love anyone else. But I was so hurt over what I thought he had done."

"Well, he still loves you. God knows why, after the pain you caused him. But perhaps you shouldn't face him at the moment. The hurt and anger would probably create a rift that you could never repair. What if you wrote to him, and explained?" Jas was thinking.

"What if you explained to him?"

"No way. You got yourself into this mess, and Jas! You have to get yourself out of it." Pippa began collecting her shopping bags together. Jas was getting desperate.