The Way We Were Read Online Free PDF Page B

do it.’ Pippa sipped her wine. ‘I barely have time to fit everything in and I don’t work and William is away at school.’
    Alice loved Pippa. Her life was so privileged and different from Alice’s yet they got on really well. Pippa was kind, sweet and generous to a fault. Both she and David were from landed gentry. David’s parents owned half of Berkshire and Pippa’s half of Kent. They were a perfect match.
    They lived in a huge house in Holland Park. When Alice was with them, she felt as if she was in an episode of
Downton Abbey
. They actually had a housekeeper and a driver, and always had cocktails at seven, before dinner. Alice loved going there – it was always so civilized and calm, not to mention luxurious and elegant.
    ‘Hold on a minute!’ Alice gasped. ‘Your bracelet nearly took my eye out. Is it new?’
    Pippa wrinkled her nose. ‘It’s the guilt bracelet. David bought it for me last year, after his liaison with that nurse. I don’t like wearing it – it’s terribly showy – but David gets offended if I don’t. Honestly, men are such children.’
    Alice squeezed Pippa’s hand. ‘I think it’s wonderful that you guys managed to work it out. I was relieved as well as glad because we get to keep you both as friends.’
    Pippa smiled. ‘It hasn’t been easy, but I’m glad too. I do love him, you know, and he truly is sorry. He’s much nicer to me now than before. I think it was a mid-life crisis, to be honest. He felt his youth slipping away and wanted one last fling. Mind you, if it happens again I’ve told David that Daddy has the best lawyer lined up for me, a total Rottweiler. That frightened him a bit, I can tell you.’
    ‘Serves him right!’ Alice said. ‘To be honest,’ she said, lowering her voice, ‘I think Ben’s having some kind of mid-life thing as well.’
    ‘With a nurse?’ Pippa was visibly shocked.
    ‘No – at least, I don’t think so.’
    ‘Thank goodness, although I can’t imagine Ben being unfaithful to you.’
    ‘Never say never.’
    ‘That’s true – I never thought David would do it to me.’ Pippa looked down at her bracelet. Glancing up, she asked, ‘Are you having sex?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Regular sex?’
    ‘Yes.’ Alice felt a bit awkward discussing it with Pippa. It wasn’t a usual topic of conversation for them.
    ‘Oh, good. Sorry, but I had to ask. My counsellor said part of our problem was that we weren’t having sex. I just went off it a bit, darling, but I’m making more of an effort now and it’s much better.’
    ‘I honestly don’t think Ben’s having an affair. It’s more of a restlessness with life. He seems to be unfulfilled in work. It’s scaring me a bit, where it might lead.’
    ‘Don’t worry. All men have a wobble at this age. Ben adores you. I always say to David that you have such a good marriage. It’s balanced because you both have jobs, you both earn money and you make each other laugh. I’m sure this is just a little distraction that he’ll get over soon.’
    ‘I hope so,’ Alice said, as she lifted the beef bourguignon out of the oven.
    Dinner was lovely. They drank too much wine and told funny stories of medical-school days and holidays, children and work. Alice felt the red wine relaxing her. She watched Ben as he told an amusing anecdote about their honeymoon. His eyes twinkled in the candlelight and she thought how handsome he was.
    He caught her eye and winked at her. Alice’s stomach fluttered. He still had it. He could still make her want to rip his clothes off – especially after a few glasses of wine.
    As they waved David and Pippa off, Ben pinched her bum. He closed the door and spun her towards him. ‘You look very hot tonight, Dr Gregory.’
    Alice giggled. ‘You look pretty sexy yourself, Doctor. Can I be examined, please?’
    ‘I’ll give you the full once-over.’
    Laughing, Ben pulled Alice into the lounge and they fell
onto the couch, kissing and tugging each other’s clothes off.