‘Bugger,’ pouted Ella, because if Thea could swear, so could she. ‘Twenty-one’s ancient.

I’ll be too old to ride a horse by then.’

‘Don’t worry.’ Maxine, fastening her into her emerald-green coat, winked at Janey. ‘You’ll be able to treat yourself to a solid gold Zimmer frame.’

‘Dad didn’t get any money.’ Josh looked thoughtful. ‘Does that mean we’re richer than he is now?’

Guy, darkly handsome and decidedly impatient, was already waiting at the front door to take them home. Janey, pretending she hadn’t noticed him there, bent down and gave Josh a hug.

‘Probably. Just think, you may have to start giving him pocket money in future.’

‘But only if he makes his bed and washes the car.’ Josh beamed at her, highly diverted by the prospect. Then, sounding startled, he said, ‘Oh!’

His gaze had dropped. He was no longer looking at her face.

Janey, smiling, said, ‘What?’

‘Um ... nothing.’ Josh’s long-lashed blue eyes clouded with confusion as natural good manners vied with surprise. Tentatively, he reached out and touched the sleeve of her ivory silk shirt. ‘You’re wearing Mummy’s bracelet, that’s all.’

‘Janey!’ wailed Ella, barging past and almost knocking him down. ‘Maxine won’t tell me.

What’s a Zimmer frame?’

Chapter 53

It was ten o’clock in the evening by the time Janey let herself into the flat. Alan, for once not out at the surf club, had fallen asleep in front of the television with the gas fire blazing and both living-room windows wide open. Three empty lager cans and the remains of an Indian takeaway littered the coffee table upon which his feet were propped.

In the dim light, his enviable cheekbones seemed more pronounced and the corners of his mouth appeared to curve upwards as if in secret amusement. His blond hair gleamed and his eyelashes, not blond but dark, cast twin shadows upon his cheeks. Watching him sleep, Janey wondered how anyone could look so beautiful – almost angelic – and still snore like a pig.

He woke with a start when she switched off the television.

‘Oh. You’re back.’ Rubbing his eyes, he pushed himself into a sitting position. As Janey bent to pick up the empty cans, he added, ‘Leave that, I’ll do it in a minute. So how did it go this afternoon?’

‘Like a funeral.’ Since Alan’s idea of ‘in a minute’ was more like next weekend, she continued piling the empty curry and rice containers on to his dirty plate. In the kitchen the sink was crammed with more unwashed plates and coffee mugs, and the sugar bowl had been tipped over, spilling its contents on to the floor. Sugar crunched beneath her feet as she chucked the lager cans one by one into the bin.

‘Don’t worry, I’ll clear it up,’ Alan called from the living room. ‘How’s Thea, OK now?’

‘Oh, absolutely fine.’ Janey wondered if he had any idea what a stupid question that was.

‘She’s almost forgotten what he even looked like.’

Alan appeared in the doorway, looking shamefaced. ‘Hey, no need to snap. You know what I meant.’

‘She’ll get through it,’ said Janey briefly.

‘Come on, sit down and relax. You look exhausted.’ He took her hand and the bracelet –

Véronique’s bracelet, thought Janey – brushed against his wrist. When Alan had remarked upon it last week she’d simply told him that it had been a birthday present and he had assumed she’d had it for years.

‘So what’s the news?’ he asked, when Janey had shrugged off her coat. ‘You said the solicitor was coming down to read the will; that’s unusual nowadays isn’t it? Did Thea get anything?’

She looked at him. ‘Any what?’

‘Sweetheart, you aren’t even listening to me!’ Smiling and shaking his head in gentle reproach, Alan opened another can of lager. ‘I asked you if he left Thea anything in the will.

After all, from what you told me he seemed pretty smitten. The least he could do was show his appreciation with a nice little legacy.’

‘He did,’ said Janey tonelessly.

‘Well, how much?’

‘About one and a half.’

‘Thousand?’ Alan. looked faintly disappointed. ‘That’s not much. I thought he was supposed to be loaded.’

‘One and a half million,’ said Janey.

After the endless, churning turmoil of the past weeks, finally making the decision was easy.

Having listened to Alan for over an hour now, Janey knew it couldn’t go on any longer. Whilst he had been crowing over her mother’s inheritance and excitedly planning how they should spend the money Thea was bound to hand out to Maxine and herself, she had reached the point of no return. His shameless assumptions both appalled and sickened her. His greed revolted her.

The realization that she was about to do what she had told Guy Cassidy she could never risk doing, left her feeling ... well, Janey wasn’t quite sure how she felt; presumably that would come later. Right now, all she had to do was say the words.

‘... and we could do with a decent car,’ he went on, waving dismissively in the direction of the window overlooking the high street. ‘The van’s OK for carting flowers around but it’s hardly what you’d call stylish. How about a soft-top for next summer, sweetheart? Something with a bit of go in it?’

‘Look.’ Janey, unable to contain herself any longer, said evenly, ‘Oliver Cassidy left that money to my mother. Not to me, and not to you. I don’t know how you can even think you have any right to a share in it.’

‘Janey, all I’m saying is that Thea is bound to want you to share her good fortune!’ Alan looked hurt. ‘You need a holiday, you need a decent car; I’m just trying to advise you.’ He paused, then broke into a grin. ‘And of course you’ll want to take somebody to Barbados with you, to rub all that Ambre Solaire on to those gorgeous shoulders of yours ...’

Her heart began to race. ‘Alan, I don’t want my mother to give me any money and I’m not planning any holidays. But if someone came up to me in the street tomorrow and handed me two free tickets to Barbados, I wouldn’t take you anyway. I’d take Maxine.’

‘You’re upset.’ He nodded understandingly. ‘This funeral’s taken it out of you. Come on, you should be in bed.’

‘I’m not upset.’ Janey was starting to shake. ‘I just don’t want this to go on any longer. It isn’t working, Alan. You said we needed time to get used to each other again. Well, I’ve had enough time to know that it isn’t going to happen.’

He stared at her. As stunned, she realized, as if he had found her walking stark naked down the high street.

‘Sweetheart,’ he protested finally, ‘what are you talking about?’

‘Us.’ The time had come to be brutal. She mustn’t allow him to wheedle his way around her. ‘This marriage. I don’t want to carry on. I don’t want to be married to you any more. You told me I’d changed, and I have. I’m sorry, Alan, but that’s it. You’re going to have to find somewhere else to stay.’

And somebody else to support you, she thought wearily. Guy had been right; Alan was a user and a taker. She just hoped he had been right about the other matter, too...

‘I can’t believe I’m hearing this.’ Alan was very still, his eyes narrowed, his voice scarily low.

I can’t believe I’m saying it, Janey thought, biting her lip and wishing he wouldn’t stare at her like that. But she had to stick to her guns.

‘I mean it.’

‘Good God, woman! I came back here because I couldn’t live without you! You welcomed me back with open arms ... how can you change your mind just like that? What have I done that’s so terrible?’

‘Nothing’ Janey fought to stay calm. ‘You haven’t done anything terrible. I don’t love you any more, that’s all.’

But he was shaking his head. ‘No. no. It doesn’t work like that. I want the real reason.’

‘OK, fine.’ She held up her hand and began counting the real reasons off on her fingers.

‘You haven’t bothered to look for a job. You expect me to pay for everything. You endlessly take me for granted. You want my mother to give me money so you can spend it. And,’ she concluded heavily, ‘you forgot my birthday.’

He blinked. ‘Any more?’

‘Yes,’ snapped Janey, for the hell of it. ‘You snore.’

‘I see.’ Alan’s smile was bleak. ‘Oh yes, I definitely see. Your mother’s the one behind all this, isn’t she? That old bitch put you up to it. What did she do, threaten to cut you off without a penny if you didn’t dump me?’

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ Enraged by his nastiness, yet at the same time almost welcoming it because it was so much easier to deal with than threats of suicide, Janey rounded on him. Her brown eyes blazed. ‘You’re the one who was so intent on getting your hands on that money! And no, Mum hasn’t so much as mentioned your name, so don’t even think she has anything to do with this. My mother has more important things on her mind than you, just at the minute.’ She paused, then added icily, ‘This is my decision. All my own work. And since I’ve already made up my mind, there’s no point in even trying to argue. As far as I’m concerned, the sooner you leave, the better.’

Alan’s shoulders slumped. The anger in his eyes faded, to be replaced by resignation. ‘So that’s it,’ he murmured with infinite sadness. ‘It’s all over.’

Janey, scarcely daring to breathe, nodded.

‘Oh well, it was always on the cards, I suppose. Stupid of me.’ He shook his head. ‘I geared myself up to this before coming back, and now I have to get used to the idea all over again.

Somehow it’s even harder, this time...’

Guy had been right, Janey reminded herself, gritting her teeth. It was emotional blackmail, pure and simple. Alan wouldn’t really do anything drastic.

.. like thinking you’re going to the electric chair, being reprieved, then being told that it was just a joke, you’re going to get it after all.’