Page 20 of An Unholy Affair
‘Oh.’
Is something I had no control over going to be a deal-breaker, Leslie?
He cleared his throat and arranged his features into a smile that looked even less convincing than hers felt.
‘Germany?’
‘Yes, my stepfather, Hugh, is in the army, so when he married my mum, I went to boarding school in England. My sisters are a lot younger than me. Abigail is twenty-two and studying to be a lawyer in The Hague, and Eleanor is twenty and studying medicine in Munich.’
‘Do you see much of them?’
Eveline hesitated. ‘Not as much as I’d like, unfortunately. We all have busy lives.’
‘And your father?’
‘He also works a lot, and it’s a four-hour drive to Margate, so we don’t get to see each other that often.’
He wrinkled his nose again. ‘That’s a shame. Family is very important.’
She nodded. ‘Yes. I would love to have my own one day.’
Leslie cleared his throat. ‘I’m glad we’re both on the same page. And this is why I’m glad to have found someone like you.’ His cheeks coloured. ‘Someone who understands the importance of saving oneself for the sanctity of the marital bed.’
Oh no. Her personal sex ship, the HMSVirginity, had sailed a long time ago. Eveline may not have slept with anyone in over a decade, but before she found God, she and her friends dipped into pretty much any port that took their fancy.
Leia arrived with their soup, which saved her from replying. When the bowl was placed in front of him, Leslie sniffed and waved his hand above it, wafting the scent into his scrunched-up nose.
Nine…
Eveline glanced over his shoulder out of the window, already visualising leaving. Despite the darkness of the October night, the high street was lit up from streetlamps, and the glow from the flats above the shops. In the distance, walking towards the restaurant on the other side of the road, was a figure. She couldn’t yet make out their features, but her heart and hormones recognised who it was.
Jack…
As he got closer, he glanced toward the restaurant, and their eyes met. His pace slowed as her pulse rocketed. She felt locked inside his gaze as a million messages darted between them.
‘Eveline?’
She started at the sound of her name, and Jack’s attention flicked to Leslie. He dipped his head towards the pavement and strode on.
‘Ye-es?’ she stammered, bringing her awareness back to the man in front of her.
Leslie wrinkled his nose again and his glasses lifted.
Ten…
‘I thought we could discuss a roadmap for the progression of our relationship?’
* * *
Jack duckedhis head to enter the snug in the Horse and Hounds pub. The ceiling was low, with blackened and bowing Tudor timbers waiting to bring anyone over six feet down to size. It was the most inappropriate part of the pub for him and his equally tall friends to meet, but it had an open fire and was private.
His heart tugged in his chest at the sight of Henry, Connor and Finn, who’d commandeered a sofa and chairs around the fire. They stood, slightly hunched to avoid cracking their heads on the low beams, and embraced him. There was already a pint of beer and a double shot of whisky in a glass waiting for him.
‘We weren’t sure what you wanted to drink first,’ said Finn. ‘Or whether it’s only wine now that you’re basically a frog.’
Jack necked the whisky. The burn was a welcome balm. ‘Wine’s for food. This is for friends.’ He reached for the beer and glugged half of it. ‘Thanks. I needed this.’
‘Estelle’s running late,’ said Henry, her twin and heir to the Foxbrooke estate.
