‘I can’t believe you’re feeling sorry for her,’ Sally huffed and hopped off her stool to retrieve a second bottle, one she’d brought with her, from the fridge. ‘The woman quite obviously had Jake in her sights. You only had to look at what she was wearing at the fair, as well as the fact that she couldn’t take her eyes off him, to realise that.’
Emily’s blood ran cold as she remembered the events at the fair. Guilt weighing heavily inside her, she glanced at her friend, who was looking indignant on her behalf, and who, ironically, was dressed in slim-cut jeans and leather boots. She had noticed what Natasha was wearing, of course she had. It had been abundantly clear to her that the woman had been working to attract Jake’s attention. But hadn’t Sally draped herself all over him? It was the way Sally was, the sort of person who hugged everyone. It was possible that Natasha was just being who she was too.
‘So do you still think she was the one who sent the email to Jake?’ Sally asked as she came across with the wine, and then went back to the work surface to refill the dishes with nibbles, which Emily really had no appetite for. ‘Not that I’m implying there was anything in it.’ She glanced over her shoulder – sympathetically, Emily noted, meaning she probably did think there was something in it.
‘I thought she was,’ she said, wondering now at the wisdom of confiding in Sally, who could be a bit of a gossip. She was always supportive, though, and Emily had so needed someone to talk to. She felt as if she was losing her grip on reality, as if her world was slowly crumbling around her and she had no way to hold onto it.
‘But you don’t think so now?’
‘I honestly don’t know.’ Sighing again heavily, Emily reached to top up her glass. She would probably feel as sick as a dog in the morning, but she did it anyway. Anything to numb the pain, hopefully enough that she could sleep. ‘She swore she wasn’t cheating on Michael. She was so hurt and upset …’
Emily really wasn’t sure any more. After all, the only evidence she’d had – or thought she’d had – was the email address beginning ‘nja’. The letter sent to Michael had accused Natasha of everything Emily had imagined the woman was doing, yet … She’d been so distraught. So adamant she’d never been unfaithful.
‘Hmm,’ Sally pondered. ‘Well, whoever sent the email and the letter, there’s obviously some bitter individual in our midst determined to stir up trouble between couples.’
‘But who? And why?’ Emily knitted her brow. Was it just that, someone trying to stir up trouble? Other than his constantly working late, she’d had no cause to think that Jake had been cheating on her, but add to that his many call-outs and that damn email … And he had reacted so angrily when she’d hinted she suspected something. Wouldn’t he have tried to reassure her, rather than go into defensive mode, if there was nothing to hide?
‘I don’t know, someone thwarted in love maybe?’ Sally suggested. ‘Someone with a grudge, determined that no one should be happy if they’re not? The contents of that letter are pretty bloody awful—’ She stopped abruptly as Jake, home early, amazingly, walked from the hall into the kitchen, catching them unawares.
‘What letter’s this?’ he asked, a curious expression on his face.
‘Jake!’ Sally exclaimed delightedly, distracting him as she walked back to the island, while Emily quickly scooped the letter into one of the drawers underneath. ‘We weren’t expecting you.’
‘I gathered.’ Jake smiled warily, his eyes travelling to the two wine bottles. And then over Sally, Emily noticed, with a stab of jealousy.
‘So are you going to enlighten me?’ he asked, his eyes back where they should be, on Sally’s face. Which was meticulously made up, as it always was. Emily was suddenly acutely aware of her own lack of make-up. Since finding the email, part of her thought she should make more of an effort with her appearance. Another part of her, though, told her there was no point. She was already hurting more than she’d thought possible. How hurt would she be if she tried to attract his attention only for him not to notice?
‘Sorry?’ Sally blinked, perplexed.
‘The awful letter,’ Jake said, placing his case at the end of the island and shrugging out of his jacket.
Sally’s eyes ran the length and breadth of him – Emily couldn’t help but notice that too – before gliding worriedly to hers. Working to still the green-eyed monster writhing inside her, which now seemed to be suspicious of everyone, she signalled her friend not to share the information with a quick shake of her head. She intended to talk to Jake, but later, when they were alone, when she’d decided how much to disclose. She’d told herself she hadn’t mentioned the email to him because she’d needed more proof. Because she didn’t want the children to have to cope with the fallout. But now she wondered whether she was doing what she’d promised herself not to, burying her head and hoping it would all go away. It wouldn’t. The doubt would never go if she didn’t talk to him and give him the opportunity to explain. Assuming there was anythingtoexplain. There might not be – she felt a kernel of hope unfurl inside her – if, as Sally said, the email and the letter had been sent by some twisted individual with a grudge. But why target Jake and Natasha? Try as she might, Emily couldn’t ignore that link.
‘Oh, just work gossip. You know what we girls can be like.’ Getting the message, Sally deflected Jake’s question and perched herself back on her stool.
‘You’re back early.’ Changing the subject, Emily arranged her face into a bright smile. She would drive everyone away at this rate, including her best friend. Plus, she was desperate for Jake to look at her anything but guardedly. He knew she was worried; he’d always been able to sense that kind of thing. When she’d been so upset about Millie’s childhood asthma diagnosis, he’d been there, strong, professional, reassuring. When she’d been devastated thinking she might be losing Ben six months into her pregnancy, he’d been there for her, so supportive, such care and kindness in his eyes, she wouldn’t have got through it without him. Was he avoiding full-on eye contact now out of guilt? Because he didn’t want to acknowledge how crushed she would be to find out he was cheating on her? But how unfair was she being expecting him to read her mind? She had to talk to him, however painful it might be.
‘I had a call-out.’ He draped his jacket over his case, ran a hand tiredly across his neck and then walked around to press a light kiss to her cheek, which was at least something. ‘I came straight home rather than go back to the surgery.’
‘Oh?’ Emily glanced up at him, uneasiness prickling her skin as she noticed his cautious expression.
Jake took a visible breath. ‘In light of … certain recent events, I thought I should tell you that the call-out was from Natasha Jameson,’ he went on, causing Emily’s heart to somersault in her chest. ‘She sounded distraught and said she was injured. I felt obliged to go.’
Noting the hands now shoved in his pockets and his shrug, as if it were no big deal, Emily’s anger unleashed suddenly inside her. ‘I bet you did,’ she fumed, yanking herself to her feet and striding across the kitchen with no purpose other than to open a cupboard, extract a cup she didn’t need and then bang it shut again.
There was deathly silence for several long seconds, until Sally broke it, clattering her stool as she got to her feet. ‘Right, well, I should probably get off,’ she announced with forced jollity. ‘Dave will be wondering where I am.’
Coming across to Emily, she squeezed her shoulders. ‘I’ll call you tomorrow, hun.’
Emily gave her a small nod, grateful for her diplomacy. Staying where she was, her back to Jake until Sally had slipped out of the door, she tried to think rationally. Natasha was one of his patients. She might have felt she needed medical attention, but … why would she call Jake from her mother’s house in Worcester? And why would he go? It was over an hour’s drive away. Surely, if it were urgent, he would have advised her to dial the NHS emergency helpline or go to the local accident and emergency? Emily had offered to take her there herself, for God’s sake.
She couldn’t ignore this. Whatever the fallout might be, there was no way she could simply say nothing. Breathing deeply, she braced herself. ‘Where was she?’ she asked, her voice strained. ‘Natasha, where did you see her?’
Jake took a minute. Then, ‘Why?’ he asked.
‘Why?’ Emily whirled around, astonished. Was he serious? ‘Because I know very well she isn’t at home,’ she pointed out, daring him to lie to her outright. ‘Where did youseeher?’
Jake narrowed his eyes. ‘A hotel,’ he answered eventually.
