Chapter 43
FORTY-THREE
Malaga in December was nowhere near the same temperature as Malaga in October, but Joe had brought out the patio heaters and the four friends were enjoying the orange light of the late afternoon.
The table was laden with food. A huge terracotta pot with the last of the Andalusian stew had been pushed to the side to make way for a platter of cheese and rustic bread.
Though they were a week away from Christmas, Lucy had decorated the white cloth with small pots of Poinsettia, ruby glasses and emerald-green candles. It was – as always – utterly perfect.
Robert leaned back in his chair. ‘I don’t think I’m going to need to eat again until the New Year.’
Joe refilled Robert’s glass with Rioja. ‘We’ve got all night.’
Lucy was – as always – utterly perfect, too.
Her magenta sweater and black wide-legged trousers gave her the look of a Chanel advert.
At no point during the last two months had Ellen seen her look anything less than chic and sophisticated.
Her plum varnished fingernails wrapped around the bottle of Cava as she topped up Ellen’s glass. ‘We need to keep up with these two.’
Ellen sipped from the delicate coupe, the dry zesty bubbles making her nose tingle. ‘That’s delicious.’
The difference was that she no longer resented Lucy’s perfection.
In fact, she’d begun to admire her for it.
Even asked her opinion sometimes on what to wear or cook or buy.
Not that Ellen had changed a great deal.
No, she was still the same on the outside.
Her changes had been within. She felt lighter, happier, freer.
She hadn’t realised how heavy the burden of her secret had been until she let it go.
There was no fear anymore. No fear that Robert would find out the truth.
No fear that he’d only married her because she was pregnant.
No fear that he needed her to be anything other than the woman she was.
Joe rested his arm on the back of Lucy’s chair. ‘When do you have to go back to work, Robbie?’
It still felt strange hearing them calling Robert by his old nickname, but she’d grown to enjoy that, too. No one else used it: it was their special thing.
Robert glanced at her for confirmation. They’d only just decided this week what he was about to tell them. Not even the girls knew. ‘Actually, I’m not going back.’
Lucy looked from Robert to Ellen and back again. ‘What do you mean? Everything’s okay isn’t it? Charlotte hasn’t said…I mean, I know she wouldn’t tell me, but…everything is okay?’
Robert smiled and snaked his own arm around the back of Ellen. There’d been a lot more of this in the last two months. It was as if they’d found one another again. ‘Everything is great, actually. So I don’t want to spoil it by returning to work.’
If he was going to be enigmatic about it, Ellen would need to put them out of their misery. ‘We found a job. Online. It’s a research project. Terrible pay. Well, no pay, actually, just expenses. But, well, Robert is going to take his pension early and go for it.’
Joe reached across the table with a grin and his hand out to shake. ‘Well, done, mate.’
Lucy clapped her hands. ‘I knew it! I knew you’d do something amazing one day.’
Robert laughed and glanced at Ellen, that look that still made her stomach flip. ‘I’m not sure about amazing, but I’m pretty excited about it.’
And that wasn’t all. She leaned across the table. ‘And we’re going to travel. Together. We’re going to do city breaks and mountain treks and safaris and see the world.’
She was so excited about this. Now that the girls weren’t at home, they had the freedom to go wherever they wanted.
Finally, those trips they’d planned laying in Robert’s bed at university might come to fruition.
Although they might swap the youth hostel they would’ve had back then for a decent hotel.
Lucy gasped. ‘I’m so pleased. I really, really am.’
Ellen could see from the brightness of Lucy’s eyes that she meant that.
Over the last two months, they’d managed to put their friendship back together a piece at a time.
There was something very special about a friendship that began in your youth.
Being with Lucy made her feel young again.
As if all the roles and habits they’d acquired in their twenties and thirties had dissolved away and they were back to being the girls with their heads full of plans and no responsibilities to hold them back.
Joe was clinking glasses with Robert. There was something different about him that she hadn’t been able to put her finger on since they’d arrived this morning. He seemed less frantic, less occupied. ‘What about you, Joe? How’s your work? Where’s your new project?’
With the intensity she’d grown to feel comfortable with, he leaned forward conspiratorially. ‘Actually, I’ve taken a leaf out of Robert’s book. I’ve hired someone to oversee all the current projects so I don’t have to be away from home. He’s my man on the ground and I manage it remotely.’
Lucy raised an eyebrow. ‘Not that he’s actually let the poor chap do anything without running it past him first. Joe may not be there in body, but…’
Despite her comment, her pleasure in having Joe around more was evident. He leaned towards her and kissed the top of her cheekbone where it met her hair. ‘I’m getting there. And, anyway, I need to be here in case you decide to have an affair with one of our houseguests in my absence.’
He presented a mock innocent face to Ellen and she threw her napkin at him. ‘Very funny.’
It no longer embarrassed her that she’d jumped to such idiotic conclusions. Those few days in October had become a part of their friendship lore, to be referred to in jest whenever the mood took them.
Joe winked and blew her a kiss. ‘Seriously, though. If you’re both going to be taking more holidays, maybe we can come with you?’
Now it was Robert’s turn to hold up his glass. ‘That would be great.’
The three of them raised their glasses to meet his. Just as the girls clattered out onto the patio. Grace stood behind Robert, placed her hands on his shoulders. ‘Are you still eating? We’re ready to go to the beach.’
If she’d been worried about Grace and Robert’s relationship back in October, it was no longer something she even considered. If anything, they were closer, more loving, as if they wanted the other to know just how much they meant.
October had been quite a rollercoaster. Abigail’s scans had come back clear of Robert’s condition, which was a huge relief to all of them. But their joy had been tempered by her upset at finding out about Grace’s DNA results.
Many tears had been shed, but much love had been professed and – Ellen was so grateful – their family was stronger than ever.
Grace told her that Abigail had made her promise that she would always be her favourite sister.
Once she’d done that, she was very happy to meet Charlotte and make her welcome.
This meant that their family had kind of expanded. Though Grace was the only person with a blood relation to Charlotte, they’d all grown to love her. They’d also got to meet Emily and learned that her heart was as big as her thirst for adventure.
Now the four girls stood in front of them, determined to make sure that they keep their promise to go for an evening walk on the beach, even if they’d drawn the line at a dip in the December sea.
‘Come on, Dad.’ Now Emily was pulling at Joe’s arm. ‘You promised to film us running into the water.’
Lucy was already getting out of her chair. ‘Yes. Let’s go. It’ll be great for Instagram.’
Emily rolled her eyes. ‘You are so embarrassing, Mother.’
At the end of November, Grace and Charlotte had started up a charity to support women and girls who’d been affected by drink spiking and to increase awareness of it.
Lucy was helping them. Since their public outing of Ian, there’d been three more women who’d come forward in response to the video being shared online.
All of the information was with the Metropolitan police and they were waiting to hear whether they had enough information to press charges. It was looking very promising.
Charlotte waved a set of keys. ‘I haven’t been drinking. I’ll drop the girls down there then come back for you four.’
Twenty minutes later, the eight of them were on a deserted beach. Beside Robert, watching the girls shrieking as they were splashed by the icy waves, Ellen couldn’t remember when she’d been happier.
‘Those girls are absolutely crackers.’ Lucy shook her head behind her large sunglasses.
Joe laughed. ‘I blame their mothers.’
Lucy turned and grinned at Ellen. ‘Yeah, I think that’s pretty fair.’
The two couples made their way down the beach in the direction of their brave and beautiful daughters, ready for their next adventure.
***
If you were completely gripped by We Both Have Secrets , you’ll love My Husband’s Daughter – an absolutely heartbreaking family drama with a devastating secret.
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