Page 20 of The Good Girl

Chapter Nineteen

Maybe she was overreacting, letting her imagination run wild but it was hard not to.

The heart-to-heart with Julia in France had healed the stupid rift that had kept them at arm’s length.

It had been the moment Nancy had prayed for.

She had hoped that Julia would come to her senses while at the same time, wished that her fears about Shane might be unfounded; that her sister was in fact, happy.

Clearly wishes and prayers didn’t work and hopes were for suckers.

Nancy tried Julia’s number again, left another voice message but gave up on the girls, resolving to have a word with both of them about being responsible and keeping an eye out for their mum, especially once the divorce papers were served.

Nancy suspected Shane wouldn’t take it well and they’d have a fight on their hands, so Julia would need all the support she could get.

She was too worried to eat so made a cup of chamomile tea instead, hoping it might soothe her and as she dunked the bag in the water, her mind wandered back to that spring day in Antibes, when Julia unburdened herself and Nancy went to her rescue once again.

It was late, the patio windows slid open, the scent of salt and bougainvillaea drifted in from the garden, the leaves swaying lazily in the breeze.

Inside the villa’s kitchen, the only light came from under the cupboards and the soft glow of a citronella lantern on the table.

Nancy poured the last of the chilled wine into two glasses, a welcome antidote to the warmth of the evening.

‘You’re very quiet,’ she said, watching her sister over the rim of her glass. ‘That’s never a good sign. Are you worried about Dad? He’s going to be okay, you know, I’m sure of it.’

Julia gave a tired smile. ‘Just thinking.’

‘About what?’ Nancy slid into the seat opposite, the cool metal of the chair making her flinch.

Julia’s voice was low. ‘About Shane and the girls.’

Nancy frowned. ‘Do you want to share?’

Julia didn’t answer straight away. Instead, she took a slow sip of wine and stared through the open doors into the darkened garden. Crickets and night insects did their thing. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked once and fell silent.

‘I don’t love him anymore and I know for a fact he feels the same way,’ she said finally. ‘And I don’t know when that changed. Or if we were ever really in love.’

Nancy didn’t speak. She waited.

Julia twisted the stem of her wine glass between her fingers. ‘He’s seeing someone. I don’t know who, but I feel it. He’s careful, of course. Always has an excuse. A meeting. A phone call. But I know him, Nancy. I know the signs.’

‘You definitely think he’s having an affair? And it’s not the first?’

Julia nodded. ‘One of many. But it’s not just that. There’s something more. Something… off. It’s like he thinks he’s got some special power over the girls. As though he’s so perfect in their eyes that he can do no wrong and I’m the enemy.’

Nancy’s mouth went dry. ‘What do you mean?’

Julia looked away. ‘Dee dotes on him. He’s like her bloody teen idol and I keep thinking I’ll go into her room one day and there’ll be a life-size poster of the pillock on her bedroom wall.’

‘And what about Molly?’ Nancy said. ‘She couldn’t stand him at one time and I know she’s okay with him now, but surely she’s not as gullible as Dee?’

‘No, she’s definitely not. I think Molly knows what side her bread’s buttered so makes the most of having a willing chauffeur and someone who will top up her allowance when she runs out.

But it’s like he has a secret. One that’s nothing to do with…

you know.’ Julia whispered, her eyes darting towards the door, checking they weren’t overheard.

Their secret, the thing only they knew about, that was never ever spoken out loud.

The silence stretched. Nancy set down her glass and leaned in. ‘You have to find out what he’s up to and who this woman is. Then we’ll have something solid on him.’

Julia shook her head. ‘I can’t confront him because he’ll just threaten me with…’

Nancy nodded, understanding exactly what Julia meant.

‘He’s clever, in a sly, slimy way. Always one step ahead.

But I’ve started gathering things. Financials.

Emails. Copying everything to a private folder.

And I followed him once and saw him going into a flat over a pub.

I have a photo, too. There are rumours at work about him.

I overheard a whispered conversation in the toilets but I haven’t had the guts to confront anyone, not yet. ’

‘Have you told anyone else?’

‘Only you. And… my online therapist. I had to talk to someone, Nancy, but of course I haven’t told her all of it, just how he makes me feel really.’

‘Oh, love, I didn’t know but if it helps, the therapy, that’s a good thing not a negative.

’ Nancy reached across the table and took her sister’s hand, relishing the touch of skin that felt familiar.

‘And now you’ve got me. You know I’ll do whatever you need.

Let me help. Put my training and experience to good use. ’

Julia squeezed Nancy’s fingers. ‘You don’t know how much I wanted you to say that and I wish I’d told you before now. I can’t tell you how many times I picked up the phone to talk to you then chickened out because I felt so…’

‘Ashamed, stupid, cornered, diminished… I could go on.’ Nancy could feel tears pricking her eyes; the ones in her sisters had already started to fall.

‘Yes, all of those and more,’ Julia replied.

‘Well don’t. Don’t you dare let him make you feel that way because you are none of those things, okay?

I cannot tell you how many women I’ve acted for were made to feel just like that and it trapped them in a world of misery and I will not let that happen to you.

Not for one day, one hour or minute longer.

We’ll do this together and we will win.’

Julia nodded and managed a smile as she swiped away her tears then said, ‘There is something, though, that’s more important than Shane and money and the company. If anything happens to me, if something goes wrong, I want you to tell Molly. Everything. About the truth. About her.’

‘Julia, don’t talk like that.’

‘Just promise me. If I can’t… you will. She deserves to know and I’d rather she heard it from you…’ Julia began to sob in earnest then, the sound of it broke Nancy’s heart and brought back scenes from the past she’d tried to erase.

Pushing them deep into the back of her mind once again, Nancy sucked in air and nodded, a sick feeling swirling in her stomach. ‘I promise.’

They sat like that for a long time, hands clasped, the wine forgotten. Outside, the breeze picked up. The garden rustled like it was listening to a private conversation, one that bound two sisters in a pledge that had never been broken. And never would be.