“Alix knows how adventurous she is. She’ll watch her.” They needed to stop talking about Alix.

“Alix is good at handing out new toys, but how would she be with the rest of it? The real stuff? It isn’t fair on either of them. Or on us. You’ll be anxious, worried about Holly the whole time. It will be stressful.” He drained his glass. “You should change your flight back to the original date.”

And leave him alone with Mandy?

Just ask him straight-out, Christy. That’s what Alix would do.

She lifted her chin. “Is there some reason you don’t want me around?”

“Yes. One of us should be with our daughter.”

“We will be. A few days later. It will be good to spend some time together, the two of us. We don’t do enough of that. I want to be here. If you have to work, then I want to support you.”

Tell me the truth.

He stared at her for a long moment, and she knew, just knew, that there was something big that he wasn’t telling her. Deep down a part of her had still been hoping that she was imagining it, that the email she’d seen had a simple explanation. But it was obvious from his face that something was going on.

The emotion she’d been holding in check rose to the surface. Tears filled her eyes. Her legs started to shake. She didn’t want this to be happening, she really didn’t, but it was and she couldn’t see a way to avoid it.

“Can we stop playing games? I know, Seb.” She saw the change in him. Saw him brace himself, ready to deflect.

“Know what?”

“I’m not a fool! You’re going into London several times a week, you’re working late...” She still couldn’t bring herself to say the words I know you’re having an affair. Saying the words would make this real, and she didn’t want this to be real. “I was in your study yesterday, and I saw the email on your laptop. The one you sent, confirming your meeting. I know you weren’t at work.”

There was a long silence. “I didn’t mean for you to see that.”

“Obviously. When were you going to tell me, Seb?”

He looked exhausted. “I hoped I wouldn’t have to.”

Her mouth fell open. He’d never intended to tell her?

How had they ever reached this point?

Alix’s words rang in her head. How well do you know him?

“Why wouldn’t you tell me? Why are you doing this? What’s wrong with what we have?” Her voice cracked as stress and emotion spilled over. All her insecurities bubbled to the surface, along with those fears fueled by Alix. Their relationship hadn’t exactly followed a traditional course, that was true. And they’d never talked about it, not since the beginning. She’d told herself there was no need when they were so happy, but now she wondered if it was because she’d been afraid. She’d always hated confrontation of any sort. “I know we got married quickly. We barely knew each other. That one night was...it was wild, impulsive and spontaneous.” The words tumbled over each other. “I know all that, and if I hadn’t got pregnant... I told you at the time you didn’t have to marry me, that I would have raised our daughter, but you were insistent, and I really wanted to. I thought what we had was real. That it would grow into something even better. I really thought that, Seb. I loved you. I still love you.”