He raised an eyebrow. ‘I didn’t know you were religious?’
‘There’s a lot you don’t know about me. Since I moved to Weltringham I’ve been going to the church quite regularly. It’s only across the road from me, after all. I find it quite a comfort.’
‘Right. That’s a shame. About Lent, I mean, not you going to church. I got you your favourite. Chocolate fudge cake.’
Stella drained her glass and poured herself another. ‘Well, it can’t be helped.’
He put the cake back in the cupboard. It wouldn’t be fair to eat it in front of her. He carried his tea over to the table and sat down opposite her.
‘Are you sure you want to sit in here?’ he asked. ‘We can go through to the living room, or the snug if you prefer.’
‘I’m fine here. It’s more businesslike.’
He sighed. ‘Do we have to be businesslike? Can’t we just be brother and sister for a change?’
‘Are you trying to swindle me already?’ she demanded. ‘I thought you said you were willing to have a discussion.’
‘I am! It’s just – can’t we have a discussion in comfort? Be a bit more relaxed about things?’
‘Oh no.’ She shook her head determinedly. ‘You’ll get round me if we do that. I know you. I know how sneaky and deceitful you can be, remember?’
Shame washed over him. ‘I’m not that person any more,’ he said quietly. ‘That wasn’t me.’
‘You think that by changing your name everything’s forgiven?’ she asked incredulously. ‘You really think thatMacisn’t responsible for whatIandid?’
‘Far from it,’ he said. ‘I know perfectly well what I’m responsible for. I hold my hands up to it all. Everything. But bloody hell, Stell, don’t you think I’ve paid the price for it?’
‘You weren’t the only one who paid the price,’ she said bitterly. ‘Lynne and I were best friends. I haven’t seen her in years, thanks to you.’
Hardly best friends. Yes, they’d got on well, but they’d seen each other maybe two, three times a year. He thought Stella was exaggerating a bit.
‘Sorry,’ he said simply.
‘Sorry? You have no idea, do you? If it hadn’t been for you, Gavin and I—’ she broke off, shaking her head, and drained her glass again.
He watched, rather worried, as she poured herself another one. ‘Steady on,’ he told her. ‘It’s not a race. What did you mean, if it hadn’t been for me?’
‘You haven’t got a clue, have you?’ she said, shaking her head. She stared into her glass, looking thoroughly miserable. ‘Bloody hell it’s hot in here.’
‘You’ve still got your coat, hat and scarf on,’ he reminded her. Not to mention her gloves.
‘Oh. Right.’ She unwound her scarf and threw it on the table along with her gloves and hat, then stood to unbutton her coat.
Mac took it from her and hung it in the hallway.
‘So, whatdidyou mean?’ he repeated, as he returned to find her staring into her glass again, her cheeks flushed.
‘Me and Gavin,’ she said sadly. ‘We had plans. And you ruined them.’
‘What sort of plans?’
She ran a finger around the rim of her glass, saying nothing. Mac watched her for a moment then urged, ‘Stella? What sort of plans?’
Stella blinked, as if she’d forgotten he was there. ‘Oxfordshire,’ she said simply.
‘Oxfordshire?’
She sipped her wine, nodding furiously. ‘Yep. We’d decided. We were going to sell up Tide’s Reach and the house and buy a small hotel in Oxfordshire. I wanted to be nearer to you, and Oxfordshire was so beautiful. Gavin liked it, too. Thought it was classy. He said the hotel had real potential. Ned and Crystal loved Wyatt and Sarah, and it was all going to be perfect.
