Title: Betrayal
Author: Margaret Bingley
Date of Publication: November 4th 2014
Set in the
second half of the twentieth century, Lisa Green comes from a world
of privilege, but only in the way of wealth, not in love. When a turn
of events leaves her single, with an Autistic child to raise, without
the means to support herself, Lisa gets stuck in an abusive new relationship
that she is desperate to get out of. BETRAYAL catalogs one woman’s search for
love without conditions, sexual or otherwise, in a world that seems
bent against her.
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Excerpt
He couldn't pinpoint the exact moment when it began
to go wrong, but the increasing number of times that Bishop rang him
with night work was an irritant, while the work itself preyed on his
mind, eating away at his nerves. Even then it only showed in small,
petulant out-breaks of temper that never seemed to ruffle Lisa.
No, if there was one moment when he knew it couldn't
last it was on the Friday night at the end of May when he arrived back
at the maisonette, worn out by countless retakes and sudden script changes,
longing for a quick shower and bed and instead found Lisa dressed up
in a black backless dress, the table set for an intimate dinner for
two.
'What the hell's up?' he snapped. 'It isn't my birthday,
is it?'
Realising that he was in a mood, Lisa didn't laugh.
She'd already learnt that he didn't like being laughed at. 'Of course
not. It's just that I've got something to tell you and I thought it
would make a nice change if I cooked you a decent meal for once.'
'I fancy fish and chips,' he said churlishly, and
slammed off to the bathroom.
When he emerged wearing his oldest pair of denims
and a short-sleeved shirt with a hole in the back she realised that
he wasn't going to go along with her plan. Sighing inwardly, she placed
a stuffed pepper in front of him.
'What's this?'
'An hors d'oeuvre.'
'Why not just call it a starter, you stuck-up bitch?'
he complained, reaching for the wine bottle lying in its wicker basket.
'I'll have a drink instead. How about you?'
'You know I don't drink red wine.'
'Bloody affectation. You can drink some tonight, can't
you?'
Despite knowing that she'd end up with a migraine
she decided she'd better placate him and held out her glass. 'Only a
little, thanks.'
Filling it to the top, he smiled unpleasantly. 'Drink
it all up!'
She wasn't quite sure how to handle his mood and felt
uneasy. 'I will, later on,' she promised.
'Now!'
'Toby, I don't want it. I… '
Picking up the plate with the stuffed pepper still
on it, he flung it across the room. 'Then I don't want your bloody pepper
filled with dog meat!'
'Toby, please…'
'Toby, please!' he mimicked.
She went over to the stove and produced the Chinese-style
steaks she'd prepared. He looked suspiciously at his. 'What the hell's
all that stuff round the meat?'
'What on earth's the matter with you?' she snapped,
losing her patience. 'I'm tired,' he said sullenly. 'I wanted a bit
of peace and quiet, not all this fuss.'
'I'm very sorry but unfortunately I'm not psychic,
and it so happens that I wanted to tell you something important tonight.'
'You're moving out? Hurrah!' 'I'm pregnant.'
'Oh, well, that's… You're what?'
'Pregnant. Toby, I know it isn't what we intended
but… ' 'Who's the father?' he asked softly
About Margaret Bingley
Margaret Bingley
was born in Sutton, Surrey and educated at Sutton High School for Girls
GPDST, where she won the school English prize, and then at Rickard’s Lodge Secretarial
College in Wimbledon. After that she went to work at the BBC in London,
and later moved to work for The Heinemann Group of Publishers at Lower
Kingswood in Surrey, where she met her future husband, Alan.
In 1974, Margaret
and Alan moved to Grantham in Lincolnshire and In 1976 their son, Alex,
was born. One day, after reading a particularly boring book, she decided
to try and write one herself and eventually, after many trials and tribulations,
her first book THE DEVIL’S CHILD was published. Much
of the book was based on those early, halcyon days of motherhood.
She continued
writing steadily from 1983 onwards, and in February 2000 she also started
writing a weekly column of 400 words for the local paper, The Grantham
Journal, entitled ‘The Way I See It’.
Apart from
her work, Margaret enjoys reading, opera, dry white wine, Foyle’s War (or
anything else with Michael Kitchen in it!) and gardening.
She does not
like reality TV shows, ‘alternative’ comedians or Political Correctness.
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