Except of course 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 in order 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 worktop.
‘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 on to the worktop. 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 holiday 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,' said Declan.
‘Sure about that?'
Jealousy had always been the ultimate turn-off 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 unlock 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,' said Declan. Personally, for the next few months he was planning on giving salmon and broccoli a miss.
Gail gathered herself. ‘I'll go and get my things,' she said coolly.
She was only gone for a few minutes; it didn't take long to collect together her toothbrush, toiletries bag and expensive silk nightdress. 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 worktop. ‘I daresay we can be civil about this. No need for any awkwardness.'
Relieved, Declan said, ‘Definitely no need.'
‘Seeing as we know so many of the same people,' said Gail, ‘I hope we can let them think our decision to separate was mutual.'
Ah, back to keeping up appearances. Declan nodded gravely. ‘Easier all round.'
‘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,' said Gail.
‘Oh, right, of course.' Declan wondered how next door's cat would feel about wasabi. He showed Gail to the front door, extremely glad she hadn't sobbed.