‘I’ve told you a hundred times that things will be different when we’ve moved,’ Jonathan carried on. ‘I admit I’ve been stressed, trying to organise everything—’

‘And that warrants resorting to physical violence, does it?’ growled Beamish.

The last thing I wanted was for them to start fighting. This was way beyond a Daniel Cleaver and Mark Darcy, Bridget Jones style scrap now.

‘You think that using aggression will make for a happy marriage, do you?’ Beamish carried on, his voice becoming louder with every word.

I knew that he had painful first-hand knowledge that it certainly wouldn’t and that at any moment the situation could escalate out of all control.

‘It really doesn’t matter how you would answer that Jonathan,’ I jumped in, ‘because I know now that your treachery runs far deeper than any mark you could have left on me with your fists.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ he scowled.

‘I know how you manipulated my relationship with my parents,’ I said, lifting my chin in defiance. It felt easier to stand up to him with Beamish behind me. ‘I shared my deepest secrets with you and you used them to get what you wanted. To pull me and my family apart.’

Jonathan shook his head and slipped the ring box back into his pocket.

‘How is that love, Jonathan?’ I sobbed. ‘How can you possibly think that the lies you’ve told can have anything to do with love?’

He shrugged, his shoulders dropping a little and I hoped that meant my words were finally making an impact.

‘You do understand now why I’m not coming with you, don’t you?’ I carried on. ‘Surely, you can see that what you did was unforgivable?’

I held my breath, waiting for his answer.

‘Are you really telling me,’ he said, ‘that you can’t see beyond all that? That you can’t appreciate how much better off you’d be without parents like yours?’

I shook my head. He was completely unhinged. I felt Beamish bristle behind me.

‘Would you really rather stay in this crappy backwater, with the likes of him, than move with me to a life of five-star luxury where you’d never have to lift a finger or work another day in your life?’

‘Yes,’ I said resolutely, ‘yes, I would. And I’ll tell you why, Jonathan. Because, I don’t want five-star luxury and I certainly don’t want to give up my parents or my work, especially as I’ve only just decided what I want my next job to be.’

It was too much for him to bear and without warning he sprang forward and tried to catch my wrist again, but Beamish was too quick for him. Within a blink he had Jonathan pinned against the wall with his arm twisted behind his back.