‘I’m in Scotland,’ I say.
It seems to take a moment for him to digest this. ‘Scotland?’ he repeats.
‘Yes.’
‘But... why?’ Like buses and brunch, ‘The North’ is another thing that Vince doesn’t understand, and has no desire to interact with, especially after his torturous Highland hike for the TV show.
‘I took a train here,’ I reply, ‘from Euston. The day after I left...’
‘You’re kidding me!’ he splutters.
‘No, I’m not kidding.’
‘God, Kate. You could’ve told me,’ Vince announces. ‘I assumed you were with Tash!’
‘That’s it,’ I exclaim. ‘You just assume, Vince. You haven’t actually asked since I left.’
‘Well, that seemed like the most logical thing,’ he says hotly. ‘So, what is this then? Some kind of pilgrimage to your childhood home?’
Anger rears up in me. ‘Of course it’s not! D’you seriously think I’d want to visit that house?’ Where Dad terrorised us all, is what I mean. Where Mum stopped buying apples because the sound of crunching enraged him.
‘Well,Idon’t know. Anyway, I didn’t think there was anyone left up there,’ he adds, in a calmer tone.
‘What, people? In Scotland? There are a few, yes—’
‘I meant your family,’ he says.
‘No, there isn’t,’ I say flatly. ‘Everyone’s gone.’
‘So... who are you with?’ A pause. ‘Kate... you haven’tmetsomeone, have you? Is that what this is all about?’
‘Of course not,’ I retort. But then, I have, haven’t I? I’ve met a lot of people up here. So, just to stop him from making assumptions, I share the bare bones of my encounter with Alice at Euston station. I tell him that I’ve been working for her – no, not for her.Withher. We were a team. And, even though I miss out the bit about stepping into the ‘real’ Kate’s shoes, Vince still thinks this utterly mad. But perhaps it makes him feel a little bit better, too: the implication that this is about me losing my mind, rather than anything being wrong with our marriage.
A silence hangs heavily. ‘I’m sorry,’ I start, ‘ifthis is hard for you. I know I haven’t handled things brilliantly...’
‘As long as you’re okay,’ he says quietly.
I bite my lip as a group of four women make their way down the side street, chatting and laughing. A bunch of friends on a girls’ getaway, by the look of it. ‘There’s a lovely bookshop down here,’ one of them announces. ‘Let’s see if it’s still open...’
‘I’m okay, Vince,’ I say, stopping now at the corner of the street.
‘Well, that’s good to hear.’Because I’m not, is the subtext.
‘I’m assuming you haven’t said anything to Edie yet,’ I add.
‘No. No, I haven’t. Have you?’
‘No, Vince. I think it should come from you.’ I pause. ‘Is that all right?’ Guilt twangs in me, deep in my gut.
‘Yeah, I s’pose so,’ he says gruffly.
‘Okay.’ I pause. ‘So, I have a few things to do now—’
‘Can I just ask you something?’ he blurts out.
My heart quickens. ‘Er... yes?’
‘This, uhh... this thing’s arrived.’
