‘I will. Do think about what I said, won’t you?’ Cole asked him.

Asher looked over at Dylan then nodded. ‘Of course.’

Cole turned to Dylan. ‘Walk me out?’

The brothers left me and Asher alone.

‘Good meeting?’ I asked him.

‘I’m not sure Cole will see it as that.’

‘Ah.’ I didn’t want to push him. It was none of my business.

He gestured towards a scarf lying on the side. ‘Is that yours?’

‘Oh, it’s Cole’s!’ I jumped up and grabbed it. ‘I’ll take it out.’

I walked from the room into the hallway. But as I drew closer to the open front door, I could hear raised voices coming from outside. I stopped, not sure what to do.

‘Are you fucking crazy?’ I heard Cole say. ‘You can’t tell her! What the hell’s wrong with you, Dylan? Are you having a mid-twenties crisis or something? Asher told me you’re thinking about leaving the family business, you know. Thanks for ruining any chance we have of getting more work from him.’

‘That’s all you’re about, isn’t it?’ Dylan snapped back. ‘Making money and keeping secrets.’

‘Well, evidently you don’t give a shit about either!’

‘I just need to get it out,’ Dylan replied, voice filled with emotion. ‘Surely you understand that? You have Rhonda to talk to about it. But I have no one.’

‘You have us, your family,’ Cole said, pleading with his brother.

‘Are you kidding? We never talk about it. It’s like it didn’t happen but it did. Jesus, it did.’

‘You don’t even know Gwyneth, not properly,’ Cole said.

‘You didn’t know Rhonda long when it happened. If you can tell Rhonda, I can tell Gwyneth.’ I could hear the sound of footsteps, like Dylan was pacing back and forth.

‘Rhonda was there when it happened,’ Cole replied. ‘You know that. I didn’t have to tell her, she saw it for herself.’

I stepped back into the darkness of the landing. I could see them both now, face to face, fists clenched.

‘Oh yeah,’ Dylan said with a bitter laugh. ‘I keep forgetting the reason you married her. No wonder you’re having affairs left, right and centre, anything to close your eyes to your marriage of convenience.’

Cole shoved Dylan and Dylan stumbled back. ‘How dare you say that?’ Cole hissed.

‘You saying it’s not true?’ Dylan retorted. ‘Only the day before it happened you were telling me you were planning to dump her after the holidays. Couldn’t do that after she saw it all, couldn’t risk her blabbing her mouth off, scorned ex and all that. Had to think on your feet, didn’t you?’

Cole didn’t say anything, just took a deep breath, eyes sparking with anger.