Page 47

FORTY-SIX

Are you serious?”

Ash looks at her mother in horror.

“Ash,” says Nina in a tone of voice that suggests she has reached the end of her tether over this exchange within thirty seconds of it beginning.

“He is all alone. He’s already spent Christmas Day alone.

We’ve all had the most wonderful time together, and now I want to share Boxing Day with someone who is important to me, and someone who has nobody else to share it with. ”

“But—” Ash stops herself speaking as she catches the look on her mother’s face. “Fine. Whatever.”

And then, there he is, an hour later, all primped and groomed, wearing a red sweater, clutching his leather holdall, an expensive-looking scarf wrapped around his neck.

He smiles almost sheepishly as he makes his way into the kitchen, where Ash sits with Arlo.

“Hello again,” he says, leaning in to embrace Ash gently, wafting his expensive aftershave all over her, then shaking hands with Arlo and giving him a fist bump.

Nina is behind him, smiling the way she smiles when he’s around, glowing the way she glows.

“How was Christmas?” he asks them both.

They tell him it was great and then Ash says, “Oh, thank you for the beautiful soaps, by the way. They’re stunning. Where did you get them from?”

“Oh!” He smiles happily. “I’m glad you liked them. Wasn’t sure if soap was a bit of an old-lady gift for a young woman like you. But I got them from a tiny shop in Mayfair, near the bar.”

“Oh,” she says. “Right. That makes sense. Do you buy a lot of stuff from there?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say a lot, no. But I have bought gifts from there before.”

“Right. Because it’s the same as the box that you sent the Zippo in.”

He looks confused for a moment, but then simply nods and says, “Possibly. Yes.”

And there it is, yet again, another conversation that for Ash is loaded with sinister meaning, but which is closed down with a tiny hydraulic puff of a response from Nick.

“I was thinking of coming to your bar in the New Year,” she says breezily. “I can’t believe you haven’t invited us yet!”

“Hmm,” he says. “Yes. There’s a reason why I haven’t invited you.

It’s a bit…” He turns his eyes to Nina, and Ash sees a wave of uncertainty pass across her face—this is clearly news to her too.

“Listen,” he says, “there’s been a bit of a situation at the wine bar.

I haven’t been able to talk about it because it’s kind of a legal thing.

But as of a week ago, I’m not actually a co-owner there anymore.

So, yes, that’s why I’ve not invited you all there.

And that’s why I’m scouting about, looking for new ventures, new things. Like Bangate Cove.”

There’s a tiny beat of uncomfortable silence when Nick finishes speaking. It’s the first time one of Nick’s explanations has left a bubble of space in which doubt might grow.

Dead fiancées, abortive careers, name changes, wedding rings, pacifier clips, these were all things that could be thrown into the ether and batted away with not even a ripple.

But this—this is bigger. He has fallen out with the people he worked with.

He lied about why he had Christmas off. He kept something from Nina that he should have told her.

And now that it sits stacked on top of all the other, smaller, more easily explained-away omissions, it looks extra big and ungainly.

Ash exchanges glances with her mother and then with Arlo before Nina bounces into the breach with, “Oh, so you’re still thinking about Bangate?”

“More than thinking about it,” Nick says smilingly. “I’ve made an offer!”

“What, seriously?” asks Nina, her hand clasped to her collarbone.

“Yes! A couple of days ago. Still waiting to hear back, but yes, the wheels are in motion.”

“But I thought you thought I should buy it.”

“Yes. But I could tell you were nervous, and I totally understand that, and now that I’m freeing up the capital by selling my shares in the wine bar, well, it makes sense really, doesn’t it?

And I wasn’t going to say anything, but since the conversation came up…

” He smiles at Ash, and she looks for a hint of malice in that smile, but of course there is none.

“Well, I would still want it to be a Paddy’s .

If you’d allow it. I’d still want it to be your restaurant, your place. But I would like to bankroll it.”

There’s another brief silence. Then finally Nina says, “Oh. Oh my goodness. I mean, that’s…”

“You don’t have to say anything. You don’t even have to think anything. I’ve put in an offer. Let’s leave the rest of it to fate.”

He smiles, and God, it’s a good smile, Ash thinks.

It’s the sort of smile that should settle your soul, warm your heart, make you want to reach for his hand across the table and squeeze it sweetly.

It’s a beautiful smile. He’s a beautiful man.

But God, no, she wants to scream at the top of her lungs, God just please make him disappear.