Page 14 of Only for Christmas

Lucas flinched. ‘He told you he doesn’t love you?’

Harper’s face contorted with pain. ‘He said he’d always love me, but he’s no longer in love with me. He sees me more like a sister than a wife.’

Lucas cradled his sister in his arms. No wonder she was hurting so bad. Someone telling you they no longer loved you was hard to hear. He’d experienced the same thing in his senior year of college. Difference was, he hadn’t been married and with two kids. That took the pain to a whole new level.

The solicitor placed her pen on the desk. ‘If the marriage can’t be saved, then we need to look at your options moving forwards.’

Harper clawed at her hands. ‘What options? Paul’s the one who earns the money and pays the bills. I’ve no idea how I’m going to cope without him providing for us. If I can’t look after the boys then I’m scared they’ll be taken away from me and I’ll be left with nothing.’

Lucas placed a hand over Harper’s, stopping her from scratching at her skin. The back of her hand was red-raw.

The solicitor spoke softly. ‘Firstly, let me reassure you that UK divorce laws are intended to ensure both parties leave the marriage on an equal footing. This means your husband is required by law to provide for you and your children while they’re still in education. If your circumstances improve in the coming months and years, which hopefully they will, any agreement will be adjusted accordingly. Until that time, I’m confident we can secure you a decent level of child and spousal maintenance that will enable you to provide for your children.’

Harper didn’t look overly convinced, but she nodded anyway. ‘What about the house?’

‘That depends on a number of factors. For the time being, he cannot enforce a sale. I’d advise you to stay put and defer any questions about finances to me. I’m assuming your husband has engaged the services of a solicitor?’

Harper nodded.

‘Then let us hash out the details between us and see if we can come to a settlement you’re both happy with. Please be assured that you are my priority, and I’ll be doing my utmost to secure you the best possible deal.’

‘Thank you. But I don’t have the money to pay you.’

Lucas squeezed her shoulder. ‘I’ll take care of that. Don’t worry.’

She looked at him through bloodshot eyes. ‘You can’t pay for my divorce, Lucas.’

‘Sure I can. I’m not leaving you without legal representation. It’s not up for debate. No arguments, okay? It’s what brothers are for.’ He turned to the solicitor. ‘What happens now?’

‘I’ll make contact with Mr Evans and request the details of his solicitor. In the meantime, I’d like you to think about what you’d ideally like the outcome to be, Mrs Evans. For example, do you want to stay in the house, which would be co-owned with your husband? Or would you rather sell up and move somewhere you own outright? Would you prefer a lump sum settlement, or monthly alimony payments? What would be acceptable in terms of childcare arrangements? Weekend visits? Weeknight sleepovers? These are all things you need to think about carefully. Once I know what you want moving forwards, I can build a case and try to secure a deal for you. But it’s key that I know what the priorities are, and what you’re prepared to compromise on.’

Harper wiped her eyes. ‘I’ll have a think about it.’

The solicitor stood, an indicator that the meeting was drawing to a close. ‘May I suggest we schedule another meeting for next week? I’ll ask my assistant to contact you to fix a time.’

Lucas stood up and extended his hand. ‘Thanks for your help.’

‘My pleasure.’ The solicitor moved to the door and opened it. ‘I’m glad you have your brother here to support you, Mrs Evans. We all need an ally during these difficult times. Good day to you.’

Harper was quiet as they left. He guessed she had a lot on her mind.

They walked down the busy high street and past the quaint coffee shops and independent grocery stores. He’d expected to find diversity in London, but the extent blew him away. There was Indian, Chinese and Moroccan cuisine, Polish and Punjabi convenience stores, halal butchers and rows of Jewish jewellers. There was even an American store, selling everything from leather ranch hats to little models of the Statue of Liberty.

‘What time do you have to be at the hospital?’ Harper asked, as they reached the car.

‘Half an hour. I can come over later, though. Maybe we could get takeout and watch a movie?’

Harper nodded. ‘I’d like that. Thank you.’ She hugged him hard. ‘I don’t know what I’d do without you.’

‘I have your back,’ he whispered, holding her tight and wishing he could make things better for her. ‘We’ll get through this together, okay?’

She kissed his cheek. ‘Love you.’

‘Love you too, sis. Always.’

He waited until she’d driven off and disappeared into the traffic before heading for the Underground. The novelty of driving a fancy Bentley had worn off pretty quickly. There was never anywhere to park, the roads were so busy it took forever to get anywhere, and the parking fees were crazy. When he’d realised moving around by Tube was quicker and easier, he’d handed the car keys back to his sister.

Besides, he’d wanted the London experience. There was nothing more British than travelling on the Jubilee Line, where people stared at the floor, and if you dared say hi, they scowled at you like you were a serial killer.

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