Ardknocken would anyone have considered it a serious romance!â
âDid you?â he asked steadily.
She hesitated, then shook her head. âI liked Dave. He was fun, and he was different, and when he stopped coming, I missed not have something to look forward to, but he wasnâtâ¦special.â She reached for her wine, took a sip and then another before she confessed, âI may have wanted him to be in my weaker moments, but I always knew he wasnât.â
âWhat constitutes special?â he asked. âTo you?â
She shrugged. âWhen inconveniences donât matter. Like Glenn to Izzy. And Chrissy to Aidan.â
âHave you ever met anyone like that?â
She shook her head, picked up her knife and fork. Her heart was suddenly beating too fast, because in some ways Thierry was already special, not least because sheâd screwed him within minutes of their first hello. Twice, with abandon and violent pleasure. Worse, it came to her that the suspicion Aidan had sown was her inconvenience that didnât matter. He intrigued her too much.
But it was only intrigue. And, no doubt, sexual frustration. She didnât know Thierry and probably never would.
He said, âI canât imagine no oneâs tried to sweep you off your feet.â
âAnd away from Ardknocken to the bright lights?â She smiled. âBelieve it or not, I like it here. Even without ties to my parents, I wouldnât want to leave.â
He shrugged, swallowed some wine. âWhy should you?â
âPeople do. Young folk have to leave to get jobs, or to study. They donât come back, as a rule, except occasionally when theyâre successful enough to want to ditch the rat race. Hardly any of my school friends are still here.â She paused to raise her glass to him. âAnd then the Ardknocken House project arrived.â
âReplacing the nice, ambitious kids who left, with a bunch of dodgy ex-cons.â
âGives us something to talk about. And when Izzy took up with Glennâ¦â She threw up her hands in mock shock.
âWhat did you think? Did you approve of the relationship? Do you approve?â
âTo be honest, I was terrified, at first. I urged her not to take that job at the house, and when she did it anyway, I watched for her coming homeâshe stayed in the B&B flat thenâlike a mother hen afraid the fox has taken her chick.â
âAnd now?â
âNowâ¦I see him with her, with Jack, and how he makes them happy and I like him for who he is. Whatever heâs done in the past, heâs paid for. I donât think about it anymore.â
His eyes were steady, searching.
âMuch,â she added, just in case he thought her too easy a pushover.
A smile flickered across his lips and died.
âAnd funnily enough Aidan trusts him,â she said.
Thierry took a last forkful of potato and laid down his knife and fork. âDoes he trust me?â he asked.
Louise paused, with her cutlery poised, and glanced at him. âHe used to,â she said honestly, âuntil he discovered who Ron was. Now heâs afraid for you and the others.â
â Afraid is not a word I associate with Aidan.â
Louise shrugged. âThere are different kinds of fear. Heâs not afraid of Ron; heâs afraid what will be found because of Ron.â
Thierryâs lip twisted as if he wanted to smile and couldnât. His face gave nothing away at all. In fact, she thought he was just going to leave it there, as thoughâ¦hurt by her suspicion.
Oh hell. Sheâd known this would wreck everything before it had begun, and sheâd been right. Just as well, really.
âNothing will be found,â Thierry said. âThereâs nothing for anyone to find. I donât have any London and Scottish money.â
âThen Ron is barking up the wrong tree?â
âOh yes.â
She frowned suddenly, following
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