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THE CASTLE

by Lucy Appleby


Beth arrived home early and dumped her bag on the kitchen table. The sound of soft music emanating from somewhere upstairs made her smile. Joe always listened to music when he worked; it helped him to concentrate and gave him added inspiration to write his novel. Taking a bottle of white wine from the fridge, and grabbing a couple of glasses, she made her way upstairs. She would surprise him.

She did. Their bedroom door was ajar and she kicked it fully open with her foot.

"Surprise!" she said, and burst into the room, her face wreathed with smiles.

Joe was lounging naked on the bed, his head cushioned by the satin-covered pillows. He looked like a Greek God with his dark blonde hair curling into the nape of his neck, and his honed body stretched out invitingly. His eyes opened, flashing sparks of blue. He was obviously startled.

"Beth! Bloody hell! What are you doing here?"

"I live here, silly. Sorry - were you asleep? I didn't mean to wake you."

Beth deposited the wine and glasses on the bedside table and bent to give her boyfriend a kiss. "This novel writing must be very taxing if it makes you take a nap in the middle of the afternoon. Still, now that I'm here, I may as well join you and wear you out properly."

Beth grinned and began unbuttoning her blouse, but her fingers stilled as she saw the look on his face. He had paled beneath his tan, and was looking extremely agitated.

"Joe? What's wrong?"

"Beth. I - we ... Oh God, I'm sorry, Beth."

"Sorry? Whatever for?" Her euphoria faded.

Outside, the sun hid behind a cloud, casting dappled shadows in the room. And then the bathroom door opened and a naked woman walked out, her skin still damp from the shower, and her golden hair cascading in damp tendrils over her pert breasts. She entered the room and involuntarily clapped a hand over her mouth when she caught sight of Beth.

Beth looked at Jane. The two of them had been best friends since junior school. Jane stared back. She lowered her hand, and her pouty pink lips curved into the semblance of an ironic smile. She made no attempt to cover herself. Beth reeled in disbelief. Jane and Joe? How could they? She staggered backwards and looked once more at Joe. His guilt showed plainly. He held out his hands. It was a strange gesture, almost an entreaty.

"I'm sorry, Beth," he repeated.

"Well - she had to find out sooner or later," quipped Jane. She moved languidly over to the dressing table and picked up a brush, and began smoothing down her damp curls. It was Beth's hairbrush, on Beth's dressing table, in Beth's bedroom - and it was readily apparent that Jane had been shagging Beth's boyfriend. "These things happen, Beth. It's nothing personal."

Nothing personal? The words echoed hollowly. Beth felt physically sick. Here were the two people she loved most in the world, and they had been deceiving her in the most hateful of ways.



© Lucy Appleby
Not to be reposted, reproduced or distributed, in part or whole.