Page 11 of An Unholy Affair
‘Mum!’ Jack and Emily yelled, as Eveline wiped her face.
‘Patricia—’ Eveline began.
‘Get out!’ she screamed.
Betsy started crying again and Eveline fled.
Emily thrust Betsy into Steph’s arms. ‘The door to the garden is at the back, through the kitchen. Take her out there.’
Steph nodded, dashing their daughter out of the room.
Jack’s headache intensified with the rise in his heartbeat. Every rapid thud sent a pulse of pain to pound at the inside of his skull. His thoughts were tangled and suffocated, twisted into knots too tight to undo. Eveline washere? A fuckingvicar? And his mum believed that she’d killed his dad?
Patricia was back on the sofa, wailing into her hands.
‘What the hell, Mum?’ Emily’s face was puce.
Their mother cried even harder.
Jack sat next to her, rubbing her back and shooting a bewildered look at his sister.
‘Mum!’ Emily repeated. ‘Dad had a heart attack. How onearthis that poor woman to blame?’
‘She—she…’ his mother hiccupped through her tears. ‘The pews. She wants to get rid of the pews. It’s too much.’
Jack’s hand stilled. This was just the kind of petty and inconsequential thing that would tip his father over the edge.
‘Pews?’ Emily repeated.
Their mother nodded.
‘Mum,’ Jack began, trying to keep his voice level. ‘You just spat in the face of Eve—Foxbrooke’svicar, and blamed her for Dad’s death because of some woodenseats?’
His mother’s sobs intensified.
He glanced at his sister. ‘I should run after her and apologise.’
‘Agreed. Mum can give her apologies later when she’s calmed down.’
Their mother lifted her head. ‘I’ve just lost my husband!’
‘Mum,’ his sister began, her face fierce with anger. ‘We want to be here for you. But if you continue behaving like this and scaring my daughter, then Steph and I are out of that door without a second glance.’ She cradled her huge bump and winced.
Jack leapt to his feet. ‘Em?’
She shook her head and bent over.
He helped her to a chair. ‘You okay? The baby?’
‘Braxton Hicks,’ she replied through gritted teeth.
‘What? Is the baby coming?’
She shook her head, breathing heavily.
Jack crouched beside her, holding her hand. He wanted to help but was in freefall.
Emily’s breathing returned to normal. ‘It’s okay. They’re practice contractions. I had them with Betsy, just not as strong.’
