Page 58 of A Winter Wish

‘But I only did what I did to keep us together. You know me. I’d die if I had to live in the middle of nowhere. It was for the good of our relationship.’

I laugh in disbelief. ‘Oh, yes. Of course. Because lying to your partner and attempting to wreck his dreams is theperfectway to ensure your relationship lasts forever! Honestly, Lois...’ I throw my hands up in despair. ‘I’m truly lost for words.’

‘You’re not going to tell him it was me, are you?’ She throws me a nervous glance.

I shake my head and her whole body relaxes.

‘No, I’m not going to tell him, Lois. Becauseyouare.’

‘What?’ She looks horrified. ‘No way.’

‘Well, ifyoudon’t tell him, I’m afraid I’m going to have to.’

She scowls at me. ‘You’re just jealous, Clara, because I’m happy in love and you’re not. It’s obvious you just want to ruin it for me.’

I shake my head sadly, while acknowledging at some level that there’s probably a grain of truth in what she’s saying. But if Lois is allowed to get away with this terrible deceit, their relationship is only going to falter further down the line.

Rory has to be told.

*****

When Rory comes over that night, he seems subdued. But in the kitchen, he presents Lois with a bag containing the gift he promised her– a pair of jolly pink and purple wellies.

When she brings them out, she darts a glance at me and I widen my eyes at her.

She seems really pleased, trying them on straight away, but I can see her mind ticking over. She’s probably trying to gauge how serious I am about revealing to Rory that she was the one who gazumped him. She knows I’m a soft touch. But I can’t let her get away with it this time. She can probably tell from my determined expression that I’m absolutely going to tell him if she doesn’t.

They disappear upstairs to her room, and minutes later, I hear raised voices.

I try not to listen but my shoulders are up around my ears with the tension. I can’t imagine what Rory’s feeling, knowing Lois deceived him in such a horrible, self-serving way. But maybe he’s not altogether surprised, either. He’s got to know my stepsister pretty well over the past few months. He already knows that what Lois wants, Lois tends to get...

‘What’s going on with those two?’ Irene asks as I join her in the living room, where she’s watching a drama on TV. ‘I’ve never heard them argue like that before. Have you?’

‘No.’ I give her a wry smile. ‘Probably because Rory is usually so tolerant of her moods.’

‘But not today, apparently.’

‘Not today.’

Oh, hell, this is awful! I’m not telling Irene why they’re arguing. It’s up to Lois to tell her that appalling story.

A minute later, we hear feet pounding down the stairs and the front door opens.

‘Rory, I’m sorry!’ calls Lois. ‘I really am. Please come back. We can talk some more and sort it all out.’

But he doesn’t reply, and after a while, we hear the front door closing.

Irene gets up to go through to Lois, but I catch her arm.

‘I’d leave her, if I were you.’

‘But I want to be a proper mother. Whatever that is.’

‘Yes, but I’m not sure now’s the right time?’

‘I have to try.’

I watch her go, crossing my fingers.

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