and you have so many issues yourself that I’m at a loss to understand how you think you can sort out other people’s emotional baggage.’
Ellie was furious, but Leo waved her hand to indicate that she should calm down.
‘I’m not a counsellor, Fiona. I don’t dredge up people’s histories and make them face the horrors of their past. I help them to recognise who they are now, and where they want to be in the future.’
‘Come on, Leo. Admit it. I bet your sole aim is to destroy the maximum number of relationships so that women are freed from lives of hell with their bastard men, isn’t it?’
‘Despite what you might think, I don’t try to split up happy couples. But I do try to give those that are unhappy the strength to make changes.’ Leo paused. ‘Of course, there are people that marry for purely materialistic reasons, and while their husbands continue to keep them in the style to which they have become accustomed, life is hunky dory. But I do wonder what happens to these women if things go wrong. We live in turbulent times, Fiona, and the most comfortable of lives are liable to disruption.’
Fiona ignored the jibe. She hadn’t finished.
‘I bet most people come to you because their marriages are in trouble, and they don’t know what to do. Am I right?’
Leo looked as if she didn’t want to get dragged any further into this conversation, and didn’t answer. But that didn’t deter Fiona.
‘We all know how many marriages end in divorce - so let’s not pretend. And a huge percentage must be because of infidelity. So if somebody tells you their marriage is falling apart because their partner has been unfaithful, what would you say? Would you tell them to get out?’
Leo took a deep breath. ‘As I said, I don’t tell my clients what to do. They make the decisions. I just ask the questions.’
Charles was looking at Fiona as if he didn’t recognise her. His frown had deepened, and he looked even more perplexed than usual, but everybody else was smiling rather benignly at her drunken ramblings.
‘Well, Leo,’ Fiona continued, ‘I do wonder if your judgement isn’t somewhat clouded.’ She thumped her glass down on the table as if she had made an important decision. ‘I know, let’s have an honesty session. Given that some enormous percentage of people are unfaithful to their spouses, how many round this table will admit to it? Patrick - we all know about you, so you are exempt. Sean - what about you?’
Ellie wished somebody would butt in and stop this - but half the people seemed to think it was mildly amusing, and somehow she wasn’t able to intervene. She looked down at her food, unable to meet anybody’s gaze.
‘Well, if you listened to the village gossip you’d probably believe that I’d shagged half the women in Cheshire.’
‘And indeed, who would blame them, Sean. But the question is - have you?’ prodded Fiona.
Ellie looked at her friend, appalled that she would ask such a question. But Fiona was leaning forward across the table giving Sean what was undoubtedly supposed to be a sexy smile, but came out as a drunken leer. Ellie glanced at Sean.
‘I never kiss and tell, Fiona,’ he responded, a small smile playing around his lips.
Ellie didn’t want Fiona to get to Max. He was a hopeless liar and if there was something to find out, she didn’t want it to be like this. But she was saved by the person she least expected. For motives that Ellie couldn’t begin to comprehend, Charles spoke up.
‘Actually, Fiona, as you appear to find it all so very amusing, perhaps you would be entertained to know that I may have had a small dalliance.’
Fiona burst out laughing.
‘Oh don’t be so bloody absurd, Charles. Of course you haven’t!’
Seeing Charles’s hurt face, Ellie glanced at Leo and her sister clearly read her well.
‘Enough. Stop stirring,’ Leo said, pointing at Fiona across the table with a chocolate tuile. ‘I tell you what, though. I’ll give you a free life coaching session, Fiona. In fact,’ she looked around the table, ‘I’ll give each of the women here a freebie - you’ll all make great material for my blog - anonymously of course. Let’s see if that changes your view of what a life coach does. I’ll throw in lunch too, if you like. Go home and check me out - see what you think. Google Leonora Harris and you’ll find