LUCY
‘Nice to have a bit of space from everyone,’ said Mark. ‘If I had to listen to one more piece of patronizing advice coming from that sanctimonious prick … as if we’ve got anything to learn from someone that age, anyway. He’s a fucking dinosaur.’
Mark’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘Is he? I thought he was seventy-odd.’
She grimaced. ‘Seventy! Jesus, why? He acts like a bloody teenager half the time.’
‘Yeah. That prank with the jet ski was proper schoolboy, to be fair,’ said Mark. ‘No, it’s more … I dunno. His sense of humour. The stuff he says about women. It’s so outdated. Like, the sort of stupid jokes and comments my gramps used to make.’
Lucy picked at her fingernails. As if that’s the worst thing about him. ‘I know. It’s pretty cringe, isn’t it?’
‘Like how he calls you all girls – and the thing about how Michaela is more than just a pretty face?’
Lucy wrinkled her nose in disgust. ‘Gross. But that’s Rory, isn’t it? He’s in his own little world of wealthy, white, male privilege. He doesn’t think about how the stuff he says or does impacts anyone else. He’s never had to. He gets away with whatever he wants.’
Mark stiffened; he lifted up his sunglasses and turned to stare at her. ‘Like what?’
Shit. Had she gone too far? She needed to manage this carefully. ‘Ah, I don’t know … I didn’t mean anything specific. Just that he’s clueless about how most people live their lives, you – you know?’
Mark nodded and looked away; he stared out to sea for a moment, but the silence was loaded. ‘Last night went off a bit, didn’t it?’ he said finally.
Lucy groaned. ‘Tell me about it. What a disaster. I’ve got no idea what Sam’s problem with Rory is.
’ She took a deep breath. ‘And I thought it was pretty out of order, the way you spoke to Rory too – and to me. Accusing me of spending more time with my boss than I do with you … saying that in front of everyone. It wasn’t cool. ’
Mark scowled. ‘I wasn’t wrong, though, was I? You’re obsessed with that place – obsessed with him.’ Lucy opened her mouth to interject, but Mark raised a hand to quiet her. ‘But fair enough. I shouldn’t have said it in front of everyone. You’re right – it wasn’t okay.’
Lucy stared down at her hands. ‘I’m not … obsessed,’ she said quietly.
Mark scoffed. ‘Oh, come on. Do you really not get where I’m coming from? Do you not think it’s been hard for me, these last few months – you’ve been completely consumed by Ashworth. I’ve not seen you – you’ve barely even spoken to me!’
Lucy flushed hot with rage. ‘Barely spoken to you? Don’t be ridiculous, Mark. We live together, for God’s sake. We talk to each other every day!’ She was raising her voice now – shouting – she didn’t even care if the other guests heard her.
‘No’ – Mark was shaking his head in frustration – ‘that’s not what I mean.
Yes, we’ve talked about who’s taking the bins out and whose turn it is to cover the online shop.
But we haven’t talked properly. And this whole time, it’s felt like there’s stuff to do with work – to do with Rory, especially – that you’re keeping from me.
’ He stared at her now; the intensity in his gaze almost hurt, but Lucy couldn’t bear to look away.
‘Lucy … do you remember when you first went to the interview at Ashworth?’
Can’t he just leave it? ‘Yes,’ she answered coldly. ‘I mean, it was a few months ago, but I remember it. Why?’ Oh, she remembered it. It was etched in her mind in permanent marker.
Mark frowned. ‘You were so excited about it, weren’t you?’
‘Yes. And rightly so. I knew it was going to be the opportunity of a lifetime.’
‘And remember when you came back after – you said you’d blown him away with the data analysis you did beforehand?’
Lucy closed her eyes at the memory; she’d been so proud of herself.
Before the interview, she had printed out highlighted spreadsheets of an analysis she’d made of last year’s annual report.
She’d already found areas for the company to improve.
Rory had been impressed by her initiative; he said she was the first and only candidate he’d seen who’d put that kind of effort in.
‘Of course,’ she said. ‘He offered me the job on the spot.’
Rory’s offer had come as a sweet relief: she was convinced she’d blown it, earlier in the interview. When she’d first stepped into his office, Rory had stared at her for a moment, in intense curiosity. ‘You’ve interviewed for a role here at Ashworth before, have you?’ he’d asked.
She’d been momentarily stumped. ‘Ah – here? No. This is the first time I’ve ever been in the building.
’ Rory had looked baffled; he said he could have sworn he’d seen her before – that he had a memory for faces.
She’d racked her brains, managed to come up with a plausible explanation about doing work experience at a nearby brokerage, and passing him on the street.
He’d looked unconvinced – but, thankfully, he’d moved on.
Mark examined his fingernails. ‘I’ve never seen you so determined about anything as you were to get that job.
But you were doing okay at Baker Hartwell before, weren’t you?
You were happy enough. I still just don’t understand why you wanted to move so badly, to Ashworth – to work with him. With Rory.’
Lucy’s mouth went dry. ‘Well, it was a decent pay rise,’ she said carefully.
‘We needed the cash – I’ve got so many outgoings, and we want to save up for a deposit, don’t we?
I’d love us to get on the property ladder one day.
And Ashworth have excellent benefits – just look where we are. ’ She gestured towards the sea.
‘So you’re saying it was nothing to do with Rory? And him treating you like a special fucking case is just – what, because he’s so interested in your career?’
Lucy swallowed. Oh no. Mark’s got this so, so wrong. ‘Hang on a minute … do you think there’s something going on with me and Rory?’ Mark watched her closely, but said nothing; only raised his eyebrows in subtle challenge. ‘Do you – do you think I’m sleeping with him or something?’
Mark’s eyebrows arched even higher. ‘Well, are you?’
‘Am I what?’
‘Are you sleeping with Rory?’
Lucy’s jaw dropped. The idea – the image of it in her mind – was so off-putting; so preposterous that she burst into horrified laughter.
‘Jesus Christ, Mark, no! Of course not. I’d never cheat on you – ever.
And if in some alternate universe I wanted to have an affair – please.
Come on, I’ve got some standards, haven’t I?
He’s old enough to be my dad, and he’s …
he’s Rory. Is that really what you thought – is that why you’ve been acting like such a … such a dick?’
Mark lifted his hands to his face and rubbed his eyes.
‘Oh, fucking hell, Lucy, I don’t know. Maybe not – not really.
And I’ve not been that much of a bellend, have I?
I’ve probably been drinking too much – but like I said, it’s been bothering me, how distant you’ve been since you started working there …
and the way you didn’t even tell me about the trip!
I only found out about it because I saw the email. Were you even going to invite me?’
Lucy’s chest constricted at the hurt in his expression.
Truthfully – no, she wasn’t going to invite him.
She didn’t want him here, seeing what she was up to, interfering with things, distracting her.
And she’d been right – he’d done exactly that.
Walking in on her rifling through Rory’s cabin on their second day, casting suspicious glances at her ever since, making it nearly impossible to hunt for evidence again.
But she couldn’t tell him that – at least, not yet. He wouldn’t understand.
‘Of course I was going to invite you,’ she said, rolling her eyes.
‘So this is why you’ve been so weird, then …
is that why you got up in his face like that the other night?
You thought I was cheating on you – with him?
’ It made a horrible, sad kind of sense.
‘And is that where you went in the middle of the night afterwards – to confront him again?’
At that, Mark looked stunned. ‘What? Of course not. I told you where I went, when you asked me the next morning. I woke up feeling sick, and I needed something to soak up the booze. I got Johanna to make me a toastie – ask her, I’m sure she’ll remember.
Jesus, what did you think I’d been doing?
That I’d gone after Rory in his cabin in the dead of night? ’
She stared back at him in silence, shame now starting to bloom in her chest. Her suspicion sounded ridiculous, now he’d explained it like that. Oh God, what was I thinking? This is Mark – my Mark. When did I stop trusting him – with everything?
‘You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m not thinking clearly – I don’t think I’ve had my head straight for a while, to be honest …’
Mark’s hand gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. ‘Thank God. Are you finally going to tell me? I’ve been waiting so bloody long. I’ve given you so many chances, Luce.’
A band of tightness squeezed across her chest. ‘Chances? For what?’
‘To tell me the truth.’
She flinched. ‘The truth about what?’
‘About why you wanted to work at Ashworth so badly. I know there’s something else – something you’ve not been telling me. I know you better than anyone. You can’t keep lying to me.’
His eyes were locked on hers; Lucy felt the heat crawling up her neck, her throat. She wrenched her gaze away, pulled her hand free and stumbled to her feet, moving away from the bow and towards the staircase.
‘Lucy, don’t. What are you going to do? Get on a tender and sail off into the South Pacific? You’ll have to come back to the yacht sometime. You’ll have to come back to me.’
She stood still. He’s right. I can’t escape him.
I can’t escape any of it. She turned back to look at him; his hands were shaking, and his expression was all heartache.
Lucy’s stomach churned. This is why I didn’t want to tell you.
She couldn’t bear the hurt, the confusion, the anger.
She couldn’t bear him trying to help her, or protect her, by convincing her to change her mind.
But she also couldn’t keep lying to him; holding him at such a lonely distance.
He’d have worked it out eventually, anyway.
This man, who’d earned himself a reputation as the reporter who missed nothing, who could sniff out the truth like a hound tracking blood.
He probably even read the press release three years ago – maybe it was filed away in his memory just like it was in Lucy’s:
APD is delighted to announce the acquisition of Willowbrook Lodge, a long-established residential care home in North London, with plans to redevelop the site into a collection of high-specification luxury apartments …
The developer will work closely with local authorities and care providers to ensure all residents transition to alternative facilities that meet, and in many cases exceed, their current level of care …
their wellbeing remains APD’s absolute priority …
‘Okay,’ she said, and sat back down, close to him. ‘If you want the truth, I’ll tell you. None of this is about me having an affair. I’d never, ever do that to you.’
‘Then what?’ His eyes were pleading with her. She had to tell him; it was now or never. She’d already left it too long.
She exhaled and said: ‘I joined Ashworth because of my brother. All this is because of Alfie.’