Page 15 of An Unholy Affair
Tears pricked Eveline’s eyes. ‘That’s awful,’ she whispered.
Estelle shrugged. ‘Like I said, we didn’t know until it was over. But we knew how much his dad hated Jack being into art. He made him stop by the time we left Foxbrooke Primary and used to accuse him of being a—’ She shook her head. ‘He was disgustingly homophobic.’
‘Jack’s gay?’
‘No, I’m pretty sure he’s not. He never had a girlfriend when we were in secondary school. But then neither did Finn, Connor or Henry.’
‘What happened when Emily came out?’
‘Jack’s sister?’ Estelle huffed. ‘She didn’t. Watching what Jack went through, she kept quiet, went to uni in York, then stayed up there. I think the first inkling her parents had that she was gay was when they received an invitation to her and Steph’s wedding.’
Eveline pressed her hand to her heart. ‘What happened?’
‘They didn’t go.’
‘Oh no.’
‘Honestly, I’m sure everyone had a far nicer time without them there. And after the ceremony, Emily changed her surname to Steph’s.’
Eveline wiped her eyes. She understood people’s cruelty came from their own pain, but she could still never fathom how a parent could treat their own child so terribly.
Estelle reached across the table and took her hand. ‘It’s okay. It’s in the past now.’
Eveline sniffed and pulled a handkerchief out of her sleeve. ‘What did Jack do after he left school?’
‘He went travelling and never came back. He started in Australia and ended up in France. I think he’s been back to Foxbrooke maybe twice in the last twelve years.’
‘What does he do for work?’
Her friend shrugged. ‘Henry says he’s some kind of party-planner for the über rich. I wish he would stick around for a bit. I could do with a hand organising the Manor’s Winter Ball.’
‘You don’t think he will?’
‘What? Help?’
‘Stick around?’
‘Fuck no, his life is in the glamorous south of France, not the backwaters of Somerset. As soon as Nigel’s in the ground, he’ll be out of here.’
God, is that really your plan?
‘Okay, give it up,’ Estelle said.
‘What?’
‘My custard cream.’
Flustered, Eveline handed it over.
‘Thank you, my friend.’ Estelle nibbled the edges of the biscuit to expose the cream layer in between. ‘So… Excited about tonight?’
‘Tonight?’
Estelle gave her a cheeky grin. ‘Isn’t “Jesuslover33” going to show you heaven?’
Eveline held her palms to her cheeks, trying to cool them down. ‘We’re going for dinner. That’s all.’
‘Do you even know what he looks like?’
