Page 86 of Winter at Wishington Bay
I felt sick. And stupid. Hadn’t I learned anything from the many years I’d been married to a cheat and liar? Apparently not. Despite all that experience, here I was again, being made a fool of by a man. And the worst of it was, I’d believed him. I’d believed the broken-hearted, used and abused person he’d pretended to be. Swallowed it whole like a creamy oyster. But now that oyster appeared to have been off and was making me feel like I wanted to throw up, preferably all over Nate McKinley’s very expensive shoes.
‘Hi.’ I forced out in as casual manner as I could muster. I used to be good at the faking-it, playing-it-cool thing, but it felt awkward now and I was pretty sure she wasn’t buying it. As she sidled closer to Nate, I knew for sure. She definitely wasn’t buying it.
‘This is Sophia,’ Nate said, his voice sounding off and strained. ‘She’s…’
‘The cleaner,’ I finished for him. Not because I wanted to put him out of any misery. He could swim naked in shark infested waters for all I cared. My only aim now was to extricate myself from the situation as soon as possible.
‘Oh, right.’ Serena smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. The beautiful make-up, which looked like it must have taken an age to apply, enhanced light brown eyes that almost shimmered with cold.
‘I was just checking if Nate needed any supplies or anything. Holly and Gabe asked me to make sure the fridge was stocked at all times.’ I gave what I hoped was a friendly, but detached smile. She wasn’t really paying that much attention to me as I spoke, though, so I needn’t have bothered.
‘Oh, great. I’m vegan, so now I’m here we’ll probably have to throw out anything that isn’t suitable.’
I swallowed, picturing Nate’s eyes practically rolling back in his head with pleasure the last time he’d had a steak at the restaurant and thinking of the couple of meals I knew were already in the fridge that I’d spent time, and Holly’s money on, that were now apparently to be tossed away.
‘Well, if they’re going to go to waste, I can just take them back.’
‘That’s fine. I’ll give you a list of dinners I want and you can swap them when you deliver those.’
I’m sorry. Did I miss the bit where I turned into Deliveroo?
‘It’s not really that sort of arrangement, Serena. Sophia’s just dropped some food off from time to time. Most of the time I cook myself, now.’
‘Oh. Well, we can eat out then I guess. Assuming there are some decent places round here. It didn’t look that promising.’
I tried not to bristle at her dismissal of a village I loved and that she can have only seen for about ten minutes.
‘Well, I’d better be going.’
Nate looked pained but I did my best to ignore it. Clearly his marriage wasn’t as over as he’d told everyone, and I’d got caught in the middle of it. Typical. The first time in nearly two years I meet someone I actually like and, moreover, let something happen with him, it turns round and slaps me in the face.
Serena looked up from inspecting her nails and tilted her head.
‘Do I know you?’
How on earth could this woman possibly know me? She lived thousands of miles away. I’d travelled to Australia in the past a couple of times on holiday but I highly doubted any passing contact, however remote the possibility, would have left any remembrance. Had I looked as good as Nate, the possibility might have been higher.
‘No.’
‘You look kind of familiar.’ She was peering at me now and I shifted my weight under the scrutiny.
‘I probably just have one of those faces.’ I was pretty sure I didn’t but I wasn’t sure what else to say. ‘OK then. I hope you have a nice trip. I’ll be back to clean later in the week but you can just let me know when you’re going to be out so I don’t disturb—’
‘Oh my God!’ Her exclamation made both Nate and I jump. Serena’s eyes were wide. ‘It’s you. You’re Lady Sophia Huntingdon-Jones!’
‘I think you’ve got me mixed up with someone else,’ I said, desperately trying to keep any quiver out of my voice.
‘No, I haven’t.’ She leant forward and I took a step back. ‘It’s definitely you. I read all the society stuff and it’s been quite the mystery where you’d gone apparently when you walked out on your husband, although I don’t blame you. Everyone knew he was cheating on you,’ she added in a gossipy tone. ‘Oh my God! What are you doing here? And why the hell are you calling yourself a cleaner?’
‘She is the cleaner,’ Nate stated, confusion crumpling his brow.
‘I really have to go now.’ I turned away, my stomach churning. I’d kept away from the media, the gossip, the people who’d hurt me, for over eighteen months without a problem, and now someone who lived thousands of miles away, who, as far as I knew, wasn’t even supposed to be here, had the power to pull down the world I’d created. A world I was happy in – gorgeous Australian mishaps aside.
‘Is it true?’ Nate’s hand on my arm stopped me.
‘You should go back in, it’s cold.’ He was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, without his customary thick jumper and, judging by the tiny dress his wife was wearing, Holly and Gabe’s heating bill had suddenly taken a hike.
‘Is it true?’ he asked again.
