Chapter 3

Diane closed the door behind her husband and watched through the window as he loaded his cases into the car. She had thought she would feel more, but all she felt was a sort of numb relief. At least he hadn't made a scene; but then that was never Jack's way. He always seemed so in control. Just once she would have liked him to show some emotion.

She turned to see Peter waiting at the door to the kitchen. He held out his arms and her resolve broke. She ran to him, clutching him close, she buried her head into his chest and burst into tears. She couldn't see his face as he held her tightly and a small smile played across his face. He put his hands on either side of her face and tipped her head to look into her eyes. He looked so sad as her tried to reassure her.

"It had to be done my love. You couldn't live two lives. You said yourself he deserved better, and so do you," he whispered to her.

Then he held her in a full embrace and she felt a sense of finality. Her decision was made. Now all she had to do was live with it.

Diane went into the sitting room where Harry and Georgie sat side by side on the settee. Diane quailed at the look the children gave her. Peter had followed her in. As he did so, Georgie leapt from her seat, ran at him screaming, she kicked his shins and pummelled his chest with her clenched fists, and shouted, "I want my Daddy, I want my Daddy".

Her brother stood up and looked at his mother with dead eyes, and ran to his little sister. Engulfing her in his arms he led her from the room. Diane looked at Peter. He had been completely surprised by Georgie's tirade and hadn't even tried to protect himself. The look of shock on his face told her that he was out of his depth with the children. She had a lot of work to do to bring them all through this and establish a new family.

Diane said, "I'd better make supper."

"I'll help," said Peter.

As she went about the mundane actions of preparing the meal she thought of how she had brought them to this point.

Her upbringing was quite normal. She was an only child but her parents had been careful not to over indulge her. Not that she had lacked for anything, but it wasn't a given that she would get what she wanted. In her mid teens she had a job as a Saturday girl in a chain store to get those little extras that girls needed.

Academically she had been fairly average. Her grades hadn't been good enough for university so she had gone to technical college and taken Office and Business studies gaining both her certificate and diploma. It was at college that she realised her greatest asset was her ability to engage with people. She had a personality that clicked with people of all ages and both genders. This talent allowed Diane to enter the workforce very easily. Starting as a receptionist with a printing company, she quickly moved through a number of companies. Each move increased her status and salary, until she became PA to Crispin Beauchamp, the senior partner of a major architects practice.

Diane was five feet eight inches tall, brunette, and slender. Clothes suited her. Any clothes. She was the original "look good in a flour sack" type. On site she was the perfect employee. Her dress presented a flair that complimented that shown in the cutting edge designs for which her employers were world-renowned. Her bearing was that of the consummate professional. Everyone noticed her ... including the women.

But that was because she turned everyone's head. Romantically and sexually Diane was only interested in the male of the species. She could have anyone she chose and that's exactly what she did. She was extremely selective in her men. She was even more selective in those who made it to her bed. She had a great job, the best clothes, and drove a Honda- an S2000 not a Civic, so she sure as hell was not going to compromise in the bedroom.

Neither did she expect her partners to put up with second best. What she expected, she gave, and pity help the man who didn't reciprocate. If he couldn't find her c and g spots he was out of her bedroom so fast both his heads would spin. And if he knew where they were, he better treat them right or he was travelling just as fast. She took the time to learn about men's bodies so they had better take the time to learn about hers.

The first time she met Jack was at a site conference. The building was one of the first to include energy producing products in its design and Jack was responsible for their installation. They were discussing the linkage of the geothermal and solar heating. Jack seemed very aloof and detached, looking over Crispin's shoulder at the workers behind them. His contribution was cut short when he bent down and grabbed a piece of timber and barged past them. Diane thought at first he was going to hit Crispin

She barely had time to gasp when she heard a creaking, grinding, noise, followed by shouts from behind her. She turned and saw the scaffolding collapsing as Jack ran forward ordering the men clear of the area. As the dust cleared she saw Jack with the baulk of timber holding up part of the collapsed tangle of metal, planking, and building material. He was shouting instructions to the men around him.

"Get that fuckin' Load-all over here now. You, Jim, go phone the ambulance and fire service. Mick, Seamus, gimme a hand here. Davy, Get the Load-all driver to get his forks in there!" Jack indicated with a nod of his head to the place he wanted them. "Just get him to take the weight. Don't let him lift it. That's it! Enough! Mick, Seamus, pull them out."

Mick and Seamus dragged two bodies clear of the distorted pile of scrap construction equipment.