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He took off his red cravat and selected a similar one from the drawer.

‘It’s the same as the other one,’ said a voice from behind him.

‘Oh, I know it looks the same but I like the feel of this one better.’ He’d almost forgotten about the other thing that could fuck everything up for him. His wife.

‘Don’t worry about it, darling,’ she said. ‘You wear what makes you comfortable.’

‘You know I always do.’ He hadn’t meant to sound sarcastic, but the undertone told her that he didn’t need her input. And he didn’t like it when she called himdarling.

‘Do you want me to come with you to that gallery opening this evening? I can be ready in no time.’

Dear God in heaven, fuck no, he swore silently in his head. That was all he needed. ‘I thought you had your book club this evening?’

‘I can cancel. The ladies won’t mind.’

But I do, he thought. ‘It’s okay. I’ll manage just fine. My advisers will make sure I don’t put a foot wrong.’

‘Or a word wrong,’ she said.

He caught her image behind him in the mirror. She had that look, that half-smile that wasn’t a smile at all. He could never getto the bottom of what really made her who she was, because he sure as hell was failing in making her who he wanted her to be.

After the next general election, as soon as he was elected to government, he’d set the divorce in motion. She was a liability. And those with liabilities did not get to sit at cabinet.

40

Lottie lay on the bed beside Boyd. It had been a tiring, odd sort of day. It was too early for bed. She couldn’t sleep. Not when her mind was working overtime.

‘Want to talk?’ She focused on the ceiling, fully aware that he was annoyed. She dreaded the conversation they needed to have.

‘You have to leave this to the locals,’ he said. ‘It’s getting messy.’

‘You mean messy in that Bryan might be involved?’

Boyd leaned up on his elbow. ‘He’s not involved in any murders, even though Mooney brought him in earlier for a statement. But his past might have something to do with what’s going on.’

She felt his eyes on her, but she continued to stare at the ceiling. ‘He brought me out to the old ruin. The place where he lived as a boy. He had a family. A brother. A sister. He said she was put into the laundry. Can you believe the cruelty of that?’

‘Oh God, that sounds horrific. Poor girl.’

Now she turned to him. ‘What’s more awful is that I don’t think he even remembers her name. He never searched for her. He doesn’t know if she’s dead or alive. Just like his girlfriend,Mary Elizabeth. How can someone be so damaged by their past that they bury it for decades?’

‘Pot and kettle come to mind.’

She caught the grin in his words. ‘I searched for my brother. All my life. And I found him.’

‘I apologise.’

She plumped up the pillows and sat up. ‘Are you sure you want your sister marrying someone that cold, that heartless?’

He turned quickly and sat up too. ‘That’s an awful character assassination you’ve just made. I thought you were on his side. Lottie, you know nothing about the man. You only met him a few days ago.’

‘I know, but?—’

‘No buts. Don’t ruin this for Grace.’

‘I’m not going to ruin anything.’ Was she, though? ‘But I do think we should dig into your prospective brother-in-law a bit deeper. Mooney mentioned something, but didn’t expand on it. I wonder?—’

‘Leave it. Stop.’ He blew out his cheeks and she could feel the cold exasperation on his breath. ‘He’s a hard-working man, and he makes Grace happy. Allow him to continue to do so.’