BooksBarbecue
Back The Widow Save as PDF
Chapters (92)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. PART I
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. PART II
  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. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. 82
  87. 83
  88. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  89. MORE FROM VALERIE KEOGH
  90. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  91. The Murder List
  92. About Boldwood Books

It sounded like a mental health slogan. She hadn’t had a bad morning at all, but she’d had enough in her day to enable her to spin a tale. She was amused, admiring even, when he held a hand up in the middle of her litany of complaints to reach into his inside jacket pocket for his phone. ‘I have it on vibrate,’ he said, giving her a nod of apology before indicating the exit and walking away with the mobile clasped to his ear.

‘A new client,’ he explained when he returned almost ten minutes later. No further apology, as if she must understand the role of an important solicitor.

She slipped on the mantle of an understanding, undemanding, uncomplaining girlfriend, biting her tongue to stop the sarcastic remarks she wanted to make when, as happened during their next date three days later, he left her alone in the restaurant for almost twenty minutes while he took an ‘urgent call’. As she tried to ignore the curious glances from other diners, she understood why Peter was still single. He’d already given her a clue as to the kind of woman he wanted – a compliant one. A woman who never questioned him, didn’t talk too much, never argued, never contradicted, happy to allow him to choose where they met, to be in control. For Allison to defer to him at all times.

It was a boring role, and she wasn’t sure she could play it for long. She wasn’t Portia.

On the positive side, he was charming and treated her as if she were precious, fragile. If she spoke out, if she questioned his archaic attitude, she probably wouldn’t hear from him again. And if he found out about her past… what then? Would he back away, regard her with horror, disgust, maybe even fear? And keep going?

Probably.

But he was never going to find out.

Anyway, the gloss had worn off her crazy idea to marry for money and she was getting tired of being compliant.

9

Allison had almost decided to give up both her idea to marry for money, and Peter. Despite his many advantages, she had to hide too much of her personality to suit him. When he rang on Friday and invited her to his home for dinner the following evening, no hovered on the tip of her tongue. She hesitated. It had been so long since she’d had a Saturday night date, it was too good to pass. To his home, though… he’d been increasingly passionate the last couple of dates; was he expecting more? Maybe even that she’d stay over?

Would spending the night watching TV be preferable? She wasn’t entirely sure.

‘I’m a pretty good cook, if I do say so myself,’ he said. ‘I won’t poison you. And I know what you like.’