by Jill Mansell
“How did they find you, then? By hiring Jessica Fletcher?”
“My mate called the paper and told them about me. Shaz turned up at the pub that same evening. She was very persuasive,” Keir said. “Once she has her mind set on something, it’s hard to say no.” He sighed. “And she made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
“How much?” said Dan.
“A grand.”
“What? Are you serious? That’s the offer you couldn’t refuse?”
“Again, when you don’t have any spare cash, that’s a lot.”
“So you’ve come here and caused all this mess”—Dan indicated the kitchen door, through which first Patsy, then Lily had departed—“for a thousand pounds. Lily’s your biological daughter, and you’ve done this to her. Wow, you really are a hero.”
“And I suppose you’ve never made any mistakes in your life,” Keir retaliated.
He was growing up, Dan realized. Maturing. A couple of years ago, he wouldn’t have thought twice about launching himself at Keir Bourne, even in his currently crippled condition. He still had one good leg to stand on and one good arm capable of landing a punch that would demonstrate his utter contempt for this man and what he’d done. One perfect punch—and screw the consequences.
But he wasn’t going to give in to that urge, tempting though it was. The damage may already have been done here; however, there was something to be said for preventing possible future damage. Breaking Keir Bourne’s jaw wouldn’t be such a clever move.
God, though, just for that split second wouldn’t it feel great?
“I’d better go find Shaz, tell her what’s going on,” Keir Bourne said wearily. “I don’t suppose there are going to be any more photos they can use.”
Oh, the temptation…
“Don’t get up,” Dan said as the older man went to push back his chair. “There’s something else I need to say to you first.”
* * *
Patsy found Sean and Will sunbathing in their backyard, reading the Sunday papers and blissfully unaware of everything that had gone on.
Well, they’d hear about it soon enough. Everyone would know by this time tomorrow. Stanton Langley might have plenty of good things going for it, but keeping secrets wasn’t one of them.
“I did a bad thing, and now I’m running away for a bit. Sorry to mess you about.” She handed the keys to the salon over to Will. “Can you apologize to my regulars and say I’ll be back next week?” If they even wanted to let her do their hair after this. “I’ve already called Jenna, and she’s going to fill in while I’m away.”
“Whoa, hold on. What’s happened?” Sean sat up and took off his sunglasses. “What’s this about?”
“I’m a terrible person, and now everyone knows about it. I need to go, because I’m a coward and I just can’t face anyone for a while. Ask Lily or Dan. They’ll tell you what I did.”
“Oh, Pats.” There was concern in Sean’s eyes, those kind gray eyes she’d encountered for the first time just a few short months after her tryst at the Valentine Hotel. She’d been so thrilled to meet Sean, had thought her luck had changed at last…ha, had even imagined that in some cosmic way she’d been forgiven for the shameful incident with Keir Bourne.
Except, of course, that the cosmos had been playing the long game and had had one last triumphant twist in store.
Patsy was still trying hard not to cry. Sean said, “Is it a man?”
“Isn’t it always?” She could barely squeeze the words out past the lump in her throat.
“Oh, sweetheart.” He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a consoling hug. Patsy let it happen, because there would be no more hugs once he found out what she’d done.
Not from anyone.
Chapter 37
Arriving home on Friday afternoon, Declan found Gail already there, having let herself into the house to start preparing dinner.
“I finished work early.” She gave him a brief kiss on the lips before turning back to attend to the salmon fillets and broccoli. “Thought I’d surprise you.”
Battered cod and chips would have been the real surprise. Declan said, “I just need to go upstairs to the office and check through a couple of contracts.” He shrugged off his jacket and left his phone and car keys on the kitchen counter.
“How long will you be?”
“No more than twenty minutes.” He put his hand to his heart. “And that’s a promise.”
Upstairs in his office, he kicked off his shoes, then waited a couple of minutes before making his way back down to the kitchen, where he found Gail going through his phone with the thoroughness of a KGB agent. So his instincts had been right after all. He stood in the doorway and watched as, head bent and fingers darting at the speed of light, she scrolled through his emails, instant messages, and recently called phone numbers.
Utterly oblivious to his presence behind her, she jumped a mile when he said, “What are you doing?”
The phone slid from her fingers and clattered onto the counter. Ah, she’d moved on to photos. Reaching past her and scooping it up, Declan said, “Looking for anything in particular? Maybe I can help you find it.”
Caught out, Gail went on the attack. “You were on the phone to Lily this morning for twenty-three minutes.”
“I know.”
“You’ve spoken to her four times this week.”
“And? She’s had a lot going on. You know that.” What with Keir Bourne’s reappearance, followed by the Patsy bombshell, it had been a traumatic few days for Lily.
Gail lifted her chin. “So you’re still planning to drive down tomorrow and spend next week there.”
“You know that too. I told you I was.”
“You can’t stay at Goldstone House with Lily. You just can’t.” Shaking her head, Gail said, “Absolutely not.”
Declan was incredulous. “You can’t seriously be thinking there’s anything going on between Lily and me.”
“I don’t think that, but other people might. And you can’t tell me there isn’t something suspicious going on. There was another number you rang this morning with the local code for Stanton Langley. Who was that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it was the plumber working at the cottage.”
“Except it was a landline number,” Gail retorted. “You got off the phone to Lily and called it two minutes later.”
Declan nodded, remembering. “Yes, that was me calling Coral.”
“Ah, now we’re getting to it. What about?”
Only the fact that he’d already made his decision meant that Declan didn’t mind answering the question. He said evenly, “Coral was wanting to cancel her trip to the South of France because she didn’t want to leave Lily, what with everything that’s happened. Lily asked me to speak to her, to persuade her to go.”
“And did you?”
“I did.” It had actually been a confusing scenario, seeing that given the choice, he would have far preferred Coral to postpone the vacation so she’d still be at home while he was staying there. But he’d done as Lily wanted and assured Coral that he’d be around to keep an eye on things. Because he knew from Lily how much the break in Grimaud would mean to Coral. And he’d eventually managed to make her see sense and agree to fly to Nice.
Even though it wasn’t what he wanted.
Oh well.
“Interested in Coral, are you?” Gail said it lightly, but there was a faint edge to her voice.
“No,” Declan said.
“Sure about that?”
Jealousy had always been the ultimate turnoff for him. Luckily, years of bidding at auction had honed his poker face; he was skilled at not giving anything away. “Quite sure, thanks,” he said calmly. “How long has the phone checking been going on?”
“Not long.”
How had she even known the code to unloc
k it? By covertly watching him, Declan supposed, since it wasn’t a number he’d ever written down. He thought back to the couple of occasions recently when he’d opened his office drawers upstairs and sensed that the contents weren’t exactly as he’d left them. He gazed steadily at Gail. “Have you been going through the papers in my office too?”
She hesitated just long enough—presumably wondering if he’d had CCTV installed—to confirm what he’d begun to suspect. He shook his head. “OK, well, I think we’ve reached the end of the line here.”
Gail flushed. “What line?”
“This.” He indicated the two of them. “Us. I’m sorry. I can’t cope with being spied on.”
“But I just had to—”
“No, you didn’t. And I never imagined you’d do it. I didn’t think you were the type.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Gail’s voice rose. “That’s just it. I’m not the type! I’ve never been like it before, but you’ve forced me into it by being this way.”
“This way.” Declan shrugged. “What way?”
“Oh, come on, you know. That place. Everything to do with Stanton Langley. That cottage you’ve bought, the people there. And if you ask me, I bet—”
“Well, I’m not asking you,” Declan cut in. “I don’t want to know.” He meant it too; Gail could be cutting when she wanted, and he couldn’t bear to hear whatever dismissive comments she might be about to make. “This isn’t working out. I think you should leave now.”
She blinked. “You mean it’s over? We’re over?”
“That’s what I mean, yes.”
“For real?”
“For real.”
“What about this?” Gail pointed to the salmon fillets and broccoli sitting sadly in their white ceramic baking dish along with a shallow puddle of rice wine vinegar and a smear of wasabi.
Did anyone seriously like wasabi?
“You can take it with you if you want,” Declan said. Personally, for the next few months, he was planning on giving salmon and broccoli a miss.
Gail gathered herself. “I’ll go get my things,” she said coolly.
She was only gone for a few minutes; it didn’t take long to collect her toothbrush, toiletries bag, and expensive silk nightgown. When she returned to the kitchen, she was in complete control once more. “I hope you’re sure about this. You may live to regret it.”
“I may,” Declan agreed, because she still had her pride.
“And then you’ll be sorry. Because if I leave now, that’s it. No going back.”
Thank goodness for that. He shook his head. “I know.”
“OK, well, I’ll be off then.” Gail placed his spare front-door key on the kitchen counter. “I daresay we can be civil about this. No need for any awkwardness.”
Relieved, Declan said, “Definitely no need.”
“Since we know so many of the same people,” Gail said, “I hope we can let them think our decision to separate was mutual.”
Ah, back to keeping up appearances. Declan nodded gravely. “Easier all around.”
“Can I just ask you one last time? Is there anything going on between you and any of the women in Stanton Langley?”
Declan shook his head, and this time he was being entirely honest. “While you were searching my phone, did you find anything?”
“No,” Gail admitted.
“That’s because there’s nothing to find.” He spread his hands. “And that’s the honest truth.”
“Right. OK, I believe you.” Evidently relieved that she was leaving the relationship without having been cheated on, Gail nodded. “I do.”
“Thanks.” Why was he even thanking her? He had no idea.
She kissed him politely on both cheeks, as if they were distant acquaintances who’d bumped into each other in the street. “I’ll be off then. Just put foil on top. Take it out after twenty minutes.”
“Sorry?” The mind boggled; what on earth was she talking about?
“The salmon and broccoli,” Gail said.
“Oh, right, of course.” Declan wondered how next door’s cat would feel about wasabi. He showed Gail to the front door, extremely glad that she hadn’t sobbed.
“Just a word of warning, though, before I go.” She paused in the doorway. “There may be a few awkward moments ahead for you with Coral.”
The hairs rose on the back of Declan’s neck. “What?”
“Just giving you the heads-up.” Gail regarded him with amusement.
“Why? I don’t know what you mean.”
“Have you seriously not noticed? She has a crush on you.”
A whoosh of adrenaline had him in its grip. At least his look of disbelief was genuine. Stunned, he swallowed. “What makes you think that?”
“Simple.” Gail shrugged. “I asked her.”
What? What?
He raked his fingers through his hair. “Are you serious? When?”
“Last weekend. You know what I’m like,” Gail said. “If I want to know the answer to something, I’ll ask the question.”
Or scroll through a phone.
But the phone thing was irrelevant now. “Hang on. You’re telling me you asked Coral if she had a crush on me, and she said yes?”
More amusement. “Oh no. She said no.”
He stared at her. “I don’t get it. So she doesn’t, then.”
“Declan, do keep up. I’m a woman, aren’t I? She definitely does. I know.” Declan continued to look stunned. “See what I mean about awkward? But I thought you deserved to know so you can let her down gently. Forewarned is forearmed, after all.”
“Right,” Declan said slowly.
“Anyway, I’m off now. Bye.”
“Bye.” Still in something of a daze, he heard himself say, “Sorry.”
Evidently pleased with herself for having shared Coral’s secret with him, Gail said smugly, “No need. Your loss.”
Chapter 38
Declan left his house on Saturday morning aiming to reach Stanton Langley by midday. He knew that Coral had booked a cab at one to take her to the airport. Obviously he had no intention of saying anything about what Gail had told him, but just the thought of seeing Coral again before she left for France was enough to make his heart race with anticipation.
He’d barely slept last night, going over and over in his head the words Gail had uttered. She’d been so completely sure of herself. And if her deduction was correct…well, that made all the difference in the world.
Road construction on the motorway meant one lane was closed. Traffic was heavy; it seemed as if half of London had decided to escape the city this morning, and they were all doing it at the same time. This was fine, though. Declan had anticipated the vacation exodus and factored the delay into his time schedule.
Until a motor home got tangled up with a truck and ended up lying on its side across both remaining lanes, causing a six-mile backup and a fair amount of colorful language among those caught up in it.
By the time Declan arrived in Stanton Langley and pulled up outside Goldstone House, it was one fifteen.
“Hello!” Lily greeted him with a hug. “How are you? You just missed Coral. She left less than a minute ago. Poor thing, she was starting to panic because her taxi was late turning up. You must have passed her at the end of the street!”
So Coral had been in the silver taxi he’d seen at the traffic light. For a moment, Declan felt like a small child being told he’d just missed Father Christmas.
Oh well, she’d be back in a week. It wouldn’t kill him to wait, would it?
Aloud, he said, “She’ll have a great time over there.”
Lily beamed. “I know. It’s going to do her the world of good. She used to love painting so much. I bet she’ll have a fantastic week.”
Deliberately dismissing thoughts of Coral
having a fantastic week in the South of France, Declan said, “And how are you doing?”
“Not too bad. Keeping myself busy. Look, you don’t need to sleep at Weaver’s Cottage—”
“It’s fine, I promise.” He shook his head; they’d already discussed this on the phone. Gail had been right when she’d said other people might find the idea of him staying at Goldstone House inappropriate. “I really don’t mind at all.”
Lily’s eyes were sparkling. “Ah, but this is a whole new plan. Dan had a text from Patsy this morning saying she isn’t going to be back for another week. So you can stay with Dan.”
“Patsy’s away for another week? Is she OK?”
“I imagine so. I haven’t called her to ask, if that’s what you’re wondering.” Lily’s shrug was deliberately offhand. “We don’t know where she is. But she’s apparently spoken to Jenna, who’s staying on to cover for her at the salon.” She paused, then changed the subject. “So anyway, how about that for an idea? You and Dan at his place?”
It would certainly be more comfortable than sleeping on the floor at Weaver’s Cottage. “How does Dan feel about it?”
“Hey, he’s the injured party who can’t carry a cup of tea out of the kitchen without spilling it all over himself like Mr. Bean.” Good humor restored, Lily said, “It was Dan’s idea.”
“In that case, perfect,” Declan said.
“Hooray!” She hugged him again. “I’m so glad you’re back.”
* * *
The piece in this Sunday’s edition of the newspaper appeared online just before midnight. It was far smaller than last week’s double-page spread. Dan swung his laptop around so they could view the screen, and Lily and Declan leaned across the table to read the article.
