Had he ever come to her after he had been with Reggie? She could not forget the times he had returned home late at night, smelling of soap and aftershave, and had taken her into his arms and loved her. He never could have really loved her. He was unnatural. He had wanted a man, not her. He had wanted Reggie Dornan, not his family.

She felt certain now that her life had been a lie. A great big filthy lie. But she would get this day over with for her sons and then she would decide what she was going to do with their futures. That was the only thing she could do, even though every bone in her body cried out with the urge to unmask the unnatural fuckers and tell people the truth. But, for the sake of her boys, she had to keep her silence and, for them, she would do that much. They were without a father now – she was all they had and it was her job to make sure they were protected; she would protect them until she drew her last breath. But it was a hard road she was walking, knowing that the man she had loved and adored had never really wanted her in return. That the man she had married had taken more pleasure from another man who was as masculine as he had been.

Well, she knew better now – she would not fall into that trap again. She wiped the tears from her eyes. Everyone would think she was crying for her husband, not because she had been duped by the man she had loved more than life itself. She remembered her nan telling her years ago about a headstone in Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin. It said, ‘Under this sod lies another one.’ Never was a truer word spoken.

Chapter Eighty-Two

Jack was worried about Sharon. She looked awful. He had tried to talk to her earlier about Lenny but she had shaken her head in distress. He envied the dead man the love of such a good woman. She was white-faced and she had clearly lost weight. It was as if life itself had left her – he knew that sounded melodramatic but it was the only way he could describe her. Her troubles had somehow made her even more beautiful, and she was a beautiful woman already – no one could deny that. Lenny had worshipped her; there had never once been a hint of scandal about him with another bird and, in their world, that was seriously unusual. Women – or a certain type of woman – threw themselves at Faces for the kudos they possessed, and the money they could provide. But Lenny had never once strayed, not to Jack’s knowledge anyway.