First Love, Last Love (14 page)

‘What’s going on here?’ he demanded.

Alex’s mouth twisted with wry humour. ‘Don’t be a fool, Prescott, it’s obvious what’s been “going on”.’

‘Lauri?’ Steve’s razor sharp gaze came to rest on her.

‘Don’t listen to him,’ she denied heatedly. ‘Alex was—We were—I—’

‘Don’t say any more,’ her uncle ordered. ‘I don’t want a move by move account of it.’ He looked contemptuously at Alex. ‘Just what game do you think you’re playing with my niece? I wouldn’t have thought she was experienced enough for you,’ he added insultingly.

Alex buttoned his shirt with slow provocation. ‘She learns fast,’ he drawled.

‘Why, you—’

Lauri’s hand on Steve’s arm stopped him from actually resorting to physical violence. ‘Leave it,’ she told him dully, her face suddenly very pale.

She could offer him no explanation for the way this situation looked without actually revealing what she had done to Alex’s chest. Maybe letting him think what he did was better than him knowing the truth. As for
Alex, she realised he had probably been annoyed by Steve’s aggressive behaviour but he didn’t have to make the situation worse than it was. She learnt fast, indeed!

‘Leave it?’ Steve repeated furiously. ‘It’s one thing to take a girl to bed,’ he coloured at his own words, ‘but quite another to go around boasting about it.’

Lauri gasped. ‘Steve!’

‘I wasn’t boasting,’ Alex told the other man calmly, tucking his shirt back into the low waistband of his trousers. ‘And your niece and I have not been to bed together,’ he shrugged back into his jacket, straightening his cuff. ‘But then neither have we spent an innocent evening together.’

Steve looked at them scathingly. ‘I can see that.’

‘You don’t see anything of the kind. Now,’ Alex’s voice lowered menacingly, ‘I’m only going to say this once, and then I don’t want to speak of it again. Lauren and I are both old enough to make those sort of decisions for ourselves. I want to sleep with her, yes, but when it happens—’

‘
If
it happens,’ Steve corrected him fiercely.

‘When it happens,’ Alex repeated, ‘it will be on her terms. And I think we both know that Lauren’s terms will include a wedding ring.’

‘A—A wedding ring?’ Steve echoed dazedly.

‘That’s right. Now I’ll wish you both goodnight.’ He bent to kiss Lauri gently on the lips. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow, darling. Goodnight,’ he added hardly to Steve. ‘I’ll see myself out.’

‘Lauri?’ Steve queried uncertainly when the other man had left. ‘What did he mean?’

She was still trying to recover from the shock herself. Why on earth had Alex made that ridiculous statement? He knew she didn’t want to get married, knew because she had told him herself—That was it! He had said it because he
did
know she didn’t want to get
married—or at least, he thought she didn’t. He had said that because it was a way of saving face and yet still remaining single. It would serve him right if she kept him to it. Of all the—

‘Lauri!’ Steve said impatiently. ‘What did he
mean
?’

‘He didn’t mean anything,’ she sighed. ‘He wouldn’t have said it if you hadn’t jumped to conclusions.’

‘Jumped to conclusions!’ he said disgustedly. ‘I walk in here and find you both in a state of undress and I get accused of
jumping to conclusions.
My God, Lauri, you’re naïve! How long have you been seeing him?’

She bit her lip. ‘I haven’t exactly been seeing him. I—We’ve had lunch together a couple of times.’

‘And after two lunches he almost has you in bed with him! Oh yes, I’ll accept that it hasn’t gone that far yet,’ he said at her surprised expression, ‘but good God, Lauri, Alexander Blair!’

‘I know.’

‘Jane will be furious when she finds out.’

Lauri looked away. ‘She already knows.’

‘She does?’ he frowned. ‘But she didn’t mention—’

‘She found out tonight too,’ she told him with a sigh.

‘I bet she was as mad as I was.’

‘Shocked would be a better description,’ she admitted dryly.

‘I’m not surprised.’ He began pacing the room. ‘The man’s too damned old for you for one thing. He’s out of your league, Lauri.’

‘I seem to be managing all right so far,’ but getting more and more out of her depth every minute!

‘So I noticed,’ Steve derided. ‘And what’s all this talk about a wedding ring? You aren’t marrying him!’

Her head went back in challenge. ‘I’ll marry who I damn well please! And for your information, I haven’t been asked.’

‘And if you are?’ His eyes were narrowed.

‘I’ll refuse.’ Although she knew there was no possibility of Alex proposing. This way he had made it seem as if it was her decision not to marry him. As if someone like him would ever propose to a nonentity like her.

‘You—you would refuse?’

‘Of course I would,’ she scorned. ‘You’ve already said it, Steve, the man’s out of my league.’

‘My niece is good enough to marry anyone!’

She had to laugh at his about-face. ‘You are funny,’ she said on his enquiring look. ‘You can’t make up your mind whether to be outraged at the situation you think you interrupted, or indignant because I don’t consider myself a suitable candidate for the role of Mrs Alexander Blair.’

‘So you
were
the Lauren with the sexy voice,’ he mused. ‘That must have infuriated Jane.’

‘Yes,’ she acknowledged with a sigh, ‘you could say that.’

‘Did she go to Robin’s parents’?’

‘After a bit of persuading. She wasn’t too happy about leaving me alone with Alex,’ she explained.

‘I don’t suppose she was. One of these days you can tell me exactly what I
did
interrupt.’

She blushed. ‘I already told you, it was nothing. I think you should know, Jane’s seriously contemplating marrying Robin.’

‘God, no!’

‘Mm,’ she nodded.

‘But he’s all wrong for her.’

‘I know. But she muttered something about him being steady and reliable, and never letting her down.’

‘He’ll never let her down because he
is
steady and reliable. The man’s only half alive!’

‘I know that too.’ Lauri shrugged. ‘I just thought I should warn you.’

‘Thanks,’ he grimaced. ‘When she gets back I’ll try and talk some sense into her.’

‘I think you’ll be too late.’

‘Too late?’

‘I think Robin intends proposing this weekend. As long as she meets Mummy and Daddy’s approval, of course.’

Steve looked ready to explode. ‘Damned cheek! She’s too good for him if anything. And what sort of man is he that he has to have his parents’ approval at his age?’

‘Alex said the same—Well, he did,’ she insisted. ‘He said that if Jane were interested enough in him to marry him he wouldn’t care what his parents thought.’

‘My God, he isn’t after Jane too?’

Lauri laughed at his expression. ‘I don’t think so. He just likes her.’

‘I doubt the feeling is reciprocated now that she knows he’s been taking you out. Okay, okay, enough said,’ he muttered as she stiffened angrily. ‘But I don’t like it.’

‘I’ll note your disapproval,’ she teased. ‘Now I for one am off to bed. I’d advise you to do the same.’ She got to the bottom of the stairs before turning to face him, a mischievous look in her eyes. ‘I bet you sobered up a lot quicker than you got drunk,’ she taunted.

‘I wasn’t drunk,’ he retorted indignantly, ‘just slightly merry. But I’m certainly sober now.’

She was still laughing when she entered her bedroom, although her humour died as soon as she had closed the door behind her. Damn Alex Blair and his mischiefmaking! Whatever devil had entered his system she would let him know she didn’t appreciate it. He had been so completely different tonight, almost seeming to despise her at times—when he wasn’t making love to her, that was.

If only he weren’t so potent to her senses. But it was no use denying the desire he made her feel, he knew of it every time he touched her. She dreaded to think
what would have happened if Steve hadn’t come home when he did, she could even now be in Alex’s arms. He would be a lover who took his time, gave her every pleasure she had ever dreamt of before taking his own passion to its body-shattering conclusion.

Her body still tingled where he had touched her, although far from soothing her bruises she thought he might have inflicted a few more. And why had he been trying to make her confess her love for him, playing with her body in a way that would ultimately have made her tell him anything he wanted to hear? The fact that she did love him, and she knew she could no longer deny that to herself at least, would have to remain her secret. There would be no denying him if he knew of her true feelings.

Steve was on his third cup of coffee, by the time she came down the next morning. ‘God, I had a lousy night,’ he groaned.

‘You probably had more to drink than you realised,’ she said unsympathetically.

He scowled at her. ‘It wasn’t the drink. It was worry about you that kept me awake.’

‘Me?’ Lauri raised her eyebrows, setting about cooking their bacon and eggs for breakfast. ‘One egg or two?’ she asked absently.

‘Two. And don’t change the subject.’

She smiled. ‘Whatever’s wrong with you, it hasn’t affected your appetite.’

‘Lauri!’

‘All right,’ she sighed. ‘Why were you worried about me?’

‘You know why! It can’t go on, Lauri. God, what will everyone at work say if they find out about you and Blair?’

‘Sorry,’ her cheerful voice belied that statement, ‘they already know. It’s been buzzing around the building all week.’

‘Oh
God
!’ he groaned.

‘Stop being so melodramatic, Steve. I must say I dreaded the gossip too, but it will soon die down.’ As soon as she had told Alex she couldn’t see him any more! She would have to leave Blair’s, there was no other answer for it. She might think she was in love with Alex now, but if she continued to see him it could only become worse. She would become dependent upon him, was even now becoming so, and when he lost interest, which could happen at any time, she would simply fall apart.

‘You obviously don’t know office gossip,’ Steve grimaced. ‘It can be murder.’

Having already sampled some of it she was well aware of it. People stared at her wherever she went at work, conversations stopped when she walked into a room, and worst of all, hardly anyone spoke to her. Oh she knew all about office gossip, but she hadn’t let that frighten her into not seeing Alex, that decision was being made completely removed from anything but the way she had discovered she felt about him, her love completely different from the emotion he felt for her.

‘It’s just a nine days’ wonder,’ she dismissed. ‘And certainly not enough to influence you getting to the top of the salesmen’s list,’ she added teasingly.

‘As if I—Stop teasing, Lauri!’ he said angrily as she laughed outright at his indignation. ‘This is a serious matter.’

She put his breakfast down in front of him. ‘Only if you let it be. And I’m certainly not going to do that.’ She sat down opposite him to eat her own meal.

Steve shook his head wonderingly. ‘You’re so calm about this. Don’t you realise who you’re dating!’

Oh, she realised, and she found it no less daunting did he but know it. ‘I’m not dating him,’ she said calmly. ‘I’ve gone out with him a couple of times, that’s all.’

He attacked the food on his plate as if he would like
it to be Alexander Blair. ‘I suppose it’s all my fault,’ he groaned. ‘If I hadn’t let you drive my car you wouldn’t have crashed into him and probably never have spoken to him.’

‘That’s silly, Steve, and you know it. As it happens, I met him again quite by chance. I was in the lift when he got in it.’

‘Oh.’ Steve still didn’t look very happy. ‘But even so, he might not have spoken to you if it hadn’t been for the accident.’

Remembering what she had been doing when the lift doors opened, kissing Daryl, Lauri thought it very likely that Alex would have spoken to her anyway. And it hadn’t stopped at talking that time either! ‘I think he may have done,’ she said huskily.

‘Maybe. When’s lover-boy going to get here today?’

Lauri smiled. ‘I don’t think either term applies to Alex. And I have no idea what time he’ll be here.’ But she had plenty to talk to him about when he did get here!

‘He just turns up when he—My God!’ Steve broke off as the doorbell rang. ‘Doesn’t he even believe in letting a man finish his breakfast before he calls?’ He pushed his empty plate away moodily.

‘But you have finished. And it is almost eleven o’clock.’

‘On a Sunday,’ he said disgustedly. ‘Everyone has a lie-in on a Sunday.’

‘Obviously not Alex.’

‘Obviously. Well, go and let him in before he kicks the door down. I’m going back to bed.’

‘But—’

‘I’m sure you don’t need me around.’

Lauri sighed as he stomped up the stairs. She shrugged, moving to open the door. ‘Alex, I—’ Her words faded in her throat as she saw that it wasn’t Alex at all, but Laurence Daniels. And he looked terrible, completely haggard.

‘H
ELLO
,’ she greeted him shyly.

‘Lauri,’ he returned huskily.

She couldn’t get over how ill he looked, his tan having faded almost completely, a permanent whiteness about his taut mouth. ‘Would you like to come in?’ she invited gently.

The eyes behind the smoky lenses seemed to brighten. ‘You wouldn’t mind?’

Lauri smiled, opening the door wider. ‘Of course not. Come through to the lounge.’ She saw him seated, noticing that he seemed thinner than ever. ‘Would you like a cup of coffee or something?’

‘Coffee would be nice,’ he accepted, sitting tensely on the edge of the armchair.

‘I—Have you eaten?’

‘Eaten?’ he blinked his puzzlement. ‘Breakfast, you mean?’

Lauri nodded. ‘Or breakfast yesterday, or lunch, or dinner?’

‘I—um—’ he put a hand up to his greying temple, ‘I think I had lunch.’

‘But no dinner, and no breakfast this morning?’

He shook his head. ‘I don’t believe so, no.’

‘Right. Well, you’re going to have breakfast now.’ She hesitated in the doorway. ‘Would you like to come into the kitchen and talk to me while I cook, or would you rather just sit there quietly?’

Laurence stood up. ‘I’ve had enough silence the last few days to last me a lifetime. Besides, it’s too long
since I saw a woman moving about the kitchen preparing me a meal.’ He smiled ruefully.

Lauri pulled out a bar stool for him to sit down on. ‘Bacon and eggs?’

‘Lovely.’ He seemed to be shedding some of his tension. ‘This is very kind of you, considering I’m a stranger to you.’

‘I don’t consider you a stranger,’ and strangely enough she didn’t. Maybe it was the fact that he had known her parents that made him seem like a friend; whatever it was she felt completely at ease with him.

‘I’m glad,’ he smiled at her. ‘Would you like me to do anything, make the coffee, lay the table?’

‘No, you just sit there.’

It didn’t take long to prepare his meal and give him coffee, and she watched with satisfaction as he looked in anticipation at his bacon and eggs.

He hesitated. ‘Aren’t you having any?’

‘I’ve already eaten. But you go ahead, I’ll join you in a coffee. That is, if you don’t mind having an audience while you eat?’

‘I don’t mind at all. It’s nice just to have company.’

Lauri frowned. ‘You haven’t seen Alex?’

‘Not since the two of you picked me up at the airport. You may have noticed that he and I don’t exactly get on together.’

‘Well … neither of you tried to hide it.’

‘No,’ he acknowledged slowly. ‘I’m afraid I shattered Alex’s illusions about me at an age when he was very impressionable. Did he tell you about it?’

Lauri bit her lip, not wanting to lie, and yet not wanting to hurt this strangely vulnerable man. ‘He mentioned some disagreement you had years ago,’ she prevaricated.

Laurence laughed. ‘It wasn’t a disagreement, and I’m sure Alex more than mentioned it. I committed a
great sin as far as he was concerned, and he’s never forgiven me for it. On reflection I think it would have been better if I’d broken away from Beth completely, instead of trying to live year after year as if our marriage was perfectly normal.’

‘More coffee?’ Lauri asked awkwardly.

‘Thank you.’ He held his cup while she refilled it. ‘Have I embarrassed you, talking to you so frankly?’

‘No, of course not.’ She wanted desperately to erase that frown of anxiety from his brow. ‘Maybe being a stranger I’m the ideal person to talk to.’

He gave a rueful smile. ‘I don’t consider you a stranger either, Lauri.’

‘Sorry,’ she said huskily. ‘I didn’t mean it quite like that.’

‘I know,’ his hand covered hers as it rested on the table. ‘You’re very like your mother,’ he said huskily.

‘I am?’ She looked startled. ‘But I’m nothing like her, or any other member of my family, come to that.’

‘I didn’t mean in looks, that red-gold hair and green eyes is certainly unusual in your family, that’s why I—’ he drew a deep ragged breath. ‘Never mind that. I meant that you’re kind and gentle like your mother was.’

‘I never knew her that well,’ Lauri told him regretfully. ‘But I remember her as being beautiful.’

He nodded. ‘She was, very. Without her I don’t think I could have got through the first years after Beth’s accident.’

‘You mean my mother helped you?’

‘Yes, she helped me.’ He seemed to have withdrawn into his thoughts. ‘Sorry,’ he shook his head as if to clear his mind. ‘Bad memories,’ he shuddered.

‘Alex told me you lost your son in the accident,’ Lauri said gently. ‘That must have been awful for you.’

‘Yes, awful. Jamie was only five.’

‘Terrible to lose your child.’

‘Terrible,’ he echoed, that strange look back in his eyes. ‘Even worse to lose the woman you love.’

‘Alex said it happened six months ago.’

‘What?’ He looked startled.

‘Alex said your wife died six months ago,’ she explained.

‘Oh,’ he nodded. ‘Yes, that’s right.’

‘Hardly time for the pain of her death to have lessened,’ she sympathised.

‘I was very fond of my wife, Lauri, but—What was that?’ he asked sharply as a door slammed upstairs. His eyes narrowed. ‘Is Alex here?’

She blushed at the implication behind that question. ‘No, of course he isn’t! He doesn’t stay here. We don’t sleep together.’

‘I’m sorry, my dear,’ Laurence was instantly contrite. ‘It’s just that knowing my brother-in-law as I do … Well, he has a certain reputation.’

‘I know. But the person upstairs is Steve, my uncle.’

‘Ah yes, I know him. He must be in his mid-twenties by now?’

‘Yes. But I—I didn’t know the two of you knew each other.’

‘We don’t,’ Laurence smiled. ‘I met him once or twice, that’s all. I doubt he would remember me, he could only have been about seven or eight at the time.’

‘I suppose so.’

‘Have you lived in this house long?’ he asked interestedly. ‘I remember that the family lived on the other side of town when I knew them.’

Lauri frowned. ‘I can never remember living anywhere else, so I suppose we must have been here some time.’

‘Then it’s lucky I met you with Alex. I would never
have been able to find you otherwise. And that would have been a great shame in the circumstances.’

‘Because you knew my mother,’ she nodded.

‘Of course. By knowing you I feel close to her.’

Lauri frowned. ‘Mr Daniels—’

‘Laurence, please.’

‘Very well—Laurence. Did you—oh damn!’ she bit her lip as the doorbell rang for the second time that morning. It could only be one person, Alex. ‘I—I’ll just see who it is.’

Laurence stood up. ‘Would you like me to leave?’

‘Don’t be silly,’ she gave a light laugh. ‘Come through to the lounge. Bring your coffee with you. I shouldn’t be long.’

She was right about the identity of her visitor. Alex stood on the doorstep, more casually dressed than she had ever seen him, the faded denims fitting low down on his hips, the black silk shirt casually unbuttoned down his chest. He took Lauri’s breath away, although she made an effort to hide her suddenly racing pulse and ragged breathing.

‘Alex.’ She gave a strained smile.

He bent to kiss her lightly on the lips. ‘Right first time,’ he taunted. ‘Can I come in, or am I to be made to stand on the doorstep all day?’

‘You’re a bit early, I’ve barely finished eating my breakfast.’

Blue eyes narrowed. ‘Do I come in or don’t I?’

‘I—’

‘I think Lauri is a little reluctant to ask you in because I’m here, Alex.’ Laurence Daniels was suddenly standing behind her.

Alex features set harshly, his gaze icy cold. ‘What are you doing here?’ he demanded angrily.

‘Alex!’ Lauri gasped. ‘This is my home,
you
are the visitor.’

He looked down at her with narrowed eyes, his face rigid. ‘What does that mean?’ he asked dangerously soft.

‘It means—it means that
I
choose who enters my home.’

‘And you wanted Laurence here,’ he snapped. ‘My God,’ he addressed the other man, ‘you didn’t waste much time! I knew you’d be around here some time. You just couldn’t stay away, could you?’

‘I came to see Lauri.’

‘Oh, I know that,’ Alex sneered. ‘I also know why. The question is, does she?’

‘No.’ Laurence’s voice sounded strangulated, his face white.

‘Are you going to tell her?’

‘Alex—’

‘Are you?’ he demanded hardly.

‘I—God, I don’t know!’ Laurence really looked ill now, as haggard as he had when he arrived here.

Lauri went to him, her arm going about his waist as he seemed to stagger. ‘Leave him alone,’ she told Alex vehemently. ‘Can’t you see he’s ill?’

‘People like him go on for ever,’ said Alex with dislike.

She felt Laurence go limp against her and she couldn’t prevent him from crumpling to the ground. ‘My God …’ it was her turn to pale now. ‘Alex!’

He instantly moved forward, coming down on one knee beside his brother-in-law. He released Laurence’s tie, feeling for a pulse. ‘He’s still alive,’ he muttered.

‘No thanks to you! Look how shallow his breathing is. You’ve killed him, you know, you with your sarcasm and nasty comments. You’ve killed him!’ her voice rose shrilly.

‘Don’t get hysterical, Lauren,’ Alex ordered harshly. ‘That’s the last thing we need right now. Call an
ambulance. We have to get him to hospital as quickly as possible.’

‘He’s going to die, I know he’s going to die! It’s all your fault. You—’ Her words came to an abrupt halt as Alex struck her hard across one cheek, tears of pain welling up and cascading down her cheek. ‘You swine!’ she choked.

‘For once I don’t give a damn what you call me. Get an ambulance here, Lauren. Now!’

She picked up the telephone immediately, not sure afterwards how she had managed to give the relative information to the woman on the other end of the line. But somehow she must have done, because it seemed only seconds later that the ambulance arrived.

‘Are you travelling with him?’ one of the ambulance men asked her.

She looked anxiously at Alex. He was Laurence’s nearest relative, no matter how much he wished he weren’t. ‘Alex …?’

‘You go with him, Lauren.’ He sounded strange, not at all his usual arrogant self. ‘I’ll follow in the car. We’re going to need transport back later.’

‘All right,’ she grabbed her jacket. ‘My God—Steve! He’s upstairs in bed. I—I can’t just leave without telling him what’s happened.’

‘I don’t know who this Steve is, love,’ the ambulance man remarked. ‘But if you want your dad to get to the hospital alive we have to leave now.’

‘Oh, but he isn’t—’

‘Leave it, Lauren.’ Alex pulled her after the men carrying the stretcher. ‘Let’s just get Laurence to the hospital,’ he said raggedly.

‘You do care,’ Laurie said dazedly. ‘Then why—’

‘It’s become a habit to hate him,’ he answered harshly. ‘Get going, Lauren,’ and he bent to kiss her hard on the mouth. ‘I’ll see you at the hospital.’

Laurence seemed very still and grey to her, she felt sure he must already be dead. ‘Is he—is he—’

‘He’s holding on, love,’ the man travelling in the back of the ambulance with her assured her.

‘Thank God!’ She swallowed hard.

‘Don’t worry, we’ll soon have him there.’

It felt very strange to be travelling at high speed in an ambulance furiously ringing its bell. God, she thought, Laurence looked ill! She was relieved when they at last reached the hospital and she could once again let Alex take control.

‘Oh, Alex,’ she collapsed against him as they waited to find out how Laurence was. ‘This is just awful!’

‘Yes. Did—did Laurence regain consciousness at all?’

She shook her head. ‘They were giving him oxygen most of the way.’

‘So he had no chance to speak to you?’

‘No. Alex, why did he collapse like that?’ she quavered. ‘I know the two of you were arguing, but it—it didn’t seem any worse than the last time I saw you together.’

‘To Laurence it was,’ he said grimly.

‘But he—’ They both looked up as a nurse came towards them, but she walked straight past them. ‘I hate this waiting about,’ Lauri shuddered.

‘I’ll get us some coffee from the machine over there. Just sit down, Lauren, and stay calm.’

She sipped gratefully at the hot liquid that tasted like a cross between coffee and tea but was distinctive as neither. ‘How long will they be, do you think?’

‘Still worried about Steve?’ he sneered.

Angry spots of colour appeared in her pale cheeks. ‘That’s a foul thing to say!’ she snapped. ‘I just wondered how long it would be before we knew—either way.’

Alex shrugged, hunched over his own coffee cup, lines of tension grooved into his face. ‘Not long, I should think. What was he doing at your place this morning?’

‘Just visiting,’ she told him resentfully.

‘Since when?’

‘Since about half an hour before you arrived. I gave him breakfast, actually. He hasn’t been taking care of himself, and I think he was lonely.’ The last was almost a rebuke.

‘Lonely!’ Alex gave a harsh laugh. ‘He should have thought of that before he—’ he stopped abruptly.

‘Before he what?’ Lauri prompted.

‘It isn’t important. This is a hell of a time to be bringing up old grievances, even if they do affect the present.’ He looked about them impatiently. ‘Why the hell doesn’t someone let us know how he is?’ he snapped.

‘They will, Alex.’ She put a hand soothingly on his arm. ‘You really are worried about him, aren’t you?’

His face hardened. ‘I wouldn’t want his death on my conscience,’ he told her abruptly.

‘It isn’t only that,’ Lauri rebuked gently. ‘You care for him, care what happens to him.’

He sighed. ‘I suppose I do, although why the hell I should … I just can’t forget what he did to my sister.’

‘Maybe it wasn’t all one-sided. You said that he and your sister weren’t happy together even before the accident. They might even have parted if the accident hadn’t happened. And you did say there was only the one affair, maybe he loved this other woman. If he did it must have been a very hard decision to choose to stay with a woman who didn’t love him when the chance of happiness beckoned him.’