Shewasgoing to have a good day, though. She was going to ignore Declan until she’d had space to think more. Georgie and Max were coming over for lunch and a walk and she was seeing Beth and Ankita this evening.
She would befine. As long as she could just pretend the Declan thing wasn’t happening.
‘How was your evening?’ Declan turned the kettle on and settled himself at the table. The sheerbrazen-nessof him.
‘Great, thank you. How was the rugby?’ She could hear her own voice sounding tight and bordering on angry.
‘Ireland won so I’m not complaining, and Imighthave a sore head this morning.’ How could he not be reacting to the way she was speaking?
She couldn’t stomach this any more.
‘Enjoy your breakfast, then.’ She picked Daniel up and left the room.
Maybe she’d walk round with him to see her parents before Georgie and Max arrived. She didn’t want to be around Declan this morning.
And while she was there she could focus on pretending that her life wasn’t falling apart, and she would look online for tips on how to learn to do the splits. Thesplits. What an idiot. Stupid resolution. She wasnotflexible. YouTube would be able to help, though, she was sure, and you read stories all the time about ninety-three-year-olds with bodies like twenty-eight-year-olds who could win Iron Woman competitions, swim the Channel andobviouslydo the splits.
Oh. As she wrestled Daniel into his snowsuit she realised that it probably didn’t matter what resolutions she’d put down; if she and Declan split up everyone would know her secret that he’d had an affair.
‘Are you going out?’ Declan had appeared at the door of the kitchen, chewing, a slice of toast in his hand.
‘Yep.’ And she whisked herself and Daniel out of the house.
Poppy had just finished doing Daniel’s lunch and Declan had taken him to put him down for his afternoon sleep when Georgie and Max turned up.
When Declan came into the room a couple of minutes later, he hesitated for a moment, and then shook Max’s hand before giving Georgie a very distant air kiss.
‘How are you both doing? How’s school, Max? I was thinking I might just nip out.’
‘Oh, but it’s lunchtime?’ Poppy was sure he hadn’t already eaten, and Declan was not a man who ever missed a meal. Was he planning to eat with someone else?
‘Yeah, no, not hugely hungry. I’ll pick something up while I’m out.’
‘But you wanted to try my Moroccan food?’ Maybe Poppy would just keep on questioning him like this every time he behaved oddly until he cracked and told her the truth.
‘Yes, I’d love to try it. Really love to. Later, though. I really need to go out now. See you later.’
‘Bye. Good to see you.’ Wow. Georgie sounded weird too. She must have noticed the oddness between Declan and Poppy and be feeling awkward. To be fair, she’d only known Declan in person for the few weeks since he and Poppy had got back from Australia and had met him on only a few occasions during that time, and it probably shouldn’t be a surprise that sensing tension in the air between Poppy and a relative stranger might make her feel awkward.
Declan left and Georgie immediately went pretty much back to normal – clearly ithadbeen the marital tension that had been making her feel awkward – and Poppy decided that she was going to have fun with her best friend and her godson and not think about her stupid husband.
When Declan got back, Georgie and Max hadgone and Ankita had arrived.
He came up behind Poppy in the kitchen, pulled her against him, hard, and kissed the back of her neck, and said, ‘I love you,’ low and huskily into her ear.
Poppy didn’t know what she’d have done if Ankita hadn’t been there. Maybe she’d have allowed herself to press back against him just for a second… before asking why he was being so passionate all of a sudden, and was it guilt passion. Or maybe she’d have accidentally on purpose trodden hard on his foot. Or maybe she’d have turned round and walloped him and yelled a lot.
But Ankitawasthere.
So she moved sideways away from him and ignored his words and said, ‘Ankita and I thought we might go to the pub for dinner. Are you happy to babysit Daniel?’
The following Tuesday, Poppy took Daniel shopping in Cheltenham. As she emerged from the supermarket, her buggy laden down by very full bags for life on the handles on each side, she heard someone calling her name and looked round.
‘Sally!’ she said in a strangled voice. She’d only met Declan’s friend Rory’s wife once, at the pub the night before New Year’s Eve, but she recognised her immediately, possibly because she’d thought about her alotsince Declan had clearly been lying about being inside with her.
‘How are you?’ Sally squatted down in front of the buggy – managing to look graceful the entire time – and said, ‘Hello, Daniel. I’ve heard a lot about you.’
Poppy raised her eyebrows and fought with herself not to speak until she’d calmed down. She felt almost shaky with anger; she didn’t remember saying much about Daniel to Sally when they’d met, so she’d obviously heard about him from Declan.Niceto talk about your baby to your lover.
