I didn’t know what to say. I could understand Siobhan being caught in a difficult situation but to let this man believe she was carrying his child when she’d known all along he wasn’t the father just seemed cruel.

‘After that I went a bit over the top against the whole relationship thing. Long term seemed pointless. So far as I could see – wanted to see – it just led to disappointment and heartache. Mam hadn’t been happy in her marriage either, but divorce wasn’t a thing in Ireland and then Siobhan. I chose to ignore the fact that my sisters had had beautiful wedding days and happy marriages. I was wounded and didn’t want to see anything that might challenge that view.’

‘I can understand that.’

‘Then you came along and you were this beautiful, bright, funny woman with a wonderful heart but your big thing was weddings. I knew it couldn’t work. There was no way I was going to change my mind but I knew you wouldn’t either. Your parents had been happy and you made no secret of the fact you wanted marriage eventually. And it’s obvious to anyone how much you love your job and how skilled you are at it. It was only right that you wanted a partner who respected and understood your career. I couldn’t be any of those things. I didn’t think I even wanted to be. But I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I wanted to be with you all the opportunities I could.’

‘I thought Peyton and Patrick wanted you on hand all the time with the arrangements?’

His expression was sheepish. ‘Their actual instruction was just to keep an eye on things but that they had full faith in you. After our first meeting I knew I was in trouble and tried to stay away. But once I’d met you again at the restaurant, I used every excuse I could to see you.’

‘I see,’ I said, not sure what else to say. My mind was whirling, trying to make sense of everything, but what it kept coming back to were the words Lorcan had spoken when I was about to leave.

‘I love you, Maddie. I think I’ve loved you from the moment you told me there had only been the one murder at the model village. Which I thoroughly deserved, by the way. My first words to you came out wrong and I was cringing the rest of the time and trying to think of a way to apologise but then it just got too far and I felt it would be even weirder to bring it up.’

‘I can understand that.’