Page 33 of The Midnight Secret

‘Such as?’

Donald looked across at Mhairi, frustrated. He could tell, but not without revealing other people’s secrets too.

‘David, surely you of all people can see that sometimes a marriage shouldn’t be saved at any cost?’ Mhairi said instead.

David frowned. ‘Me? Why me?’

‘Well, because of Norman and Jayne. You see how it is between them. Y’ know the truth there. How is that a Christian marriage?’

David squinted back at her in confusion. ‘Mhairi, what are you talking about?’

‘Surely you...?’ Mhairi faltered as she saw the look of bewilderment on his face. ‘...Did Molly never say anything?’

‘About what?’

Donald and Mhairi swapped looks again.

‘About what?’ David pressed, as a silence billowed in the small room.

‘Norman beats Jayne,’ Mhairi said quietly.

David flinched. ‘What?’ A disbelieving scoff escaped him. ‘No...I would know. I see her all the time. She’s my friend. I would have seen—’

‘He hits her where her bruises can be hidden,’ Mhairi said in a low voice. ‘Flora told me.’

David didn’t reply. He looked ashen, and Mhairi could see he was replaying moments in his head, belatedly recognizing signs he might have missed. He and Jayne had grown close after Molly’s passing – but not that close.

‘Mary and I weren’t the only ones with a bad marriage,’ Donald said quietly. ‘But the difference was, we both wanted out. Jayne can’t, or won’t, leave Norman.’

David got up from his seat and walked the few paces across the width of the room. He turned back and did the same again, his breathing coming heavily.

‘Another drink?’ Donald asked, seeing his disturbance.

David nodded, and there was a silence as Donald poured. He handed over the glass and David downed it, seeming to savour the burn. ‘...Is he still doing it?’

‘You’re better placed to know that than us,’ Mhairi replied. ‘Flora tried to support her back home, but after your da’s accident, when your family needed the money for his bills, she couldn’t stay – not even for Jayne.’

He blinked, and Mhairi could see his eyes were watery. ‘Who else knows?’

‘I’m not sure. I think some might suspect.’

‘Does Effie know?’

She shrugged. ‘She went away to Ayrshire so quick after the evacuation. Flora told me Jayne made her promise not to tell anyone, but I think she needed to unburden herself. She only told me once she knew I was leaving for Harris; I suppose me going away too made it safer to confess the secret. Flora said she tried to get Jayne to leave him, but she couldn’t get through to her.’

David dropped his face into his hand. ‘How the hell didn’t I know?’ he whispered.

‘David, you mustn’t blame yourself,’ Mhairi said, putting a hand on his arm. ‘You couldn’t have known.’

‘Couldn’t I?’ he cried. ‘I’m her friend. I should have seen it!’

‘Not if Jayne was determined to hide it from you. You know how private she is. Her gift makes her...hide away. She can conceal herself in a room full of people.’

‘Not from me!’ he said. ‘I can always see her!’

Mhairi didn’t reply as he walked back to his chair and sank into it, clutching at his hair as he stared down at the floor. No one spoke for a long time.

‘I’m sorry. We thought y’ knew,’ she murmured at last, glancing at Donald. ‘We wouldn’t have said anything otherwise.’

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