Page 14 of He's the One

Bez scoffed. “What do you think? Good job no one was hurt. Apart from that scratch. Could have been a lot worse. Frank won’t want Andy blamed.”

“At least Andy can’t blame me.”

“The bugger would try if you’d been on the roof. I don’t know why he has it in for you, apart from you being good at your job when he isn’t.”

“Maybe he’s jealous of my Volvo.”

Bez chuckled. “That’ll be it.”

“I wish we could have a look round this place on our break. Not inside, I know they wouldn’t want that, we’re covered in dust, but the gardens.”

“Yeah, well we’re not allowed. But wait till you see it from the roof. We only get part of the view of the grounds, but they’re stunning.”

Asquith Hall was magnificent, once an abbey and given by King Henry VIII to Sir Albert Wetherby, who’d transformed it into a mansion. It had been extended and enhanced over the years and was now a family home open to the public, and so close to where Col had lived from the age of fourteen, that he was surprised his mum and dad had never brought him here. Though to be fair, he probably wouldn’t have been interested.

After lunch, Col climbed with the others up onto the roof. Bez was right about the view. It was fantastic. He could only see the gardens on the east side but the panorama was amazing, with autumn colours starting to reach their most intense phase. There were avenues of evergreen trees, patterns of boxwood hedges and a glistening lake. Beyond that was farmland and the sea. But once he’d taken in the view, when hedidlook up from his work, it was down that he directed his gaze.

He was hoping to see Theo, even though he knew there was little point. The work here wasn’t going to last much longer and Col had no idea where he’d be sent next. Even asking Theo out for a drink would be a mistake, suggesting a possibility of a future that was unlikely unless fate had him staying around here. Until he knew where his next job would be, he had to leave Theo alone. His disappointment told him he was definitely over Robert.

Col was staring down into the courtyard when he saw Frank talking to the guy with the pencil moustache, Theo’s boss. Frank passed him a thick envelope and the guy slipped it into his inside pocket. Col frowned. What was that about?

“Bez, who’s that? Do you know?”

Bez came to Col’s side. “Darnley. Guy in charge. Wanker. Moans about the dust. What does he expect?” He went back to his job and Col sighed.

Col pulled out his vibrating phone and sat on the parapet. He didn’t know the number, but still answered because there was always a chance it was Dominic. “Hello?

“Col Hammond?”

It was a woman’s voice. Not one he knew. “Yes.”

“You piece of shit,” she hissed.

Col tensed.

“Don’t fucking pretend you don’t know who this is.”

“Robert’s wife.”

“My husband. Mine, not yours.”

“I didn’t know.”

“You dirty, disgusting excuse for a human being.”

Robert! You idiot.Why had he told her? Col knew he should have ended the call. He didn’t have to sit and listen to this, but he kept the phone pressed to his ear so no one else could hear.

“I didn’t believe the lie about the flat flooding so I went there. I saw that photo in the bin and got the truth out of Robert. I’d suspected he was screwing someone, but I thought it was a woman, not a man. I feel sick at the thought of what you and he got up to. How could you do this to me?”

Col swallowed hard. She was half-sobbing as she yelled at him, and Col kept listening and said nothing. This was his punishment for being stupid.

“Robert told me how you wouldn’t leave him alone. How you got him drunk, seduced him, sucked his…dick.”

He almost opened his mouth to tell her it wasn’t true, that it was Robert who’d pursued him, but what did it matter? If this gave her someone to blame, then maybe she’d forgive Robert.

“I’m giving him another chance for the sake of the kids, so leave him alone. If you ever fucking go near him again, I’ll tell everyone what you did. I hope you rot in hell, you filthy bastard. I hate you so much. And if you’ve given him a disease, I swear to God, I’ll kill you.”

She ended the call and Col blocked the number with shaking fingers, though he was probably wasting his time. She’d use someone else’s phone and Col would always answer in case it was Dominic. Sometimes, he didn’t want to speak to him, but talking to his older brother was Col’s punishment too.

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