Page 45 of The Bordeaux Book Club

‘We’re not exactly subtle.’

‘We are definitely not subtle,’ she said, catching her friend’s eye.

And Leah felt giggles bubble deliciously inside her as she waved another punter in front of them in the ATM queue.

Grace, seeing the expression on her friend’s face, caught the mood and began giggling too. To her knowledge, Leah had never seen Grace giggle before. Smile, yes. Laugh, definitely. But giggle a little like a young girl? Never. Watching Grace’s shoulders rock in their neat, striped jacket set her off even more. ‘What are we doing?’ she said.

‘I’m not…’ Grace began, then her hand suddenly clamped onto Leah’s shoulder. ‘Oh,’ she said, her face changing abruptly to a look of concern.

‘What?’ Leah followed her gaze. And there was Nathan, standing smiling in the street just outside the café, lookingdirectly ahead of him at a woman, dressed smartly with neat, blonde hair, who seemed to be approaching him.

As they watched, Nathan leaned forward and kissed the woman on each cheek. They smiled at each other before the woman gestured and they both began to walk purposefully along the road, arms linked.

‘Oh my God, oh my God,’ Leah began.

‘No time,’ Grace said. ‘Follow the bastard!’

She grabbed Leah’s hand and half walked, half dragged her along the pavement in the same direction. Only to round a corner and see the woman climb a small set of steps at the bottom of an old building, repurposed into apartments. She took a key from her bag, and with Nathan standing close behind, opened the front door before the pair of them disappeared inside.

18

MAY

It was still bright – the sky white but with no hint of rain. Ordinarily, this kind of evening – springlike but with a promise of summer – would have lifted Leah’s mood. But tonight, she barely noticed.

Wondering whether she’d cope, Leah stood outside Monica’s apartment building as Grace leaned forward and pressed the buzzer. The intercom crackled, then Monica’s voice came on. ‘Come on up!’ she said, sounding cheerful.

Leah almost hadn’t come to the meeting at all. In the six days since they’d seen Nathan disappear with that – beautiful, it had to be said – woman, she’d lived a kind of half-life. Not knowing what to do with the information, scared to confront her husband. ‘It might not be what it looked like,’ she’d said to Grace after the pair had disappeared into the building together. ‘There could still be an innocent explanation.’ She’d heard the desperation in her own voice. The residential building. The kiss. The linked arms. The looks exchanged as the woman had turned the key.

Together, she and Grace had tried to come up with possibilities. Maybe she was just a friend – an antiques experthe’d paired up with. It wasn’t completely left-field for a French woman to greet someone with kisses! Perhaps she was a dealer and had had an antique at her apartment she’d wanted to show him. However, instead of reassuring herself with the speculation, Leah had become surer by the minute that what she’d seen simply couldn’t have been innocent.

But when she was at home with Nathan seeming his usual affable and loving self, she’d found she couldn’t bring herself to shatter what they had by calling it into question. She was worse off than she had been before!

On the day, Grace had wanted to wait it out – to confront Nathan on his exit. But Leah simply couldn’t bear to. Either to admit she’d been following him, been suspicious, or to hear the words that she’d been dreading: that he was, after all, having an affair and that he wanted to leave.

Instead, they’d decamped to a café where she’d sat, holding in tears that were waiting to burst out while trying to nurse a cup of coffee. She’d realised she never should have involved Grace – now that Grace knew, she’d push her into doing something. And she hadn’t been sure she was ready or able to face up to this.

She’d called Grace earlier today asking her to pass her apologies to Monica. ‘I just can’t talk about books when all this is happening,’ she’d said, despite Grace’s protestations. So she’d been surprised when Grace had turned up at her house to drag her to the group anyway. ‘I’m just not in the mood,’ she’d protested, gesturing at her soiled clothes and messy hair.

‘You can never,’ Grace had replied, steadfast, ‘not be in the mood forPride and Prejudice– it’s a simple fact.’ And she’d strode into the house, given Nathan a frosty greeting and insisted that Leah get herself ready.

Admittedly, now she was here gazing up at a beautiful apartment block, Leah did feel a little better. Just getting away from the possibility of talking to Nathan seemed to help.

‘Thanks,’ she said to Grace now as they made their way up the wooden staircase.

Until recently, she’d thought of Grace as well-meaning but a little annoying, perhaps too interfering. But the comfort she’d given her during this strange time had been nothing short of amazing. Her willingness to support Leah, to find the truth, and now, to try to help her even when she wasn’t sure what she needed herself; Grace really was a true friend.

‘Anytime.’

After several flights of stairs, they arrived on Monica’s floor a little on the sweaty side. The front door was ajar and they pushed it open. ‘Cooee!’ said Grace.

Did anyone else in the world say ‘cooee’ any more? Leah wondered fondly.

‘Come in!’ called Monica. ‘We’re in the sitting room.’

It was hard not to gasp as they entered the apartment. The shock of the modern, sleek, and expensive fittings, after the old-world charm of the staircase and hallway, made for a dramatic contrast.

‘Wow,’ said Leah quietly to her friend. ‘I’m guessing piloting pays better than I thought.’

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