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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