Page 28

‘That’s exactly what she wants, Mrs Archer,’ Alex jumped in, capitalising on the moment. ‘Because it’s very obvious what the photo means.’

‘Youhave it, do you?’ Helen asked her.

‘No, but I’ve seen it. It’s pretty clear what’s going on.’

‘But Isabelle didn’t let you have it. So, I’m wondering what you’re doing here rather than simply going to her for it.’

Alex nodded. ‘Yes, well, if I could explain, I only just found out that Leigh, here, was on her way to ask for it and—’

‘You didn’t want her to win.’ Helen looked at both of them and sighed with disdain. Leigh felt like she was in front of the headmistress for tardiness. ‘Good god. Youpeople. I haven’t had to deal with your sort for a long time, and that’s been a blessing, I can tell you.’

Leigh was a little bit winded by the comment, but not so Alex. She smiled like she agreed. ‘Yeah, I get it. But you know the game. You know it better than anyone.’

‘You’d better believe it,’ Helen said.

Hugo swept in with a tea tray and placed it down. He started to pick up a teapot and Helen shot him a sharp look. ‘Hugo, what have I told you aboutsteeping?’

Hugo went a bit red-faced. ‘Sorry, Gran.’

Leigh looked at the boy anew.

Helen threw a look at Leigh. ‘Yes, he’s my grandson. Useless in the extreme, so I have him around to do things he can’t fuck up. Which does not include a decent cup of tea, apparently.’

Hugo was blushing to his very roots. Leigh was sympathetic to him, the poor soul. Access to wealthy surroundings probably didn’t mean much when you were regularly getting cut off at the knees. Leigh decided then that she didn’t like Helen Archer. It was fine to rake her and Alex over the coals, but embarrassing family in front of a stranger was bully business.

‘Anyway, I don’t know what either of you expects from me. I’m staying out of it,’ she declared.

‘Youdidn’t, though, did you?’ Leigh said.

‘I beg your pardon?’ Helen asked sharply.

‘You started the whole thing,’ Leigh continued, feeling ever more steamed. ‘You saw something, and without really knowing what it was, you took a photo of it and sent it to a friend, with your opinion attached, and it wrecked trust in a marriage and caused a divorce. So I’d say you’re very much in it.’

Helen was shocked. ‘How dare you!’

‘You’reoffendedby that?! You sabotaged my client’s life in quite a deep way. I’d say you were due a bit of a talking-to about it.’

Alex turned, genuinely horrified. ‘Leigh!’ she cried. ‘Don’t talk to Mrs Archer like that.’

Helen waved a dismissive hand at her. ‘I don’t need defending. I can speak for myself.’ She looked at Leigh. ‘I saw what I saw. I know what it was. I couldn’t ignore it.’

‘Well, the way Erin tells it, it wasnothing. It was someone she didn’t even know.’

‘How could it be nothing if it caused Isabelle to divorce her?’ Helen demanded.

‘Because you told her it wassomething,’ Leigh retorted. ‘And she trusted you.’

‘Leigh,stop,’ Alex said. ‘This is not why we’re here.’

‘I don’t know whyyou’rehere,’ she told Alex before rounding on Helen. ‘But I’ve decided I’m here to say that whatyoudid was destructive.’

Helen was enraged. ‘That’s it.’ She turned to Hugo. ‘Show her the photo, now.’

Hugo shrugged and went to a Rosewood bureau. He pulled a phone out of it and tapped it. Two beeps sounded, one from Leigh’s pocket, the other from Alex’s.

Leigh pulled out her phone to find an Airdrop notification, which she accepted. And there was the photo. Leigh didn’t quite know how she’d done this, but the high was astonishing. She’d beat Helen. And Alex. But only kind of because she was checking her phone and had the photo, too.

‘Why are they looking at their phones?’ Helen asked Hugo, alarmed.