Page 51 of Lie For Me

Glancing around to see if there was still an audience for this little family conversation, Valerie visibly relaxed as she found no one seemed to notice their little drama. Heather, perched primly in her seat, neck still flushed, stared up at Lucy unblinking.

‘Mum,’ Lucy began.

Valerie held up a hand.

‘I think you’ve done quite enough. I won’t have any more of this nonsense. If you can’t pull yourself together and get along with everyone, perhaps you should remove yourself until you can.’

Lucy’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes were burning, and she swayed unsteadily on her feet. As she teetered on the edge of the table, wondering how she’d make it out of the restaurant without stumbling, she felt a warm arm slide around her waist and pull her close.

‘Hello, ladies,’ Jack said.

Lucy felt her knees tremble, and she leaned gratefully into the comforting, solid warmth.

‘Everything okay?’

Lucy assumed it was a rhetorical question. Her mother’s face was a mask of controlled annoyance, and Heather’s neck was flushed with anger.

‘Well,’ Heather cleared her throat and stood. Though she was only a couple of inches taller than Lucy, her towering spike heels set her almost a head above her younger sister. ‘I think we’re done here.’

‘Oh, we’re done.’ Lucy sniffed, forcing herself to her full height and glaring at her sister. ‘We’re done.’

Heather turned and opened her mouth, then Jack, in a deep, low growl that Lucy hadn’t heard before, said, ‘I don’t think you need to add anything further, do you?’

His arm was tight around Lucy, and she tipped her head back to look at him. His jaw was tight, his gaze fixed on Heather.

Heather looked stunned, and her mouth hung slackly open. She glared at Jack, her mouth working as she tried to decide how to respond to this new dynamic.

From across the room, there was a crash, and Lucy heard Mark exclaim, ‘Bloody hell!’

Peter had brought one of the tall flower stands down on himself and was now standing in a puddle awash with flower stems, looking at the blood dripping onto his shirt from a gash on his chin.

‘Heather! Heather!’ Mark beckoned frantically, holding Peter at arms-length. ‘Help,’ he mouthed.

Heather, looking relieved by the distraction, glared at Lucy and Jack and stalked off.

Jack guided Lucy from the restaurant, steering her by her elbow, deftly avoiding groups of people who might stop them to chat. There was a small snug off reception. It was empty, and Jack pulled Lucy inside and closed the door.

16

Lucy’s breathing was coming in rapid and shallow breaths and she seemed giddy, unsteady on her feet as she paced about the room. Jack could feel the heightened energy reeling off her. She was like a caged animal looking for any way out, her eyes overly bright and still full of tears.

Jack didn’t have much experience with family conflicts. His own family had simply avoided one another once things went wrong, his mother retreating to her new family and his father into his grief. But he could feel the fragility of the family ties Lucy was trying to hold on to.

As she paced, Lucy looked at once like a beautiful and fierce woman who could defend herself, and a small child who didn’t know what had gone wrong. He couldn’t bear it any longer. He stepped in front of her, interrupted her pacing and took her in his arms, pulling her close. In response, she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face into his shoulder. He could feel her heart pounding, tension making her body stiff and unresponsive. Then she gave in and started to cry, her body trembling against him. He held her tight and pressed his lips into the top of her head, stroking her hair. Gradually, her breathing slowed, and he felt her body relax into his. After a while, she pulled back, let out a shaky breath, and wiped her face with her hands.

Jack held her by the shoulders and stared down into her face.

‘Are you all right?’ he asked, brushing her damp hair out of her eyes.

She stepped back unsteadily and knocked some books off a table.

‘Oh.’

She bent to retrieve them, but Jack stopped her.

‘Come here,’ he drew her over to a sofa. ‘Sit down and stay there.’

He disappeared out of the door, then returned a few minutes later with two glasses of amber liquid. Lucy sniffed the whisky and wrinkled her nose.

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