‘He told you? You spoke to Jack?’
‘Yep. I bumped into him in the town a few days ago, and he told me all this. He said he knows you’re with Oliver and that you probably won’t speak to him after thinking he was your saboteur.’
‘He didn’t tell you about my squatter, Isobel?’
‘No.’
Bridie furrowed her brow, realising something – he could have proved he wasn’t the saboteur, but that would have meant revealing the presence of the vulnerable former stage actress who was desperate and alone, and who was refusing to leave the theatre, despite his offers of help.
Bridie had a question. ‘So, why did he leave Jade if he thought I was—?’
‘He didn’t. Exactly. He said he couldn’t deny what was truly in his heart, and Jade knew it, even though that dream of being with you again was over. She kicked him out, apparently, saying there had always been three people in their marriage.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘You, Bridie. He never got over you.’
Bridie stopped mid-stride and stared at her. It was the last thing she wanted to hear, that his marriage was over all because of her, especially now she knew she felt differently, quite the opposite, in fact. But was Jack still living in the past and not acknowledging that he didn’t really love her; he just loved the idea of them, and it was nostalgia for a simpler time when they were young, carefree teenagers.
She’d been just as guilty of that – seeing the past through rose-tinted spectacles, and thinking they could pick up wherethey’d left off, as teens, who didn’t know the first thing about love. But she hadn’t meant to lead him on. They were different people now and did not belong together; of that, Bridie was certain. She just had to convince Jack.
Whatever was going on in his life, his marriage, Bridie realised had been going on long before she arrived.
Bridie turned to her sister. ‘Why didn’t you tell me all this?’
Kate frowned. ‘Why would I? We thought he was your saboteur. Perhaps he hoped I would pass it on, but I didn’t see the point. And he mentioned that you and Oliver were together, so the last thing I wanted to do was muddy the waters.’
Bridie understood. She wished she was with Oliver.
‘Sounds like, from what Isobel said, once he’s restored the cottage, he’s invited Isobel to stay with him. It’s three storeys, so I expect there will plenty of spare bedrooms.’
‘Yes, I remember Isobel mentioning that.’
Kate nodded, smiling. ‘He’s a good guy, Bridie. Underneath all that bravado, he’s still the boy you fell in love with all those years ago.’
Across the crowds, Bridie saw Jack and Oliver shaking hands, Jack’s eyes roving over to her.
Kate took her hand. ‘I think you and Jack have some things to talk about – don’t you?’
Bridie slowly nodded, not taking her eyes off Jack. ‘I think so.’ And Bridie knew it wasn’t what Jack was going to want to hear.
Rufus returned to his seat opposite Isobel and Reggie in the ambulance.
‘You don’t know who the father is, do you, Isobel?’ said Claire. She turned to Rufus. ‘That’s why you didn’t want Bridie in on this conversation. She’s got enough to deal with, without finding out about this little love triangle.’
Isobel turned her gaze on Rufus. ‘It wasn’t a love triangle.’
‘No, it was not,’ said Rufus. ‘We were good friends, the best of friends. And I did fall in love with you, it’s true, when we first met. I wrote you a love letter, pouring my heart out to you, if you remember. But you only had eyes for another. And I was so pleased you did, because then I met the love of my life.’ Rufus turned to Claire.
Sitting next to Isobel, Reggie was fiddling with the locket. He finally opened it. He studied the photos inside. ‘Why is my photo in here with baby Bridie?’
‘Are you telling me,’ said Claire, talking to Rufus, ‘that you and Isobel never—?’
He shook his head. ‘Of course not.’
‘Why on earth didn’t you tell me?’
‘Because you would have gone straight to social services to find the father of the child, even though you loved her the moment you set eyes on her. It would have broken your heart to give her up, so when I told you where I found her—’
