The Dilemma(64)

‘I will tell her, as soon as I know for sure.’ Adam sounds so desperate, so broken that I hate myself. I should have told him weeks ago, then he wouldn’t have had to find out like this.

‘Do you still think there’s a chance, then, that we’re wrong?’

‘Yes,’ he says firmly and I feel weak with gratitude that they don’t actually know, they only suspect.

‘So when will you know? When are you going to try and find out?’

‘As soon as everyone has gone.’

‘Will you let me know? Straightaway? Even if it’s the middle of the night. Even if it’s bad.’ She chokes on the word.

‘Yes,’ he says, giving her a hug.

‘Promise?’

‘Promise.’

She looks up at him. ‘You’re so brave.’

‘No, I’m not.’ His voice is low. ‘I’m anything but.’ He turns towards her, puts his hands on her upper arms and moves her back slightly so that he can see straight into her eyes. ‘Can I ask you to do something for me, Cleo? Will you not say anything to your parents, not just yet. I need to tell Livia first.’

She nods. ‘Alright.’

His body sags in relief. ‘Thank you.’

He releases her, and realising that the moment he looks up, he could see me standing in the shadow of the water butt, I move out and hurry forward as if I’ve just arrived.

‘Cleo, I’m so sorry, your mum says you’re not feeling well,’ I say, putting an arm around her. ‘She’s gone down to the car with your dad.’ I stop abruptly. How could I be so insensitive as to mention him when she’s just found out that he’s been having an affair with Marnie? I wait for her to burst into tears but thankfully she doesn’t. ‘Shall I take you?’

‘No, it’s fine, thank you,’ she mumbles. ‘Thank you for a lovely party.’

She leaves and it’s just me and Adam. I’m so tense, I can’t look at him.

‘Poor Cleo,’ he says and I realise that he’s not looking at me either. ‘Is it Charlie, do you think?’

‘Probably,’ I say, playing along. ‘I think they’ve been having a few problems.’

‘Shall we start getting people out the door?’

‘Yes, it must be around half two now.’

The next thirty minutes pass in a blur of matching phones to owners, and saying goodbyes and thank yous.

Sometime during the evening, realising there was quite a bit of food left over, I invited Jeannie and Mike, Izzy and Ian, and Kirin and Nelson to come for lunch tomorrow, but only because I knew that Jess and Rob wouldn’t be able to come, as Jess had already mentioned that they had plans.

‘Maybe we should sleep here,’ I hear Izzy joke.

‘Why?’ Adam asks.

‘Well, we have to be back here in a few hours for lunch.’

A frown crosses his face. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Livia invited us to come and eat the leftovers. Mum and Dad too.’

‘And Nelson and Kirin,’ I say.

‘Right,’ he says, nodding slowly.

‘You can stay if you want,’ I say to Izzy. ‘I’ll make up Marnie’s bed for you.’

‘No!’ We all look at Adam in surprise. ‘Sorry, Izzy, I love you but you’re not staying here tonight. My migraine wouldn’t stand it.’

‘Why don’t you stay at ours?’ Jeannie offers.

‘Thanks, Mum,’ Izzy says gratefully.

‘You may as well leave your car here and come with us in ours,’ Mike says.

Ian looks horrified. ‘Are you telling me that I could have had more than one glass of champagne tonight? That I didn’t need to drink fruit juice all evening?’

‘I’m sure Izzy will make up for it tomorrow, by doing the driving back to Southampton,’ Mike says, laughing.

‘Then I won’t be able to drink!’ Izzy says.

‘Will you all just leave?’ Adam says, and I can see he’s really struggling now. ‘Please?’

A couple more minutes and the garden is silent. Josh checks his watch.

‘Two forty-five,’ he says. ‘How’s that for timing?’

‘Perfect,’ I say, collapsing against him. ‘Thanks, Josh, you did an amazing job, and with the music. And the decorations. Has Max left?’

‘Yes, he couldn’t get anywhere near you to say goodbye.’

I look at Adam and Josh. ‘That’s it, then. Just the three of us.’

‘And Amy,’ Josh says.

‘Where is she?’ I ask.

‘In the garden. It is alright if she stays the night, isn’t it?’

‘No,’ Adam says abruptly. ‘Sorry.’

Josh frowns. ‘What?’

‘Sorry, Josh, but Amy can’t stay the night.’

‘Why not?’

‘How did she get here? Did she drive?’

‘No, she doesn’t have a car. She came by train.’

‘Then I’ll order her a taxi.’

Josh shakes his head. ‘All the way to Exeter? Why?’

‘Wait a minute, Adam,’ I say, intervening. ‘Surely Amy can stay the night? I mean, she’s already stayed over.’