LITMIR.BIZ

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the following Monday they had finalised a set of standard letters, along with lists of people to whom each should be sent. And Thea had convinced herself that there would be no more petty arguments between her and Lucas.

      She had no reason to take him up on his assurances that he would be there if needed until the Friday evening, almost two weeks after the initial diagnosis of TB had been made. Dialling his mobile number, she wondered what she might hear in the background.

      ‘Thea. What’s the problem?’

      That just about said it all. He knew she wouldn’t call him unless she had to.

      ‘There’s something I’d like to talk through with you. I’ve had a call from the local paper. I reckoned that was more your area of expertise than mine.’

      Thea’s one horrific contact with the press in Bangladesh had taught her to avoid newsmen at all costs. Lucas’s world of measured responses and careful PR was far better equipped to deal with that than she was.

      ‘Right.’ A note of resignation sounded in his voice. ‘What did they have to say for themselves?’

      ‘They’ve been contacted by one of the parents at the school. They’re doing a piece and they offered us the chance to comment. And they need our response by tomorrow afternoon, before they go to press.’

      He gave a short chuckle. ‘Nice one. Clearly hoping we’ll be uncontactable at the weekend.’

      ‘They do that sort of thing?’

      ‘It’s not unknown. I think we’ll be pleased to respond. Do you have a copy of the proposed article?’

      ‘No.’ Thea supposed she should have thought to ask for one but she’d wanted to get the reporter off the phone as quickly as possible.

      ‘Okay, give me their number and I’ll call them now. Can we meet up this evening to discuss this?’

      ‘I’ll wait here for you. How long will you be?’

      ‘I can’t get there tonight. But I’m only twenty minutes away from you, and Friday night is barbecue night. Come and join us.’

      Us. It had crossed Thea’s mind that Lucas might be married, and she’d decided that was none of her concern. All the same, she wasn’t sure that she wanted to play happy families with him.

      ‘What about tomorrow morning? I don’t want to interrupt your evening.’

      ‘I’m working anyway. And there’s an old acquaintance I’d like you to meet.’

      ‘Who?’ He’d married someone she knew? Thea really didn’t want to know now.

      ‘You’ll see. I’ll text my address. Dinner’s in an hour.’

      ‘But … Lucas?’ She glared at the phone. He’d rung off.

      It would serve him right if she just didn’t turn up. She could text him the reporter’s mobile number and leave him to deal with it. But not turning up might look as if she cared. Her phone beeped, and she looked at the screen.

      She couldn’t remember the number, but this was the road his parents had lived in. Large houses set well back from the road behind iron railings. The kind of place that simply screamed money and respectability. Lucas had loved his family but had always claimed he wanted a different way of life.

      Numbness settled over her. If he could look her in the eye, when he’d trashed all the values and ideals that had meant so much to him, then he really wasn’t the person she’d once known. If he could pretend that it didn’t matter, he was nothing to her.

      She texted back her reply, together with the contact number for the newspaper reporter. Then she grabbed her coat and bag and made for the hospital car park.

      The house was easy to find. It had to be the smallest in the road but it was still imposing enough, and stood next to the house that Thea had been to when she and Lucas had visited his parents. Travelling the world, eh? He hadn’t gone very far.

      Even the dividing fence between his house and his parents’ had been taken out, one drive serving both properties now. Thea parked in the space next to Lucas’s car and took a moment to steady herself.

      Climbing plants wound around the Victorian-style portico of his front door, and instead of a bell there was a heavy brass knocker in the shape of a dolphin. Almost as soon as she knocked on the door, it opened.

      A teenage girl answered. Dark-eyed, with dark hair, she looked suspiciously like Lucas, but none of the sums added up. The girl was definitely a good bit more than seven years old. The thought that Lucas had been even more of a fraud that she’d bargained for floated into Thea’s mind.

      ‘Thea?’ The girl grinned at her as if she knew her. ‘Come in.’

      She stepped into a large hallway and the girl closed the front door behind her. ‘You don’t know who I am, do you? I’m Ava.’

      ‘Lucas’s niece?’ The last time she’d seen Ava she had been six years old, and they’d played football together in the back garden while Lucas and his brother had argued about medical aid in the developing world.

      ‘Yes.’ When Ava smiled, she looked even more like Lucas. ‘I suppose I have changed a bit.’

      ‘It’s so nice to see you, Ava.’ It was such a relief to see her. Unless Lucas had another surprise hostess tucked up his sleeve somewhere. ‘You’re staying with your uncle?’

      ‘I live here.’ Ava wheeled around with impetuous energy. ‘I’ll show you around.’

      ‘Thank you. Where’s Lucas?’

      ‘Out back, lighting the barbecue. I’d stay clear if I were you. I always do.’ Ava danced back towards Thea, leaning in close as if she had a secret to impart. ‘He’s not very good at it.’

      ‘Which naturally makes him cross.’ Lucas never had liked being outmatched by anything.

      ‘Yep. He gets over it. When we see smoke signals coming over the horizon, it’ll be safe to come out of hiding.’ Ava opened one of the doors leading from the hallway. ‘Sitting room.’

      Thea peered past Ava into the comfortable, bright sitting room. ‘Very nice.’

      ‘Dining room …’ Ava was on to the next room before Thea had a chance to even cross the threshold of the first.

      ‘Equally nice.’ Thea grinned at her.

      ‘Kitchen …’ Another door, which revealed a gleaming kitchen. ‘We won’t go in there.’

      ‘Very wise. Leave the cooking to Lucas.’

      ‘Do you remember when we roasted chestnuts in the fire on Bonfire Night?’ Ava didn’t stop for an answer. ‘Would you like to see my room?’

      ‘I’d love to. If you’d like to show it to me.’ Thea draped her coat over the banisters and put her heavy bag down in the corner. She felt suddenly lighter as she followed Ava up the stairs and into a large, stylishly decorated room.

      ‘I went on holiday with Gran and Grandpa, and when I got back Lucas had decorated it as a surprise. What do you think?’

      ‘It’s beautiful. He did all this?’

      Ava nodded. ‘Yes. He said that I needed something a bit different now that I’m older. I think it’s turned out pretty well.’

      ‘It’s very sophisticated. I like the curtains.’ A bold, confident pattern of yellow, purple and green, the shades somehow blending perfectly together.

      ‘It’s an old fifties print. We went up to town to look at some fabrics. Lucas said it was for the conservatory.’

      ‘And you fell for it.’ Thea grinned.

      ‘He’s good with surprises, he never lets on.’

      ‘No,

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