Katie said, screwing up her face. ‘I hope it’s not one of those kisses like Megan and Uncle Byron had.’
‘Katie!’ Her mother’s face was bright pink as she scolded her daughter.
‘It’s all right, Mummy,’ Katie reassured her guilelessly. ‘I’ve already told Aunty Cara about it.’
The silence was deafening.
Cara bent her head to her plate and pretended to be interested in the food still sitting there untouched.
‘Girls—’ Sally’s voice was tight ‘—please finish your breakfast. Pop said he’d take you to the Victoria market while I help Granny with the party preparations.’
The little girls jumped down from the table and took their grandfather’s hands, following him out of the room chattering animatedly as they went.
‘Cara, I’m sorry—the girls can be precocious at times.’
‘Please don’t worry.’ Cara smiled at Sally hesitantly. ‘It’s fine—really.’
She felt Byron’s hooded gaze on her and made another attempt at her muesli.
‘Byron, dear.’ His mother handed him a plate of bacon. ‘Have some more. You too, Cara. You don’t seem to be enjoying that muesli. What about some eggs and bacon instead?’
She shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. It seemed like every eye was trained on her, trying to gauge her reaction to Katie’s bombshell.
Byron took the plate and helped himself to a portion before handing it back. He turned to glance at Cara.
‘I’ve got a few things to do in town this morning,’ he said. ‘Do you want to come with me? You could have a wander around the shops and galleries if you like.’
‘I…’ She put down her spoon and glanced uncertainly at Byron’s mother. ‘Perhaps I should stay and help your mother and Sally with the party?’
‘No.’ Jan scooped up the discarded plates. ‘You go and explore the shops. Sally and I have got this covered. Mrs Timsby is coming at eleven to help as well.’
‘If you’re sure?’ Cara glanced between Sally and Jan Rockcliffe.
‘Go.’ Jan waved a teatowel at them both. ‘It will do you good. Catch up on old times, or whatever it is divorced couples do these days.’
Cara’s face felt hot.
‘Come on.’ Byron got to his feet. ‘Let’s go.’
She waited until they were in the car, out of earshot of the house, before she spoke.
‘What did your mother mean by that?’
‘By what?’ He looked at her briefly before checking for traffic as he backed out.
‘Her comment about “whatever it is divorced couples do”. What did she mean?’
‘Who knows?’ He shrugged.
Cara chewed one of her nails.
‘Perhaps she saw us,’ she said.
‘Doing what?’
‘You know. Kissing in the bedroom. I thought I heard someone go past the door.’
‘I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you,’ he reassured her. ‘I’m sure my mother can handle it.’
‘No doubt she’s got used to you kissing all sorts of women,’ she put in, pleased at how nonchalant she sounded.
She felt his glance rest on her.
‘Megan and I are just friends.’
‘I see.’
‘No, you don’t see.’ His voice hardened. ‘You want to make me feel guilty for daring to replace you, don’t you?’
‘And did you?’
‘Did I what?’
‘Replace me.’
There was a taut silence.
‘If you’re asking have there been other women—yes, there have.’
Cara’s chest felt tight, as if someone had thumped her, winding her so badly that every subsequent breath she took hurt.
‘What about while we were married?’ she asked through stiff lips. ‘Were there other women then?’
He gave her an incredulous look before turning back to face the traffic.
‘I can’t believe you just asked that,’ he said heavily.
‘Why? Because you thought I didn’t know?’
‘No, because I can’t believe you would be so stupid as to throw away our marriage on petty suspicion. I take it you’re referring to Megan?’
‘I saw you with her,’ she said in a cold, hard tone. ‘The day I left.’
‘And?’
Cara
‘Katie!’ Her mother’s face was bright pink as she scolded her daughter.
‘It’s all right, Mummy,’ Katie reassured her guilelessly. ‘I’ve already told Aunty Cara about it.’
The silence was deafening.
Cara bent her head to her plate and pretended to be interested in the food still sitting there untouched.
‘Girls—’ Sally’s voice was tight ‘—please finish your breakfast. Pop said he’d take you to the Victoria market while I help Granny with the party preparations.’
The little girls jumped down from the table and took their grandfather’s hands, following him out of the room chattering animatedly as they went.
‘Cara, I’m sorry—the girls can be precocious at times.’
‘Please don’t worry.’ Cara smiled at Sally hesitantly. ‘It’s fine—really.’
She felt Byron’s hooded gaze on her and made another attempt at her muesli.
‘Byron, dear.’ His mother handed him a plate of bacon. ‘Have some more. You too, Cara. You don’t seem to be enjoying that muesli. What about some eggs and bacon instead?’
She shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. It seemed like every eye was trained on her, trying to gauge her reaction to Katie’s bombshell.
Byron took the plate and helped himself to a portion before handing it back. He turned to glance at Cara.
‘I’ve got a few things to do in town this morning,’ he said. ‘Do you want to come with me? You could have a wander around the shops and galleries if you like.’
‘I…’ She put down her spoon and glanced uncertainly at Byron’s mother. ‘Perhaps I should stay and help your mother and Sally with the party?’
‘No.’ Jan scooped up the discarded plates. ‘You go and explore the shops. Sally and I have got this covered. Mrs Timsby is coming at eleven to help as well.’
‘If you’re sure?’ Cara glanced between Sally and Jan Rockcliffe.
‘Go.’ Jan waved a teatowel at them both. ‘It will do you good. Catch up on old times, or whatever it is divorced couples do these days.’
Cara’s face felt hot.
‘Come on.’ Byron got to his feet. ‘Let’s go.’
She waited until they were in the car, out of earshot of the house, before she spoke.
‘What did your mother mean by that?’
‘By what?’ He looked at her briefly before checking for traffic as he backed out.
‘Her comment about “whatever it is divorced couples do”. What did she mean?’
‘Who knows?’ He shrugged.
Cara chewed one of her nails.
‘Perhaps she saw us,’ she said.
‘Doing what?’
‘You know. Kissing in the bedroom. I thought I heard someone go past the door.’
‘I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you,’ he reassured her. ‘I’m sure my mother can handle it.’
‘No doubt she’s got used to you kissing all sorts of women,’ she put in, pleased at how nonchalant she sounded.
She felt his glance rest on her.
‘Megan and I are just friends.’
‘I see.’
‘No, you don’t see.’ His voice hardened. ‘You want to make me feel guilty for daring to replace you, don’t you?’
‘And did you?’
‘Did I what?’
‘Replace me.’
There was a taut silence.
‘If you’re asking have there been other women—yes, there have.’
Cara’s chest felt tight, as if someone had thumped her, winding her so badly that every subsequent breath she took hurt.
‘What about while we were married?’ she asked through stiff lips. ‘Were there other women then?’
He gave her an incredulous look before turning back to face the traffic.
‘I can’t believe you just asked that,’ he said heavily.
‘Why? Because you thought I didn’t know?’
‘No, because I can’t believe you would be so stupid as to throw away our marriage on petty suspicion. I take it you’re referring to Megan?’
‘I saw you with her,’ she said in a cold, hard tone. ‘The day I left.’
‘And?’
Cara
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