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Back The Lie Save as PDF
Chapters (69)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. Acknowledgements
  66. Reading Group Questions
  67. Read More
  68. I
  69. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

It seemed, from the politely raised eyebrows, that Vera knew this already. But she said, ‘That’s a shame, dear. He’s such a charming man, a proper gentleman. And all those exhausting marathons he does for the hospice … Jenny adores him. She was showing me a postcard he sent from Argentina at the safari supper last week.’

Romy found herself rooted to the spot. She wanted to turn and run, to get away from her neighbour’s inquisitive stare and the miasma of gossip that was clearly swirling round her relationship with Finch, but her feet would not obey her.

‘What’s he doing in Argentina?’ she asked, almost against her will.

‘Jenny says he’s on sabbatical.’ Vera chuckled. ‘Not sure you can have one of those if you’re retired, can you? But apparently he’s having a high old time with all those gaucho people. Jenny says he speaks fluent Spanish, of course.’ She leant on the wall with both hands, her secateurs discarded in her enjoyment of the gossip. ‘I think she’s a bit worried he won’t come back.’

Romy tried to take in what she was hearing, but her mind was in turmoil.

‘I’d better give this lock another try,’ she said, turning quickly away, her breath fluttering in her chest as she stuck the key into the door. Miraculously, it twisted with only slight resistance. Waving a hand to her neighbour, she went inside and shut the door with exaggerated care, not wanting the distress she was feeling to be obvious to nosy Vera Boyce.

Hurrying through to the kitchen, she threw her cap and sunglasses on the table and sat down heavily. Finch had gone to Argentina and she didn’t even know? And the postcard? He obviously hadn’t left yesterday.

Romy knew she had no right to be upset. Finch was a free agent. But he had left without telling her, had been away without her knowing and was sending cosy postcards to the hostile Jenny. She couldn’t help but feel incredibly hurt. The cold truth was that he had moved on.

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46

Finch got back to his cottage on the Gutierrez estate around midnight, after an exhausting supper at which he’d earned his keep by recounting endless tales of derring-do to Luis and Jocelyn’s American clients. It was only nine in the evening in the UK, and he was determined to get hold of Grace on WhatsApp. He’d tried on and off all day, but the mostly flickering broadband had been completely down and he had only a weak signal on his phone.

Grace picked up immediately. ‘Finch!’ She sounded so happy to hear him, he knew Marty had been right and kicked himself for being so blind.

‘Hey, Gracie.’

He could hear the television in the background as Grace said, ‘Hold on a minute. I’ll go into the other room.’

‘How are things?’ he asked.