Page 141 of Deep Blue Sea

She felt on sudden red alert.

‘Is there a problem?’

‘Not really. He thinks they have found Ross McKiney’s assailants. They made an arrest about half an hour ago. Three men with a history of robbery and violent assault.’

She had heard that Yohan had ears around the island, and his connections were now obvious.

‘That’s good news, isn’t it?’

‘Perhaps,’ he said cautiously. ‘Do you want me still to keep an ear open on things around here?’

‘If you think it’s necessary.’ For a moment she had the uncharitable thought that Yohan was trying to extract more money out of her. She’d paid him well for his assignment looking after her sister and Liam, but Rachel herself had described Jamaica as a dead end. ‘Yes, go ahead.’

Across the dance floor she could see that Adam had asked Rachel to do-si-do. It was difficult to watch them, but she knew she wasn’t the only one. Liam had been left on the sidelines and she could see his eyes following Rachel across the room. Diana picked up two glasses of cider from the table at the side and walked over to him.

‘So, how are you enjoying the fair?’ she asked, handing him a drink.

‘It’s been fun,’ he said, then grimaced at the glass in his hand. ‘Mind you, you could strip doors with this.’

‘A bit of hard liquor is sometimes not a bad thing,’ she said quietly. ‘So you’re going back to Thailand tomorrow?’

He nodded, his mouth turning down, and she saw him glance across at Rachel. Diana’s heart squeezed at that look. How she wished she had a man who looked at her like Liam had just looked at her sister.

‘You’re going to miss her, aren’t you?’

‘She’ll be back soon,’ he said, staring into his drink.

‘I’m sorry for dragging her away. You know, out of all of us, I think she wants to know what happened to Julian the most.’

‘She’s dogged all right. Look, I’m glad you got things sorted between you. It tore her up, the rift in the family. I can understand why you blamed her, but sometimes her ambition just gets the better of her.’

‘It wasn’t that.’

Liam looked puzzled.

‘Julian tried it on with her. That’s why she hated him, turned on him.’

Now it was Liam’s turn to look off-balance. Anger, concern and embarrassment flickered across his face.

‘She didn’t tell me that part.’

‘She wouldn’t. She was too loyal for that.’

She looked at him, feeling quite certain that Liam was the sort of discreet and decent man you could trust with your secrets. ‘I hated my husband too sometimes,’ she said softly. ‘Hated him but still loved him. I had the choice to leave years ago, but I stayed because I couldn’t go. That’s what love is, isn’t it? You love someone in spite of everything, not because of it.’

Liam nodded, looking over at Rachel again. ‘Maybe.’

‘You know, I was always jealous of Rachel.’ She said it with a small laugh, the alcohol making her careless.

‘She always said you were the one who had everything.’

‘Yes, I was the pretty one – our mum never stopped telling me that. But Rachel has something I never had: she’s happy with who she is. Always has been. Confident, too; this cast-iron belief that she could rule the world. Not that she’s that bothered if she makes it or not. She just wants to have fun trying.’

Liam smiled and looked over again at Rachel, who was skipping in a line with the vicar.

‘Tell me about this hotel she wants to buy in Thailand. At first I thought it was bluster for the benefit of my mother. But then I remembered what she’s like.’

‘Then you’ll know she’s not just after a hotel. It’s a full-blown resort she wants – Racheland,’ replied Liam.