Page 68 of Winter at Wishington Bay
‘Saw what?’
She turned the magazine round for me to see. There on the second page of a double page spread was a picture of my Instagram account, with a couple of smaller snapshots of posts I’d done. Above it was the headline:
The new Mrs Hinch? But why the mystery?
My stomach churned as I flicked my gaze up to meet Flora’s. She knew about my account and had been eager to spread the word about it in order to help me to gain followers. I’d had to explain that wasn’t something I wanted to do. That this was something I did purely for my own entertainment and had no interest in becoming any sort of influencer. Whatever happened organically was fine, so long as I was in control. The name I’d given to the companies who’d sent me stuff to try was fake, and as Flora often took parcels in for me, I’d had to come up with an explanation for this. I’d merely told her that I’d had a messy split with my ex and that it had caused a big family rift and, as I had no interest in them discovering where I was, or what I was doing, it was easier to keep the account just for myself and not risk anyone linking it to me. It was a truth of sorts. By the look on Flora’s face, I guessed she had worked out there was probably more to it than the glancing overview I’d given her, but thankfully she didn’t probe.
‘Are you all right, love?’
I nodded, my eyes still on the gossip piece. ‘How did these people even find my account?’
‘I suppose the same way any of these accounts get noticed. One person tells another and at some point, it might reach someone with influence. Or at least with access to the media. The fact you purposely avoid your voice or face being in any of your posts… well, I guess people think there might be more to that than there is. And people love a mystery, not to mention a bit of gossip.’
I felt sick. I’d never thought anyone would notice my account. It was fun and for once I’d been posting things I wanted to, rather than curating the look of a lifestyle expected of me as I’d had to in my previous life. I enjoyed it but I’d never dreamed it would ever be at risk of attracting any attention like this.
‘Do you think I should just delete the account?’ I asked Flora as I worried a thumbnail with my teeth.
She glanced back down at the magazine. ‘I don’t really know, love. I know you wanted to keep things a little mysterious for personal reasons. Deleting it might do the trick. Of course, depending on how invested the person that wrote this is in finding out why you stay anonymous, it might be just adding more kindling to the fire.’ She closed the magazine. ‘It’s hard to tell these days. Everyone always seems to want to know everyone else’s business.’
‘I just… like my privacy.’ It was true but even to my own ears it sounded weak. Flora was right. It might all blow over. But if someone got a sniff of who I actually was, things could get a bit sticky. Thankfully, I’d sent off the divorce papers now and hopefully that would finally be over before Jeremy could change his mind on anything else, especially if he got extra ammunition. I could just see him raging over the headlines now. His propensity for a tipple had resulted in a gradually deepening pink tinge to his skin over the last several years, something he tried to cover up with tans from trips abroad and sessions at the salon. However, it was unlikely a tan would be able to hide the beetroot purple apoplectic rage he’d explode into if this came to light. In his eyes it would be an absolute disgrace for me to have debased myself by cleaning. To him, I’d be no more than a servant, which to my eternal embarrassment was what he had always called the household staff. I swear sometimes it had been like living in the eighteenth century. Perhaps it was his aversion to women working at all that had caused him to ‘rescue’ so many young ladies from their jobs as waitresses and bartenders. The altruism he showed in these cases, judging by the trinkets, clothes and occasionally cars, they were given, was incredibly generous…
‘Has anyone contacted you about this?’ Flora asked.
I gave a shrug. ‘I’ve had a few DMs asking me for info, but I ignore them. I wasn’t interested in giving any more information out so I just thought they’d go away. Why are they even interested?’
‘Why’s anyone interested in anything? That other girl has done pretty well doing a similar sort of thing and I guess they thought you’d be keen for the same. Most people seem to be eager to grab onto any hint of fame these days, so the fact you blanked them has probably made their antennae perk up.’
I let out a sigh. ‘That was the opposite of what I meant it to do.’
Flora gave me a squeeze. ‘Don’t worry too much about it, love. I’m sure it’ll blow over. There’s a tonne of other things for their magpie brains to latch on to.’
‘Yes, you’re right. But do you think I should respond?’
‘And say what?’
I shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Thanks for the interest but I’m not looking for any publicity.’ I turned to her. ‘Would that work?’
‘It might do. Or, depending on what side of the bed they got out, it might just encourage them.’
I dropped my head back and rolled it from side to side, trying to release the day’s knots.
‘Come on. Let’s forget about it for now. Are you coming out to see the lights switch on tonight? Perhaps bringing that rather gorgeous man of yours? Or is there a choice now?’
News travelled fast in a small village like Wishington Bay.
I gave a very unladylike snort. My mother would be so proud. ‘Nope. No choices at all. And if you’re referring to Nate McKinley, he’s most definitely not mine.’
‘That’s not what I’d have said the way he was looking at you the other day. I’ve never seen someone so concerned.’
‘Well, see how he’s looking at Corinne this evening when she parades him about the village and get back to me on that.’ I hoiked my bag up on to my shoulder.
‘Corinne?’
‘Yes. She’s been all over him in the restaurant whenever he comes in and tonight he has a date.’
‘Surely not. I thought he had more sense than to be taken in by a flibbertigibbet like that.’
‘Apparently not.’ I gave her a shrug. ‘He did say it wasn’t a date but that’s definitely how Corinne’s looking at it.’
