Page 12 of An Unholy Affair
He nodded, his jaw clenched with stress.
She leaned closer. ‘We can do this, Jack. I’m alright, I promise. You run after the vicar and make amends.’ She brought her mouth to his ear and whispered. ‘Or we could just bury the bastard in the back garden?’
He huffed out a terse laugh. ‘You sure you’re okay on your own?’
‘I’m fine. I’ve got Steph. Just go catch her up.’
He nodded and stood, glancing across at his mother, who was crying into a handkerchief.
‘Go on,’ his sister said quietly. ‘We’ve got this.’
Jack dashedout of the house and back towards the centre of Foxbrooke. Had Eveline come by car? Walked?
There was a shortcut to the high street through the recreation field, and he took it. On the far side of the large open space, he saw her striding briskly through a metal gate. He ran, his heart and head pounding, and followed her onto a side street.
‘Eveline!’
She stopped, glanced back, then turned and continued on even faster.
He caught her up. ‘Eveline, please. I’m sorry.’
She didn’t slow her pace, her gaze fixed firmly ahead. ‘What for?’
Er, everything?He ran his hands through his hair. ‘My mum, me… My dad?’
Her steps faltered, and her eyes found his. ‘I’m so sorry for your loss.’
He looked away. ‘Don’t be.’
They walked in silence onto the high street and Eveline turned towards Foxbrooke Manor and Saint Saviour’s church. Words whirled through his mind, but none seemed the right ones.Come on!
‘Look, I can explain,’ he said, knowing full well he couldn’t.
She stopped and faced him. Her expression was calm, but he could see the pain behind it.
‘What’s your real name?’
He took a big breath. ‘It’s—’
‘Jack?’
His head jerked in the direction of the voice. Striding towards them from the direction of the Manor, her frizzy curls bouncing, was Lady Estelle Foxbrooke, one of his oldest friends.
‘No fucking way! Itisyou!’ She grabbed him in a bear hug. ‘What are you doing here? Why didn’t you tell me?’ She disengaged with a frown, her nose wrinkling. ‘Have you been partying all night? I’ve just been mucking out the stables and they smell better than you.’
‘I—’
‘And how do you know Eveline?’ She frowned. ‘Hang about, you’re not “Jesuslover33” are you?’ She turned to Eveline. ‘I thought your date with him was tonight?’
Eveline blushed and shook her head.
‘Stelle…’ he began.
Estelle’s brow furrowed deeper as she stared at him. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Dad died yesterday.’
Her jaw dropped. ‘What?’
