The summer of 2023 was starting out just like any other for Kimberley and Richard Armitage and before it was over it was going to turn out to be one of the worst of Kimberley's life because that July was the time when everything she and Richard had built together took a bit of a blow when Kimberley suspected him of being unfaithful to her with the babysitter of their two young children; 7-year-old Vanessa and 4-year-old William, a son who looked a great deal more like her than dad, which was a fair trade as Vanessa quite strongly resembles Richard.
"That's absurd Kim there's no way on this earth that I would ever be unfaithful to you; do you remember what was written inside your engagement and our wedding rings" Richard replied as calmly as possible when Kimberley asked him if there was anything going on between him and the 17-year-old blue-eyed-blonde babysitter they had hired to work Friday nights. "Explain this if you can then" Kimberley replied just as calmly, showing him an image that had been sent to their address from a completely anonymous source and at that moment it seemed as though Richard had really been rendered lost-for-words.
The person in question was 17-year-old Katherine Redgrave, who was quite obviously a not so famous member of the family dynasty; counting Vanessa Redgrave, Joely and Miranda Richardson as being among her relatives. At 5"10 with sunlight blonde hair and azure blue eyes there can be no denying the fact that this Barnet school student is very attractive, but not once had she even tried putting the moves on Richard; in fact it was quite the opposite as Katherine longed for the time when she'd find someone to love her as completely and unconditionally as Richard and Kimberley loved each other.
But before Kimberley believed either side of the story, she went to a friend of hers who worked at the police labs in the heart of London to have the image looked at closely by someone who knew what they were doing. While she was out of the house that morning, Richard had agreed to take care of the two children who had become the centre of their world, and it was while the two children kept themselves amused in his line of sight in the playroom that he thought back as best he could to when that 'picture' was taken.
"I'm completely sure that the one and the only woman I would be kissing in such a manner anywhere especially in public is my own wife" he told his former THE HOBBIT colleague and close friend Lee Pace when the actor behind King Thranduill showed at his home quite unexpected. Lee had seen the pained expression on Richard's face and had blatantly refused to concede until Richard started talking, and to say that Lee felt shocked at what his old friend had been accused of by his own wife would have to be one of the biggest understatements of them all.
While Lee kept the youngsters amused as best he could, Richard took the opportunity to put in a call to his agent to find out where he was at the time that the image was supposed to have been taken and it turned out that he was on the other side of London, filming a piece of his newest movie near the front of Buckingham Palace, so there was absolutely no way it can be him in the image, unless he had a twin that nobody had any idea about, especially as Chris was the only sibling he grew up with.
"I won't deny it Richard for a teenager she is attractive but you and Kim have built up such an amazing life together that I'm sure a lot of celebrity couples even these days and in the years gone by would be slightly jealous" Lee commented after Richard returned from trying and succeeding in getting Vanessa and William to sleep, "Yeah we have and I would have to be declared insane by a professional doctor to want to even think of doing anything that could screw that up so monumentally" but what neither of them knew was that Kimberley was listening.
Richard suddenly wondered what Lee was staring at over his shoulder and he turned around as slowly as his recently injured left ribcage would allow. His face and his blue eyes quickly lit up enough to rival the Trafalgar Square Christmas displays, and it seemed as if neither of them heard Lee as he made his own way out of the house, closing the door secure behind him, undoubtedly happy that some progress was being made. "Richie honey I am so sorry I accused you of straying" Kimberley spoke first, putting her finger to Richard's lips to try to silence him.
"I had my friend at the police lab at Scotland Yard take a look at it and it turns out that it has all been put together and upon even closer examination as only the police can do with the equipment available to them; it's not even you in the picture so I guess someone felt like trying to stir up a bit of trouble for us by posting it" and no sooner had Kimberley said her part did Richard gently take it from her and stick it through the shredder under the desk in a corner of the living room.
"You have absolutely nothing whatsoever to be sorry for my darling girl" Richard replied as he gently wrapped both of his arms around her, putting his head on top of hers after giving it a swift kiss and gentle smile, "As I said to Lee being declared insane is the only way on this Earth that I would have even thought about cheating on you because I love you so much and I wouldn't want to lose everything we've built up together over the years including our two beautiful children over something so insignificant as a potentially infatuated teenage babysitter".
