Page 87 of Wife After Wife
“For a while. I’ll have to come down occasionally, for board meetings, but the McCarey’s team doesn’t need me and I was only ever interested in the wine part.”
“Won’t you go a bit mad, stuck up there?”
“Truth? I can’t face coming back to London yet. Too many memories. I will eventually, when I’m ready for Operation Destroy Harry Rose. But that’s going to be major drama, so I’ve got to make sure I’m strong enough. Oh, by the way, I know he’s your boss, so that’s obviously between us. We’re family, so I can rely on you, right?”
A sense of impending doom crept over Ana. “What do you mean, Operation Destroy Harry Rose? You mustn’t do anything rash, Merry. Just put it all behind you and move on.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You’ve never had your heart broken by a coldhearted bastard. And don’t forget, ‘Hell hath no fury.’ We must be deserving of our scorned-woman reputations.” Her eyes were glittering, and she gnawed at the side of her thumbnail.
“Stop it, Merry. You know he’s a powerful man. You don’t want to make an enemy out of Harry Rose. Get over him.”
“I’llneverget over him, Ana. He’s ruined my life. Yes, it started as a fling, but I fell in love with him, and he said he loved me too.”
Did he?
“Truth is, he loved blonde sex-bomb me, but when I turned into sad me with a dying husband, he didn’t want to know. He needs to pay for the way he cast me aside like a—a used tissue. Maybe in theNews of the World.”
“You’re not serious. It’d hurt you more than Harry. Think of your reputation. You were married too.”
“There speaks the perfect loyal employee. Just watch me, Ana. I can see it now:Love Rat Harry Dumps Tragic Widow. They’d love it. The broken promises, the sleaze, the lies. The press like nothing more than bringing down a hypocrite, a whiter-than-white good bloke.”
Ana felt nauseated. “You mustn’t, Merry.” It came out as a croak.
“Oh, but I must! It’s the only thing keeping me going at the moment. Like you say, one’s at risk of mental illness, being cooped up in a castle.”
Right now, she did indeed look like the madwoman in the attic.
“Please, Merry, for my sake, then. Harry might sack me, especially if he found out I knew what you were planning.”
“Who’d tell him? Not me.”
“Just... don’t!”
“Sorry. My mind’s made up. He’s going to pay for what he’s done.”
Ana snapped. “For god’s sake, Merry. Have some self-respect! You seduced Harry. It wasyouwho instigated the affair. Then you hooked him with your blonde-bimbo routine and your special French... things. You were the classic bit on the side. It wasnevergoing to be anything more. As if someone like Harry would marry someone like you! Just let it go. Harry doesn’t deserve that.”
“Why are you defending him? Oh, of course. That ambition of yours. Suck up to the bloody boss rather than defend your own sister. Whatever happened to blood being thicker than water? You’re a cold, calculating cow. I’d hate to be you.”
“You can’t expose Harry. You just can’t.” Her voice was pleading.
Merry went still as understanding dawned in her eyes. She turned white.
“No. You wouldn’t do that to me. You... and Harry?”
Ana hadn’t meant it to be like this. Her anger evaporated, and she reached out to touch her sister.
Merry quickly raised her arm, hitting Ana’s out of the way.
Heads turned.
“Merry, please. I was going to tell you. I was waiting for the right moment, I didn’t want to spoil Christmas.”
Ana saw the fight leave Merry and despair take its place. Her sister’s eyes filled with tears, and she slumped against the fireplace.
“Merry...”
“Go away. Just leave me alone.”
