she having an affair with him? And what defined an affair? Was it those few tumultuous moments on the sofa? Or the longing that would take hold of her, forcing her to a dazed standstill in the midst of the most mundane chores?
His fingers moved across the white tablecloth and came to rest above her hand. The light pressure of his skin against hers swept her again into the rawness of these new emotions.
‘I’m not going to spoil our night by dragging up my family’s past history,’ he said. ‘It’s not a particularly edifying story.’
‘If you want to talk about that history, I’m happy to listen, especially if it explains why you and Jack are always at such odds with each other.’
He turned his attention to his food. She thought he was going to ignore her offer until he swallowed and cleared his throat.
‘Did you know that the twins were only twenty when their parents died in a car crash?’ he asked.
‘I’d no idea.’ Shocked by his revelation, she shot back in her chair. ‘What an appalling tragedy.’
‘According to my mother, it brought Clonmoore to a standstill on the day of their funeral.’
‘They were obviously important people in the community.’
‘Yes, they were. And still in their prime of life. My mother’s inheritance was the market garden. The twins inherited Hyland Stables and what was left of Hyland Estate.’
‘Poor boys. They were so young to be landed with such responsibilities.’
‘Jack had no interest in remaining there. He threatened to sell his share of the land if Laurence didn’t buy him out. Laurence had to borrow heavily to do so and, once the deal was done, Jack left. No contact, nothing until he showed up out of the blue when Laurence was dying. That was my first time to meet him.’
‘How sad to meet under such circumstances.’
‘I’d moved into Hyland Hall to look after Laurence. His only wish was to die in his own home. Jack insisted on taking over his care as soon as he arrived and ordered me to leave. The next time I saw Laurence, he was in his coffin.’
‘That’s hard to believe,’ she gasped. ‘I’d no idea Jack could be so cruel.’
He lifted the wine bottle and refilled her glass. She was surprised to see how much the level had dropped. After one half glass of wine, Victor had ordered sparkling water with ice for himself, claiming drink driving regulations.
‘From the time I was a boy, Laurence had told me Hyland Estate would be mine one day.’ The ice clinked when he raised his glass to his lips. He winced, as if he had triggered a nerve in his tooth, then laid the glass carefully back on the table. ‘Instead, Jack inherited everything.’
‘You must have been absolutely devastated,’ she said. The dense texture of the monkfish had been pleasantly flavoured with herbs and lemon yet she found it difficult to chew.
‘I knew Laurence would only have changed his will under extreme coercion from Jack and, yes, I was devastated,’ he admitted.
‘Have you any proof that Jack put that kind of pressure on him?’
‘Nothing that would stand up in court. I’m not sure how relevant all this is…’ He paused, as if considering whether or not to continue. His steak must be growing cold but he made no further attempt to eat it. What tactics had Jack used to coerce his brother when he was on his deathbed? She imagined him as he was then, a strong and forceful personality who brooked no opposition.
‘Laurence and I had planned a joint venture with a group of property investors,’ said Victor. ‘He was to sell Hyland Estate and I’d sell what was left of my grandmother’s market garden. That’s the waste land beyond the copse of trees.’
She nodded. ‘I know where you mean.’
‘Our lands were to be sold as a single parcel. Everything was organised to go ahead but, then, Laurence became seriously ill. He still insisted on continuing with the sale. We were about to sign the contract when Jack turned up.’ He glanced worriedly at her. ‘We’re supposed to be enjoying ourselves, Sophia. Are you sure you want me to go on?’
‘Yes.’ She nodded. ‘I want to hear what happened.’
The noise in the restaurant had increased after a group of men had been seated close to them. Golfers on an outing, they were winding down after eighteen holes and their loudness forced him to lean towards her.
‘After the reading of the will, I had to swallow my anger and