Page 135 of An Unholy Affair
‘No.’
‘Come on. If anyone deserves a good smiting or a punch in the face, it’s him.’
‘I know Simon hasn’t behaved well, but I’m not going to tell Jack. I’m worried if he finds out he might do something terribly rash…’
28
On the morning of the Winter Ball, Jack awoke in the single bed from his childhood, in a room that contained no other evidence he’d occupied it for eighteen years. By leaving home and rarely returning, he’d sought to divorce himself from one life and create another. Staring up at the clean white ceiling where his glow-in-the-dark stars used to stick, it felt like his parents had done the same when they redecorated and removed every trace of him from the room.
He stretched, wincing at the dig of a lumpy spring in his back. Hopefully, this would be the last time he would ever sleep here. Tonight was the official ‘coming out’ of him and Eveline as a couple, and he wanted to wake up tomorrow morning next to her.
Despite his contentment, a niggling unease lurked. Was his happiness nothing but a house of straw on the surface of an iced-up lake facing rising temperatures and a hurricane?
If he stayed, what would he do for work? Would Eveline think he was sponging off her? He dismissed that thought. She was far too nice for that, but it wouldn’t stop everyone else from coming to that conclusion.
And no matter how much he tried to rationalise it, he felt responsible for Simon changing his mind about the pews and ruining her plans. If he hadn’t wound the man up, Simon wouldn’t have felt the need to stab her in the back.
Eveline was putting a brave face on the situation, but he could sense her deep disappointment. Over the last couple of days in particular, she’d been distracted, and when she thought he wasn’t looking her way, her expression was absolutely miserable.
Was it just the situation with the pews? Or was she having second thoughts about going public with their relationship?
Swinging himself out of bed, he went to the bathroom. So much needed to get done before the ball. But before tackling any of it, he wanted to see Eveline, hold her close and check everything was okay.
‘Do you want a cup of tea?’his mother asked as he entered the kitchen. ‘The kettle’s just boiled.’
‘Er, yes, thank you. I didn’t know you were up.’
She put a tea bag in a mug and poured water over it. ‘Yes, I have a lot to do.’
He noticed her make-up. ‘Is wearing mascara okay with your eye?’
She nodded. ‘It all feels fine.’
He sat at the table and she joined him, placing the mug on a coaster.
Silence. Should he tell his mum about Eveline now? Get it out of the way?
‘Mu—’
‘I’m selling the house.’
‘Huh?’
‘Two different estate agents are coming around today to value it.’
‘Er… Okay.’
‘I’m going to move to York to be closer to Betsy and Alfie.’
So, not to be closer to your daughter then?‘Have you spoken to Emily about this?’
‘Yes, last night. She’s going to need more support, especially when she goes back to work. I can look after the children. It’s much better for them to be with family than a nursery and will save Emily and Steph a great deal of expense.’
Jack glanced through the window at the sky, as if expecting Pinky and Perky to fly past.
‘I can get a lot for my money up there,’ his mother continued. ‘So there will be room if you… If you wanted to visit.’
Sod pigs flying, he was now expecting to get to the rectory and for Eveline to tell him hell had frozen over.
