I ended the call but sat on the bed holding my phone tightly, my face wet with tears. Just for a moment I couldn’t remember why I’d left and why I couldn’t return.

CHAPTER 9

Ruby

Later that evening Sarah called me again.

“How’re things, Ruby?”

“Oh, you know. Couldn’t be worse, really.”

“Have you been drinking?”

“I’ve just been fired,” I said. “I’ve got the right to have a drink.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry. And I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier. It was hectic all day and then I was busy with the kids. This is the first chance I’ve had to talk to you. How are you feeling?”

I longed to talk to her about what had happened but I couldn’t. “Oh, okay. It was a shock, though.”

“I bet. You’ve been there for ages.”

“Eighteen months.” Long enough to think you know someone, I wanted to say. Long enough to trust him. To love him.

“What did Tom say?”

I hesitated. Of course Sarah didn’t know I’d left home. “Oh, not much. There are plenty more jobs out there.”

“He’s right.” She chatted about her day; clearly they hadn’t got anyone to replace me yet, so a lot of the work I would normally do had landed on her shoulders.

“Not the phone calls, though,” she said. “They’re going through to Paula. I don’t know why they’re not coming to me.”

“What do you mean? Why isn’t Harry answering his own phone?”

“Oh, he wasn’t there. Didn’t I tell you? He won’t be in this week.”

I felt a huge sense of relief. There was an explanation for this after all. “What? Has he had an accident?”

“An accident?” She laughed. “Oh no, nothing like that. He’s gone on holiday.”

“What?”

“Yes. Jane came in this morning to thank us for her leaving present. She didn’t have the chance to speak to everyone on Friday. She said Harry was going on a lovely romantic holiday with his wife.”

I could hardly believe what I was hearing. “But he didn’t say anything about that to me.”

“That’s exactly what I said to Jane. I told her we knew nothing about it, and she said he’d kept it quiet because he wanted it to be a surprise for Emma. Apparently they left on Friday night and they’re away for a week.”