But Kat’s not listening anymore. Her throat constricts. Beth’s parents must have died after Kat left for Australia. While she was recovering under the warmth of her dad’s acceptance, his unconditional love, Beth was experiencing tragedy for a second time. Two more lives cut short. Kat blinks furiously, but she can’t cry in front of Saskia. She needs to see Beth, the urge is almost unbearable now, and she needs Saskia out of the picture. ‘Beth hates you,’ she spits out. ‘Calls you nosy, a has-been, a jealous leech.’

Saskia swallows, then scoffs. ‘More lies, I see. Beth is my best friend; she would never say those things.’

‘And a hypocrite,’ Kat continues. ‘Pretending to care about the little people when you just want some glory in your sad, selfish life.’

Saskia pushes her lips together and furrows her brow. ‘Well, let’s just see who Beth believes, shall we?’

Kat gives Saskia a hard stare. Is she really this thick-skinned? This stupid, like Mark? Is Kat going to have to teach her a lesson too? Suddenly a noise makes her jump, a shrill electronic sound. Her phone is ringing in her pocket. It might be Beth; maybe she needs Kat’s help again. She twists away from Saskia and prods at the screen. ‘Hello?’

‘Kat? Where are you?’

Kat scrunches her eyes closed, rams the heel of her hand against her forehead. ‘Sally?’

‘You’re an hour late!’ Sally protests. ‘Look, I can’t keep covering for you!’

Kat gasps, blinks wildly. Sally never raises her voice.

‘Saved by the bell?’ Saskia asks, scowling, but then her eyes widen.

‘So are you coming in?’ Sally pushes.

Kat can’t think straight, can’t speak.

‘Hey, Kat, are you okay?’ Saskia’s hand is on her arm.

‘I need you here; I’m drowning. Please, Kat,’ Sally begs. Sally. Her warm, thoughtful boss. The only person who believes in her, accepts her, treats her with respect. Kat’s head surges with shame and she stumbles backwards, reaching for something solid to stop herself from falling. Of course she must go. She turns, lurches for a moment, her arms flailing, then finds her balance and charges down the hill.

Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Beth

It’s always a couple of degrees colder outside London, and Beth feels the extra chill now. But she’s grateful for it, because the freezing temperature also means that the frost has settled in for the day, and she can’t remember seeing a landscape quite so beautiful as the grounds of Painshill Park glistening in the sunshine.

‘It looks magical,’ Simon observes, reaching for Beth’s hand. They’re walking the Christmas trail and the girls are a few metres ahead, crunching the iced puddles, Martha carefully, Ava more haphazardly. ‘I’m glad you persuaded me to come,’ he adds.

‘It’s nice to be out of London,’ Beth agrees. ‘It feels like the first time I’ve properly breathed in weeks.’