Page 98 of The Love Letter

‘There’s every chance I am, yes.’

Joanna blushed, not from guilt, but from indignation. ‘God, Simon! How could you even suggest it? Who the hell do you think I am?’

‘An ambitious journalist, who saw the opportunity for the scoop of the year dangled before her.’

‘How dare you! Zoe’s my friend. Besides, you’re presuming she’s told me.’

‘Zoe said she had spoken about it to you. I’ve been with her almost twenty-four hours a day and I just can’t see how anyone else could have found out. Perhaps you didn’t mean to, but in the end you just couldn’t resist and—’

‘Don’t you dare patronise me, Simon! I’m extremely fond of Zoe. Okay, I admit I thought about it—’

‘See!’

‘But of course I could never betray a friend!’ she shot back.

‘It’syourpaper, Jo! Zoe asked me whether she should trust you and I gave your discretion top marks! I wish to God I hadn’t now.’

‘Simon,please, I swear I didn’t leak the story.’

‘That poor woman. She’s got a son she’s trying to protect, who’s now going to be hounded. She’s going to be in bits and—’

‘Jesus, Simon.’ Joanna shook her head in astonishment and hurt. ‘Are you in love with her or what? You’re just her bodyguard. It’s the Prince’s job to comfort her, not yours.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous! And you’re one to talk. Hanging around with that prick Marcus, just to get more information about that love letter, thinking you’re some kind of vigilante modern-day Sherlock Holmes—’

‘Enough, Simon! As a matter of fact, I really like Marcus. In fact, I might even be in love with him, not that it’s any of your business who I spend my time with and—’

‘How could you have deceived her so cold-heartedly?’

‘I bloody didn’t, Simon! And if you don’t know me well enough to realise I could never betray my friend like that, then I wonder what allouryears of friendship have been about. And you’re not so lily-white! You lied to me about the letter I trusted you with. “Disintegrated”, you said. I bloody well know you used me to retrieve it for your lot at MI5!’

Simon stood there, speechless.

‘You did, didn’t you?’ she continued, knowing she’d hit home.

‘I’m leaving.’ Shaking with fury, he picked up his holdall and walked to the door, then paused and turned back. ‘And I suppose it’s my duty to warn you that Marcus Harrison is being paid by “my lot” to sleep with you. Ask Ian Simpson. Let yourself out, Joanna.’ The door slammed behind him.

Joanna stood there in stunned silence. She could hardly believe what had happened in the past few minutes. In all the years they’d known each other, she could barely remember a cross word being exchanged between them. If that was Simon’s reaction – a man who had known her for all these years – then she held out no hope for Zoe believing her. And what was all that rubbish Simon had spouted about Marcus being ‘paid’ to sleep with her? Surely not? Marcus had known nothing about ‘Little-Old-Lady-Gate’ when she’d originally told him.

Joanna let out a small shriek of frustration, feeling like the fabric of her world was slowly disintegrating. She rifled in her rucksack and drew out her wallet. Pulling out Ian Simpson’s card, she thought for a moment, then went to Simon’s telephone and picked up the receiver. Not quite sure what she would say, but knowing she had to speak to him, she dialled the number.

It rang for ages before it was finally picked up.

‘’Lo, Simon,’ a sleepy voice answered.

‘Is that Ian Simpson?’

‘Who wants to know?’

‘This is Joanna Haslam, a friend of Simon Warburton. Look, I know this may sound ridiculous, and I don’t want to drop Simon in it or anything, but he mentioned that apparently my, er, boyfriend, Marcus Harrison, might . . . um . . . be in the employ of someone you work for?’

There was silence on the other end of the line.

‘Maybe you could just continue to say nothing if the answer is “yes”.’

There was a long pause, then she heard a click on the line as he hung up.

Joanna put the receiver down, knowing Simon had told the truth. Thoughts raced through her mind as she tried to remember every conversation she’d ever had with Marcus. She took a deep, shuddering breath of anger and hurt, then sat down to plan her next move.