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Back The Model Wife
Chapters (48)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. About the Author
  4. Also by Tricia Stringer
  5. Title Page
  6. Dedication
  7. One
  8. Two
  9. Three
  10. Four
  11. Five
  12. Six
  13. Seven
  14. Eight
  15. Nine
  16. Ten
  17. Eleven
  18. Twelve
  19. Thirteen
  20. Fourteen
  21. Fifteen
  22. Sixteen
  23. Seventeen
  24. Eighteen
  25. Nineteen
  26. Twenty
  27. Twenty-One
  28. Twenty-Two
  29. Twenty-Three
  30. Twenty-Four
  31. Twenty-Five
  32. Twenty-Six
  33. Twenty-Seven
  34. Twenty-Eight
  35. Twenty-Nine
  36. Thirty
  37. Thirty-One
  38. Thirty-Two
  39. Thirty-Three
  40. Thirty-Four
  41. Thirty-Five
  42. Thirty-Six
  43. Thirty-Seven
  44. Thirty-Eight
  45. Author’s Note
  46. Acknowledgements
  47. Excerpt
  48. One

It had been Clem’s understanding and his generous offer of support and lots of talking between her and Milt that had got them through it. Eventually she had decided her marriage was worth saving, and she’d accepted Milt’s adamant claim that it had been nothing more than a fumble and a kiss. She’d decided to forgive him and stay. Ever since then they’d both worked hard to make a happy marriage and, until the arrival of Jack in her home, she thought they’d succeeded.

She looked down at the book again now. When she got home from Adelaide she’d seen herself in the mirror. There were dark shadows under her bleary eyes, her hair was lank and in need of a cut, her dress faded and sack-like. Then she’d pictured Veronica and her pretty, if surprised, face; her shining, golden hair; and how the little clothing she’d had on was lacy and seductive.

In that moment Natalie had known the words in the little book were true. She flicked back to the first chapter and read them now.

A frigid or indifferent wife could be supplanted by an ardent mistress. And for the same reason she should always be clean and not permit her person to become unattractive. I must impress upon her the fact that love begets love, politeness begets politeness, and if she does her part the husband will be more likely to do his part, and that much depends upon her own individual effort.

And there it was. The words sounded loud in the empty room even though she’d only murmured them. A chill rippled down her spine again. Her own individual effort. She remembered how those words had stuck with her. For a long time she’d believed the affair had been her fault, that her lack of effort had driven her husband into another woman’s arms. When she’d begun to feel better and she’d decided to save her marriage, she’d been able to put it into perspective and realise she wasn’t to blame but she’d kept the book. She’d filled it with positive sayings – A perfect relationship isn’t perfect, it’s just that both people never give up. She and Milt had vowed that together and it had become her favourite quote out of the many she’d written in the book. Her finger trailed over Clem’s funeral card. She’d noted the sad times as well as happy family events. The photos rekindled fond memories, and then there were the extra loose leaves, recipes, household hints, flyers – she’d done it all to break the book’s spell. The Model Wife had rarely seen the light of day over the last ten years; why was she dwelling on it again now?