Out of the Blue Read Online Free PDF

was I supposed to do?
Refuse the part? It was a wonderful role, and everyone said I did it well; I can
still remember those marvelous lines to this day: “ I had
been happy…so I had nothing known. So now, forever, farewell the tranquil
mind! ”
    Lily gradually got over her disappointment, though she refused
to come to the play; and we never, ever spoke of it again—until tonight. I don’t
think it was tactless of me to mention it, given that it was eighteen years ago
and our roles have long since been reversed. I mean, she’s the star now. Not me.
She’s the celebrated and successful one. She’s the one with the huge flat in
Chelsea, and the fridge full of champagne and foie gras. I’m the boring suburban
housewife with two children and sensible shoes, who thinks a trip to Ikea’s a
treat. So I appreciate the fact that Lily’s kept in touch all this time, when
you consider how our lives have diverged.
    At this point—it must have been almost ten thirty—we’d gone on
to pudding. The candles had almost burned down, and the bottles of wine had been
drunk. I thought Peter had had one too many; I could tell that he was quite well
oiled. He and Matt were talking about the Internet, and Katie was doing some
psychometric tests on Lily—Lily’s her godmother, so she claimed not to mind.
Meanwhile Mimi, still clearly struck by the novelty of being married, was asking
me if I had any wisdom to impart.
    “Tell me, Faith,” she whispered, “what’s the secret of a
successful marriage?”
    “I don’t know,” I murmured, lifting a spoonful of poached
autumn fruits to my mouth. “I only know that after fifteen years together Peter
and I have this unbreakable bond. We’re like the wisteria growing up the front
of our house—we’re completely intertwined.”
    “What quality do you admire in him most?” Mimi added.
    “His ability to find my contact lenses whenever I lose one,” I
giggled. “He’s brilliant at it.”
    “No, seriously,” Mimi pressed me. “What do you like about him
best?”
    “His decency,” I replied, “and his truthfulness. Peter always
tells the truth.”
    Mike thought that was such a nice thing to say that he said he
thought Peter ought to make a little speech.
    “Go on,” he said.
    “Oh no,” groaned Peter.
    “Please,” Mimi insisted. “This is an occasion, after all.”
    “Oh, all right,” Peter conceded after another sip of wine.
“Er…I just want to say…” he began, getting unsteadily to his feet, “that Faith
was my first love, and that my fifteen years with her feel like a
millstone…”
    “Freudian slip!” said Katie.
    “I mean, a mile stone,” he corrected
himself. “A milestone. That’s what I mean. An incredible achievement, in fact.
When you consider. And I just can’t believe where the last fifteen years of my
life have gone.” That was it. He’d finished. I tried to smile. As I say, he’s
very preoccupied at work, so he’s not quite his usual relaxed and happy
self.
    “He’s rather tired,” I whispered diplomatically to Mimi and
Mike.
    “He does seem distracted,” Lily agreed.
    “Yes,” I said, “no doubt because, well, he’s got a lot on his
mind right now.”
    “I must say, he’s looking good though,” Lily murmured as our
coffee arrived. “Hasn’t he lost a bit of weight?”
    “Er, yes, he has. He’s looking pretty trim, you’re right.”
    “Nice tie he’s wearing,” she whispered appreciatively.
    “Yes. Yes,” I agreed. “Nice tie.”
    Then Lily reached into her bag, took out a box of Pandora
matches and struck one. It hissed and flared as it ignited, then died down to a
steady yellow flame. She lifted a cheroot to her lips, lit it and inhaled
deeply, then blew the smoke away. Then she looked at me seriously and said,
very, very softly, “I think you’re marvelous to
trust him.”
    This struck me as a very strange remark, because of course I
trust Peter—I always have. As I say, he’s a truthful man. So I didn’t