‘Are your parents expressive people?’

‘My mum threw a cup of tea in my face a few weeks ago. I’d say that was quite demonstrative.’

For several seconds Tom says nothing. Instead, he studies Fran’s face so intently she can’t bear it and looks away.

‘I think I understand you now,’ he says eventually. ‘You came here because you’re struggling with grief but the root cause of your pain is anger. You’ve suffered a great deal, Geraldine. You were sent away from home as a child, you were bullied and you developed a survival strategy to stop yourself being hurt ever again. And it’s probably worked. You haven’t let anyone close enough to hurt you. But you did love someone; you must have, to feel such intense grief and regret. Anger won’t bring them back though. And self-recrimination won’t help you heal. You have to forgive yourself. You did the best you could, Geraldine, with the life you’ve lived and the experiences you’ve been through. Love doesn’t need words to be felt. The person you lost will have known how much you loved them.’

Fran swallows but her throat is tight and knotty and her chest is burning more than it did after she nearly drowned. She presses a hand to it and takes a shuddering breath.

‘I wish that was true.’ Her voice is a whisper. ‘But I don’t think they did.’

Chapter 28

Then

JENNA

Jenna smiles gratefully as the receptionist perches on the sofa beside her in the lobby, then winces as the woman dabs at her forehead with an antiseptic wipe. Over at the counter, Tom is deep in discussion with the manager. He’s speaking confidently yet calmly, gesticulating with his hands as he describes what happened, all trace of the distressed man she held in her arms minutes earlier now gone. He was a quivering wreck and no one can be that good an actor. She is convinced that Kate hit him but she’s got so many questions. Why did Kate go along with Jenna’s assumption that Tom hit her? Why swear her to secrecy? Was she worried the truth would come out? And why didn’t Tom sack her?

She catches herself. Kate’s not the only one who’s been violent towards Tom. Less than half an hour ago Jenna flipped a table over, spilling coffee all over him. She hit him too, yesterday, after their swim. She pummelled his chest with her fists and then sobbed in his arms. But he invited her to hit him, to ease her distress. Is that what he does? Let women take out their frustration on him? But that wasn’t the situation between Tom and Kate; Kate was angry rather than upset. There was an argument, a slap, a gasp and then Kate forced Tom to say sorry. Why apologise when Kate was the one who lashed out?