Chapter Thirty-Six
‘Oh,’ I said, completely flabbergasted. ‘So, Jill is your sister-in-law.’
‘Yes,’ said Dylan, looking slightly bemused. ‘Did you think’ – he looked awkward for a moment – ‘that she was…?’
He trailed off. His unfinished question was left hanging in the air.
‘Well’ – I shifted in my seat – ‘she did seem rather proprietorial. So, er, yes, a part of me wondered… wanted to ask…’
And now it was my turn to feel uncomfortable.
‘Jill is…’
Oh, good heavens. What was going on here?
Dylan fiddled with the stem of his glass. Stared at the liquid within, as if the bubbles might somehow hold the answer. I waited for him to reply. Jill was what? A devoted family member who just happened to be united with Dylan in mutual grief? Or Terry’s loving aunty who’d elected herself as a mummy substitute? Or simply a menopausal lunatic who devoured men like Dylan for breakfast?
Oooh, catty, Maggie. Stop it.
‘Jill is tricky,’ said Dylan carefully. ‘She’s…’
For God’s sake, man. Spit it out!
‘Yes?’ I prompted. At this rate it would be Christmas before I learnt anything further about Jill.
Dylan took a deep breath, as if he were about to make a confession.
‘Look, Maggie, I’ll come clean,’ he said frankly.
Deep joy. Here it was. Revelation of the century. Jill and Dylan were lovers. Or maybe ex-lovers. In which case, if they had been lovers, that meant Dylan had cheated on Jennifer, and Jill had betrayed her own sister. And if that had happened, maybe Jill wanted to rekindle things now Jennifer was out of the way. But maybe it was awkward – because of Terry. Perhaps Terry hadn’t been aware of the relationship between her aunt and father. Or maybe–
Maggie, why don’t you stop the runaway thoughts and listen to the guy, eh?
Greg’s voice.
I stiffened. No, I was not up for having a silent conversation with my dead husband. Not here. And certainly not right now.
‘Are the two of you dating?’ I blurted.
Dylan looked startled.
‘No!’ he said. The word came out like a pistol shot. ‘But… but…’
Arghhh. Gahhh! TALK TO ME, I mentally shouted.
‘I can’t deny’ – Dylan stumbled over his words – ‘that she’d like for us to be an item.’
I blinked.
‘She’d like to be with you?’ I whispered, my eyes wide.
‘That’s about the gist of it,’ Dylan nodded.
‘Isn’t that a bit close to home?’ I ventured. ‘I mean, she’s your sister-in-law, wouldn’t that be–’
‘Incestuous?’ He looked up sharply. ‘Jill is my sister-in-law, Maggie. Not my sister.’
I put up my hands. Made a backing off gesture.
‘Yes, of course,’ I muttered. ‘Anyway, it’s nothing to do with me,’ I added.
‘Just to be crystal clear’ – Dylan gave me a level look – ‘nothing has ever happened between me and Jill. Nor will it. I’m not interested. However, Jill made it plain, years ago, that if I was up for a fling, then she was too.’
‘Omigod,’ I gasped. ‘What sort of a woman does that to her own sister?’
‘One that is devious in order to get what she wants,’ said Dylan frankly. ‘At the time, I categorically told her it would never happen. That I loved Jennifer. I pointed out to Jill that if she’d fallen out of love with her own husband, then to get divorced and find someone who did make her happy.’
‘And did she?’ I asked, agog.
‘No.’ Dylan shook his head. ‘Jill stayed with Frank. My brother-in-law was a thoroughly nice guy. He had no inkling of his wife’s feelings towards me.’
‘Did Jennifer know?’
Dylan looked thoughtful for a moment.
‘She did once make a comment dressed up as banter. She said she’d never leave Jill alone with me in case her sister made a pass. I told her not to be daft. Said that Jill flirted with anything in trousers.’ Dylan cleared his throat. A regrouping gesture. ‘All that aside, one day Jill’s husband had a freak accident at work. Frank passed away weeks after cancer claimed my wife. Since then, Jill has let it be known that she’s… available.’
‘Have you ever told your daughter any of this?’ I asked. ‘I don’t mean the bit beforehand when Jennifer and Frank were still alive. I mean the bit afterwards. The now, so to speak.’
‘Absolutely not.’ Dylan’s words were emphatic. ‘Terry isn’t that close to her aunt. Jill might be her mother’s sister, but in Terry’s eyes the woman is a biological connection rather than an emotional one. Jill and Jennifer are… were… chalk and cheese. My wife was a sweet lady. You’d have liked her, Maggie. There wasn’t a bad bone in Jennifer’s body. Whereas Jill is something else.’
‘I see.’ I blew out my cheeks. ‘So why was Jill clinging possessively to you at Terry’s wedding?’
‘I did try to shake her off, but she was having none of it. Apart from anything else, I wouldn’t have put it past her to create a scene. That was the last thing I wanted on my daughter’s big day.’
‘Quite,’ I agreed. ‘So, how have things been left with Jill?’
‘After the wedding, she buttonholed me. Came straight out with it. Said Jennifer would approve of us being a couple. That it might be a little strange for Terry to start off with but that it would be in her best interests. That families should stick together. I told Jill – as kindly as I could – that she was deluded. That there was more chance of electric cars being banned than her and I ever becoming a couple.’
‘Blimey.’
‘I also said’ – Dylan suddenly looked self-conscious – ‘that I’d met someone.’
‘Oh,’ I said, both startled and rattled by this admission.
‘Jill took it badly,’ he added.
‘Oh dear. And is it serious with the woman you recently met, or was that a smokescreen?’
Dylan’s head shot up. He gave me a strange look.
‘A smokescreen?’ he frowned. Suddenly his hands were reaching for mine across the table. Zing, zing, zinggg. ‘Maggie, you must surely realise that the person I’m talking about… is you.’