Page 36 of An Unholy Affair
Eveline: I’m sending this after matins (morning service) as I didn’t want to reply earlier and wake you up. I hope you had a lovely time with Finn and a restful sleep. Tomorrow I am free: 06:00-07:30, 11:00-12:30, 15:00-16:00. Do any of those times suit?
Jack: Good morning and sorry for my text last night. I’m afraid I don’t remember sending it. I have an appointment with the undertakers tomorrow at eleven, and Mum wants me to take her food shopping in the afternoon. What’s your diary looking like for the day after tomorrow?
Eveline: I must apologise that I’m not giving you many options. Especially as I promised to help. I’m in Wells at the moment, waiting to see the Bishop. I’ve got a few minutes, so I’ll send you some useful links regarding the legalities of registering a death and what else you might need to think about.
Jack: It’s okay, I’ve manned up and am Googling. I should have done that in the first place and not hassled you to hold my hand through this.
Eveline: It’s my job and I like helping people.
Jack: I don’t want to be yet another person taking advantage of your good nature.
Eveline: You’re not. I promise. How’s your mum doing?
Jack: Not great. She stays in bed most of the time. I don’t think she knows what to do with herself.
Eveline: That’s understandable. I hope I’m not overstepping by saying this, but your father did seem to take the lead in their relationship.
Jack: Say what you like. He was a terrible human.
Eveline: Got to go. Will msg ltr.
Jack held his breath to stop his hand shaking as he positioned the tiny bottle over his mum’s eye. After Henry and Connor had left the pub last night, he’d carried on drinking with Finn, intent on obliterating all thoughts of Eveline from his mind.
‘What are you doing?’ his mother snapped.
Fucked if I know. ‘Sorry, Mum, I’m feeling a bit worse-for-wear.’
‘Are you going to go out drinking every night?’
If only. ‘No, I just haven’t seen my friends for a long time.’
‘And whose fault is that?’
He didn’t reply, but squeezed the bottle, sending a drop splashing onto her eyeball.Thank you, God. Repressing a sudden smile at the irony of his thoughts, he moved to her other eye.You can do this. The drop hit its mark, and he resisted the urge to fist pump.
His phone buzzed with a call from his jeans pocket, and he pulled it out.
Eveline Shaw.
Jack stared at the screen. He was desperate to talk to her, but to put one foot on that irresistible path would send at least one of them to a living hell.
‘Who is it?’
‘The vicar.’
‘Well, answer it then. Don’t be rude.’
He hesitated.
His mother took the phone from him, accepting the call. ‘Eveline, it’s Patricia.’
Jack couldn’t hear what Eveline was saying, but his mother was nodding, her eyes filling with tears.
‘Thank you. Yes, it has been very hard,’ she said, the snippiness leaving her voice.
He passed her a box of tissues and left the room.
* * *
