Behind Closed Doors(62)

‘Well, if I did, I’m very sorry. I must have been thinking of something else at the time.’

‘But you said it on more than one occasion,’ Esther insists. ‘When you came to dinner at ours you said that you couldn’t wait for Millie to see her red bedroom.’ She looks over at me. ‘Isn’t that what he said, Grace?’

‘I’m afraid I don’t remember,’ I mumble.

‘Does it really matter?’ Jack nods at Millie who is busy putting her other presents into the box. ‘Look, she loves it.’

‘But it’s strange to have made the same mistake twice,’ Esther says, genuinely puzzled.

‘I wasn’t aware that I had.’

‘Well, I could take it back and change it for a yellow one, I suppose,’ she says doubtfully.

‘Please don’t,’ I tell her. ‘Jack’s right, Millie loves it.’

For the next ten minutes, I watch her watching Jack, and I’m glad that in his efforts to destabilise me, he has overplayed his hand—not that anyone except Esther seems to have noticed. At one moment, she looks from Jack to the red box, a frown on her face. Suddenly, she turns her attention back to me.

‘I hope you don’t mind me asking, Grace,’ she says, ‘but are you sure you’re all right? You look very pale.’

‘I’m fine,’ I reassure her.

‘I’ve noticed it too.’ Diane nods. ‘And you’ve lost weight—you haven’t been dieting, have you?’

‘No, it’s just that I don’t seem to have much appetite at the moment.’

‘Maybe you should go and see your doctor.’

‘I will,’ I promise.

‘You really need to take more care of her, Jack.’ Esther looks at him appraisingly.

‘I intend to.’ Smiling, he slips his hand into the inside pocket of his jacket and draws out an envelope. ‘I didn’t see why Millie should be the only one to have a present today.’

‘Adam, please take note,’ Diane groans.

‘Here we are, darling,’ Jack hands me the envelope. ‘Open it.’

I do as he says and find myself looking at a pair of plane tickets.

‘Come on, Grace, don’t keep us in suspense,’ Diane implores. ‘Where’s Jack taking you?’

‘Thailand,’ I say slowly, horribly aware that everything I’ve managed to put in place since Millie gave me the pills will all have been for nothing if we go away.

‘What a lucky girl,’ says Moira, smiling at me.

‘I think you’re meant to say something, Grace,’ Esther prompts.

I raise my head quickly. ‘It’s just such a shock. I mean, it’s a lovely thought, Jack, but do we really have time to go away?’

‘You did say that you wanted one last holiday in Thailand before Millie comes to live with us,’ he reminds me, making it sound as if I think of Millie as some sort of burden.

‘But you said we wouldn’t be able to—didn’t you say that you had the Tomasin case coming up?’

‘Yes, but I’m working hard to make sure it’ll be over by then.’

‘When are you going?’ Giles asks.

‘I’ve booked tickets for the fifth of June.’

Adam looks at him in surprise. ‘Will the Tomasin case be finished so soon?’

‘I hope so—it’s going to court next week.’

‘Even so. I mean, it’s not so clear-cut this time, is it? From what the papers are saying, her husband is squeaky clean.’

Jack raises his eyebrows. ‘Don’t tell me you believe what you read in the papers.’

‘No, but the theory that it’s a set-up and that she’s out to frame her husband because she has a lover is an interesting one.’

‘It’s also total fabrication.’

‘So you’re confident of winning?’

‘Absolutely—I’ve never lost a case yet and I don’t intend to start now.’

Adam turns to me. ‘What do you think, Grace? You must have read the papers.’

‘Me? I think the husband is as guilty as hell,’ I say, wondering what they would say if they knew that I barely know what they’re talking about.

‘Sorry, but I can’t imagine him as a wife-beater,’ says Diane. ‘He just doesn’t look the type.’

‘Jack tells me that they’re the worst kind,’ I say lightly.

Esther’s eyes flicker towards me. ‘It must be exciting having a husband who deals with such high-profile cases,’ she says, holding my gaze.

‘Actually, Jack rarely talks about his work when he comes home and especially not the details of his cases, for reasons of client confidentiality—I’m sure it’s the same for you, Diane.’ I turn to Jack with pretended anxiousness. ‘But to get back to our holiday—wouldn’t it be better to postpone it until Millie can come with us?’

‘Why?’

‘Well, if there’s a risk that your case might not be over in time.’

‘It will be.’

‘But what if it isn’t?’ I insist.

‘Then you’ll go on ahead and I’ll join you.’

I stare at him.