Chapter 10
Tara was flicking through a magazine with her feet up for once. It was Saturday morning, Calum had stayed at his friend’s the night before and she wasn’t due on shift until the following afternoon.
Her peace and quiet was disrupted by a loud buzz from the intercom. Frowning, she looked out of the window to see Richard’s car through the iron gates, waiting to be let in. She was half tempted to ignore him, but knew he’d be persistent. Bloody Richard. He’d obviously got the solicitor’s letter. She braced herself for the onslaught. This time she was ready for him. This time she would not cave in.
She got up to answer the intercom. Cutting out the niceties, she pressed the button and said, ‘It’s open.’ She stood by the door, waiting with a steely nerve for him to enter the building and stride down the corridor.
Moments later, he rammed on the front door, unnecessarily loud. Taking a deep breath, she opened it and looked him fully in the eye. He was incandescent with fury, clutching the letter in his hand.
‘What the hell?’ he raged, waving the paper in her face. Tara remained calm. ‘We’d agreed everything! So why go back to court now?’
‘Because, Richard, I’ve changed my mind,’ she answered flatly.
‘Why?’ he spat. Tara turned her back on him and walked away, leaving the door open for him to follow. The last thing she needed was a showdown within earshot of the neighbours.
Richard stormed in, slamming the door behind him, making it rattle. Again, she counselled herself to stay composed, thoughher patience was reaching breaking point. More than anything, she was very aware of being alone in the apartment. She turned to face him.
‘Why, Tara?’ he demanded.
‘I’m tired, Richard. I work every hour God sends at the hospital and I want more time. I want alife.’
‘But… but…’ he spluttered.
‘No, Richard, no buts. You earn a fortune and it’s time you contributed your fair share.’ Tara folded her arms across her chest, subconsciously acting as a barrier between them.
‘I do contribute.’
‘Not enough and you know it.’
‘It’s not as if you’re as poor as a church mouse, is it?’ he spoke quietly, almost menacingly.
‘You know damn well how hard I work.’
At least he has the grace to blush, she thought.
‘All I know is that we were both happy with the arrangement… And now…’ Then something dawned on him. Her friend was acting as her solicitor. ‘Oh, I know what this is about. It’s that stupid cow Claire, isn’t it? She always did have it in for me.’
‘No, this has come fromme,’ Tara replied, then added, ‘although, yes, you’re right about Claire. She does have it in for you.’ She smiled sweetly, sending Richard’s temper into orbit. He made a move towards her, then stopped in his tracks at the sight of her face. ‘You come any nearer and you will so regret it,’ she warned in a low, stern voice. ‘Do you want to be dragged through the courts for assault too?’
This made him freeze. The stark reality of the situation finally struck home. If his reputation was tarnished, that would impact his professional life, not to mention how Melissa would react, or her family. He gulped. A film of moisture suddenly covered his skin.
‘Tara, listen—’ he tried to reason.
‘No, you listen, Richard.’ Her eyes sparked with anger. ‘This is the last time you enter my home. In future, all correspondence will be through our solicitors. You can contact Calum directly.’ Richard blinked, not quite believing his ears. ‘I’ve nothing more to say to you, except leave.’
She walked towards the door and opened it. Richard slowly made his exit, shoulders drooping slightly. As he passed her, he made one last attempt to speak, but she immediately silenced him with her raised hand.
‘Don’t, Richard. Just don’t.’ She watched him slope down the corridor, very much the wounded soldier. What an absolute prick, she thought, then locked the door shut.
Trust Richard to ruin what precious little time she had to herself. She wasn’t picking Calum up from his friend’s house until later that day, so, determined not to waste the rest of the morning seething over her idiot ex-husband, Tara changed into her running gear. It had been ages since she’d gone out on a run and really stretched her legs.
Within ten minutes she sprinted out of the Augusta House grounds and made for the nearby woods that led onto the bay. It was a glorious route through the tall pine trees, jogging on soil covered with needles. She breathed in their musty scent, loving the dappled sunshine glowing gently through the branches. Finally the soil turned to sand as she came to a clearing. The bay was now in sight.
Tara stopped and took in a lungful of fresh air. She put a hand up to shield her eyes from the sun and surveyed the magnificent sight before her. How uplifting it was. The glittering turquoise water was enough to raise anyone’s spirits. She’d so made the right move coming here.
Her gaze was drawn to the peninsula and the huge house on it, which was cut off by the tide at the moment. How lucky, thought Tara, wishing she could afford the same luxury, to be secludedfrom all and sundry twice a day. Then her eyes wandered to the soft white dunes covered in samphire. She squinted at seeing another runner, clearly in good shape as his toned body pounded along the sand. Then she watched with interest as he slowed down and stopped to pick some samphire. Tara remained discreet, the pine trees providing a cover. He seemed very preoccupied with his task, putting the samphire into a small plastic bag then stuffed it into his jogging bottoms’ pocket. What a good idea, Tara thought, knowing how much goodness was packed into the small plant. Hmm, he obviously looks after himself. Her stare followed him as he set off running again, then she too set off, jogging down the beach at a reasonable distance behind him.
Inhaling the salty air and enjoying the sun on her face, she relished the exercise. All the while, the man in front of her thundered down the sand at high speed, oblivious to her in the rear distance. Then, to her surprise, he suddenly went left into a cove. Tara hadn’t even known there was a cove here, it was so well tucked away.
Curiosity got the better of her and she took the same turning – but quickly halted when she realised what was there. A house. A beautiful, stunning beach house! She saw the man run up the wooden decking, up the steps two at a time, then enter it. Tara, not wanting to be seen, turned to run in the opposite direction, but not before edging closer to get a better look at what she’d discovered. What a fantastic home, she admired in awe. How she envied the owner of this house. It may not be on the peninsula with the seclusion she craved, but still, what an absolute gem it was, having the beach on your very own doorstep.
Tara set off again retracing her footsteps. Once she made it back to Augusta House, she felt totally rejuvenated, ready to take on the world – and Richard. Now she just grinned to herself atRichard’s response to the solicitor’s letter. He was about to get his just deserts, well overdue and well deserved.
