Save Her by Abigail Osborne (i can read books .txt) 📕

had been her best friend for as long as she could remember. It was time to honour that and do what she should have done when Sophie first told her the truth.

She thought resolutely, I’m going to save Sophie from the Cavendish scum. I’m going to save her. After all, we’ve only ever needed each other.

48

The fury in Flora’s eyes took Sophie’s breath away. It was the second time she had been in her house that week and it felt strange. Sophie lay back in her bed and watched Flora pace up and down, her hair whipping around each time she turned on her heel and marched ferociously back up the other side of the room. Her brown eyes were alight with rage, her hands waved as she ranted. It was a side to Flora she did not often see, and she loved it. Finally. Finally, it was happening. The rose-tinted spectacles had been ripped off. Flora was finally seeing the Cavendish family for who they were. Including Sam.

Flora had gone to talk to Sam. That was all Sophie knew so far. Flora’s anger had so far stopped her from saying anything that made sense.

‘They were just in there, talking about it. Bold as brass.’

‘You’re talking in riddles, Flo.’

But Flora wasn’t listening. ‘It was disgusting. I can’t believe it. I can’t believe Sam would do this. How could he? I thought I knew him. But I didn’t know anything.’ She came to a stop at the foot of the bed, tears glistening in her chestnut eyes. But for once, they were tears of anger. ‘You were right all along, Sophie. We have to leave. This family – Sam, Greg, Alistair, Cecelia – they’re evil. We have to get away from them.’

‘Are you sure?’ Would Flora still feel the same once she had had time to calm down?

‘Of course I’m sure.’ Flora stared at her, incredulous. ‘I just heard Sam admitting that he knew what Greg has been doing to you; and promising to keep quiet.’ Flora snatched Sophie’s hairbrush off the dressing table and threw it at the wall with all her strength. She turned to Sophie and came to kneel next to the bed, taking her hands. ‘I am so sorry for not being a better friend. I should have just listened to you. I should know by now to trust you. That you know what’s best.’ Flora looked determined. ‘You’ve always looked after me but now it is time for me to look after you, to put you first like I should have done all along.’

Sophie couldn’t speak. She was overcome with emotion.

‘We need to make a plan. Decide our next move. I can’t stay here any longer and neither can you.’

Sophie smiled at Flora. She had been planning their getaway for ages. It was just going to be easier now that Flora was a willing participant. ‘Well, I kind of already have a plan. Like I said, it was something that helped me through, you know, everything. We have to be really clever about this, though.’ Sophie looked at Flora, trying to convey how serious this was. They could not just up and leave in the night. It would take strategic planning to make it so Greg and Sam didn’t come looking for them. ‘Can you imagine, both wives disappear in the night. That would make them look so bad. They wouldn’t allow it. They’d stop at nothing to bring us back.’

Flora looked sceptical.

‘Flora, don’t look at me like that. I keep telling you, reputation is everything to these people. They wouldn’t be able to look any of their friends and colleagues in the eye if it got out that we had vanished. The rumours could destroy them.’

‘All right. So, what do we need to do?’

Sophie stroked Flora’s cheek. ‘You’re not going to like it.’

‘What?’ She grimaced.

‘I know it’s going to be hard. But we are going to have to pretend that nothing has happened. Act normal until I get everything ready.’

Flora looked sick. ‘I can’t. There’s no way.’

‘You have to, Flora.’

Flora sat back on her heels, horrified. ‘Sophie, Sam is going to know in an instant. I am a useless liar. He’s going to realise when I can’t stand him touching me.’ Flora looked repulsed at the thought.

Sophie got off the bed and knelt in front of Flora. ‘We don’t have a choice, Flora. If Greg or Alistair finds out what we are planning, they would not hesitate to act. You have to realise, they think their money makes them invincible. If they find out, I’m scared what they might do.’

The penny seemed to drop and Flora, pale as a ghost nodded. ‘Okay.’

They clung to each other as though they sensed the gravity of the moment. This was the moment their lives would change forever.

49

‘Hi, this is Sophie. Sorry I can’t take your call right now. Leave a message.’ Flora disconnected the call and threw the mobile onto the passenger seat. She’d been to her house; she’d been to Sophie’s house and she could not find her anywhere. She’d driven past Sophie’s hairdressers and beauty salon but there was no sign of her, and she would not answer her phone. Sophie always answered her phone.

She had woken up with a pit of dread in her stomach that morning. She had not wanted to leave Sophie. Every instinct was telling her to pack their stuff and leave. But Sophie was resolute. After another sleepless night, Flora didn’t think she could wait any longer. Flora had stood over Sam as he slept soundly, alternating between crying for the loss of her marriage and wanting to smother him with a pillow, overwhelmed by fury. Her nerves were shot. She couldn’t think about anything else.

With difficulty, she had called Charlotte and told her that she was experiencing a family emergency and would not be working for the foreseeable future. She asked Charlotte to run the sessions if she felt comfortable or cancel them. It was up to her.