Page 111 of The Love Letter

The doorbell was ringing when she emerged, dripping, wrapped in a towel. Peeping through the curtains, Joanna saw that the decomposed little toad was standing on her doorstep.

‘OhChrist!’ she cried, then switched the TV on, prepared to ignore him for as long as it took.

‘Joanna,’ he was shouting through the letter box. ‘It’s me, Marcus. I know you’re in. I saw you behind the curtains. Let me in! What have I done wrong?Joanna!’

‘Damn! Damn! Damn!’ Joanna growled as she put on her robe and stomped to the door. Marcus was going to wake up half the neighbourhood if she didn’t allow him entry. She saw his eyes peering through the letter box at her.

‘Hi. Let me in, Jo.’

‘Piss off!’

‘Charmed, I’m sure. Can you let me know exactly what I’m supposed to have done?’

‘If you don’t know, then I’m not bloody telling you. Just get out of my life and stay out, forever.’

‘Joanna, I love you.’ His voice broke. ‘If you don’t let me in to discuss whatever crime it is I’m meant to have committed, then I shall have to stay out here all night and . . .singmy love to you.’

‘Marcus, if you don’t get off my doorstep in the next five seconds, I’m calling the police. They’ll arrest you for harassment.’

‘Okay. I don’t mind. Of course, we’ll probably make the front page of tomorrow’s newspaper, with my new-found status as brother of Prince Arthur’s new love, but I’m sure that won’t worry you . . . I . . .’

Marcus almost toppled through the front door as Joanna opened it.

‘Okay. You win.’ She was quivering with anger. Marcus went to touch her. She flinched and backed away. ‘Don’t come near me. I mean it.’

‘Okay, okay. Tell me then, what is it I’ve done?’

Joanna crossed her arms. ‘I have to say, I thought it was odd that you were so caring, so overblown in your affections. I mean, I’d already been told what a rotten, stinking rat you were. And silly me, I decided to take you at face value, thought that maybe you felt differently about me to the rest of the female population of London.’

‘I do, really, Jo. I—’

‘Shut up, Marcus. I’m talking. Then, I discover that your feelings for me didn’t even come into it. It was your wallet that was enjoying my company.’

‘I . . .’

‘I was told a couple of days ago that you were being paid to woo me and bed me.’ Joanna saw the hectic red blush rise up into his cheeks. And had an urge to slap him very hard.

‘No, Joanna, whoever said that has got it totally wrong. I mean, I was given some money, but not to get information fromyou. It was to try to find the missing letter. I swear I didn’t know anything about Rose when you told me, or on the first night we went to bed. It happened a couple of days later. I thought of telling you that I’d been approached to help, but I thought you’d get frightened off. And now you don’t believe me, and—’

‘Wouldyoubelieve you?!’

‘No, of course I wouldn’t. But . . .’ Marcus looked as if he was about to burst into tears. ‘Please, you have to believe that I’ve never felt like this before, never. It had nothing to do with money, apart from the fact I thought that if we pooled our resources and our knowledge, we might find the answers, and . . . I . . . dammit!’ Marcus raked his fingers roughly over his eyelids.

Joanna was genuinely surprised by his reaction. She’d expected him to tough it out, deny it, or callously confirm it when he knew he’d lost. Instead, she seemed to be witnessing genuine confusion and grief. But after Matthew, Simon and now Marcus, she’d had enough of being betrayed.

‘You took that money, Marcus, and kept it a secret from me. I should have believed everyone who told me how selfish you are. And your sister? I bet you were the one who told theMailabout her and the Prince, weren’t you? You knew everyone would blame me, but all you cared about was making some fast cash!’

‘No!’ Marcus said vehemently. ‘I would never sell out Zoe like that!’

‘But you soldmeout! So, how could I ever believe you?’ She was breathless with anger now.

‘I don’t know what to say to make you believe me!’

‘There’s nothing left to say. Your five minutes are up. I want you to leave.’

‘I just wanted to protect you . . . I know that doesn’t make much sense, but . . . can you give me one last chance?’ he begged her.

‘Absolutely not. Even if you’re telling the truth now, you still lied to me. For money. You’re a coward, Marcus.’