Page 21 of The Beekeeper's Cottage
He grinned. ‘We’ll see. As long as he doesn’t end up an old reprobate like me.’
‘Well, I’m sure Karen will make certain that never happens.’ Grace smiled. ‘Do you see much of them?’
‘More now, funnily enough. I think as they’ve got older they’ve realised that Dad isn’t all bad. It’s Luke’s first year so I think he’ll probably spend the summer with his mum, but Will has already said he plans on coming over to me, at least for some of the time, work permitting.’
Grace nodded. It was an accepted form of small talk, to ask about someone’s children, but as Grace didn’t have any that was pretty much it. She settled her cup back in its saucer.
‘So, why exactlyareyou here, Dominic?’ She held his look.
He was doing his best to look relaxed, the suave sophisticate he liked to think he was, but she could see he was uncomfortable.
He wrestled with his words for a moment longer before asking her what she knew he had wanted to all along.
‘Believe me, Grace, I understand your position very clearly. If I lived here I couldn’t bear to leave either and there is also the obvious desire to call Paul to account. But I was just wondering whether you were planning to take your “information” to anyone else…outsideof the network.’
She could, she knew that. If she wanted to she could probably ruin Paul’s career, or at least make a very nasty dent in it. But while she wasn’t happy being thought of as the poor rejected wife in private, she had even less desire to see that scenario played out in public.
‘Aha… Yes, of course, protecting your interests, I see, Dominic.’ She fell silent and let her words hang in the air between them. At least he didn’t try to deny it.
‘Grace, that’s not fair. Did you really expect me to do otherwise?’
She smiled. ‘No, I didn’t expect you would.’ She regarded him for a moment. ‘I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’d hoped so, but I know the world doesn’t really work like that, that’s just for fairy tales.’
She smoothed out the fabric of her skirt and took a deep breath. ‘I’m not interested in taking this any further, Dominic. You have my word. I want Paul out of my life in the quickest and easiest way possible. By defying him over the house, I’ve already given him enough ammunition to justify making my life a misery. I don’t want to give him any more. If I make an issue out of this in the hope that it will give me even more leverage, he will retaliate with everything he’s got and annihilate me.’ She smiled weakly. ‘I’m not really cut out for that, am I?’
Dominic was quick to defend her. ‘Oh, come on Grace, do you really think that after all you’ve done for him he would…’ And then he stopped because they both knew the truth. ‘I really am sorry. For what it’s worth.’
Grace cleared her throat. ‘Have you spoken to him yet?’
‘No, I wanted to come and see you first.’
‘Well of course, otherwise how on earth would you know what type of conversation you need to have?’
‘The bottom line is that the conversation will let him know in no uncertain terms how his actions could have brought the network into disrepute. And I will obviously strenuously advise him not to do that again…’ He smiled nervously. ‘I will also mention that he has you to thank for the fact that he still has a job.’
‘I gave you my word, Dominic.Iwill not be taking things further, nor do I engage in blackmail. You have my letter and shouldyouwish to use its contents to bring Paul into line at any point in the future, be my guest, but it will have nothing to do with me.’
Paul sat back in his chair and looked around the garden. ‘I’m glad I came, Grace. You’re looking really well… Better than ever in fact.’ He held up his hands. ‘And that’s just a compliment, don’t read anything into it, okay?’
And just like that their business was concluded.
‘I’d like if we could keep in touch though,’ he added. ‘We’ve known each other for twenty-odd years, it would seem strange if this were our last meeting.’
She thought about his words. Did she want to keep in touch with this man? Her last link with Paul…
‘You’ve been a good friend over the years,’ she said. ‘And some of it was good fun too, in the early days at least. I’m not sure what we would ever find to talk about now, but, yes, it would seem petty to dismiss all of that just because my husband doesn’t know how to behave.’ She raised her eyebrows. ‘Just make sure thatyoubehave,’ she added.
‘I will,’ he said, laughing. ‘Thanks, Grace.’
‘What for? Giving you such an easy time of it?’ She couldn’t resist one last dig.
But he held her look. ‘Yes, actually. I know I have you to thank for where we are today. You’re a remarkable woman.’
She scrutinised his face for the teasing expression she expected to see there, but his face was open and sincere. He actually meant what he said, with no agenda. That was a first.
He got to his feet. ‘Lovely coffee,’ he said. And Grace got to her feet with him ready to show him out. He got as far as the kitchen doorway before turning back. ‘And I promise I will do everything I can as far as the house is concerned. After all you’ve done, I think it’s the least I can offer in return.’
She followed him down the hallway and closed the front door behind him as he left. Yes, after all that she had done. She’d given her life to make Paul the success he was, thinking that his happiness would bring her own with it. It had been the biggest mistake of her life.
