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Chapters (60)
  1. CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR LEIGH RUSSELL
  2. Glossary of acronyms
  3. Prologue
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. Acknowledgements

‘What about this?’ she asked, waving one hand around. ‘You and me? I don’t want to sound narcissistic, but how is your break-up going to affect my life? All you’ve told me is that your marriage is over, whatever happens with the paternity test. But you’ve broken up with Bev before. Actually, I think you’re making the right decision not to go back with her, because the marriage wasn’t working for either of you, and it would be a mistake to try and patch it up now just because of the baby. But of course it’s not my place to comment on that,’ she added, aware that she was talking wildly. ‘And you still haven’t told me what you’re planning to do next.’

Now she was the one who was sounding desperate.

‘Well, I haven’t packed a case, but I was hoping to stay here tonight,’ he replied. ‘I left some of my things here, unless you’ve thrown them out.’

It was hardly the most romantic of declarations, but Geraldine felt tears of relief sliding down her cheeks.

‘Your things are in a box. I was going to return them to you, if you asked for them nicely.’

Then, to her embarrassment, she burst into tears. Ian came around to her side of the table and put his arms around her and she cried noisily on to his shoulder.

‘Oh bloody hell,’ he said after a moment, ‘I’ve just walked out on one hysterical woman and now I seem to have saddled myself with another one.’

Geraldine pulled away from his embrace and wiped her eyes. ‘I’m not hysterical,’ she replied, doing her best to stop her voice wobbling. ‘I’m happy.’

Ian grinned at her. ‘Oh, go ahead and cry if you want to. Now, where’s that box?’

‘It’s in the bottom cupboard in the bedroom.’

At the door he turned. ‘You know, if you had thrown my things out –’

‘You wouldn’t have come back?’ she asked, struggling not to break down in tears again.

‘Don’t be so daft.’

He pulled a new toothbrush from his pocket, still in its wrapping. ‘I came prepared. Anyway, thanks for hanging on to my things. Not everyone would have been so understanding.’

‘I never gave up hope,’ she said softly, and he smiled.

‘Oh never mind my finding my things,’ he said, coming back and putting his arms around her again. ‘Now you’ve stopped snivelling, I can think of something else we can do.’

40

40

The following morning Ian summoned Geraldine. He sounded gruff on the phone, and she felt apprehensive as she walked along the corridor to his office. When she arrived, he instructed her to shut the door before telling her that he had received the result of the paternity test. He paused for an instant and drew in a deep breath before telling her the baby was not his.