HELEN WARNER is a former Head of Daytime at both ITV & Channel 4, where she was responsible for a variety of TV shows including Come Dine With Me, Loose Women, Good Morning Britain and Judge Rinder. Helen writes her novels on the train to work in London from her home in Essex, which she shares with her husband and their two children.

She

HC Warner

ONE PLACE. MANY STORIES

Copyright

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2020

Copyright © Helen Warner 2020

Helen Warner asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Ebook Edition © January 2020 ISBN: 9780008204693

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 Page numbers taken from the following print edition: ISBN 9780008216986

In memory of Claire Warner,

who really was the perfect girl.

Contents

Cover

About the Author

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Dedication

Prologue

Part One

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Part Two

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Part Three

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Part Four

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

About the Publisher

To my dear daughter,

You will never read this letter but I needed to write it all the same.

I am so sorry for everything. If I could turn back time and change the past, I would. But the one thing I would never want to change is you. I’m sure your mother will have told you things about me and I will admit that some of them, to my shame, are true.

But, whatever she may have told you, I promise that from the moment you were born, I loved you. I know that you will grow up into a lovely young woman. I’m certain you will be as beautiful as your mother – maybe even more so. I hope you will be a good person and that one day you will be able to find it in your heart to forgive me and understand that every single one of us is flawed and anything I did, I did out of a father’s love for his child.

Love always,

Dad

Prologue

‘She seems perfect.’ Jo waved one last time, as her son drove his new girlfriend away from the house, the wheels of his black, open-top Mercedes spitting up the gravel on the driveway behind them as they departed, before she swung the heavy front door shut and looked up at Peter. ‘Don’t you agree? Don’t you think she seems like the perfect girl for him?’

Peter exhaled loudly and his eyes crinkled with tiredness. She could sense his irritability and there was a slight sheen of sweat on his tanned, lined forehead. ‘You said that about the last one.’ His words came out in one long sigh.

‘Well, Charlotte was perfect at the time.’ Jo couldn’t keep the defensive tone out of her voice, even though she knew he was right.

‘Hmmm …’ Peter pursed his lips disapprovingly, before turning and walking with a laboured stride along the cool, dark, flag-stoned hallway towards the sprawling, open-plan kitchen, which was suffused in a pale pink glow from the setting sun. ‘Except for the small matter that she dumped Ben and broke his heart.’

Jo hesitated, thinking, before following her husband. ‘You know, now that things have worked out the way they have, maybe it was for the best. Maybe she did him a favour?’

Peter picked up his half-finished glass of red wine from the pale granite worktop, and took it out onto the vast, sandstone terrace, which was now pleasantly warm after the searing heat of the late July day. He sat at the large glass table and looked out over the velvety green lawn, sweeping down towards the azure swimming pool, which looked like it was twinkling with a thousand dancing diamonds in the early evening sun.

Jo watched him for a few moments, letting him walk ahead, before picking up her own glass and heading out to join him. He seemed jittery and upset, which was out of character. She sat down at the table beside him. ‘Are you OK, darling? You seem a bit … uptight.’

Peter didn’t answer but gave a slight shrug.

‘You’re not sure about her, are you?’ Jo watched him closely, as she took a sip of her wine, which tasted slightly metallic after drinking several glasses of it.

‘No.’

The speed of his answer took her by surprise. ‘Why? She was perfectly charming.’

Peter pursed his lips again. It was as if he was trying to stop the words escaping. ‘Yes. Very.’ His tone was dry. Sardonic.

‘What then?’

Peter turned his sleepy gaze towards her. She loved his dark brown eyes, still framed by long lashes. He didn’t look younger than his 63 years, thanks to his cropped grey hair and tanned, lined skin, but he was certainly still a very handsome man. ‘I’m not sure.’ He hesitated and it was obvious that he was holding back. He tilted his head upwards, as if seeking inspiration from the sky. ‘She’s like a ghost that just appeared out of nowhere. And it’s all happened a bit too quickly. He’s on the rebound.’

Jo considered his words before replying: ‘You’re just being over-protective of your son.’

Peter sighed and looked back at her, his eyes clouded with worry. Jo frowned, as she fixed him with an intense stare, willing him to open up a bit more about his feelings. Seeing her expression, he tried to rearrange his features into a smile, before his face became serious again. ‘Maybe. But …’ He shook his head slightly, swatting away the thought. ‘Oh, I don’t know. Ignore me.’

Jo reached across the table and took his hand in hers. ‘I’m sure you’re worrying unnecessarily. Relax, she seems like the perfect girl for him.’

Part One

Chapter One

‘Pull over here!’

‘What?’ Ben turned towards her in surprise. ‘Are you OK?’

‘Pull over!’ she repeated.

Ben frowned to himself but immediately indicated and pulled into a small layby overlooking the patchwork of green and gold fields that criss-crossed the Suffolk landscape, undulating down towards the river. His heart hammered with sudden trepidation, as he turned off the engine and looked over at her expectantly. He cleared his throat. ‘What’s up?’

Bella turned her huge, dark eyes towards him, causing his stomach to flip. Despite being in his open-top Mercedes, he could still detect notes of her scent on the light summer evening breeze. ‘I’m pregnant.’

There was a rushing sound in Ben’s ears, as if a giant wave was thundering into shore behind him and he gripped the steering wheel to steady himself against its onslaught. ‘Pregnant?’

Bella looked away, her exquisite face still and expressionless.

Ben swallowed hard. ‘Are you sure?’

At his words, she closed her eyes for a moment, as a shadow of temper briefly swept over her smooth brow. ‘Yes.’ The word came out as a hiss.

Ben’s mouth formed a silent ‘oh’. He didn’t know how he was supposed to react. Didn’t know what he was supposed to say. And it was so soon. They had only been together for a couple of months.

He tried to grab onto the thoughts careering through his head. ‘How long?’ he said, snatching at the only one he could keep hold of.

Bella bit her plump bottom lip, which was quivering slightly. He couldn’t tell if it was nerves or tears. ‘I think about eight weeks. But I won’t know for sure until the scan.’ Her voice had taken on a robotic edge and she continued to stare straight ahead, with a slightly glassy expression that unnerved him.

Ben nodded, his mind whirring back to eight weeks previously. She must have conceived on their very first night together if that was the case. He leaned heavily against his seat to anchor himself. To steady his thoughts. His mouth was suddenly dry and his hands clammy. How was that possible? he wondered distractedly. That one part of your body dried up while another produced moisture. Shock, he supposed.

He became aware that Bella was watching him and allowed his gaze to shift back towards her. She gave him an uncertain smile. ‘Are you happy about it?’

‘Of course.’ The words came out automatically. What else could he say? It didn’t really matter what his feelings were, there was only one answer he could give. He tilted his head so that he could look at her properly. ‘How about you?’

Bella’s heart-shaped face melted into a demure smile. ‘I’m happy. Just … it’s a bit of a surprise, that’s all.’

Yes, Ben thought, she could say that again. His mind drifted to the day he had first met her, back in May. He was having a drink after work with Matt, his oldest and closest friend. Bella had been sitting at a table near to theirs, clearly waiting for someone who hadn’t shown up. Ben had been vaguely aware of her presence but was too engrossed in his conversation with Matt to really notice her.

Eventually, Matt nodded towards her, with an amused expression on his face. ‘I think you’ve got an admirer, mate.’

Ben frowned, before following Matt’s gaze. He didn’t believe in love at first sight and had always scoffed at the idea of a ‘lightning bolt’ moment, but that was exactly what happened when their eyes met. His mouth shifted into the shape of a smile without him telling it to. She smiled back and it was like a door opening to allow sunlight to flood in. Long, glossy dark hair, deep brown eyes, razor-sharp cheekbones and straight white teeth that looked even whiter in the darkness of the bar. She wasn’t just pretty. She was breathtakingly, head-turningly perfect.

As if on auto-pilot, Ben picked up his drink and walked over to her table. He thought he heard Matt mutter something along the lines of ‘Don’t mind me, will you?’ but he was oblivious to everything else around him, except her.

‘Hello.’ He put his drink on her table and sat down. For some reason, it didn’t occur to him to even ask if she minded him joining her. He just knew with absolute certainty that she didn’t.

She blinked slowly, her long black lashes almost sweeping the tip of those incredible cheekbones as she did so. ‘Hello.’

There was a long pause, as Ben looked at her, drinking her in, before he realized that he needed to say something. ‘I’m Ben.’

Her full lips parted into a smile, revealing those startlingly white, even teeth again. ‘Nice to meet you, Ben. I’m Bella.’

Ben nodded, unable to tear his eyes away from her. ‘Bella,’ he repeated, trying it out for size. He liked it. It was certainly the right name for someone who looked like her. ‘Can I buy you a drink, Bella?’

‘Thank you, yes.’ Her expression was a mixture of amusement and curiosity.

‘Champagne?’ he guessed.

She shook her head. ‘Sparkling water.’

Ben raised his eyebrows in surprise. ‘OK …’

He stood up and as he did so, he suddenly remembered Matt sitting alone at a nearby table.

‘Oh! Matt … I’m just getting some more drinks in. You’re welcome to join us?’ He desperately hoped Matt would decline.

Matt responded with a knowing smirk and a shake of the head. ‘Thanks, but I’m going to call it a night.’ He drained the rest of his beer and stood up. ‘Have fun,’ he added, patting Ben on the back as he left the bar with a purposeful stride.

Ben was as quick as he could be getting their drinks, not wanting to leave Bella unattended for long, just in case someone else took his place. He breathed a sigh of relief when he returned to a still-empty chair.

‘Thank you.’ Bella picked up her glass and took a long sip. Ben did the same, watching her over the top of his beer bottle, mesmerized. Everything about her was perfect, even her hands.

‘So, Ben,’ she began, her huge, exotic eyes drawing him in like a magnet. ‘Are you single?’

Ben spluttered on his beer. ‘Um, yes. I am. Definitely. Single.’

Bella smiled. ‘Good.’

‘Are you?’ he countered, suddenly nervous.

Bella dropped her gaze. ‘I am.’

‘Good. And do you get hit on by lots of men who aren’t single?’ Ben could feel his hackles rising on her behalf.

Bella looked back up at him with a half-smile. ‘All the time. That’s why it was my first question.’

‘Ah. Well, it looks like you got lucky with me then!’ Ben tried to keep his tone jokey but found he was uncharacteristically nervous and he didn’t quite manage to pull it off.

Bella seemed not to notice. She flashed him a wide, dazzling smile. ‘It looks like I did.’

They chatted easily for a while, before Ben motioned to Bella’s glass. ‘Another drink?’

She tilted her head, causing the sheet of shiny black hair to slide over her shoulder in a sleek wave. ‘I’d prefer dinner,’ she said, with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Ben grinned. ‘So would I.’ Simultaneously, they pushed back their chairs and stood up. Standing, she was even more of a vision. Tall and slim, dressed in a dark green silky wrap dress and high-heeled strappy nude sandals, she walked confidently in front of him towards the door, as if she knew that the eyes of every man in the room were turning towards her as she passed. Already, Ben could feel a swell of pride that it was him she was with.

As they stepped out into the cool night air, she reached over to take his arm, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. ‘Where are we going?’ she asked, as they fell into step with each other.

Ben wondered for a moment if he was dreaming this whole episode, it seemed so surreal. He wasn’t used to picking up women in bars. In fact, he had never picked up a complete stranger before. And yet, it seemed so right, as if he already knew her from somewhere. There was no awkwardness or hesitation. It all had a strange inevitability about it. His mind raced, as he tried to give off an impression of cool insouciance. ‘I know a great place.’ He gave her what he hoped was a knowing smile and steered her in the direction of his favourite restaurant, praying that Nigel, the maître d’ would have a table.

Nigel greeted them like old friends and, after pocketing the £50 Ben had surreptitiously slipped him, led them to a table by the window, with a spectacular view of London lit up and twinkling in the inky night sky as far as the eye could see.

‘Wow,’ Bella gazed out, her eyes shining with delight. ‘What an incredible view. And what an incredible place.’

Ben smiled to himself, hardly able to believe his luck. Out of the blue, he was sitting opposite the most stunning girl he had ever met, about to eat in one of London’s swankiest restaurants. Already he could feel the malaise that had been suffocating him for the previous few months, ever since Charlotte told him she needed some time apart to work out what she wanted, lifting. He swallowed and pushed all thoughts of Charlotte to the back of his mind. He wanted to clear his head to concentrate on this vision in front of him.

Sometimes, Ben reflected, sitting beside Bella in his car two months later, as he tried to digest her news, life just took you by the hand and led you in a certain direction. He wondered if he would have been able to stop the course of events, even if he had wanted to. Unlikely, he decided.

Just a year ago, he was flying high in his work as an advertising executive, still living with Charlotte, planning to propose and thinking that he knew exactly how his life was going to play out. But then Charlotte had dropped her bombshell as they returned to their flat in London, after spending Christmas with his parents in Suffolk. He remembered her words with an aching clarity: ‘I think we need to have some time apart.’

He had actually laughed. He had thought she was joking. When he became aware that she wasn’t laughing with him, he glanced over at her and saw a tear sliding down her cheek. ‘What? But why?’ His throat dried around the words and he felt his stomach contract. She was deadly serious.

Charlotte swiped at the tears with the back of her hand. ‘I need to be sure that this …’ She motioned from him to her. ‘That this is right for us. Both of us.’

Ben frowned and tried to focus on the road, although his mind was racing and he could feel his own tears threatening.

‘It’s right for me, Charlie. I’m not having any doubts. What’s brought this on?’

Charlotte had shaken her head. ‘I just … I just feel like I need some time, Ben. Ever since Dad died, I’ve been feeling so confused. And a bit rudderless. Wondering if this is it. I’m sorry.’

Ben had frowned to himself. He knew her dad’s death the year before had hit her hard but he didn’t realize how hard. Now that he thought about it, the signs were there: the faraway look she got in her eye more and more often. The sense that she wasn’t listening when he spoke. But there was something else too: the name she had started mentioning whenever she talked about work; the way her eyes danced as she regaled him with stories. He somehow felt it was connected.

They had driven the rest of the way home enveloped in a thick, dark silence, both of them immersed deep in their own thoughts. Charlotte leaped out of the car as soon as he had parked and disappeared into the flat, while Ben stayed put, still unable to digest her words. He tried to convince himself that she was just having a moment. That he would walk inside and find her waiting on the bed, laughing at how she had ‘got him’.

But as he finally let himself into the flat, he already knew that although he would find her in their bedroom, she wouldn’t be waiting for him on the bed, she would be packing.

‘Where will you go?’ He stood in the doorway, watching as she threw her clothes into two large suitcases. Not just an overnight bag. This was serious. She wasn’t planning to come back.

Charlotte ran her hand through her long, fair hair and bit her lip. ‘Lucy’s.’

Ben nodded. ‘Does she know you’re coming?’

Charlotte blinked quickly, as a flush spread up her pale, slender neck. Finally, she looked up and met Ben’s eye. ‘Yes.’

Ben felt his legs weaken. He took a deep breath and grasped the doorframe to support himself. ‘So you told her before you told me?’

Charlotte’s eyes filled with tears. ‘I just told her I was confused, Ben. She said if I ever needed some time out, she had a spare room.’

‘God.’ The feeling of betrayal seemed to squeeze the air out of Ben’s lungs. He had always thought Lucy was his biggest ally, often taking Ben’s side over her own sister’s.

‘Don’t look like that, Ben. Lucy adores you. For what it’s worth, she said that you’re one in a million and I’d be an idiot to let you go.’

Ben smiled sadly. It was a small crumb of comfort. ‘Then don’t let me go.’ It seemed so simple, so straightforward.

Charlotte hesitated, as different waves of emotion crossed her pretty, unlined face. After a moment, she seemed to make up her mind. She closed the cases and zipped them up carefully. The sound of the zips seemed to have a certain finality to it. Like a full stop at the end of a sentence. ‘I have to,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry.’

It had been six months since she left. How much his life had changed in that time. Here he was, living with someone new – Bella had gone home with him that first night and never really left – someone he would previously have thought was way out of his league, now expecting their first child. It made him feel dizzy to think about it. He wondered how Charlotte would react when she heard. Would she feel pleased that he had moved on with his life? Or would she feel regret that he seemed to have got over her so easily?

‘Ben?’ said Bella, as she laid her head on his chest that night.

‘Hmmm?’

‘I’d like to get married. Before the baby comes.’

Ben felt his whole body instinctively tense. He knew that having a baby was a much bigger commitment than getting married but somehow this seemed to loom so much larger. Less than a year ago, he had been planning to propose to Charlotte. Had envisaged her reaction as he asked her at sunset on their favourite beach in Portugal, her blue eyes glinting as she tearfully accepted.

Instead, he was unable to see Bella’s face in the darkness as she issued her declaration. It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. She had made her mind up and he would have no influence at all. It was going to happen. ‘Right,’ he managed.

There was a long, heavy silence and soon Bella’s breathing became regular in the way it always did when she dropped off to sleep. Ben couldn’t sleep. His mind was too preoccupied. He loved her, of that he was certain. She was sexy, clever and utterly captivating. She made his head swim and his heart dance. But for the first time, Ben thought, there was something else about her. He stared into the darkness, trying to put his finger on what it was. Eventually, just as his eyelids were beginning to droop, the words came to him. Sometimes … she scared him.

Chapter Two

‘How’s Ben?’ Charlotte deliberately kept her eyes on her cappuccino, stirring it rhythmically, as she waited for the answer.

She had been surprised by the call from Ben’s sister, Emma, asking her to meet, sensing that there was an ulterior motive. Around them, the cramped coffee shop in Soho was beginning to fill with lunchtime customers and the noise levels were rising with them. Someone bumped the back of Charlotte’s chair, causing some of the milky coffee to spill into the saucer.

‘He’s good. Really good, actually.’

Emma’s emphasis on the word ‘really’ made Charlotte look up. ‘Great. And he’s still with …?’

‘Bella,’ Emma cut in. ‘Yes. Very much so.’

Charlotte nodded, knowing she had no right to feel anything other than pleased for him.

‘Actually,’ Emma continued. ‘I’ve got some news. He asked me to tell you.’

Charlotte felt her stomach clench in anticipation. So she had been right. There was an ulterior motive and it sounded ominous. ‘OK.’

Emma took a careful sip of her coffee, which was black and decaf. No fattening cappuccinos for her. Then she took a deep breath, before blurting out her words. ‘They’re getting married. She’s pregnant.’

Charlotte’s vision blurred momentarily and she reeled backwards slightly, grateful for the steadying resistance of the leather cushion behind her. ‘Pregnant?’ she stuttered. ‘But … it’s so quick!’

‘I know.’ Emma put her coffee cup down on the saucer slightly too hard so that some of the dark liquid sloshed over the rim. ‘We’re all a bit in shock but Ben is doing a good impression of being delighted.’

Charlotte tried to take stock of how she was feeling. She had no right to be upset. She had broken Ben’s heart and left him feeling wrung-out and confused. But the truth was, she was upset. She felt, bizarrely, like he had betrayed her. She took a sip of her cappuccino, aware that her hand shook slightly as she lifted her cup. ‘Do you not believe him then, that he’s happy about it?’

Emma raised a prettily arched eyebrow. ‘Who knows? I’m only his sister and we’re not as close as we were …’ She paused, her eyes momentarily drifting. ‘But he isn’t saying anything other than that he’s delighted. At the very least, he must be pretty shocked.’

‘Unless they planned it?’ Charlotte ventured. ‘He never made any secret of the fact that he wanted children …’ She tailed off, as she thought about the number of times she and Ben had discussed it. Maybe it was that that had spooked her enough to leave. It seemed so huge. And although she knew that she wanted kids one day, she still felt too young.

‘I don’t think they planned it.’ Emma shook her head vehemently. ‘Definitely not. They would only have been together for a week or so when she conceived – if that! – and although it’s true that Ben has always wanted children, he’s not the reckless type. He would have wanted to make sure they were ready before taking such a big step.’

Charlotte nodded. Emma was right. Ben wasn’t the reckless type. But he did seem to have fallen madly in love very quickly. Maybe it had clouded his judgement. ‘What’s she like?’

‘Bella?’ Emma raised her large blue eyes as she considered. ‘She’s sort of perfect.’

Charlotte felt a little spike of jealousy shoot through her.

‘She’s so good-looking, it makes me sick,’ Emma continued, seemingly unaware of the turmoil she was creating in Charlotte’s head. ‘And she’s certainly lifted him out of himself. He seems genuinely happy again. I was a bit worried about him for a while there …’

Charlotte shifted uncomfortably in her chair. ‘Well, that’s good. He deserves to be happy.’

Emma nodded fondly. ‘He does. He’s a good boy.’ Even though Ben was 30, she still referred to her younger brother as a boy. She fixed her wide blue eyes on Charlotte. ‘And how about you, Charlotte? How are you getting on?’

Charlotte smiled. ‘I’m OK. I’m starting to get myself together again – at last!’

‘Still living with Lucy?’

Charlotte nodded. ‘But I think I might have outstayed my welcome. Need to think about finding somewhere of my own.’

There was a pause, before Emma gave her a sly look. ‘And what about your love life?’

Charlotte felt her cheeks flush. ‘What love life?’ She tried to make the remark light-hearted but her voice cracked slightly as she spoke.

‘Oh.’ Emma looked down. ‘I thought you had met someone else. Ben certainly seemed to think so …’

‘He was wrong about that,’ Charlotte interrupted her. She paused, unsure how to articulate what she wanted to say. ‘I know he thought that maybe I had something with a guy from work but we’re just friends. I think it made it easier for him to think that … rather than that I just wanted some time on my own to work things out.’

Emma nodded. ‘Do you think …’ She hesitated, as if she sensed that she might be stepping over a line. ‘Do you think you would have gone back to Ben, once you’d had some time to yourself?’

Charlotte swallowed hard. It was the question she had been asking herself every day since she left Ben. ‘It’s irrelevant, isn’t it? By the time I had worked things out in my head, he was all loved up with Bella. It wouldn’t have been fair to get back in touch.’

Emma frowned. ‘Wouldn’t that have been for him to decide? He was so heartbroken when you left, Charlie. It might at least have helped restore his confidence.’

Charlotte shrugged again, trying to feign a nonchalance she didn’t feel. ‘Well, I didn’t, so like I say, it’s irrelevant now.’ She didn’t want to say that she felt huge regret that she hadn’t gone back to Ben sooner. Being without him had shown her that he really was the only one for her.

She had been with him for twelve years, ever since they met at university and it was once they started talking seriously about marriage and children that, for some reason, she got cold feet. She still didn’t understand why. But a short time apart was all it took to make her realize how much she loved and needed him.

‘It’s never too late you know …’ Emma said, almost to herself, as she drained her coffee.

Charlotte gave a wry laugh. ‘I think you’ll find that in this case, it is very definitely too late.’

Chapter Three

Matt glanced out of the window of their ground-floor Victorian conversion flat. ‘They’re here!’ he called out, as he headed towards the door.

His wife, Freya, emerged from the kitchen, smoothing down her navy bodycon dress, which showed off her slim figure and surprisingly ample bust. ‘I’m a bit nervous!’

Matt smiled at her appreciatively, thinking how effortlessly lovely she looked. ‘Don’t be. Ben wouldn’t be with her if she was horrible.’

‘I know. It’s just … well, it was so easy with Charlie, wasn’t it? I can’t imagine how he’ll be with someone new.’

‘Well, we’re about to find out.’ The buzzer rang and Matt picked up the intercom to let them in through the main front door, before opening the door to their flat. ‘Hello! Come on in!’ he called, poking his head out into the scruffy, brightly lit hallway, keen to get them into the considerably more glamorous surroundings of the flat.

Bella and Ben stepped inside, armed with flowers and wine. Matt gave Ben his customary bear-hug and stepped back, unsure how to greet Bella. A kiss felt too forward for their first meeting. A handshake too formal. In the end Bella gave a small but friendly wave and a nervous giggle. ‘Hi, Matt, lovely to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.’

‘Ha! All good I hope …?’ Matt tried to pull his eyes away from her but found that he couldn’t. She was definitely the most strikingly attractive girl he had ever set eyes on. No wonder Ben had fallen for her so quickly and so deeply. Behind him, Freya cleared her throat pointedly. ‘Oh! Bella, this is my wife, Freya.’

‘Hi, Freya,’ Bella said, giving Freya a warm smile. ‘These are for you.’ She handed her the flowers.

‘Thank you.’ Freya’s cheeks had flushed slightly red and she looked uncharacteristically shy as she took the expensive-looking bouquet of lilies.

‘You have a lovely home,’ Bella added, gesturing around the open-plan living/dining space that Freya had lovingly decorated with chalky, muted colours on the walls, offset by splashes of bold colour in her choice of cushions and rugs. She had a talent and a passion for interior design and Matt knew that Bella would have scored an immediate bulls-eye with her appreciation of it. He wondered if Ben had armed her with the information in advance or if she genuinely loved it.

There was an awkward pause as they all stood around, shuffling from foot to foot. Finally, Ben broke the silence. ‘Well, I’m starving! I hope you’ve made my favourite, Matt.’

Matt grinned back at him, pleased to see how happy and well he looked. ‘’Course I have, mate. Make yourselves at home and I’ll just go and put the finishing touches to it.’

‘I’ll get the drinks,’ Freya chipped in, already turning towards the kitchen. ‘Red or white?’ she threw back over her shoulder.

Bella and Ben exchanged glances. ‘Red for me, just water for Bella. She doesn’t drink.’ Ben nodded encouragingly at Matt as he spoke.

‘Result!’ Matt replied, thinking how fabulous it must be to have a designated driver all the time. He motioned to them to take a seat on the sofa, before following Freya into the kitchen. ‘What do you think?’ he hissed, as he stirred the huge pan of paella he was preparing.

Freya’s head was bowed, as she concentrated on pouring three glasses of wine and a glass of water, so he couldn’t read her expression. ‘She’s stunning-looking.’

‘I hadn’t noticed,’ Matt lied. ‘But she seems very nice, too, doesn’t she?’

‘Hmmm.’ Freya looked up, her large grey-blue eyes clouding slightly. ‘I wish she wasn’t tee-total.’

‘Why?’

Freya grinned sheepishly. ‘It makes me nervous. She’ll be able to remember every second of every drunken evening.’

Matt laughed. ‘Well, she can fill in the blanks for us then!’

Freya pulled a face. ‘That’s what I’m afraid of.’

The evening went better than Matt had dared hope. Any concerns he might have had that Bella wouldn’t be as much fun as Charlotte disappeared almost instantly. She was charming and funny, but more importantly, she was happy to let Ben shine. Ben had always been the life and soul of the party and she had sat back, listening intently and laughing loudly, as he regaled them with hilarious stories.

She asked Matt and Freya lots of questions about themselves and seemed genuinely interested in their answers. At the end of the meal, as they were drinking their coffee, Ben tapped his spoon against his cup in a jokingly self-important way. ‘Bella and I have an announcement!’ he said, slurring slightly.

Matt looked at Freya, who seemed to have sat up a bit straighter, as if steeling herself for a blow.

‘Bella is pregnant!’ Ben reached out and took Bella’s hand in his, as they gazed at each other adoringly.

There was a beat of silence, before Matt spoke. ‘Wha—what?’ he spluttered. ‘Oh my God. That must have been a bit of a shock?’

Ben began to nod but Bella’s voice cut through firmly. ‘No, not at all. We’re delighted, aren’t we, darling?’

‘Of course!’ Ben agreed quickly but Matt could see in his eyes that delight wasn’t the only emotion he was feeling.

‘Congratulations!’ Freya’s voice sounded much higher than usual. ‘That’s lovely news. When are you due?’ Freya was a midwife, so knew all there was to know about pregnancy.

Matt glanced at Freya, curious at her tone, before turning back towards Bella and Ben expectantly.

‘The beginning of January.’ Bella gave a strange little smile. ‘There’s a possibility we might be spending New Year’s Eve in a maternity ward. Maybe it’ll be your ward, Freya!’

Matt watched Ben carefully, noticing that he blanched slightly at Bella’s words and wondered how he must really be feeling. If it was him, he knew he would have very mixed emotions. Yes, Bella was gorgeous and she certainly seemed like a funny, pleasant, intelligent woman. But to have a baby together after such a short period of time felt like an enormous leap of faith.

He and Freya had only recently started discussing whether they should think about starting a family, now that they had celebrated their second wedding anniversary. But they had been together for nine years, so it felt like a natural progression. It would have been the same if Ben had announced that Charlotte was pregnant. But this news was like a sledgehammer, coming out of nowhere.

As Bella looked at her watch and yawned, Ben took the hint and stood up. ‘I suppose we’d better be making a move.’

Matt nodded. ‘Fancy a quick stroll to clear your head first? To the end of the road and back?’ It was traditional with Matt and Ben that after every dinner party, they would take a quick walk to have a furtive smoke and a chat while Charlotte and Freya pretended not to know what they were up to.

Ben nodded enthusiastically. ‘Definitely!’ He looked at Bella. ‘I’ll just be five minutes, darling.’

Bella smiled pleasantly and stood up. ‘Sure. I’ll get my jacket.’

Ben and Matt exchanged confused glances. ‘Um, no need for you to come, too, darling.’ Ben nodded at her reassuringly. ‘We’ll only be a few minutes.’

Bella fixed Ben with a determined stare. ‘I’d like some air, too. Don’t worry, you won’t even know I’m there.’

There was an embarrassed pause, before Ben shrugged apologetically at Matt. The three of them let themselves out of the house and turned into the street. ‘You go on ahead,’ Bella said, hanging back.

‘OK.’ Ben and Matt walked briskly ahead, both of them painfully aware that they were being watched.

Matt took a packet of cigarettes out of his pocket and offered them to Ben. He looked back over his shoulder at Bella, who was walking about twenty paces behind them. ‘Nah, I’d better not,’ he muttered, gesturing backwards.

Matt frowned. ‘She won’t mind you having one, surely?’

Ben pursed his lips. ‘She might.’

Matt put a cigarette between his lips and lit it, earning him a longing glance from Ben. ‘So, what do you reckon then? About the baby?’

‘I’m really happy about it,’ Ben fired back instantly, a note of defiance in his voice.

‘That’s good.’ Matt deliberately left a pause, knowing Ben wouldn’t be able to help filling it.

‘I must admit it was a bit of a shock, though.’

‘I bet.’ Again, Matt left a pause.

Ben glanced back at Bella nervously. ‘I keep thinking about Charlotte and me.’

‘And?’ Matt exhaled a long trail of smoke, which floated up into the still, dark air, before dissipating.

Ben sighed. ‘I think it just wasn’t meant to be. All that time and we never had an accident. First night with Bella and …’

‘Bingo!’ Matt finished the sentence for him.

Ben gave a dry laugh. ‘Yeah. Bingo.’

‘Well, as long as you’re happy about it, I’m pleased for you, mate.’ Matt blew out another long trail of smoke, before stubbing out his cigarette on the pavement.

Together, they turned towards Matt and Freya’s flat. Now in front of them, Bella turned, too, and began to walk slowly back the way they had come.

‘Does she always do that?’

Ben looked at Matt curiously. ‘Do what?’

Matt gestured towards Bella. ‘Follow you everywhere you go.’

Ben laughed. ‘No! ’Course not. I think she did just want some air.’

Matt grinned, feeling slightly stupid. ‘She’s an absolute stunner, mate. You certainly seem to have struck gold there.’

Ben looked up at Bella, who was now waiting for them at the gate to the flat, with shining eyes and a wide smile. ‘Yup,’ he said matching her smile. ‘I certainly did.’

‘So … What did you think?’ Freya pulled on one of Matt’s T-shirts and climbed into bed beside him, wrapping herself around him as she did every night, using his body as a human hot-water bottle.

Matt pulled her towards him so that she was resting her head on his bare chest. He kissed the top of her head, enjoying the smell of her. Not quite perfume. Not quite natural. A heady mix of the two. ‘I like her. She lets him be himself and he seems happy. Let’s face it, it’s been a while since we’ve seen him smile that much.’

Freya nodded but didn’t reply.

‘What about you?’ he prompted, after the silence had stretched just a beat too long. ‘What did you think of her?’

‘Hmmm. Well, she’s lovely-looking and she was friendly enough.’

‘But?’

Freya sighed. ‘But nothing, really. I can’t put my finger on it but there was just something about her that I found a bit unnerving.’

Matt stroked her silky blonde hair. ‘Sure you’re not feeling a teensy bit jealous?’ he teased.

Freya tensed immediately. ‘No!’ she snapped. ‘Why would I be jealous?’

Matt rolled his eyes in the darkness. Talk about putting his foot in it. ‘I’m just teasing. Relax, honey.’

Freya tutted. ‘Well, don’t! No, I’m not jealous of her. She might be beautiful but I think she’s also a bit weird. A bit intense.’

‘It was odd the way she insisted on following us on our walk,’ Matt agreed.

‘Exactly. What did Ben say about her?’

‘He seems happy.’

‘Did he mention Charlotte?’

Matt shifted uncomfortably. He always told Freya everything but wasn’t sure if he was betraying Ben’s confidence in this case. ‘Um, he just said it obviously wasn’t meant to be. That’s all.’

‘Why not? They were together for years. He was going to ask her to marry him.’

‘I know, but …’ Matt paused, trying to find the right words. ‘He thinks it’s a sign that Bella got pregnant almost immediately, whereas he and Charlotte never even had so much as a scare.’

‘Well, we’ve never had so much as a scare either.’ Freya’s voice suddenly sounded very small. ‘I hope you don’t think that means we’re not meant to be?’

‘Don’t be daft!’ Matt gave her shoulder a squeeze. ‘I don’t really share his view that the pregnancy is some kind of miracle …’

‘What, you think she may have deliberately trapped him?’ There was a sudden note of excitement in Freya’s voice.

‘No!’ Matt said quickly, although that was indeed what he thought. ‘But it does seem a bit odd that he would have been taken so much by surprise. He clearly thought she was taking precautions …’

‘Hmmm. It does,’ Freya agreed. ‘I miss Charlotte.’

‘You still see her.’

Freya laughed. ‘I know, but it’s not the same. I miss her being part of our foursome. It was so easy. I never had to check myself with her. I knew she loved me whatever.’

‘You’ll get used to Bella. I’m sure she’ll grow to love you just as much as Charlotte did.’

‘You sound like you’ve got used to her already.’ Freya adopted a sulky tone. ‘That didn’t take long.’

Matt sighed and kissed Freya’s head again. ‘Shut up and go to sleep.’

Chapter Four

Jo twirled in front of Peter. ‘Will I do?’

Peter gazed down at her, his eyes swimming with love. ‘You’ll do very nicely. You look stunning.’

Jo smiled and smoothed down her taupe, fitted dress as she stepped into her high-heeled, nude Louboutins. She had left it until the last possible moment to put them on, as she would be wearing them all day and knew that her feet would be protesting loudly by the time she took them off again tonight.

‘I wish it wasn’t …’ Peter began, before stopping for a second, thinking. ‘It’s not how I imagined Ben’s wedding would be.’

Jo looked up at Peter, handsome in his bespoke dark grey suit. He had been uncharacteristically quiet all morning. Actually, the truth was that he had been quieter in general ever since Ben first brought Bella home. ‘I know you’re not keen on her, but it’s not up to us. She’s Ben’s chosen partner, so we have to just accept her. And he seems happy, doesn’t he?’

‘Does he?’ Peter shot back far too quickly, before checking himself. ‘Yes, I suppose you’re right. He does seem happy enough.’

Jo sighed heavily. ‘Look, Peter … Whatever either of us thinks of her, she’s pregnant, with his child … and they’re getting married. Whatever doubts any of us might have, we need to put them to one side and support them, for Ben’s sake.’

‘Hmmm.’ Again Peter hesitated, his eyes clouding with worry. ‘I know you’re right. I suppose I just wish …’

Jo tilted her head to look at him properly. ‘Wish what?’

‘That it wasn’t her. There, I’ve said it.’ He shrugged apologetically.

Jo wrapped her arms around Peter’s waist and reached up to kiss him. ‘I know. But it is her. I’m sure it’ll all be fine, don’t worry. Now, come on or we’ll be late.’

Downstairs, Ben was sitting in the kitchen with Matt, drinking coffee. Jo gave Matt a hug. ‘Hello, darling, lovely to see you.’

Matt grinned back. Although he was now a fully grown, 30-year-old man, Jo could still see in his face the cheeky little 7-year-old boy she had first met all those years ago, when he and Ben had become friends at primary school. ‘You look lovely, Jo.’

Jo flushed with pride. Matt had spent so much time at their house over the years that he had become like a second son and Jo adored him. ‘Thank you, Matt. And so do you. How is Freya?’

Matt beamed. ‘She’s really well. She’s going to meet us at the registry office.’

Jo had no idea what to expect from today at all. She had always known that when Ben got married, it would be his bride who decided everything. But she felt sure that Charlotte would have at least involved her and Peter in the planning and preparations. Aside from telling them where and when, Bella and Ben had excluded them from any discussions, insisting they wanted to do everything themselves.

‘OK, well, I guess we’d better get going then.’ Jo walked over to Ben and adjusted his tie fractionally. She looked up at him, marvelling at how the years had galloped by – her baby boy, who had struggled to take his first breath, was now this tall, handsome young man about to get married.

The tears pricked at the back of her eyes and she smiled in an exaggerated way to try to quell them. Sometimes she felt as if Ben was at the end of a string connected directly to her heart. He pulled at her in a way that, although she and Emma were incredibly close, Emma had never done. ‘You look so handsome, sweetheart,’ she told him now. ‘Bella is a very lucky girl.’

Ben flashed her a smile that was a mirror image of his father’s but she could see from his dark brown eyes that he was nervous. ‘Thanks, Mum.’

Peter drove the four of them in his Range Rover into the centre of town, where he parked in the car park of the rather ugly Seventies building that housed the registry office.

As she walked into the foyer, Jo spotted Emma, engrossed in an intense conversation with Freya. ‘Hello, girls!’ she called, just slightly too loudly as she approached, in the hope that they wouldn’t think she had been ear-wigging.

Emma and Freya both jumped and looked up at her guiltily. It wasn’t difficult to guess what they had been talking about. Emma stood up and kissed her mother on both cheeks. ‘Hi, Mum, you look fantastic. Love that dress.’

Jo smiled appreciatively. ‘So do you, darling.’ It was true. Emma was a yoga obsessive who rarely ate anything containing sugar, caffeine or wheat. As a result, she had perfect, glowing skin, a toned, flat stomach and blonde hair that gleamed like a sheet of gold to her narrow shoulders. She was wearing a grey fitted dress that showed off her slim figure and long, shapely legs. People often commented that Emma was a Mini-Me of Jo but Jo would always reply that she had never looked anywhere near as good as her pretty daughter.

‘And you look as fabulous as ever, Freya.’ Jo turned towards Matt’s wife and gave her a hug. The thought flitted through her mind that she wished Freya was going to be her new daughter-in-law rather than Bella, but she mentally swatted it away and inwardly chided herself.

‘Where are the boys?’ Emma looked over Jo’s shoulder expectantly.

‘Parking the car.’ As she spoke, Peter, Ben and Matt walked through the door and were immediately enveloped in hugs and kisses by the two girls.

‘Nervous?’ Emma smiled up at her brother.

Ben shook his head firmly. ‘Nope. Just looking forward to it.’

Jo caught Matt and Freya exchanging a look she couldn’t quite read. ‘Well, I think maybe we should go in then?’

Inside the room where the ceremony was taking place, there were already around twenty people, all of them seemingly on Ben’s side of the aisle, seated on the silver chairs that were laid out in rows. There was a small spray of white roses at the end of each row, with a more elaborate floral display at the front and a string quartet playing in one corner. Despite the adornments, Jo couldn’t help feeling a sag of disappointment at the unexciting surroundings. As Peter had said earlier, it wasn’t what she had envisioned for Ben’s wedding.

Jo made her way to the front, looking nervously towards Bella’s side of the room, which was empty, except for one woman, who Jo could see instantly was Bella’s mother. She had suggested to Bella that maybe they should have a pre-wedding dinner, so that they could meet each other before the big day but Bella had curtly rebuffed the idea, saying they were not sociable people and would be quite happy to meet on the day. Now that she knew that only Bella’s mother would be attending, Jo could understand why Bella had been so reticent.

Bella’s mother looked up as Jo approached. She looked a little careworn and nervous but she still had enough of her beauty to confirm where Bella had inherited it from. She had shoulder-length, very dark brown hair, smattered with grey, and large brown, slightly hooded eyes. She shot Jo an uneasy smile and stood up. ‘Hello. You must be Ben’s mother …?’

‘Jo,’ Jo replied, reaching back to take Peter’s arm. ‘And this is my husband, Peter.’

Bella’s mother nodded knowingly. ‘Of course. I can see the resemblance! I’m Lynda.’

Peter shook her hand, before they shuffled into their seats beside Ben and Matt.

‘Who’s giving her away?’ Peter hissed as they sat down.

‘No one, apparently. Bella insisted that she didn’t belong to anyone and therefore she was perfectly capable of giving herself away.’

Peter raised an eyebrow. ‘That bodes well. Still, I suppose if the father’s not on the scene, then it makes some sort of sense.’ Bella had always shut down any conversation relating to her father and Ben had told them simply that he hadn’t been around since she was small.

Jo glanced again over to Bella’s side of the room and she felt a stab of guilt. Ben’s side was almost full. ‘Should we ask some of ours to move over?’ she whispered.

But before Peter could reply, the string quartet struck up with the wedding march and it was too late.

All eyes turned expectantly towards the back of the room, as Bella appeared, walking serenely and confidently down the centre of the aisle, clutching a simple bouquet of velvety white roses with both hands. Jo’s breath caught. She had never seen anyone look quite so exquisitely perfect, as Bella made her way up the aisle towards Ben. Her dress was a cleverly cut style, that clung to her slim figure, yet concealed any sign of a bump. Her long, dark hair shone in loose waves over her shoulders and her subtle make-up only emphasized the dramatic loveliness of her features.

Jo glanced at Ben, who was gazing at Bella adoringly. Their eyes were locked onto each other with such intensity that it felt almost intrusive to be watching. As she drew level with Ben, Bella reached out and took Ben’s hand, still holding his gaze.

Jo nodded to herself. Whatever she felt about Bella, there was no doubting the connection between her and Ben. They all needed to accept now that they were together and support them, instead of dwelling on ‘what ifs’ and unanswered questions.

After the short wedding service, they drove to the smart country restaurant where they were having the reception. It was an embarrassingly one-sided affair, with Bella’s mother the only representative of her family. Jo made a bee-line for Lynda and tried to engage her in conversation, to see if she could find out anything more about her new daughter-in-law, but Lynda was just as evasive on the subject of her background as Bella. ‘Is Bella’s father still alive?’ she ventured, hoping that she would learn something a bit more illuminating than the ‘he’s not on the scene’ that she got from Ben.

Lynda’s face remained impassive. ‘I believe so. We haven’t seen him since Bella was very young.’

Intrigued, Jo nodded encouragingly. ‘Oh, so you’re divorced?’

Lynda’s eyes slid away and she pointed to Ben and Bella, who were mingling with the guests as they waited for dinner to be served. ‘Don’t they make a lovely couple? Ben is a wonderful man.’

Jo acknowledged the pointed change of subject, before following Lynda’s gaze, feeling suffused with pride at hearing her son described in such glowing terms. ‘Thank you. And yes, they do make a lovely couple. Bella is certainly the most beautiful bride I think I’ve ever seen.’

Lynda smiled but Jo noticed that the smile didn’t reach her eyes. She had the same invisible barrier that Bella had, when discussing anything personal, and she sensed that they weren’t at all close.

After chatting for a while longer and getting nothing more than vague platitudes out of Lynda, Jo excused herself and headed over to Emma. ‘Hi, darling, I’ve just been speaking to Bella’s mum. I wanted to see if I could get any more out of her about Bella’s background but she’s even more of a closed book than Bella.’

Emma nodded. ‘I know. I tried to speak to her, too, but I got the impression Bella’s got her well-trained and she didn’t dare give anything away.’

Jo felt a niggle of discomfort and foreboding. Again, she wished that Ben had gone for someone who was a bit more open and a lot more friendly. Like Charlotte, she thought, before mentally scolding herself for such a treacherous wish.

‘It’s all a bit odd, isn’t it?’ Emma was saying, her eyes scanning the room. ‘I mean, she doesn’t seem to have any friends. Don’t you think that’s a bit … well, strange? For your mum to be the only guest from your side at your wedding? And even they don’t seem that close. Bella’s hardly spoken to her.’

Jo pursed her lips, watching as Bella and Ben mingled with all the guests from Ben’s side of the family, laughing and chatting easily, Bella clearly charming everyone she met. ‘You know, you could argue that there might be advantages to her not being close to her own family.’

Emma raised a sceptical eyebrow. ‘Really? How?’

Jo shrugged. ‘You know the old expression: “A son is a son ’til he marries a wife … a daughter’s a daughter for life”?’

Emma nodded.

‘Well,’ Jo continued, ‘that’s because the son usually gravitates towards his wife’s side of the family. As Bella doesn’t seem to have much of a family, she won’t be interested in taking him away from us, and we get the best of both worlds. So,’ she concluded, feeling more optimistic than she had all day, ‘there’s every possibility that we may have struck gold with Bella.’

Chapter Five

Ben felt uncharacteristically nervous, as he carefully navigated the icy country lanes. It was Christmas Day and they were heading out to Suffolk for their annual gathering at his mum and dad’s house. The weather was clear and crisp, with the sun reflecting on the patchwork fields, making them look like they were wearing a twinkling coat of frost.

This time last year, he mused, as he steered to avoid the patches of black ice that greeted him at every turn, it was Charlotte sitting beside him and he was still expecting to propose to her in the New Year. Now it was Bella in the passenger seat, her hands carefully resting on her neat, football-shaped bump.

Ben almost laughed to himself as the thought left his head. She may not have been actually driving the car, but there was no way anyone could describe Bella as being in the passenger seat. She was the one steering their lives in whatever direction she wanted them to go, of that he was quite clear. Sometimes, very occasionally, he wanted to object. To say that he didn’t want to do this or that. That he would prefer to stay in on a Saturday night and watch TV, rather than going to the theatre, but he had very quickly learned that it wasn’t worth the grief it caused.

He thought back to the time, not long after their wedding, when he had invited Matt and Freya round for an impromptu meal one Friday night. He had casually mentioned it to Bella as they’d eaten breakfast in the kitchen of their flat that morning. ‘Oh, by the way, Matt and Freya are coming round tonight. I thought we could get a takeaway.’

He was scrolling on his iPad at the time and wasn’t looking up at Bella but he sensed, rather than saw, the furious expression on her face. Looking up, he almost recoiled. Her beautiful dark eyes were blazing and her mouth was set in a grimace. ‘No, they’re not. It’s not convenient.’ It wasn’t the opening to a discussion of any kind. It was a statement that was intended to shut down any further debate.

Ben frowned. ‘But … I’ve already invited them. And they’ve accepted.’

Bella’s face took on an amused expression. ‘Well, you shouldn’t have. Not without clearing it with me first.’

Ben took a deep breath and drew himself up to his full height. ‘I’m sorry, darling. You’re right. But I’ve asked them now so they’re coming. I’ll know better next time.’

Bella looked at him for a long moment, before standing up and throwing her paper napkin on the table. She pulled her short satin robe around her and strode out of the kitchen. Ben watched her go, feeling a mixture of annoyance and worry. It was such a strange over-reaction to something that was no big deal.

Matt and Freya were always popping round for hastily arranged dinners when he was with Charlotte. He didn’t remember her ever objecting, even the time he’d forgotten to tell her altogether and she was in the shower when they arrived. She had just pulled on some sweat pants and a T-shirt and joined them at the table with her wet hair hastily scraped into a bun on top of her head.

He shrugged to himself and tried to shake off the feeling of unease. He certainly wasn’t going to cancel. It would be rude and embarrassing. And it wasn’t as if Bella had any friends she wanted to invite instead. No, he decided, she would have come round by the time they arrived. Even so, he made a mental note to make sure that he gave her a bit more notice in future.

By the time Matt and Freya arrived that evening, Bella still wasn’t home. Ben had been calling her frantically for several hours but her phone appeared to be switched off. Her job as an executive PA to the boss of a large investment company in the City meant her hours were very regular. There was no reason why she would have been delayed at work, especially on a Friday night, when the whole company tended to head off home an hour or two early.

‘Hi, mate!’ Matt held up in front of him a carrier bag stuffed with wine and beer. ‘I’ve brought the usual!’

Ben smiled as convincingly as he could. ‘Fantastic! Come on in. I’ll order the food. What do you fancy tonight – Chinese or Indian?’

Matt and Freya dumped their coats in the hall and followed Ben into the kitchen, almost as familiar with his flat as with their own. ‘Ummm … Indian, I think.’ Freya opened the kitchen drawer and took out the bottle opener. Then she took four glasses out of the cupboard and poured three of them. ‘What’s Bella drinking?’ She turned towards Ben expectantly.

‘Um, she’ll probably just have water.’

Freya’s face fell slightly. ‘Of course. Where is she?’ She looked over Ben’s shoulder, as if expecting Bella to materialize.

Ben swallowed. ‘Um, yeah, she sends her apologies but she’s been held up at work. Hopefully she’ll be here soon. Let’s just order the food and I’ll save her some.’ He saw a look pass between Matt and Freya and felt himself redden slightly. He hated lying to them but he especially hated lying to them when they knew it.

They ordered the food and ate it at the round, modern table in Ben’s kitchen, as they always had. The gap where Bella should have been sitting and where Charlotte always used to sit, seemed to loom large and the conversation didn’t flow quite the way it usually did. Ben tried to ignore the undercurrent of tension but there was a knot in his stomach and despite drinking a fair bit, his throat seemed dry, making it difficult to eat. He couldn’t remember the taste of anything.

Finally, earlier than they ever had before, Matt and Freya started looking at their watches. ‘Listen, we’d better be off.’ Matt threw Ben a sympathetic look that caused his stomach to knot even more. ‘I’m playing football in the morning.’

‘And I’m on night shifts from tomorrow night, so …’ Freya added, pushing back her chair.

Ben nodded and stood up. ‘No worries. It was good to see you guys.’

Freya gave him a hug. ‘Give our love to Bella.’ Her words were heavy with unspoken meaning.

Ben could feel himself reddening again and cursed himself for it. ‘I will.’

After he shut the door behind them, he stood in the kitchen with his hands on his hips, wondering what to do. Should he be worried? Somehow he didn’t think so. He knew instinctively that she was punishing him. He began to clear up the plates and glasses and put the remains of the Indian takeaway in the bin outside the back door. Bella hated the smell of food in the flat.

When everything had been cleared away, he went into the lounge and sat on the sofa, waiting, his heart thudding. The ticking sound of the clock over the fireplace seemed to echo loudly around the room and Ben wondered why he had never noticed it before. Finally, as the hands of the clock clicked round to one o’clock, he heard the key in the front door and stiffened as a wave of anger surged through him. How dare she show him up in front of his oldest friends? And what was wrong with having them round on a Friday night? It was his bloody flat, after all!

He listened as Bella dropped her bag in the hallway and made her way straight through to the bedroom. With his anger growing, he leaped up and marched into the bedroom behind her. ‘Where the bloody hell have you been?’ he hissed, through gritted teeth.

Bella, who was sitting on the edge of the bed with her back to him, shook her head.

Ben rolled his eyes. ‘Well?’ he demanded, a deep torrent of rage soaring up inside his chest. ‘Answer me! Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was?’

Bella turned her face towards him and he immediately recoiled in shame. Her make-up had run and the tracks of her tears were still visible. Her large, brown eyes were ringed with dark circles and she was deathly pale. ‘I’ve been at the hospital,’ she whispered. ‘I thought I was losing the baby.’ As she finished speaking, she dissolved into tears and put her head in her hands.

‘Oh my God! Why didn’t you call me?’ Ben dashed to her side and put his arms around her slim, shaking shoulders. All his anger had evaporated in an instant and he now felt like the lousiest husband in the world.

‘There wasn’t time … I just wanted to get there. Marcus took me.’

Ben bristled. Marcus was Bella’s boss and a very successful banker, with whom he knew she had had an affair in the past. ‘Right,’ he managed.

‘He was so lovely,’ she continued, her sobs beginning to abate. ‘He waited while they checked me over and then insisted on bringing me home.’

‘That was very nice of him,’ Ben agreed, stroking her silky hair. ‘But of course, if you’d rung me, or not had your phone switched off, I would have come straight away.’

Bella nodded and wiped her eyes, further smudging her mascara. ‘I know, I’m sorry – but I didn’t want to spoil your evening with Matt and Freya …’ She let her words hang in the air. Without her having to say it, the unspoken suggestion that he had prioritized a night of drinking with his mates over looking after his pregnant wife was loud and clear.

Ben swallowed the lump in his throat. ‘So what happened? What made you think you were losing the baby … and is it OK?’

Bella shook her head and made a swatting motion with her hand. ‘I don’t want to talk about it. But the main thing is that everything is OK and the baby’s fine.’

‘Oh, thank God!’ Relief made Ben feel momentarily light-headed. He was glad he was sitting down. ‘I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you, darling.’ He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her towards him.

Bella gave him a watery smile. ‘It’s OK. Luckily Marcus was there, so he took care of me. Don’t feel bad.’

OK, Ben thought, so she was definitely punishing him. But then again, he reasoned, he probably deserved it. ‘Well, let me look after you now,’ he said, bending down to take off her shoes. ‘From now on, I’m not leaving your side.’

Bella allowed herself to be gently laid down on the bed and smiled up at him. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered, as Ben tried to ignore the slightly triumphant gleam in her eyes. It occurred to him that she had just won a battle that he wasn’t even aware he had been fighting.

Chapter Six

Ben and Bella pulled onto the gravel driveway, Ben’s Mercedes sighing to a halt, as if it had run out of breath. They didn’t get out of the car immediately, but seemed to be having a terse conversation, both their faces set rigid as they stared straight ahead.

Jo felt a prickle of unease, as she watched them from the doorway. She had had a strange feeling of foreboding since she woke up this morning and couldn’t put her finger on why.

She hoped she was imagining it, but Ben’s body language seemed different, as he finally got out of the car and opened Bella’s door, before helping her out.

Jo plastered a smile on her face as she swung open the door and waved. ‘Hello, you two! Happy Christmas!’

Ben grinned as they reached her and he bent down to kiss her on the cheek. ‘Hi, Mum, happy Christmas.’

‘And look at you!’ Jo beamed, motioning to Bella’s rounded stomach. ‘You’re cooking nicely.’

Bella’s face hardened as she offered her cold cheek to accept a kiss from Jo. ‘You make me sound like a bloody turkey!’

Jo looked at her in surprise. ‘Oh! Well you’re certainly the most glamorous turkey I’ve ever seen.’

There was an awkward pause as both Jo and Ben watched Bella to see if she would accept the compliment. ‘Right,’ she said eventually. ‘Are we standing out here all day or are we allowed to come in?’

Jo’s unease deepened. Why was Bella being so bloody prickly? She decided to blame the pregnancy hormones and gave what she knew was a fake laugh. ‘Of course! Come on through. Peter’s in the kitchen.’

Ben took off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack in the hallway, before turning towards Bella and reaching out to take her coat. ‘Leave it!’ she snapped, slapping his hand away. ‘I’m cold.’ Jo caught Ben’s eye for a split second. There was a look of resignation there that she didn’t like one bit.

‘Look who’s here!’ she said brightly, as they reached the kitchen, where Peter was busy stirring his mulled wine on the Aga. He made it every year at Christmas and every year they all pretended to like it. The time had long since passed when they could tell him they all thought it was disgusting. At least the home-made mince pies went some way towards taking the taste away.

Peter wiped his hands on a tea towel and turned towards Ben and Bella. ‘Hello, you two. Happy Christmas!’

Jo watched with interest to see if Bella gave Peter the same prickly response but to her surprise, and annoyance, she moved into Peter’s arms and gazed up at him with a radiant smile. ‘Happy Christmas, Peter! That mulled wine smells divine … almost makes me wish I could drink it.’

Peter flushed and flicked Jo a panicked look, before clearing his throat. ‘Well, you’ll be pleased to hear that you can … I made it non-alcoholic this year, knowing that you didn’t drink.’

‘Did you? You didn’t say.’ Jo felt a sudden spike of anger towards Peter that took her by surprise.

But either Peter didn’t hear her or chose to ignore her, as he reached for one of the pewter goblets he had lined up on the pale granite work surface and poured Bella a generous serving. Bella took it with her eyes shining, as if he had handed her a goblet of solid gold. ‘How wonderful,’ she murmured, sipping it, gazing at Peter over the top of her glass. Jo watched her carefully, noting the slight blanch as she swallowed each mouthful, clearly detesting it but valiantly hiding her dislike from Peter.

‘Well,’ Jo clapped her hands a little too over-enthusiastically, ‘let’s go through and make ourselves comfortable, shall we? Bella, are you sure you won’t take off your coat?’

‘No.’ Bella didn’t look at Jo as she spoke. ‘I’d rather keep it on as I’m feeling a bit chilled.’ She glanced up at Peter with an apologetic smile.

‘Oh dear, I do hope you’re not sickening for something?’ Peter said, causing another ripple of annoyance to quiver through Jo’s chest. Peter was notoriously unsympathetic to anyone who was ill. Then she wondered if he was being sarcastic. She couldn’t tell.

‘Pregnancy’s not an illness, is it, Bella?’ Jo was aiming for a jokey tone, but her voice sounded sharp.

Bella raised her large eyes towards Jo with a hurt expression. ‘Um, no, I guess not.’

Ben looked at Jo with an accusing stare and she could feel a flush spreading up her neck. Why did she feel as if she was in the wrong when it was Bella who was being so offhand?

After an awkward silence, the four of them made their way through into the sitting room. Jo had spent days decorating the freshly cut Norwegian Spruce Christmas tree and trailing pretty lights and baubles around the large marble fireplace and along the picture rail, but no one seemed to notice or made any comment. With the fire lit and roaring, the room was cosy to the point of being too warm and Jo wondered if Bella might actually take her coat off at last, but instead, she pulled it around her tightly, wincing with an exaggerated grimace as she sat down gingerly on the plump grey sofa.

Ben’s forehead creased with concern. ‘Are you OK, darling?’

Bella threw him a brave smile. ‘Yes, I’m sure I’ll be fine.’

Jo took a couple of deep breaths, trying to dampen down the irritation that was still quivering through her chest. She wondered why she was the only one who could see that Bella’s behaviour was simply attention-seeking, rather than due to any kind of genuine discomfort.

‘What time is Emma getting here?’ Ben addressed the question to Peter.

Peter looked at his watch. ‘Any time now, I should imagine. I told her she should have hitched a lift with you two. Seems a bit crazy to bring two cars to do the same journey, especially as the roads are so icy.’

A look passed between Bella and Ben and Jo knew, without them saying so, that Emma would not have been offered a lift. She thought back to last Christmas, which suddenly seemed like a lifetime ago, and how much things had changed since then.

Emma and Ben had always been so close. Even when Ben was with Charlotte, his relationship with his older sister had remained strong. But since meeting Bella, there seemed to be a distance between them. Emma was as perplexed as Jo and the two of them had spent many hours discussing whether she might have done something to upset him.

Jo had never voiced it, but she knew instinctively that it was Bella who had a problem with Emma and that Ben was just going along with it for an easy life. She looked at Bella now, so beautiful and so charming when she chose to be. So cold and brittle when she didn’t. She wished she could shake off the heavy feeling of anxiety that had dogged her ever since they announced that she was pregnant and they were getting married.

Looking back, it was then that Ben had started to change towards them. Well, that wasn’t quite right. He had started to change towards Jo and Emma. He had become more distant and a little more formal. He seemed fine with Peter, which was ironic, considering it was Peter who had voiced his reservations about Bella and the speed of their relationship in the first place. But he had also changed in himself. He was becoming quieter and less confident, as if he was slowly but surely having the stuffing pulled out of him.

As if she sensed her watching, Bella suddenly turned her gaze towards Jo. Jo quickly rearranged her features into a smile but Bella’s large brown eyes narrowed and there was a glint of something that Jo couldn’t read, except that she knew it wasn’t pleasant.

She sighed and stood up, fed up with being excluded from the conversation.

No one seemed to notice as she left the room. Walking back into the kitchen, she caught sight of the pan of mulled wine gently bubbling on the Aga. Feeling a sudden spike of annoyance, she picked it up and tipped it down the sink. She watched the dark red, gloopy liquid congeal around the plughole, with its crimson tendrils clinging to the stark white walls of the sink like blood. She turned on the tap and swished water over the incriminating evidence until it was all gone.

She stared at the empty pan guiltily. But, she reassured herself, it was about time someone told Peter the truth about what they all thought of his horrible yearly concoction. She wished Emma would get here. She needed an ally, someone to tell her whether she was imagining Bella’s offhand behaviour.

As if on cue, her mobile rang. She snatched it up as she saw Emma’s name flashing on the screen. ‘Hi, darling, where are you?’

‘Mum!’ Emma sobbed. ‘I’ve had an accident. I hit a patch of ice on a bend and I’ve spun off the road.’ Her voice was audibly shaking.

‘Oh my God! Are you OK? Are you hurt?’ Jo’s legs suddenly felt weak.

‘Bit of a bump on the head. And my neck is killing me. But I think I’m OK.’ Jo could hear her holding the phone away from her body as she examined herself.

Jo swallowed down the tide of panic that was rising up inside her and tried to keep her voice steady and calm. ‘Right. Daddy and I are coming to get you. Where are you?’

Emma began to cry, causing Jo’s heart to constrict. Emma rarely cried. She was so composed and she always seemed to be in control of her emotions. Hearing her lose it completely told Jo that they needed to get to her as quickly as possible. ‘I’m at the corner of Bramble Lane and Mill Road, near the pub,’ Emma managed, through giant, gulping sobs.

‘We’ll be with you in ten minutes. Just stay where you are.’

Jo dashed into the sitting room, where Peter, Ben and Bella were still chatting, seemingly unaware of her absence. They all looked up at her in surprise as she entered. ‘Emma’s had an accident. We need to go and get her.’

Peter and Ben both leaped out of their seats. ‘Shit! Is she OK?’ Ben’s face creased with concern and Jo could see that he was genuinely worried for his sister. It gave her a small crumb of comfort to see a glimpse of the old Ben.

‘She’s very shaken and upset and I think she’s bumped her head but she was talking coherently, so hopefully she’s fine. Come on, Peter, we need to hurry.’ She gestured towards the door expectantly.

Peter nodded quickly and strode past her, already scooping his car keys from the glass bowl on the console table in the hallway.

‘I’ll come!’ Ben followed Peter towards the door.

‘No, Ben!’ Bella shouted suddenly, causing all of them to stop in their tracks. ‘You can’t go.’

Ben scowled irritably. ‘What? I need to go with them in case Dad and I have to pull the car out of a ditch or something.’

Bella’s face darkened. ‘You can’t leave me here on my own!’

Jo felt a sudden urge to slap her daughter-in-law’s pretty face. ‘Come. Don’t come,’ she snapped at Ben. ‘But make your bloody mind up because we need to get to Emma.’

Ben hesitated and Jo could see the dilemma he faced. If he came with them, Bella would be furious with him. If he didn’t come, he would be furious with himself. ‘Sorry,’ he said to Bella, seemingly having made up his mind. ‘I’ll only be a few minutes. You’ll be fine.’

There was a short, awkward pause, before the three of them raced out of the door, leaving Bella looking so angry that Jo imagined she could almost see the steam coming out of her ears.

As they rounded the corner of the road where Emma had told them she was, Jo gasped, clamping her hand over her mouth. Emma was sitting on the still-frosty grass verge with her head in her hands. Even at a distance, Jo could see that she was very distressed. Her mint green Fiat 500 was neatly nestled up against a tree, almost as if it was giving it a hug. Flimsy plumes of smoke rose lazily from beneath the bonnet. Peter pulled the car over and they all leaped out. Jo knelt down and put an arm around Emma’s shaking shoulders. ‘It’s OK, sweetheart, we’re here now. You’re going to be fine.’

Emma let out a sound that was a cross between a groan and a sob and nodded. Ben moved round behind her and put his hands under her armpits, before lifting her gently to her feet. She took a deep breath to steady herself and gave him a watery smile. ‘Cheers, Ben.’

Ben smiled back, his face still full of concern. ‘No worries. That’s quite an impressive bump on your head.’

Jo followed his gaze. A huge egg-shaped lump was forming on Emma’s forehead. It reminded her of the time when she was three and she had fallen down the stone steps in the garden, resulting in a similar-shaped bump.

‘Come on, piglet, let’s get you home.’ Peter pulled Emma into his arms and steered her towards the Range Rover, where he carefully helped her into the back seat.

Jo could see that Emma was violently shaking and climbed in beside her, wrapping one arm around her and taking her hand in the other.

‘I’ll drive Em’s car home,’ Ben said, heading towards the Fiat.

‘Is it OK to drive?’ Jo looked dubiously at the little car, which was looking very sorry for itself. ‘I don’t want you having an accident, too.’

‘I think it’ll be fine. Let’s just get it home and we can get someone to take a look later.’ Peter was already starting up the Range Rover and putting it into gear.

A few minutes later, they arrived home and helped a still-trembling Emma out of the car and into the house. Peter steered her towards the kitchen and settled her on a chair at the huge granite island in the middle of the room. ‘I know what you need – a glass of mulled wine.’ He turned expectantly towards the hob and stopped in puzzlement. ‘What’s happened to the mulled wine?’

Jo could feel her cheeks reddening. ‘I tipped it away.’

‘What did you do that for?’ Peter frowned and looked at Jo in astonishment.

‘Because … oh, because it was horrible!’ Jo waved her hand dismissively. ‘And I think Emma needs something a bit stronger than a non-alcoholic mulled wine anyway. Go and get her some whisky!’ She knew she was blustering because she was embarrassed. She had tipped the mulled wine away in a fit of pique because Peter had prepared it especially for Bella.

Peter tutted and continued to frown but, after a moment’s hesitation, he found the whisky and poured Emma a generous slug.

‘Thanks.’ Emma picked up the glass and drained it.

‘Would you like to go and have a lie-down?’ Peter had poured himself a whisky and raised his eyebrows questioningly at Jo, who nodded, suddenly desperate for a drink.

‘No.’ Emma held out her glass. ‘But I’ll have a refill.’

Ben joined them in the kitchen looking sheepish. ‘Um, Bella’s not feeling too good. I’m sorry but I think we’d better go home.’

Jo’s shoulders sagged with disappointment. ‘What? But what about lunch, your presents … you were supposed to be staying the night?’

Ben’s eyes slid away from Jo’s, as he glanced towards the door nervously. ‘I’m sorry, Mum.’

Jo watched him go, feeling weak with disappointment, as well as the shock of Emma’s accident catching up with her. She looked at Peter beseechingly. ‘Peter, can’t you speak to her? See if you can persuade her to stay? She seems to like you more than me …’ Her words hung in the air between them.

Peter hesitated, looking uncomfortable. ‘I’d rather not. I’m not sure it’ll do much good anyway and if she’s genuinely not feeling well …’

‘Please, Peter. It’ll spoil everything if they leave and I can tell Ben doesn’t want to. It’s her. She can’t bear the attention wandering from her for a second. She’s such a little bloody madam! Honestly, Emma, you should have seen her earlier, refusing to even take her coat off!’

As she finished speaking, she became aware that both Peter and Emma were looking over her shoulder with horrified expressions and she sensed, rather than heard, that both Ben and Bella were standing in the doorway. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes momentarily to steady herself, before spinning around to face them. Ben was staring at her in shock but Bella looked triumphant, a tiny smirk on her lips. ‘Wow, thanks for that, Jo. It’s a good job we’re leaving – I certainly know where I’m not wanted.’

‘Bella, I …’ Jo fumbled for words as she reached out to take Bella’s arm.

Bella shook her off roughly. ‘Let go of me! Come on, Ben. We’re going.’

Ben looked like he might cry. ‘I’m really sorry but we have to go. Em, I hope you’re OK?’

Emma nodded and raised her glass. ‘Thanks, I’ll be fine,’ she slurred. ‘Happy Christmas.’

Ben hesitated and for a moment, Jo thought he might hug her but another yell from Bella sent him scurrying after her.

Jo slumped down beside Emma at the island and burst into tears. She had had such a lovely day planned and now it was all ruined. But as she drained her glass of whisky, she somehow knew that it was more than just Christmas Day that was ruined.

Chapter Seven

Charlotte scanned the busy, dimly lit bar, her eyes hunting out Matt and Freya. Finally, she spotted them at a table in the corner, deep in conversation. ‘Hey, guys!’ she said, dumping her huge grey leather tote bag down on the floor and slumping into the seat they were zealously guarding for her. ‘Matt, be a love and get me an enormous glass of white wine, will you?’

Matt beamed at her fondly and stood up. ‘Your wish is my command, Lady Charlotte!’ He planted a kiss on top of her head as he squeezed past her and disappeared into the crowd towards the bar.

Charlotte smiled at Freya, holding her gaze as she acknowledged the familiar tug of longing that she felt every time she saw her old friends. She missed them so much. Missed the closeness and the laughter they used to share as a foursome, before she made the biggest mistake of her life by breaking up with Ben and blowing it all apart. ‘So … how are you, my love?’

Freya stood slightly and reached across the small wooden table to hug her, holding on for just slightly longer than normal. ‘I miss you.’ There was a slight tremble in her voice as she spoke.

Charlotte tilted her head and examined Freya’s face. She looked strained and tired. ‘What’s wrong? Is it work?’ Her job at St Thomas’ hospital was enormously stressful.

Freya shook her head and pushed back her blonde hair nervously. ‘No, work’s OK. It’s … well, it’s Ben, actually.’

Charlotte’s stomach plummeted with fear. ‘Ben? Why, what’s happened? Is he all right?’

Freya’s grey-blue eyes locked onto Charlotte’s. ‘Yes, as far as we know, he’s fine. It’s just that Bella’s had the baby. A girl.’

Charlotte’s mouth dried instantly. She nodded, trying to digest the news, wondering why it was such a shock when she had known it was coming for months. ‘Well, that’s good, isn’t it?’ she managed.

‘Yes, I suppose it is.’ Freya shrugged.

‘What have they called her?’

‘Elodie.’

Charlotte nodded again and attempted a smile. ‘Elodie. That’s a pretty name. And is everything OK? How are they managing?’

Freya made a ‘pfff’ sound and rolled her eyes. ‘That’s the thing …’ She picked up her glass and took a large sip of wine. ‘We don’t know. We haven’t seen them.’

At that moment, Matt arrived back at their table and put a large glass of chilled white wine down in front of Charlotte. She gave him a quick smile, before turning her attention back to Freya. ‘Thanks, Matt. Why haven’t you seen them?’

Matt looked at Freya and threw his hands up helplessly. ‘We’ve got no idea. She just doesn’t seem that keen on us.’

‘Have you spoken to Ben?’

‘Yup, briefly, when he called to tell me about the baby being born.’ Matt looked slightly crestfallen as he spoke. ‘But I think she might screen his calls. I rang once and obviously my number was displayed, so they didn’t answer. But when I blocked my number and rang back, she picked up.’

‘Well, call his mobile then?’

Matt scratched his cheek. ‘Nope. Tried that. He must have changed his number.’

Charlotte frowned. ‘How weird. Why would he change his number and not let his friends know?’

‘Because his fucking bitch of a wife told him to?’ Freya cut in, shaking her head in disgust.

Charlotte’s stomach churned with a dozen different emotions. Knowing that she no longer had Ben’s mobile number unnerved her hugely. Made her feel as though she had been cut adrift from her anchor. And hearing Bella described as his wife was like a punch to her kidneys. It was ridiculous, of course, but she couldn’t stop the feelings that were coursing unstoppably through her. She gave herself a shake. She needed to get a grip.

‘And how was she? Bella, I mean, when you spoke to her on the phone?’

Again, Matt glanced at Freya and gave a resigned sigh. ‘Frosty, I suppose, is the best way to describe it. Very offhand. Made it clear she didn’t want me calling.’

‘I hate her,’ Freya said suddenly.

‘Freya!’ Matt shot her an appalled look. ‘That’s a bit strong. We don’t even really know her.’

Freya shrugged apologetically. ‘I know, I know …’ She turned towards Charlotte. ‘But it feels a bit like a bereavement, except that he’s still alive and well and living just a mile or so away.’ She bit her lip and glanced at Matt. ‘And he wouldn’t say so but I know how hurt Matt is. Ben is his oldest, closest friend and yet he doesn’t even hear from him anymore.’

Matt’s eyes clouded slightly and he picked up his bottle of beer. ‘That’s not strictly true. He calls sometimes when she’s out.’

Charlotte tutted, infuriated and unnerved by what she was hearing. ‘But why would she not want him to speak to you guys?’

Matt and Freya both shook their heads. ‘No idea. Control, maybe?’ Freya said at last. ‘She does seem very possessive and domineering.’

Charlotte nodded, feeling guilty. This was all her fault. If she hadn’t broken up with Ben, he would never have met Bella and maybe it would be the two of them celebrating the birth of their first child. There was no way she’d have allowed Ben to shut out his oldest friends. They would have been with them every step of the way. ‘What would happen if you ignored the way she’s been behaving and just acted the way you always did? Why don’t you just go round with some flowers and a present for the baby? You used to pop by all the time, so it wouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary.’

Matt recoiled in horror. ‘It would now! Honestly, Charlie, you have no idea how different things are to when you two were together. She’s so cold towards us. She would make it clear we weren’t welcome.’

‘So what?’ Charlotte looked from Matt to Freya defiantly. ‘You aren’t there to see her, you’re there to see your friend and his new baby daughter. If she doesn’t want to see you, she can always go out.’ She could feel the anger bubbling up inside her and knew it was borne out of guilt. But on the other hand, they couldn’t just accept that a lifelong friendship was over because Bella wanted him all to herself. ‘And I’m sure she’s not that bad?’

‘She is!’ Freya shot back. ‘Matt’s not exaggerating when he says she’s really off with us. She just has this way of making you feel so unwelcome, even when we’re not at their flat.’

Charlotte tried not to feel hurt at the description of the flat as ‘theirs’. Yes, Ben’s parents had bought it for him but it was she who had helped him choose it and furnish it, back in the days when she and Ben were so happy and excited about the future. But it was also she who had walked away from it, leaving Ben battered and broken, and vulnerable to the attentions of someone like Bella. ‘Well,’ she said at last. ‘I think you should just turn up and act like nothing’s wrong. Buy something lovely for the baby and behave as you normally would. You owe it to Ben …’

Matt stood up suddenly. ‘Just going to the loo,’ he said, by way of explanation as he strode off.

Charlotte and Freya watched him go. ‘He’s taken it quite badly,’ Freya began. ‘I think he’s just so unbelievably hurt. He and Ben have been inseparable since primary school. It just seems so unfair that this … this bitch, can have got her claws into him so quickly and so bloody effectively.’

Charlotte shifted in her seat uncomfortably. ‘It does,’ she agreed. ‘What if you were to speak to him? Alone.’

‘How?’ Freya looked gloomy. ‘She never leaves him on his own for a minute.’

‘She’s not with him at work. You could go and wait for him outside his office.’

Freya smiled slightly, as she digested the idea. ‘What? Ambush him, you mean?’

Charlotte picked up her glass and took a large slug of her wine. ‘Well, yes, I suppose that is what I mean. But at least Bella wouldn’t be there and you could ask him outright why he’s shutting you and Matt out all of a sudden.’

Freya squirmed in her seat and worry lines creased her brow. ‘I don’t know … what if he gets cross with me?’

‘Why would he? You haven’t done anything wrong. And you know Ben – he absolutely adores you.’

‘Do you think so?’

‘Yes, absolutely!’ Charlotte could feel herself warming to her theme. ‘And you never know, he might have a perfectly rational explanation that will put your mind at rest and then you can reassure Matt that it’s just a temporary blip and things will be back to normal soon.’

Freya reached across the table and took Charlotte’s hand in hers. ‘Oh God, I miss you so much, Charlie. We both do.’

‘I miss you guys, too.’ Charlotte swallowed hard, afraid she might cry.

‘Is there anyone on the scene at all?’ Freya dropped her hand and changed the subject, as if sensing that Charlotte might be wobbling.

Charlotte wrinkled her nose and shook her head. ‘No, not really. I don’t think I’m in the right frame of mind to have a relationship at the moment, anyway, so it’s probably no bad thing.’

‘No, maybe not.’ Freya looked suddenly wistful and smiled. ‘Although it would be great if you could find someone nice and we could have a whole new foursome.’

Charlotte tried to smile, but found that the corners of her mouth refused to turn upwards. ‘The trouble is that I found someone nice and dumped him, like the complete bloody idiot I am. Now all I can think is that there’ll never be anyone as good as him again.’

Freya shook her head. ‘I’m not going to say that I always thought there was something lacking in your relationship with Ben because I didn’t. But for you to have broken up with him when you did, when he was on the verge of proposing …’

Charlotte spluttered on her wine and her eyes widened. ‘What?’

Freya’s cheeks flushed slightly and she nodded. ‘Yes … I thought you knew? He didn’t exactly make a secret of it.’

Charlotte looked away, thinking. Yes, she probably did know, and maybe that’s what had made her get cold feet so suddenly. It was the enormity of it all.

‘So, what I’m saying,’ Freya continued, ‘is that you obviously did think there was something not quite right. Don’t be too hard on yourself, Charlie, because maybe, just maybe, you did the right thing for you.’

Charlotte so wanted to believe her. To think that she had been unhappy and that the relationship had run its course. But she knew deep down that it hadn’t and that she had just had a panic about the future and wanted to clear her head. Now it was too late and whatever she did, she couldn’t turn back time and make everything right again.

Chapter Eight

Freya pulled her fitted leather jacket a little tighter around her body. It was a surprisingly chilly day for early March and she stamped her feet to try to warm up her feet inside her ankle boots, as she scanned the lunchtime crowds for Ben’s familiar dark head. As he was usually a few inches taller than everyone else around him, she had thought that he’d be easier to spot, but she hadn’t caught sight of him yet and was beginning to worry that maybe she’d missed him.

She was just contemplating giving up, when he appeared, head down and his hands stuffed deep in to the pockets of his coat, which looked considerably warmer than hers.

‘Ben!’ Freya stepped into his path and gave a nervous wave.

Ben’s eyes widened in surprise and he pulled up sharply. ‘Hey, Freya! What a lovely surprise!’ He held his arms out widely and pulled her into a hug.

Freya allowed herself to be drawn into his embrace and held on to him for what she knew was a fraction too long. She could feel the tears pricking her eyes as she felt a wave of longing. The aching familiarity of him was so strong that, for the first time, she realized how painfully she had borne his absence and truly understood how Matt must have been feeling.

‘What are you doing here?’ Ben gently extricated himself from her arms and shoved his hands back into the pockets of his overcoat, shuffling from foot to foot.

Freya took a deep breath. ‘I wanted to see you. You haven’t been returning our calls and our texts aren’t getting through …’ She hesitated. ‘I just wanted to make sure you were OK.’

Ben frowned. ‘Yeah, everything’s fine. Look, I was just about to grab a sandwich, do you want to join me?’

Freya beamed. ‘I’d love to.’

They headed for a café near Ben’s office and found a table. ‘What can I get you?’ he asked, gesturing towards the counter.

‘Oh, thanks, Ben. A cheese and ham toastie would be lovely.’

Ben smiled. ‘Of course. I should have remembered. I’ll have the same.’

Freya watched him ordering and paying for their food, trying to analyse whether there was anything different about him. He looked a bit more tired and there were shadows under his eyes but that was understandable with a new baby. Other than that, he looked pretty much the same as he ever had.

He carried a tray over to their small, round, marble table. ‘Dinner is served!’

Freya laughed. ‘And very nice it looks, too. Thank you.’

Ben took a seat opposite her and picked up his toastie, taking a huge bite. ‘Mmmm, I haven’t had one of these for ages. Bloody lovely!’

‘Yep,’ Freya agreed, as they chewed in comfortable silence. ‘So, how is Elodie?’

Ben smiled, as crumbs spilled out of his mouth and he wiped them with a napkin. ‘She’s adorable. Really gorgeous.’

‘Got any photos?’

‘Hang on.’ Ben finished his toastie with one final huge bite and wiped his hands on his napkin before fumbling for his phone. He frowned slightly as he scrolled through his pictures, until he found one he liked and handed it to Freya.

On the screen was a picture of Bella looking serenely at the camera, clutching a beautiful baby girl with a shock of black hair to her chest. ‘Oh my, Ben, she is so, so lovely. They both are.’ As she looked back at the screen, a message notification flashed up, blocking the photo.

Bella: Where the fuck are you?

‘Oh! You’ve got a message,’ she said, feeling embarrassed for him as she handed back the phone.

Ben raised his eyebrows in surprise and took the phone from her. He read the message and flushed slightly.

‘Is everything OK, Ben?’ Freya asked gently, knowing that she needed to seize the opportunity.

‘Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?’ Ben was immediately on the defensive, his eyes flickering from side to side.

‘It’s just that … well, we haven’t seen you. Matt’s called you several times and you haven’t called him back. We haven’t even met Elodie yet. I just wondered if there’s something going on?’

Ben’s face darkened. ‘Is that why you ambushed me?’

Freya sighed. ‘Well, yes. How the hell else are we supposed to see you if you won’t return our calls? If you change your mobile number and don’t let us have the new one?’

Ben’s eyes held hers for a moment, before sliding away. ‘I didn’t even know you’d called …’

‘Didn’t Bella mention it?’

‘No.’ Ben’s chewed the inside of his lip. ‘But she’s been a bit busy lately … it probably just slipped her mind.’

Freya’s chest quivered with irritation. ‘Really? Only Matt’s called quite a few times. He’s so hurt, Ben.’

‘For fuck’s sake, he’s not five years old!’ Ben’s cheek pulsed and he tutted to himself.

‘OK.’ Freya stood up, her metal chair scraping on the tiled floor as she pushed it backwards. ‘I don’t know what’s going on with you, Ben, but you’re behaving like a dick. Frankly, I don’t give a damn if you don’t want to see me but the least you can do is give Matt a call back.’

Ben looked up at her in surprise. ‘I will!’ he snapped. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. ‘It’s just a bit hectic right now.’ He reached out to take her arm. ‘Don’t go like this, Frey, I’m sorry. Stay and finish your toastie.’

Freya hesitated, before sitting back down. ‘Lots of sleepless nights, is it?’

Ben nodded. ‘Yeah. She’s a good baby but they’re bloody hard work, you know?’ He gave a small, apologetic laugh. ‘I love being a dad but I hadn’t expected it to be so … draining. Honestly, it’s just relentless and the lack of sleep does get to you.’

‘I can only imagine.’ Freya could feel herself softening towards him again, glad that he was opening up a bit.

‘Bella’s coping brilliantly. But it gets lonely for her, at home on her own all day. She’s desperate for some adult company and for someone else to take over by the time I walk through the door. No matter how busy I’ve been at work, it’s nothing compared to the drudgery of looking after a baby all day.’

Freya smiled sympathetically. ‘I’m sure. But I bet your mum and Bella’s mum have been a permanent fixture. That must be a big help.’

‘Hmmm.’ Ben looked away, clearly embarrassed. ‘Bella’s mum is around a bit but my mum’s keeping her distance. I think she’s worried about being seen as the archetypal interfering mother-in-law.’

‘Jo would never be that!’

Ben pulled a wry face. ‘Not sure Bella would agree with you there.’

A tiny alarm bell rang somewhere in a distant corner of Freya’s mind. ‘Do they not get on then?’ she ventured tentatively, wary of setting him off again.

‘No.’ Ben shook his head slightly. ‘There was … there was a bit of an argument at Christmas. Bella overheard Mum describing her as an attention-seeking little madam.’

Freya tried to keep a straight face. It sounded like a perfect description of Bella to her. ‘Ouch.’

Ben laughed. ‘Yeah, you could say that. It didn’t make for a very happy family Christmas, put it that way. We headed back to London there and then and we haven’t seen her since.’

Freya gasped. ‘So she still hasn’t seen the baby?’

Ben suddenly looked desperately sad. ‘No.’

Freya was so shocked it took her a few moments to find her voice. ‘But … that must have been devastating for her. When is she going to see her?’

‘I’m not entirely sure. Bella’s insistent she won’t let her visit but she won’t let me take Elodie to see her alone either. Don’t think she trusts me to look after her by myself!’ He tried to laugh again but it seemed to dry in his throat.

After another stunned silence, as she tried to digest his words, Freya shook her head and spoke: ‘Well, you obviously can’t carry on like this. Why doesn’t Jo just apologize?’

Ben shrugged. ‘She’s tried. She’s phoned, sent a card, sent a text, but I think Bella was so hurt that she refuses to accept it.’

Freya frowned. ‘Poor Jo.’

‘Poor Bella, you mean?’

‘No, actually, I don’t.’ Freya paused. ‘It’s really unlike Jo to have said something like that. What was the reason?’

Ben shrugged. ‘She doesn’t seem to need a reason. She’s never liked Bella.’

Freya shook her head fiercely. ‘No! That’s not true, Ben. Your mum is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and she’s never said anything to suggest that she doesn’t like Bella. Something must have caused her to snap like that. Was she under a lot of stress at the time?’

Ben pursed his lips, as if he was considering whether to say what he was about to say. ‘I suppose so. Emma had had a car crash and …’

‘Oh my God!’ Freya interrupted him, clamping her hand over her mouth. ‘Is she OK?’

‘Yeah, she’s fine.’ Ben batted her concern away with a wave of his hand. ‘Bit of a bump on her head and she was pretty shaken up.’

‘Well then!’ Freya cried. ‘Of course that’s the reason. It’s so out of character for Jo. Surely Bella can understand that? Especially now she’s got a little girl of her own! She must understand how upsetting it is for your child to be injured, however old they are …?’

‘I don’t know.’ Ben sounded weary. ‘She doesn’t seem to be in the mood for reconciliation anyway, so there’s not much I can do, is there?’

‘Oh come on, Ben! Are you honestly going to let one little comment come between you and your lovely mum? I just don’t understand it – you’ve always been so close.’ Freya could feel the tears threatening on Jo’s behalf. She just knew how devastated Jo would be feeling, especially to have been kept away from her first grandchild. It seemed so cruel.

‘Oh God, I know, it’s just that I feel a bit torn. Obviously, my loyalty has to be with Bella and Elodie right now.’

Freya tried not to let her irritation show. ‘Of course it does. But you shouldn’t be put in a position where you have to choose between your mum and your wife. There’s room for both of them, surely?’

Ben exhaled loudly. ‘To be honest, it’s not worth the grief I’ll get.’

Freya could feel her eyes narrowing, despite trying to keep her expression neutral. ‘That’s why you’ve cut us off, too, isn’t it? Because Bella doesn’t like us?’

‘No!’ The defiance flashed back into Ben’s eyes.

Freya shook her head sadly. ‘I should have known, after the last time we came round and she didn’t turn up.’

‘There was a very good reason for that and it had nothing to do with you coming round.’

‘Really?’ Freya couldn’t hide her scepticism.

‘Yes!’ Ben shot back crossly.

‘OK, if you say so.’

There was a long, awkward pause. Around them, the café was filling up with lunchtime customers and the sound of clattering plates ricocheted from wall to wall with a jarring, discordant beat.

‘Look, Ben,’ Freya began, wondering how far she could push it. ‘All I’m saying is, it seems a real shame that you’ve suddenly stopped seeing your family and friends, when we were always so close. It was never like this when you were with Charlotte …’ She paused, knowing she was stepping onto dangerous territory.

‘Oh yeah, and look what all those years of being with Charlotte did for me!’ Ben snapped. ‘She dumped me, remember!’

‘I know. Believe me, she regrets that now.’

Ben bit his lip, and looked out of the window onto the pavement beyond, where dozens of pedestrians danced balletically around one another, hurrying on their way. ‘Does she?’

‘Yes, of course she does. Her dad dying affected her really badly and she just had a bit of a panic. By the time she realized what she’d done, it was too late.’

‘How is she?’ Ben continued to stare out of the window as he spoke, trying to feign indifference.

‘She’s OK.’

‘Is she … is she still single?’

Freya smiled. ‘Yes. Believe it or not, you’re quite a hard act to follow, Ben Gordon.’

Ben gave a hollow laugh. ‘I thought she would end up with that guy, Luke, the one she worked with. She certainly talked about him a lot, just before we broke up.’

Freya shook her head. ‘No, they were just friends. Still are. He’s with someone else.’

Ben nodded and looked back at Freya. ‘It doesn’t matter now anyway.’

‘No,’ Freya agreed. ‘And she’s happy for you that you’ve moved on and that you and Bella have had a baby. She knows how much you wanted kids.’

‘Yeah, I think that was part of the problem. I did, she didn’t.’

‘It’s not quite that simple. It wasn’t that she didn’t want kids, I think she just wanted to be absolutely sure that you were the right one to have them with.’

‘Yeah, I get that. Oh well, it obviously wasn’t meant to be or it wouldn’t have gone wrong, would it?’ He stood up. ‘Anyway, I really need to be getting back to work.’

Freya stood up too and they walked out of the café together. ‘It’s lovely to see you, Ben, I’ve missed you.’

Ben reached down to hug her. ‘You too.’

‘And I know things are busy but will you give Matt a call when you get a chance?’

Ben nodded. ‘Sure. ’Bye, Freya.’

‘’Bye,’ she called after him, realizing as he was swallowed up by the crowd that she should have asked for his new number. As she watched him go, already on his phone, presumably to explain his whereabouts to a furious Bella, she had a horrible feeling she wouldn’t be seeing him again for a very long time.

Chapter Nine

‘So, what were you doing today that was so important you ignored my calls?’ Bella’s dark eyes blazed with a barely concealed fury.

‘I didn’t ignore your calls.’ Ben tried to eat his risotto but his mouth felt dry and it tasted a lot like cardboard. The atmosphere since he had walked through the door an hour ago had become increasingly icy. He knew if he told Bella the truth about his whereabouts when she was trying to get hold of him at lunchtime, it would only make things worse. ‘I was at work, Bella. I can’t just drop everything and take a personal call every time my phone rings. It’s unprofessional and it will get me into trouble. We can’t afford for me to lose this job.’

Bella threw down her own fork with a clatter that made them both jump. ‘But what if it’s urgent? What if it’s something to do with Elodie?’

‘Well, then of course I will drop everything and come running. But it wasn’t about Elodie, was it?’

Bella’s bottom lip started to tremble and Ben could feel himself physically having to squash down the impatience that was rising in his chest. Every time he even slightly challenged her, she either threw a tantrum or cried. It was becoming increasingly wearing.

But, he reminded himself sternly, she was a new mother and her emotions and hormones were running amok. He had to be patient with her. ‘Come on, sweetheart. Don’t get upset. You are doing a fantastic job with our gorgeous baby. I’m so proud of you.’

Bella gave him a watery smile and wiped her eyes. ‘Thank you. I’m sorry for calling so often, it’s just that I get so bloody lonely sometimes. It’s really, really hard.’

Ben reached out and took her hand in his. ‘Of course it is. I completely understand, darling. But … You don’t have to be lonely.’

Bella took her hand away and sat up a bit straighter, as if anticipating what he was about to say.

‘I’m sure Mum is desperate to see Elodie and she’d be so happy to help out. To give you a bit of a break.’

Bella pursed her lips and looked away.

Ben took a deep breath. ‘Why don’t we invite her round? Come on, Bella, otherwise it’s a bit like cutting off your nose to spite your face.’

Ben tried to read her expression. The fact that she hadn’t immediately jumped down his throat gave him a tiny scintilla of hope.

‘Maybe,’ she began, blinking slowly. ‘But you have to be here, too. I don’t want to see her on my own, just in case …’ She left her words hanging in the air.

Ben nodded furiously, not caring what Bella was insinuating. ‘Of course I’ll be here. How about this weekend? Shall I ask them to come here then?’

‘Them? Invite your dad, too?’

Ben frowned. ‘Well, yes. I’m sure he’s as desperate to meet his first grandchild as Mum is.’

Bella looked away again, her expression unreadable. Finally, she shrugged nonchalantly. ‘I suppose so.’

Ben felt giddy with elation. It hadn’t struck him until now how much the strain of being estranged from his family was affecting him. He missed them desperately and seeing Freya had reminded him that they weren’t monsters and that his mum had been under huge stress the day she snapped at Bella. And a tiny part of him also felt that maybe his mum had had a point. Bella had behaved like a spoilt child at Christmas with her strange behaviour.

He finished his dinner, trying to eat as slowly as possible so as not to look too eager to get to his phone. ‘Why don’t you go and have a relaxing bath while I clear up?’ he suggested, not wanting her to overhear his conversation. ‘I’ll listen out for Elodie.’

She hesitated, before nodding. ‘OK, that would be nice. Thanks.’

Ben busied himself tidying up until he heard her turning off the taps and climbing into the bath.

‘Mum, it’s me,’ he said, as soon as Jo answered.

‘Oh, Ben!’ Ben could hear the tears in Jo’s voice. There was a long pause before she spoke again, having composed herself slightly. ‘Sweetheart, it is so lovely to hear from you. How are you, my darling?’

Ben suddenly thought he might cry. He took a second to compose himself before he spoke. ‘Good, Mum. I’m really good.’

‘And Elodie? How is she?’ There was a nervousness in Jo’s voice that made Ben feel instantly ashamed. This was Jo’s first grandchild and she was clearly scared to even ask about her.

‘Well, that’s why I’m calling, actually. We wondered if you and Dad would like to come and visit this weekend? Say, Saturday.’

There was a short pause before Jo answered. ‘We’d love to, of course we would. But is it OK with Bella? I don’t want to upset her.’

‘Of course! She’d love to see you too.’ Ben almost choked on the lie but there was no other answer he could give.

‘Oh, well, in that case we’d be delighted to come. Thank you. What sort of time?’

Ben tried to remember the details of the routine Bella had got Elodie into but he couldn’t recall the exact times. ‘Um, about midday? We’ll do lunch.’

‘Oh how lovely!’ Jo sounded thrilled, causing Ben to feel even more guilty. ‘We’ll see you then.’

Ben hung up, wishing he had suggested it to Bella much sooner. His parents were good people and it wasn’t fair to have punished them for a slip of the tongue when they were very stressed.

‘Midday?’ Bella’s voice cut through Ben’s thoughts and he spun around to find her watching him with a deep frown creasing her smooth forehead.

‘Yes. What’s wrong with that?’ Ben’s heart immediately sank again. He should have known it wouldn’t be straightforward.

Bella rolled her eyes theatrically. ‘Oh, nothing, except that Elodie will be asleep. I thought they were coming to see her?’

Ben sighed. ‘They are coming to see her. Surely it won’t do any harm to keep her up a little bit longer for once?’

‘Oh for God’s sake, Ben!’ Bella spat. ‘That’s typical of you. You aren’t the one who’s worked your backside off to get her into her routine. I’m not wrecking all my hard work just to suit you.’

‘Fine!’ Ben snapped. ‘Then we’ll have lunch first and they can see her when she wakes up.’

Bella tipped her head to one side and put her hands on her hips. ‘Well, you needn’t think I’m cooking lunch. I’ve got enough to do, thank you very much, without having to entertain your parents.’

Ben could feel his temper starting to rise. She was so bloody unreasonable sometimes. And having broken the deadlock with his parents, he was suddenly desperate to see them. He couldn’t let her ruin it. ‘I’ll do the cooking,’ he cajoled, his jaw tight with tension. ‘You can sit and chat to them.’

‘Oh yes, that’s a good idea, because we get on so well.’ Bella gave a haughty toss of her head.

Ben walked over to her and pulled her into an embrace. Her body was stiff and unyielding. ‘Please, Bella, don’t turn this into a feud. They’re my parents and they’re Elodie’s grandparents. I don’t want them to become strangers.’

He felt Bella soften slightly as he spoke and she lifted her face to look at him, reminding him just how truly beautiful she was. ‘I’m sorry, Ben. I just … feel that your mum doesn’t like me and it’s really hurtful.’

‘She does like you.’ Ben tried to quell the urge to tell her that her own behaviour had been far more hurtful towards his mum, especially keeping her away from her first grandchild. ‘So don’t go looking for insults and slights. Just be yourself and they will love you as much as I do.’

Bella smiled, immediately lighting up her delicate, heart-shaped face. ‘I love you, too. I’m just so tired all the time. How about we get an early night?’

Ben grinned, all irritation instantly forgotten and feeling a surge of love for his gorgeous wife. ‘There was a time when that would have meant something else entirely. And do you know what? Even though I know you’re only talking about going to sleep, I can’t think of anything I’d love more.’

‘Who says I’m only talking about going to sleep?’ Bella gave him a seductive look over her shoulder as she took his hand and pulled him towards the bedroom.

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