The Marriage by K.L. Slater (any book recommendations TXT) 📕

to understand that you’re not in control of Tom any more. You’ll have to learn to deal with that.’

‘Tom is his own person,’ I said, choked. ‘He doesn’t need you running his life either.’

‘We’ll see about that,’ she hissed.

I felt suddenly winded. I folded my arms, hugged my hands close to me.

‘I’ll always be his mother,’ I said. ‘I’ll be here long after you’re sick of him, because you forget I know you too, Bridget.’ I paused to take a breath. ‘I know how you lose interest in things very quickly, how you’re fond of idealising but struggle with the reality of situations. Just like your son.’

It was satisfying to see the false mocking smile instantly melt away.

‘Don’t you dare drag Jesse into this.’ I glimpsed bared teeth through her painted lips, her eyes flashing with quiet fury. ‘I can make your life a misery, remember that. We can be civil to each other for Tom’s sake or you can make an enemy of me, Jill. It’s your decision.’

‘Hey! What’re my two favourite girls talking about?’ Tom walked casually down the hallway looking handsome and relaxed.

‘Oh, we were reminiscing about the old days, darling.’ Bridget moved away from the bottom of the stairs so that finally I was able to step down. She kissed him on the lips and pointed to the photographs. ‘Your mum was admiring Jesse’s memory wall.’

I watched his reaction carefully.

‘She’s done a fantastic job with it, hasn’t she, Mum?’

‘There are so many photographs,’ I said simply.

‘Yeah, and lots of great memories on here for me too.’ He glanced at the wall and then lowered his eyes. ‘I loved him like a brother. Miss him every day.’

Bridget grasped his hand and jiggled it. ‘Come on. You know Jesse wouldn’t have wanted us all moping around. Let’s go and get our drinks. Dinner will be nearly ready to serve.’

And in a jiffy they were both headed back to the kitchen and I was alone in the hallway again. Tempted as I was to creep upstairs and have a bit of a snoop, I decided I’d wait until Tom offered to show me around. It would probably only end up making me feel sick, imagining my beautiful boy here with her.

I walked slowly towards the kitchen. Movement to my right caught my eye. It was Ellis, sitting alone in a comfortable snug lit with lamps. His gaming device was on, the glare of the screen lighting up the room, but he wasn’t playing on it; he was staring vacantly ahead, looking lost. Even though he’d never met his father, his grandmother marrying the man who’d gone to prison for Jesse’s death must be incredibly difficult for him to fathom.

‘Hello, Ellis,’ I said, hovering in the doorway. ‘I’m glad we got to meet at last tonight.’

‘Hi,’ he mumbled, and snatched up his device. I wondered what was going through his head – the fact that I was the mother of the man who killed his dad? Probably.

I took a few steps inside the room, and he looked so alarmed, I stood still.

‘It’s OK, I’m going through to the kitchen in a moment. I wanted to say that I know all this must be very difficult for you, Ellis. I understand that, and if—’

‘It’s not difficult, it’s unbearable.’ I turned to see Coral behind me. ‘For us both, if you must know.’ I stepped back and she came properly into the room, pushing the door almost closed. ‘I know you don’t like her. I can tell. We feel trapped. She controls our lives, and Ellis … well, he says he hates Tom because of what happened.’ She hesitated. ‘Sorry to have to say that to you, Jill. But Bridget is forcing Ellis to spend time with him, and it’s not fair.’ She peered through the gap in the door nervously, her eyes wide. ‘Please don’t say anything to her. Not tonight when she’s on a high. She’d never forgive me, and she’s already threatening to withdraw my rent support.’

‘I won’t say a word.’ I touched her arm. ‘Look, I don’t approve of this marriage any more than you do, Coral. And I completely understand that it must be incredibly hard for Ellis and for you to see Tom at such close quarters.’

Ellis sat very still, his eyes downcast, his face red.

I decided to say what I was thinking. ‘If you ever want to talk, you only have to say. I’m happy to meet and …’

She looked at me so strangely, the words died in my throat.

‘Thank you for that, but I don’t think it will work. None of this is your fault, I know that. In fact, I feel very sorry for you.’

‘Don’t feel sorry for me,’ I said, far more blithely than I felt. ‘I’ll get through this like I’ve managed to get through everything else in life. Bridget doesn’t scare me one bit.’

‘Well, maybe she ought to.’

I frowned. ‘What do you mean by that?’

‘Nothing.’ She turned away from me slightly.

‘Coral, if there’s something I need to know, please tell me. I’m as concerned about this sham marriage as you are.’

She looked at me as if she pitied me.

‘It’s just temper. I’ve nothing to tell you.’

But she did know something, I felt sure of it. She’d forgotten herself for a moment, been about to share something important and then thought better of it.

I wouldn’t wait around for her to confide in me. I’d start to poke around a bit myself, use my librarian’s research skills to find out what I could about Bridget.

If he was going to get this joke of a marriage annulled, there was no time to waste.

Twenty-Six Bridget

It didn’t escape my notice that Jill, Coral and Ellis all came back into the room together. Neither Jill nor Ellis would look at me, which was a big clue that they were feeling jumpy about something.

‘Ready for dinner, Jill? I’m so looking forward to it,’ I said brightly, though in reality I was counting the minutes