Cass cleared her throat and held the paper tight. ‘Dear Liv, I wish I could talk to you with speech, but my written words will have to do. You are unhappy. I see it. Bertie is unhappy too, and this breaks my heart. I know what happened with Marion. Cass told me.’
I looked up at Cass, who shrugged and continued reading.
‘I cannot stand by and watch you throw your life away. Your mother would never have forgiven me if I let that happen. Life is too precious to live in the shadows. Half a life, half a person. This is no good, Liv. When we went out on the rowing boat, I saw myLiv for the first time in years. Beautiful, full of life, happy. That is the Liv I want to see again. But I cannot get you back to that person alone. Which is why I have asked some friends to help. Please don’t be angry, and know everything I do is with your best interests in mind.’
‘I don’t understand.’
Cass stood up, put her fingers in her mouth and let out a loud whistle.
‘Cass, what are you doing?’
I shielded my eyes from the sun, squinting at the two figures walking through the garden towards me.
‘Dad arranged this,’ said Cass.
I got to my feet, too stunned to speak. Harry and Seb stopped beside Dad’s wheelchair. Harry bent down to kiss Dad’s cheek and Seb rested a hand on Dad’s shoulder.
‘Your Dad asked a nurse to call Cass, and Cass called us,’ explained Harry.
‘I don’t understand what you’re doing here?’
‘We’re here for you, Liv,’ said Seb. His eyes held mine as he stepped towards me and pulled me into him. With his arms wrapped around me, I pressed my head into his chest and breathed him in.
Seb released me from his arms, and I sat back on the bench, wiping my eyes on my sleeve.
‘I’m sorry to spring this on you,’ said Cass, ‘but you’ve been so stubborn about asking for help and this seemed the only option. Besides, if you’re pissed off with us, blame Dad.’
‘I’m not cross. But I can’t ask for your help. It wouldn’t be fair. You don’t understand what I’m up against. The resources Marion has at her disposal…’
‘You’re right,’ said Harry. ‘Even if we pooled all our resources, we couldn’t match Marion for wealth. But as my grandmother used to say, there’s more than one way to skin a cat.’
‘For starters,’ said Seb, sitting beside me on the bench and taking my hand, ‘Marion has no way of knowing how much money we do or don’t have access to. I was an investment banker once, remember? For all she knows, I could have vast sums squirrelled away somewhere.’
‘Do you?’
Seb laughed. ‘Unfortunately not. I squandered it all on fast living. But thankfully, you’re not just relying on me. We’ve drawn up a document, stating all the people who are prepared to back you.’ Seb pulled an envelope from his pocket and opened it. ‘Right,’ he said, folding out the paper it contained. ‘On our list we have: Cass and Jasper, Maggie and Stephan, your dad, of course, me, Harry, Beryl, Mel and Pat.’
‘I wouldn’t take money from any of you.’
‘I don’t think you’ll have to,’ said Cass. ‘It was Dad who got me to see it. Liv, what’s the one thing your in-laws care about, even more than money?’
‘Rob?’
‘No, reputation. I, we, suggest you take this list of backers to your in-laws and let them know it won’t just be you they’re fighting if this goes to court. They may call your bluff, in which case you tell them in no uncertain terms, that if they proceed with using Bertie as a pawn in this terrible game they’re playing, their scheme will find its way into a national newspaper. Dad still has contacts from his days at the university. The vice-chancellor’s brother happens to be the editor of a well-known tabloid. Oh, and you can also let Marion know Jasper would be delighted to arrest her for blackmail, should you decide to press charges.’
‘You really think it could work?’
‘Yes,’ said Cass. ‘I do.’
‘B… but,’ said Dad, ‘th… this is… R… Rob’s problem t… too.’
‘Yes, Dad’s right,’ said Cass. ‘We need to speak to Rob first. The way I see it, there’s no time like the present.’
Chapter Fifty
Rob was sitting in front of the TV, his feet on the coffee table, watching the cricket. ‘Oh, hi, I wasn’t expecting you back so soon.’
‘I’ve got a few friends with me. I hope that’s OK? They’d like to talk to you.’
