Читать книгу The Affair: The shocking, gripping story of a schoolgirl and a scandal - Amanda Brooke, Amanda Brooke - Страница 15

Nina’s head was throbbing but she didn’t have the energy to move from the breakfast bar to search out painkillers. Rubbing her temples, she suspected the intense pressure around her forehead had been caused by all those months of sticking her head in the sand. How had she not seen this coming?

There had been plenty of signs that Scarlett was heading for trouble, if only Nina hadn’t been so preoccupied with proving to the world, and Sarah especially, that everything was fine. If she had been worried about anything, it had been Liam and his complete withdrawal from society. She couldn’t have named one of his friends, whereas she had met most of Scarlett’s, or the girls at least. Her daughter had been more circumspect about introducing her male friends, but as it turned out, Scarlett hadn’t been as interested in boys as Nina had presumed. At what point had she fallen for this man who had got her pregnant, the man who had abused her? Had Nina met him? Did she know him? According to Scarlett, he was going to support her, just as soon as he had told his wife.

Groaning, Nina dropped her head on the counter. His wife. She knew what Sarah thought, but what she was suggesting was unthinkable. She was wrong; except, no matter how many times Nina repeated this mantra, a seed of doubt had taken root in her mind and it was growing at an alarming rate.

She reminded herself that she was still in a state of shock. It was going to take a day or two for the news to sink in, and whatever happened next, it would ultimately be Scarlett’s decision. Her daughter would need to know what support her family, and Nina in particular, were willing to offer. Bryn had given no view on what Scarlett should do, but he didn’t disagree when Nina had said any ideas Scarlett might have about keeping the baby were utterly ridiculous. But this was an alien world she found herself in and stranger things had happened.

She had wasted too much time the day before, paralysed by fear while Scarlett and Liam hid away in their rooms. Bryn had been at a loss how to help, but had eventually got the message that his wife needed space too, and she had been relieved when he had gone out to work on Sunday evening. But the moment he had returned that morning and slipped into her bed, Nina had got up. She didn’t want to talk to him, she didn’t know what to say and, more tellingly, she hadn’t wanted him to touch her.

Was she really as blind as Sarah seemed to think? Had she been taken for a fool and willingly put her family at risk? Was everything her heart had been telling her a lie?

With her head spinning, Nina tried to straighten up and as she did, the overhead spotlights blazed into life. She wasn’t sure who was more shocked, her or Bryn.

‘I thought you’d left for work,’ he said when he had caught his breath.

Nina rubbed her eyes as she adjusted to the light and then looked at her husband. She searched in vain for familiar features, but her vision was skewed and her eyes refused to focus.

‘I’m taking the day off,’ she said.