How could he tell his friend that the very thought of it terrified him? He didn’t want adventure. He preferred things exactly the way they were. He liked his home. He liked this country. Why would he want to go anywhere else? All the excitement he ever needed was right here on the canal. What got his heart racing was landing a nice fat chubb or an unexpected bream.

‘What should I do?’

‘This is the thin end of the wedge,’ Ray warned. ‘Next thing, she’ll be wanting to try strange sexual positions. Then it will be dancing lessons.’

Dancing lessons?

‘Remember Sandy Whitman? We used to bump into him down here sometimes.’

Greg nodded. Sandy was a sixteen-stone brickie who was a demon with a carp rod.

‘Salsa dancing – three nights a week. Never been here since. Rod’s gathering dust in the garage.’ Ray shook his head ruefully. ‘Mind, he has lost three stone. But what a way to go.’

‘It’s for charity. A trip with colleagues from work.’

‘Even worse, matey,’ Ray shrugged but failed to explain why. ‘You need to nip this in the bud before it gets out of hand.’

Then the end of Greg’s fishing rod quivered and dipped. The reel sang out: he’d got a bite. Quick as a flash, he whipped up the rod and started to reel the fish in. He caught a glimpse of it as it came closer. The enticing golden flanks of a perch.

It was a reliable fish, a perch. You always knew where you were with them.

Then, all of a sudden, the line went slack and Greg’s heart sank as he found he was reeling in nothing but a piece of weed. His bait was gone. The fish had slipped away from him and he had a feeling that his wife was doing the same thing.

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Jude arrived at the office shortly after Lauren did and before anyone else.

He crouched down next to her desk and rested his head on his hands. ‘Sorry,’ he said, looking up at her with sad eyes. ‘That was so thoughtless of me.’

‘Yes, it was.’

‘I’ve been frantic all weekend.’

‘Not frantic enough to phone me.’

‘I couldn’t get away,’ Jude said. ‘Not for a minute. Georgia was watching me like a hawk.’ He walked his fingers towards her hand and took it. ‘All I wanted was to be with you.’

Despite her vow to toughen up, harden her heart, Lauren could feel herself weakening.

‘Every minute I was there with Georgia, I was thinking of you, darling. You know that.’

‘I can’t go on like this, Jude. It’s horrible to everyone concerned.’