TOYL

Three of the people I trusted the most kept that from me.’
    ‘Like I said, Emma, we just didn’t see the point in telling you about it. You were getting on with your life in London, getting over him. He’d haunted you enough while he was alive. I didn’t want him to haunt you when he was dead, too.’
    ‘How did you find out? How did you know what happened?’
    ‘Well… Will and Stuart came to me, and told me that they’d seen Stephen hanging around outside your apartment in London, shortly after you moved down here. I know you thought that he didn’t follow you down here, but he did. They’d warned him off, and he swore that he wouldn’t come back again, but we wanted to make sure. So we kept an eye on him.’
    ‘You kept an eye on him? How?’
    ‘We paid for someone to keep a watch on him.’
    ‘A private detective?’
    ‘Yes. I know it sounds crazy, but it was the only way we could be sure that he’d really stay away. A few weeks after we employed the guy, I got a call from him, saying that Stephen had been found dead.’
    ‘You said you’d never keep me in the dark again,’ Emma said, ‘Not after what happened with Mum.’
    ‘Oh, Emma, that’s completely different,’ he protested. ‘We just wanted to protect you.’
    ‘You wanted to protect me from Mum’s illness.’
    ‘That’s not fair,’ he said, suddenly filling up. ‘It was your mother who promised me not to tell you both. She didn’t want you to worry.’
    ‘But I wanted to worry,’ Emma shouted. ‘She was dying, Dad. I should have been worrying. Not going off on holidays enjoying myself.’
    ‘I’m sorry, that’s all I can say. But please believe me, I didn’t do any of this to hurt you, or your brother.’
    ‘What other secrets are you protecting me from?’
    ‘What?’ Her dad seemed taken aback by the question.
    ‘You said on the phone you had something to tell me. Something you should have told me before.’
    ‘I… I can’t,’ he said, turning away. ‘It’s not the right time now.’
    ‘Tell me, Dad,’ Emma said, pulling at his arm. ‘If you mean what you say, then tell me whatever it is you were going to tell me.’
    ‘It shouldn’t be happening like this,’ he said, turning back to her. The strain was etched across his face like carvings in rock.
    ‘Tell me.’
    ‘It’s about Miranda and me,’ he said. ‘We’re expecting a baby.’

26

    ‘He’s called you, hasn’t he?’ Emma said, as Will opened the door to his flat.
    ‘You’d better come in,’ he said, turning and leading her into the lounge. ‘I’ve been waiting for you to arrive. Take a seat.’
    ‘I was going to come straight round,’ said Emma, sitting down, ‘but then I decided to go and see Richard.’
    ‘You’re really angry with me, aren’t you?’ His face was streaked with genuine anguish. ‘Em, I’m so sorry, really.’
    ‘I’m not angry,’ Emma said. ‘I was, but seeing Richard lying there – well, it helped me to put things into perspective. I just sat there, watching him, and suddenly, for now at least, my worries don’t seem that important.’
    ‘How is he?’
    ‘No change.’
    ‘Right…’ Will looked off towards the wall. ‘I’m glad you’re not angry, Em, although I wouldn’t blame you if you were. I’ve really let you down.’
    ‘I’m not angry anymore, Will, but I am disappointed. Of all the people, I would have thought that you would be the last person to keep something like that from me. After all we’ve gone through with Mum and Dad. We promised.’
    ‘I know. I hate keeping secrets from you, Em. You’ve got to believe me.’
    ‘Well, it’s over now,’ she said. ‘Stephen’s dead, and Dan has called the wedding off.’
    ‘Dad told me about the wedding. I’m sorry, Em. I thought it was going to be different this time, with Dan. I really didn’t expect this.’
    ‘Me neither.’
    ‘Have you tried to call him again?’
    ‘No. I don’t see the point really. It’s obvious that he doesn’t want to talk to me, otherwise he would have called.’
    ‘Probably,’ he agreed. ‘So what are you going to do now?’
    ‘Sort things out, I guess. I need to contact the church, the caterers, and the people bringing the flowers. I’ll probably get Lizzy to do all that.’
    ‘She’s a good friend,’ Will said.
    ‘So are you. I don’t know what I’d do without either of you in the next few months. You’ll probably be sick of me by the end of it.’
    Will looked down and bit his