Page 111 of The Half Sister

Lauren looks at her with a perplexed expression.

‘It turns out she works at theEcho,’ says Kate, by way of explanation. ‘With Matt.’

Kate watches as Lauren’s eyes move frantically back and forth, trying to make sense of what she’s hearing. ‘But...’ she starts, before her mouth drops open.

‘She was with him in Birmingham,’ says Kate.

Lauren’s hand flies to her mouth and her eyes search Kate’s.

‘I know,’ says Kate, reading her mind. ‘But it’s not what you think.’

‘B-but she was there with her boss,’ says Lauren. ‘There’s something going on between them.’

‘She’s seeing Matt’s deputy,’ says Kate, thankful that they’d had that conversation as they’d lain in bed last night. ‘His name’s Ryan and apparently she was all over him like a cheap suit.’ She offers a weak smile, keen for the comment to come across as light-hearted.

Lauren exhales. ‘Oh my God, why didn’t you say something? When I said...you must have thought...’

‘I did,’ admits Kate. ‘But it’s okay. I jumped to conclusions and it wasn’t what I thought. Thankfully.’

‘I’m so sorry, I had no idea. If I’d have known they worked together, I would never have...’

‘I know,’ says Kate, instinctively touching her sister’s shoulder. She’d forgotten how good it felt to be close to her, both physically and emotionally.

‘Does she know?’ asks Lauren. ‘That Matt is your husband.’

‘We don’t think so. She’s certainly never broached the subject with him and although I’ve suspected her motives behind her being there, they’re yet to be proven. I’d like to think it’s all just a happy coincidence.’

‘What else would it be?’ asks Lauren flippantly, as if there’s no other option. Kate wishes she shared her sister’s naivety.

‘Why would you let her do something like this?’ cries Rose, coming between them. ‘What purpose can it possibly serve?’

‘We now know she’s Dad’s child,’ says Kate, each word slicing through her very being. ‘But he’s not here. So let her find her mum.’

‘Itoldyou,’ Rose says bitterly. ‘Her mother’s dead.’

Kate’s jaw clenches involuntarily, not wanting to say what needs to be said.

‘Might there...’ she starts. ‘Might there have been anyone else?’

Rose looks at her open-mouthed. ‘Why would you even think to ask that?’

‘Because I ran a check on Helen Wilmington before letting Matt run the story.’

‘And?’ asks Lauren, hopefully.

‘I’ve drawn a blank. There was only one Helen Wilmington in the Harrogate area and Mum’s right; she died four years ago. I’ve checked the birth records for both Wilmington and Alexander and no babies were registered with either name around that time. That’s why I thought the article was a good idea, to see if anyone else came crawling out of the woodwork.’

‘But likethis?’ says Rose scathingly, as she picks up the offending newspaper and throws it back down on the table. ‘You think that having our family’s dirty laundry aired in public is the right way to go about things?’

‘There’s nothing in there to connect her to us,’ says Kate. ‘All of our names have been changed.’

‘She says she was born in Harrogate,’ says Rose, her voice high-pitched. ‘It won’t take folk long to put two and two together.’

‘Mum...?’ starts Lauren, hesitantly. ‘Do you think the woman I saw him with was Helen Wilmington?’

Rose glares at her. ‘What?Whatwoman?’

‘The woman I told you about,’ says Lauren. ‘The woman and the baby.’

---