by Melissa Hill
“Liz, I don’t understand, what’s brought all of this on?”
“What?” She whirled around to face him, amazed at his brazenness. “What’s brought all of this on? I come home early from a weekend away, away from worrying about our marriage, to find you, your pregnant girlfriend and my son happily ensconced in my front room –that’s what’s brought all of this on! How did you expect me to react, Eric? Did you think that I would come in, pull up a table for Emma to put her feet on and offer her a cup of coffee or something? How can you be so callous, bringing her here, flaunting her in front of everyone and, worse, in front of Toby? What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Liz –”
“I said I don’t want to hear it, Eric! I’ve seen and heard enough already. All I want now is for you to just get out of my sight – just pack your stuff and leave. Get out of the house. I’d go myself only I don’t feel as though I should have to. This is my home, after all, my dream house, our dream house. Except it didn’t turn out exactly like that, did it?” She bit her lip, willing the tears to stay away.
“Liz, you have things totally wrong!” Eric cried, white-faced. “I don’t know why you think there’s something going on between me and Emma – she just called over this afternoon to say hi! I didn’t know she was coming, and I certainly didn’t think it would be –”
“Oh for goodness sake, why can’t you just come right out and admit it! All those secret meetings with her that you think I didn’t know about, the texts and phone conversations, all the sneaking around behind my back. How long did you think it would be before I found out? This is a small town, Eric – as you should well know.”
Eric blanched. “You seriously think I was having an affair with Emma?”
“Why not? She’s the famous ex-girlfriend, isn’t she? The one who supposedly broke your heart for some unexplained reason all those years ago. The one I’ve had to try and live up to ever since we moved to this godforsaken place.”
“Liz –”
“So, you go and do what you like now – go ahead, you’re free. Free of me and Toby and the drudgery of married life. Although, seeing as she’ll be ready to give birth in a few months, it won’t be long before you’re back in the same mindless, boring existence you’re in now.”
“Mindless, boring existence . . . what the hell are you talking about? I love you and Toby, but you’re too wrapped up in him to notice or care!”
“Don’t make this about me, Eric, don’t you dare make it about me or blame me! You and Toby were all I ever wanted, a happy family is all I ever wanted, you know that.”
“I do know that, which is why I’ve always done everything in my power to make that happen! I do know how much it means to you, and it means everything to me too. But I did something stupid, Liz, I did something that could destroy all that and I couldn’t tell you.”
“Getting another girl pregnant was a funny way of keeping our family together, Eric,” she said bitterly.
“Liz, for Christ’s sake, will you listen to me! I did not get Emma pregnant. I am not having an affair with her!”
Something deep inside Liz began to flutter awake, but she didn’t dare believe him, not just yet. “What about all those secret meetings? The texts . . . the sneaking around?”
Eric sat down alongside her at the kitchen table. “It wasn’t like that. As you know, Emma and I used to be friends and –”
“I think that’s a bit of an understatement, don’t you?”
“Liz, you have to understand that Emma, and also Tara to a certain extent, understood what I was going through growing up here in this town. My family weren’t liked, because of my dad’s drinking – I wasn’t liked . . .” He shook his head. “But she and Tara were good friends to me back then. And when I moved back to Castlegate –”
“You remembered how good you were together and decided to take up where you left off all those years ago?”
“That’s not it. When we first moved here, things were going great. You said you’d never been so happy as in this house, with Toby and being able to run the kennels. I knew it was up to me to keep that going. I wanted you to be happy – for us to be happy. But recently it’s seemed that Toby and the dogs are what’s keeping you happy, not me.”
“Oh, for goodness sake, Eric, spare me the ‘my wife doesn’t understand me so I was forced into another woman’s arms’ bit. It’s a bit clichéd, don’t you think?”
“It wasn’t that. I felt a bit . . . isolated from it all. And it was weird, because it had been my idea to move here and make a new life for ourselves in Castlegate, so I could hardly turn around and tell you that I wasn’t enjoying it as much as you were.”
“But you were commuting to the city! You weren’t here often enough to enjoy it! You were too busy enjoying yourself in pubs in Dublin!”
Eric looked right at her. “I wasn’t enjoying myself in Dublin pubs. Liz, I was working in them.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“Liz, I got laid off from Securitex a couple of months ago, not long before Tara went on holiday. I couldn’t tell you because you were so excited about living here and about getting the house sorted properly, and I didn’t want you to feel as though you had to succeed with the kennels right away to keep us going. I didn’t want to put you under any pressure.”
“But how could you not tell me you got laid off?” Liz gasped, stunned.
“I thought I’d find something soon enough, and again, I tried a couple of places in Castlegate. But Liz, as you know, nobody needs security guards in a tiny place like this. I couldn’t find anything different, and it wasn’t easy getting in somewhere in Dublin either. So I went back to bar work. I was doing days in a hotel in Leeson Street and some nights – the nights I told you I was working overtime at Securitex – in a place in Temple Bar. That’s why it worked out so well this weekend and I ‘supposedly’ had the time off while you went away. Anyway, one night, Emma happened to walk into the place I was working, and I was rumbled. So I had to tell her what had happened.”
“You told her – but you couldn’t tell me!”
“I couldn’t tell you, Liz. I knew you’d be devastated.”
“And you didn’t think I’d be devastated even more to think that you were the father of Emma Harrington’s child?”
“Liz, never in a million years did I imagine you’d think something like that! Why would you?”
“Because of all those secret meetings and texts, which I’m still not convinced were innocent, by the way! What was going on? What else were you hiding from me? Because there had to be something else, Eric – losing your job is no big deal in the scheme of things. You’ll easily get something else – and I’m sure if you sat it out long enough you’d get something here.”
“You see, this is why I didn’t want to tell you! I knew you’d try to convince me to get a job here! And when I didn’t find anything – when I was sitting at home twiddling my thumbs while my wife had to look after other people’s dogs to keep things going, then everyone would say that they’d been right all along, that I was Pat McGrath’s son after all – a waster and a drunk.”
Liz was amazed at the pain in his voice. She’d never really understood why Eric felt he had to prove something to the people in the village. Tara had mentioned that his father had been troublesome and that she’d been afraid Eric would turn out the same, but because his father had been dead for years, Liz hadn’t really known what she meant by this.
But she couldn’t let talk of all this distract her from what she really wanted to know, the real reason Emma and Eric had been in contact.
When she said this to Eric, he sighed loudly.
“Well, when I said Emma agreed to keep my secret, about working at the bar, it turned out to be quid pro quo. I eventually discovered that she had a secret too. When she came in that first night, she was with a few others, and we started chatting. She seemed in really good form, and she eventually told me all about this great guy she’d be
en with, although she wouldn’t mention any names. Emma is a bit like that, a bit secretive.”
“I’ll say,” Liz replied shortly. “So how did you find out about her pregnancy?”
“By accident really. She started to come in to the pub a bit more after finding out I was working there. To be honest, I think she was a bit lonely in Dublin, despite this new man she’d found – at least that’s what I thought at the time. And of course, when she came in, we used to chat a lot, chat about harmless things and people we both knew and all that. And then one time, I made a casual, offhand comment about a particular person we both knew, and her face crumpled. It crumpled, Liz – I’ve never seen Emma let her guard down like that. So, after a lot of persuading, she broke down and eventually told me what had been going on – that the person I’d so casually mentioned in conversation, the man I’d mentioned, meant something to her. Meant a lot to her. And she was heartbroken.”
“Heartbroken over the guy she was being secretive about – the mysterious father of her baby?”
Eric nodded. “But at this stage she hadn’t admitted she was pregnant. I only knew about that when you mentioned it here in this kitchen. But of course I put two and two together, and when I asked her about it, she’d no choice but to admit that, yes – she was pregnant by the same person we’d spoken about before.”
“So, you knew who the baby’s father was,” Liz stated. “And Emma knew about you losing your job and working in the pub –”
“Yes, but things got worse for me shortly after that. Just when I thought I was getting back on track and earning a decent wage, the pub in town began to cut my hours back. So I panicked, thinking that I was further away from getting things sorted – and in effect, further away from telling you – than ever. I was desperate. And seeing as Emma was the only one who understood –”
“Well, of course she was the only one who understood!” Liz retorted, stung. “She was the only one you told!”
“I know . . . I know and that’s not what I meant. I’m sorry . . .” Eric shook his head. “Look, because Emma and I both knew what the other was . . . going through, we began meeting up now and again, just to let off steam.”
“While you kept secrets from everyone else – secrets from me.”
“I know, and, Liz, you really don’t know how hard it was to –”
“So who is it?” Liz interjected, cutting him off. “Who’s this mysterious person Emma’s been seeing? Is it someone from the village?”
Eric shook his head, his expression guarded. “Liz – she swore me to secrecy about it.”
“Why – is it because it is someone from the village, someone I know?” Liz asked, her curiosity now getting the better of her. She was dying to find out who this man might be, the mysterious man that had managed to break the heart of ice-queen Emma Harrington. “Who is he?” she urged.
Eric sighed deeply. “Look, I promised Emma I wouldn’t tell anyone, but I’m going to tell you because you’re my wife, and I don’t want any more secrets between us. But you can’t breathe of word of it, Liz – too many people will get hurt by it. Emma made a silly mistake, and she got caught out. This is a difficult situation for everyone involved, and it’ll do no one any good if it gets out.”
“Who is it, Eric?”
“You have to understand that Emma has always got what she wanted, all the way through life. She’s been indulged, spoiled – she managed to get every man she ever set her sights on. Except one. And I’m sure you know from Tara that she’s the kind of girl who doesn’t like it when she doesn’t get what she wants, that it merely makes her want it all the more. And there’s always been one person Emma wanted that she could never have, and it’s something that’s plagued the poor girl for a very long time.”
“Eric, who the hell is it?” Liz insisted impatiently. “Who is the father of Emma Harrington’s baby? Tell me!”
Eric took another deep breath. And then, when he finally did tell her, Liz’s jaw dropped to the floor.
Chapter 34
Having left Liz and Eric’s house, Emma hurried across the bridge towards the centre of the village, her heart racing in panic and her cheeks burning with humiliation in anticipation of what she now had to do.
Damn, damn, damn! Eric would have told Liz by now – he had to have told her by now. He’d need to in order to explain Emma’s presence in the house, particularly when Liz was so sure Eric was the father of her baby. And of course that was her own fault for messing with Liz’s head this last while, wasn’t it? God knows she was sorry for doing that now – if she hadn’t sent the text and made that stupid phone call, then Liz wouldn’t be so paranoid and Eric wouldn’t have to pacify her.
And when Liz did find out who the father of Emma’s baby was, then of course she would be only too delighted to tell everyone else – after all that had happened lately, Eric’s wife certainly didn’t owe her anything.
Damn Liz anyway for coming home so early! Emma had been looking forward to a quiet evening chatting with Eric at his house, although in truth he had seemed rather uncomfortable earlier when she’d arrived at his doorstep unannounced.
She’d known, of course, that Liz had gone away for a weekend with Tara, so the coast was clear, so to speak. But never mind trying to make Liz jealous, which, Emma admitted to herself, had been good fun initially but had begun to wear thin – she found she really did enjoy talking to Eric about everything. She enjoyed getting her worries off her chest. And while Eric had always been sympathetic, Emma lately got the feeling that he was sorry all the secrecy had ever started.
He was clearly very much in love with Liz and worried for his family, and as time went on Emma did feel truly sorry for him that he couldn’t find a proper job. At first, it had been a bit funny, happening upon Eric working behind the bar in Dublin like that, and the poor guy obviously so embarrassed about it and desperate to keep it a secret. But when his hours were cut and his worries multiplied, Emma realised that it was no joke at all.
And, yes, maybe her own worries were just as valid, but lately she got the impression that Eric was tired of listening to her moan about her woes and wanted her to think seriously about getting everything out in the open.
“It can’t stay hidden forever, Emma,” Eric had insisted at his house earlier. “When he sees how big you’re getting and realises that you are pregnant, surely he’ll put two and two together? Maybe he already has.”
Emma shook her head. “You know I’ve been avoiding him ever since – as far as I can tell he doesn’t know anything at all. Too wrapped up in his own little life,” she added bitterly. “And I’m not really showing enough yet for the gossip to start.”
“Yet,” Eric repeated meaningfully. “OK, so he might not suspect anything now, but he certainly will in a few months’ time when the baby is born. The man isn’t stupid, Emma – he’ll work things out for himself!”
“Being with me in the first place was stupid of him, Eric!” Emma retorted quickly, the beginnings of tears in her eyes, “And what he did afterwards was even worse! Why mess around with my head like that? Why sleep with me at all if he knew it wasn’t going anywhere, if his heart was somewhere else?”
“I know. I know.” Eric was soothing. “I wish I knew. But things have always been complicated where he’s concerned – you know that better than I do.”
Emma nodded but couldn’t reply as she tried to stop the tears from coming. She certainly did know that, but still it hadn’t stopped her from thinking that their night together had meant something more. Having sworn for most of her adult life that she’d never, ever make a fool of herself over some man like her sister had, she’d then gone and stupidly done the very same thing. She’d been an idiot.
“He’s bad news where women are concerned, Emma – always has been.”
“Maybe, but that doesn’t change the fact that I really cared about him,” Emma said sadly. “And he used me. And just because he was unsure about what he really wanted, I’m left in this position
.”
Now, as she made her way across the bridge, Emma came to the conclusion that there was no point in keeping her pregnancy a secret from him any longer. Eric was right. He had to know, and soon.
Very soon, before Liz McGrath had a chance to tell the whole world about it.
A few minutes later, Emma stood outside his front door.
Steeling herself for the confrontation to come, she tried to keep calm as she rang the doorbell. She stood back from the doorstep and fastened her coat up to the neck in a conscious attempt to keep her condition concealed. OK, so she might have come here with the express intention of telling him, but she didn’t want to make it all so obvious from the outset. And she certainly didn’t want him to panic at the sight of her bump and maybe quickly close the door in her face. Who knows how he’d react to something like this?
Suddenly, the door swung open and there he stood in the doorway, looking as handsome and wonderful as ever, and as she caught sight of him once again, Emma’s breath caught in her throat. God, how she wished she didn’t feel like this! But it was pointless wishing – for some reason, he had always had a profound effect on her, and despite her attempts to deny it, she just couldn’t help how she truly felt.
“Emma, hi! This is a surprise . . . how are you?” By the slight wariness in his tone, she knew immediately that there was someone else in the house with him – and she could guess exactly who. Well, she wasn’t going to keep him very long.
“Well, I’d like to say I’m fine, but that would be a lie,” Emma said shortly, lapsing into defensive mode.
“Oh?” He looked confused. “What’s up? And how can I help?”
“That night . . .” she began, staring straight at him, her eyes cold and her chin upturned. “The night we –”
He visibly winced. “Emma, I’m sorry . . . but can we talk some other time?” he said quickly. “It’s been a busy day and now is not really a good time for me . . .” Then he gave a surreptitious glance behind him, as if afraid that his companion might come out to investigate.