‘But … but what about Jack? Isn’t he here to redevelop it? We all know his reputation. Surely, he isn’t helping you reopen the theatre? Why would he do that?’
Bridie resisted a smile. Unfortunately, her lips twitched, giving her away.
‘Oh, I see. You and him …’ She shook her head at her daughter.
‘It’s not like that. It’s business. And besides, he’s married.’
‘Yes, but I’ve heard things are not all roses around the door in that department …’
‘What do you mean?’
‘His wife is a big spender, and she spoils her son rotten. He is a very entitled so-and-so, but then so is she.’
‘Herson.’
‘Yes, from her previous marriage’
‘Oh, I thought he was Jack’s child. I thought they married soon after high school.’Soon after I walked out on Jack. Bridie kept that thought to herself. She remembered how she had felt, seeing him with his family in the café. She’d assumed that he’d quickly moved on from her to Jade.
Since she’d moved to London, on the odd occasions she’d visited her childhood home in Pettistree, Bridie had avoided Aldeburgh, afraid she might bump into Jack, even though it was years earlier that she’d left him and moved to London. She had been aware that if she hadn’t ended the relationship, he would have persuaded her not to go.
Her mum shook her head. ‘They haven’t been married long. They met when she was getting a divorce and selling the family home. He obviously thought it was a good redevelopment opportunity and stepped in to buy it. That’s how they got together. He’d been quite the confirmed bachelor before then. Oh, he’d had some relationships, but he would never settle down and commit. It used to annoy Oliver no end, all the single mothers at his school asking after Jack, thinking they were still friends.’
Bridie stared at her mum. This was all news to her. Jack hadn’t talked about his personal life, and Bridie hadn’t asked. She’d known he was married, and that was about it. ‘How do you even know all this, Mum?’
‘My knit-and-natter group at the local library in Wickham Market.’
‘Should be called knit-and-gossip,’ Bridie said under her breath.
‘I’ll tell you what else I know. He is ruthless in business. It’s all about money – mind you, it has to be, with a wife like that. But I digress. My point is, Bridie, that if you are going into business with him, beverycareful.’
‘What do you mean?’ Bridie said warily. ‘He’s just an old friend helping me out.’
‘People like Jack do not do anything unless there’s something in it for them. Perhaps he is after getting back with you, Bridie.’
‘That’s silly. Jack and I, we were years ago. We’ve both moved on.’
‘That’s good to hear. For a moment, when I saw you together, I thought …’
‘You thought wrong,’ Bridie said adamantly.
‘Good, because I was rather hoping that you and Oliver …’
Bridie rolled her eyes. ‘Oliver is not in my good books right now.’
‘It’s not his fault that he told me.’
‘I know, I know. He already explained,’ Bridie said curtly.
‘I think you should give him another chance.’
What did she mean,anotherchance? They weren’t dating. Bridie thought it was time she put her mum in the picture. ‘I hadn’t agreed to go out with him.’
‘But you did sit together for quite some time over a cup of coffee and arrange to meet him again at the café before all this blew up with the theatre.’
‘How do you know that?’ Bridie sighed when she realised that it was a stupid question. She imagined her mum’s spies had been around on Saturday – friends from her knit-and-natter group must have been in the café.
‘At least think about it. Oliver is such a nice boy.’
