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Back The Imposter Save as PDF
Chapters (55)
  1. Cover
  2. ANNA WHARTON
  3. Dedication page
  4. ONE
  5. TWO
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. NINETEEN
  23. TWENTY
  24. TWENTY-ONE
  25. TWENTY-TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE
  37. THIRTY-FOUR
  38. THIRTY-FIVE
  39. THIRTY-SIX
  40. THIRTY-SEVEN
  41. THIRTY-EIGHT
  42. THIRTY-NINE
  43. FORTY
  44. FORTY-ONE
  45. FORTY-TWO
  46. FORTY-THREE
  47. FORTY-FOUR
  48. FORTY-FIVE
  49. FORTY-SIX
  50. FORTY-SEVEN
  51. FORTY-EIGHT
  52. FORTY-NINE
  53. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  54. Praise
  55. THE IMPOSTER

‘She’s had some funny ideas recently is all I’m saying, and I’m sure, I’m sure she’ll see them for what they are because there ent no getting through to her when she’s like this. It’s like . . . it’s like a one-track mind, but for now, I mean, I know this is a big ask, but for now, if you could just . . .’

He leaves that hanging, and Chloe nods, quickly, even though she’s not entirely sure what he is saying. Is he asking her to play along with Maureen? Is that what he’s saying? She can’t think properly here, with him, she just wants to get to her room, to go over this whole conversation from the start.

Chloe goes to stand, picking up her cup from the table.

‘I’m really tired,’ she says, ‘I’ve been at a friend’s baby shower today and—’

‘Oh Jesus, well, don’t let me keep you.’ Patrick moves forward, tidying up his own cup. ‘Anyway, Maureen will be back soon. You’re eating with us tonight, aren’t you?’

‘I’m actually a bit full, all that cake,’ she says, tapping her belly.

‘OK, right you are. Well, if you change your mind.’

Chloe leaves the kitchen, takes the stairs silently, her mind noisy with questions. If anything, she’d been expecting Patrick to ask her to leave, not this. Although, what exactly was he saying? Why did it feel like he was asking her to take part in some kind of collusion? And what did he mean when he said he’d tried to make amends? Amends for what?

She climbs to the top, past the photograph of Angie in the window, but one question follows her all the way up into her room. Of everything that Patrick has said, one thing stays with her. What exactly is he trying to protect Maureen from? But as she asks herself the question, she already feels she has the answer: the truth.

THIRTY-SEVEN

Chloe does end up eating with them that night. When she’d got home from Josie’s, Maureen insisted. She’d tried to protest, but Maureen just put her hand to Chloe’s forehead, whittling over whether she was coming down with something. At tea time she serves her the best bit of fish, chopping it up on the plate and searching for bones. Chloe sees Patrick glance at the plate that Maureen serves her food on – the bunnies, the mashed-up fish – but he says nothing, just looks at Chloe with some kind of conspiratorial look and a bit of a nod. Chloe eats her food slowly, watching him across the table, remembering times when he would snap at Maureen for doing something similar. But he makes no comment on her fussing. In fact, if anything, he shows concern too.