for the idea of socialising with him. He tried to think of something supportive to say but couldn’t. Not that it mattered. Whatever he said would be wrong.
‘This could be good for me. Her father is involved with a new film production company,’ Madeleine carried on.
Again, he had no idea how to respond. He coughed.
‘I do not know what is wrong. You want to move to England but since we arrive nothing is right,’ she remarked.
Now he felt guilty. How he was behaving wasn’t Madeleine’s fault. Even after a year she barely knew him. That was his fault. Their relationship was built on his success as a footballer and her desire to be in the spotlight. If his success should diminish he knew she wouldn’t stick around. The worst thing was, that thought didn’t bother him. They were seen together, they attended all the important parties together and they slept together. That was the sum total of their relationship. Making love with Madeleine was like taking part in an advanced yoga class followed by a spin session. It was all positions and deep breathing followed by sweating, shouting and shuddering. It was all about the physical. Emotions never came into it. Maybe that was his fault too.
‘I am sorry,’ he offered.
‘I don’t want you to say you’re sorry, Guy. I want you to show me,’ she stated.
A slender hand reached out for him, tracing its way down his back, stopping at the very bottom and teasing down his underwear.
He closed his eyes tight and bit his lip.
*
Chris let out a noise any warthog would be proud of. A flailing arm crossed over to Emma’s side of the bed and hit her in the cheek. She resisted the urge to shout. Instead she placed his arm back down on the sheet and slipped out of the bed.
She’d called him last night and practically begged him to come over. She’d made a meat and potato pie, got in a case of lager and some wine and spent the evening looking attentive when he talked about his day. She even managed a laugh when he told at least half a dozen jokes she’d heard before.
She needed routine. She needed to be reminded of the life she had. The normal, everyday life she’d been living for the last eight years. This was where she belonged. This was the life she’d chosen. She’d chosen Dominic and her home and later she’d realised that teaching really was what she wanted to do. She was good at it. She would learn and grow through teaching. She would pass on her passion for literature to children; give them something to lose themselves in if life got too hard.
She made her way downstairs and headed for the kitchen. It was almost seven. Dominic would usually be awake. She could only assume the painkillers had made him drowsy. The dishes from the night before greeted her. There were also eight cans of lager and three wine bottles, all empty. No wonder she had a headache.
She turned the kettle on and opened the cupboard to get the tea bags out. That’s when the note fluttered down and landed on the worktop.
There it was. The invitation. A one-line note she had to make a decision about. She smoothed her finger over the black, handwritten words, his name. Did she owe him anything? Definitely. Did he know she owed him anything? No. He’d betrayed their trust. He’d promised her everything and he’d let her down. They’d had a few weeks together but she’d believed him when he said he was going to be her world. He’d sworn he would. She had to make him believe he wasn’t Dominic’s father. But what happened then? Once he believed that would he leave them alone? And did she want him to?
She closed her eyes and breathed in. A moment of stillness and she was transported back to La Baume. The fine hairs on her arms all stood up to attention, almost feeling the heat of the French sun. For a short time she had been so very happy. She’d been released from all the pressures in her life. There had been too many pressures for a seventeen-year-old girl. Guy had relieved her of that worry. She had believed in him and his dreams. All he’d wanted to do was better himself and she’d had no doubt that he could. He wanted to learn everything. He saw the world as a globe of adventure. He wanted to