BooksBarbecue
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 was OK, predictable. The lady next to me was charming, but so deaf I don’t think she heard a single word I said.’

Finch came and stood in front of her, his shirt cuffs dangling loose, and reached forward, stroking his fingers down her cheek. ‘I’m so glad you’re here, Romy … I know you’re up against it at the moment.’ He paused, and she sensed he wanted to say something more. But he just continued to gaze down at her, his expression unreadable.

Romy did not want to think about what she was ‘up against’. She just wanted to be normal, to make love to this attractive man who had so quickly managed to invade her heart. She said nothing, hoping he wouldn’t mention Michael’s name, as she began to pull him down towards her, suddenly desperate to hold him in her arms. But Finch resisted and turned away from her embrace, sitting down beside her in silence, his hands clasped in his lap.

‘How’s the invalid?’ he asked.

Romy frowned. Finch had asked after Michael many times since his stroke. But tonight there seemed a faintly sardonic edge to his enquiry. Their relationship was still so new – although it seemed much older than it was – but she had no idea what he really felt about the situation. ‘You don’t mind, do you? Me moving back to help Michael out?’

Finch was slow to answer. ‘Should I?’

She shook her head, turning to him and sliding her hand through the gap where his shirt lay partly unbuttoned, her fingertips grazing his smooth skin. ‘There’d be no need,’ she said. ‘I’m doing this for Leo as much as for Michael. And it’s just a few weeks.’

Finch nodded and put his arm around her shoulders. But he still seemed preoccupied, not completely present as he had on previous occasions. Michael seemed to be hovering over them both, like a sad ghost. It was the first time Romy had been aware of Finch’s unease about the situation. But she felt powerless to brush it away and, as they sat there in silence, she was aware of a small frisson of anxiety building in her own gut.

Penguin Walking Logo

19

‘I may not be able to move my left side very well,’ Michael complained to Romy and the staff nurse, while they waited for the hospital transport, ‘but I can still comprehend that you’re talking about me as if I’m a halfwit … or not here at all.’

Romy was embarrassed. They were talking about him as if he wasn’t there.