‘Oh, gosh, I remember. Such bad timing, with the boys out of school … I tried to get Michael to take time off, but he was so involved in that dreadful man’s trial … Oops, shouldn’t say that, should I? But he was a nasty piece of work.’

‘So maybe the girl …’

Daniel’s head appeared at the kitchen door. ‘He’s in the sitting room,’ he said, and Wendy looked relieved, jumping away from the worktop to follow Daniel.

‘I’ll bring the tea through,’ Romy said, feeling disappointed, but also thankful that she hadn’t been able to get a name out of Wendy.

What would I have done if she had remembered her? she asked herself, laying the dainty iced cakes on a plate.

She couldn’t imagine searching out the woman and confronting her now. It had been all she wanted to do three years ago, but Romy had gradually come to realize that nothing would be gained by it – at least for her. However convincing the writer of the letter might be, she would still be left with the excruciating dilemma of whom to believe. But what worried her most, as she filled the teapot with boiling water and stirred the leaves, was that she was even asking Wendy. Why was she still pursuing it – and still, in truth, itching to know – when she’d been doing everything in her power, until the stroke intervened, to refocus her life away from Michael and what had happened in her marriage?

23

‘He seems to really like Daniel,’ Romy said to Bettina, when she phoned the following morning. ‘The boy’s so good with him, and doesn’t seem to notice Michael being snippy. I can’t thank you enough for recommending him.’

‘I’m just happy it’s working out,’ Bettina replied. ‘And you? How are you surviving?’

‘I’m fine,’ Romy said. ‘I’m just worried that Michael seems to be depending on me more and more. Not in a physical sense, so much – that’s Daniel’s territory. But he hates being on his own, doesn’t want me to leave him for long … As if he’s frightened.’

‘He probably is frightened. I would be if I was him.’

‘Me too.’

Yesterday evening, when she’d settled him in bed, Michael had snatched her hand and given it a quick kiss. ‘Thanks for all you’re doing for me, Romy. I know I’m a grumpy old sod most of the time, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate your being here – more than anything else in the world.’

She was taken aback and hadn’t known how to respond. To tell him it was a pleasure would be a lie he would never believe. But to tell him the truth – that she longed to get away so much sometimes that it hurt – would be plain cruel. She managed a smile and gently withdrew her hand.