‘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 adrenalin 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,' said Gail. ‘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 can tell.' 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, too. And if her deduction was correct … well, that made all the difference in the world.
Roadworks 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 were all doing it at the same time. This was fine, though: Declan had anticipated the holiday exodus and factored the delay into his time schedule.
Until a caravan got tangled with a lorry and ended up lying on its side across both remaining lanes, causing a six-mile tailback and a fair amount of colourful language amongst those caught up in it.
By the time Declan arrived in Stanton Langley and pulled up outside Goldstone House, it was 1.15.
‘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 the silver taxi he'd seen at the traffic lights had contained Coral. 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 rung 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 tipping it over himself like Mr Bean.' Good humour restored, Lily said, ‘It was Dan's idea.'
‘In that case, perfect,' said Declan.
‘Hooray.' She hugged him again. ‘Oh 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 round so they could view the screen, and Lily and Declan leaned across the table to read the article.
Lily, who had been bracing herself all evening – all week, if she were being honest – saw that it was essentially a non-story. Having scanned Keir Bourne's words, she felt the tension seep out of her body, all the pent-up anxiety magically recede.
‘Oh, thank God. I thought he was going to say all sorts of horrible things.' She took a glug of Dan's wine, because her own glass was empty. ‘But he hasn't badmouthed me at all.'
Now that he hadn't, she almost felt guilty for having thought he might.
‘Well, what would that have made him look like? Anyway,' Declan raised his own glass to her, ‘good news. Here's to you.'
‘Cheers.' Lily clinked and took another glug.
‘I'd say cheers too,' Dan said mournfully, ‘but someone stole my drink.'
Lily studied the photos accompanying the article more carefully. The first, of the reunion itself, looked every bit as uncomfortable as it had felt: two strangers awkwardly encountering each other in the street. The second, presumably taken afterwards, showed Keir Bourne looking sad, and the accompanying text quoted him as saying, ‘It wasn't the outcome I was hoping for, but I respect Lily's decision not to want any further contact with me. There's nothing more to be done. I just wish her and Eddie Tessler all the very best for the future.'
The third and final photograph was of Keir Bourne's ex-wife and teenage daughter, neither of whom spoke to him any longer. The ex-wife, Tanya, had told Shaz, ‘You want my honest opinion? Sure about that? OK, Keir Bourne was a lousy husband and father who was capable of turning on the charm when it suited him. He had several affairs that I knew of, and I'm sure there were plenty more I never got to hear about. Our lives are far happier now without him around to mess us about, and I don't blame Lily one bit for not wanting anything to do with him. That kind of hassle has to be the last thing she'd need.'
The daughter, Sasha, was equally blunt. She said, ‘Lily's well off out of it. Trust me, she hasn't missed out on anything, not having our father in her life. I'm fifteen years old and last Christmas he gave me a teddy bear he'd bought in a petrol station on Christmas Eve. I know this because he left the receipt in the plastic bag it was wrapped up in.' Finally, asked if she was curious to meet her older half-sister, the girl had replied, ‘To be truthful, I'm not bothered. I mean, Lily's pretty and everything, but the two of us don't look anything alike. Seeing photos of her doesn't make me long to meet her just because we happen to have the same biological father. Especially when we both wish we didn't. Still, she seems like a nice person, so good luck to her. And if she happens to read this, here's a message from me: Hi, Lily, you had a lucky escape!'
Lily finished reading. ‘That poor girl. She sounds great, though.'
Dan smiled. ‘She sounds exactly like you.'
Ha, she hadn't even realised it, but of course he was right. Studying the photograph more closely, Lily saw the clean angles of Sasha's face, the bright, defiant gleam in her blue eyes and the determined tilt of her chin. She was small and pale, with poker-straight dark hair. There might not be any physical similarity between them, but Sasha's comments were undoubtedly the kind she herself would have made at that age.