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Authors: Linda Kavanagh
‘A genuinely gripping read’
—Irish Independent
‘Well worth a read for those who are looking for something gritty’
—Chick Lit Club
‘I was gripped’
—The Irish Mail on Sunday
‘A thrilling read’
—Ireland on Sunday
‘Dark, gritty and addictive’
—RTE Guide
‘A real page-turner’
—Sunday Life
magazine
‘Unputdownable’
—The Afternoon Show
‘An intricate tale of love, betrayal and murder’
—Evening Echo
‘An imaginative and unusually plotted novel’
—Books Ireland
Bestselling Irish author
LINDA KAVANAGH
has always wanted to write novels. She wrote her first at age eight, about two dogs who tried to go into space in a dustbin! She is now the author of seven novels and is a former journalist who has worked for various Irish newspapers and magazines. She lives in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.
THE SECRET WIFE
Linda Kavanagh
Sincere thanks to editor Sally Williamson and all the team at Mira, to my wonderful agent Lorella Belli, for her support and belief in me, and especially to all my readers who have already made my previous novels bestsellers in Ireland.
Table of Contents
‘I
’m getting married!’
Laura Thornton looked the picture of happiness as she held out her left hand so that her friend Kerry could admire her engagement ring.
‘Congratulations!’ Kerry said, hugging her, and trying to appear happy for her. But she was worried. She didn’t like the man Laura was planning to marry. Okay, so he was charming and handsome, a stockbroker who seemed to have a knack for making money. Yet there was something profoundly needy about him. Not that being needy was wrong – it just wasn’t what you expected to find in a mature, successful man. Nevertheless, Laura seemed convinced that she’d found a man who genuinely cared about her.
‘So when is the wedding?’
‘Next month – we saw no reason to wait, since we want so much to be together!’
So soon! Kerry experienced a frisson of fear. It looked as though Laura was being her usual impulsive self.
‘It’s going to be a very small wedding – I mean, since neither Jeff nor I have any family. But I’d really like you to be my bridesmaid.’
Kerry nodded. ‘Of course. I’d be delighted.’
Nevertheless, she was disturbed at the haste with which Laura was marrying this man, whom she hardly knew. Although
aware that her friend was impulsive, Kerry suspected that Jeff was the one pushing for this rush into marriage.
Kerry and Laura had met Jeff one evening in a pub. The bar had been crowded, and Laura had been trying desperately to catch the barman’s eye. Jeff had witnessed her attempts and, being tall, he’d gallantly ordered the drinks for her, then insisted on paying for them. Laura had been impressed by the good-looking, blond-haired man, and they’d spent the rest of the evening chatting to each other.
Kerry had disliked him on sight. She’d recognised a smooth-talking chancer, but Laura had quickly fallen for his superficial charms. Before long, Laura could hardly frame a sentence without bringing Jeff’s name into it, and Kerry knew that it was pointless to urge caution. Laura was already head over heels in love with him. Instinctively Kerry knew that, if she raised any objections to Jeff, Laura would interpret it as sour grapes on her part, and she’d be the one to lose Laura’s friendship. Already she could sense that Jeff was keen to loosen the bonds between the two women. He’d demand total loyalty, and that loyalty would require him to be the centre of Laura’s universe. Would Laura allow that to happen?
‘Oh, Kerry, I’m so excited!’ Laura said, her face wreathed in smiles. ‘I never thought I’d meet anyone like Jeff – and that he’d want to be with me, too! He’s the most wonderful man I’ve ever met and I just feel
soooo
lucky to be marrying him!’
Kerry smiled, although she felt that her face was in danger of cracking from the effort, and quickly steered the conversation away from any further discussion of Jeff’s merits. ‘So what are you going to wear? Have you picked a dress yet?’
‘No, so you’ll have to come shopping with me!’ Laura said, grinning. ‘We can find a dress for you, too. How about something in burgundy? It would look wonderful with your dark hair …’
Kerry nodded. She didn’t really care what colour she wore. It was Laura’s day, so she’d wear whatever dress Laura chose for her. But there was something she urgently needed to find out. She’d need to raise the subject as delicately as possible with Laura, and sooner rather than later …
Kerry made a special effort to share Laura’s enthusiasm for her approaching big day. Together, they trawled the dress shops during their lunch hour and, with Kerry’s approval, Laura blew a month’s salary on a gorgeous cream taffeta dress with a detail of tiny pearls.
Kerry’s dress proved to be a simple and straightforward purchase. She readily agreed to a deep burgundy chiffon dress that Laura discovered in a small boutique, thinking how contrasting the two of them would look at the wedding – Laura’s blonde hair and cream dress versus her own dark dress and dark brown hair. Kerry also opted to wear a simple matching flower in her hair, whereas Laura was thrilled to find a glamorous pearl and feathered fascinator that was an exact match for her dress.
As they relaxed over a coffee in a city-centre café after their shopping expedition, Laura was still giddy with excitement. Kerry looked at her – it was time to ask Laura the question that had been preying on her mind. She took a deep breath.
‘Laura, have you told Jeff about the money?’
Laura looked up from the cream doughnut she was slicing. ‘Not yet – there’s never been the right time, what with all the preparations for the wedding. But I’ll tell him as soon as we’re married.’
Inside, Kerry sighed with relief. Thank goodness. But how on earth could she delicately point out to Laura that she needed to protect her huge inheritance?
‘Look, love, I think you should wait a while before telling
him,’ Kerry ventured. ‘You can’t be sure how things will go – none of us can – but what if you ended up divorcing Jeff? He could probably claim a lot of your money.’
Laura bridled. ‘You seem to be implying that there’s something devious about Jeff! That’s a horrible thing to say about a woman’s fiancé just before she gets married!’ Her eyes filled with tears. ‘He’s the best! Poor Jeff’s survived a violent childhood, with dysfunctional parents – yet despite such an awful start in life, he’s become hugely successful. I’m so proud of him.’
Kerry nodded, as though to agree with Laura’s estimation of Jeff’s abilities, but to her it was yet another red flag. Jeff was looking dodgier by the minute.
She reached across the table and took her friend’s hand. ‘Love, I’m only looking out for you! By all means tell him when you’ve been together for a year or two – but wait a while, just to be sure. Please?’
Laura looked sullen and offended.
‘Look, Jeff has a comfortable home and both of you have jobs you love,’ Kerry pleaded. ‘You can live happily as you are for the time being. Then when you eventually tell him, you’ll have proved that he’s the man for you.’
Laura’s expression became angry. ‘I know
now
that Jeff’s the man for me! Are you implying that I don’t know my own mind?’
Kerry raised her hands in appeasement. ‘Of course not! I’m just concerned for you. I’m sure you’ll be perfectly happy with Jeff. I just don’t want you losing any of your fortune.’
Laura nibbled a piece of her doughnut, then looked at her friend and sighed. ‘Sorry, Kerry – I know you mean well. I really do appreciate your concern, but Jeff and I … well, we’re in for the long haul. But I don’t want you and me to fall out, so I’ll hold off telling him for a while.’ She looked at Kerry with a triumphant look on her face. ‘Then you’ll realise that Jeff
truly is the man for me – I know he loves me, no matter what my financial situation is.’
Kerry nodded, relieved that the fortune Laura had inherited on the death of her parents and brother was safe from Jeff. She was convinced that if he knew what was in Laura’s bank account, there would be little money left by the time she discovered what he was truly like.