‘Look what a fuss he made a few weeks ago when you started work and Ezra went to nursery. He didn’t like that, did he?’
Sara pursed her lips. Her sister was right; it had been quite a tussle of wills. Done in the most civilised of ways, of course. Not all-out war, but sniper fire over the cornflakes. No obvious upset of any kind, apart from the clenching of her teeth as his barbed comments found their mark, wounding her. Eventually she’d compromised and set her sights much lower than she would have liked. Instead of looking for a job that would use her business studies degree, she’d decided to seriously consider the offer of part-time work at the community centre.
She remembered the night well, having shipped the kids off to Hailey and made a special dinner for her and Matt so they could have a proper chat without the children listening in.
She’d said her piece, the one she’d rehearsed a dozen times that day, and he’d sat very still, gazing at her across the table as she laid it all out, making the point that she’d put her career on hold, spent fourteen years at home, and now felt a bit claustrophobic. Also, she’d argued, it would be good for Ezra to start at nursery part-time because he needed to get used to being away from her before he started school in September.
Matt had reached for her hand across the table. ‘I suppose it makes sense, and I want you to be happy, love. So if you need to work…’ He smiled. ‘A local part-time job seems the best idea. As long as it doesn’t get in the way of looking after the kids, and it doesn’t make you too stressed, well, I’m fine with it.’
Hailey’s voice broke into her thoughts. ‘For what it’s worth, I really haven’t got Matt down as a cheater. I mean, the way he was brought up, it’s just not something he’d even think about, is it?’
Sara chewed her lip as she considered her sister’s words. Although Matt had a strong bond with his parents, she didn’t know them very well. Their home was in Cyprus now, a place where they’d lived for a time during his father’s armed service. Both of them suffered from arthritis, and the climate was a blessing for their health, but it meant she and Matt didn’t see much of them, and most of their interactions were by Skype rather than face to face.
‘Hmm. You’re right that his parents really drummed it into him that marriage was for life. In fact, when he proposed, he said he’d always be true to me, and told me that I shouldn’t accept unless I would totally commit to our relationship.’ Sara picked up the teaspoon and stabbed it into the sugar bowl, at a loss to know why things had suddenly changed between them. ‘But right now, it’s not working. Even when he’s here, it’s like his mind’s somewhere else.’
‘You can’t go jumping to conclusions, though.’ Hailey reached out and took the spoon from Sara’s hand, moving the sugar bowl out of her reach, much as one might do with a child. ‘Communication, Sara. That’s where most marriages go wrong. People not talking to each other. If you want to find out what’s going on, you’ll have to ask him. Just be straight. What harm can it do?’
Sara looked at her sister and gave a rueful laugh. ‘What harm? You haven’t seen him when…’ She stopped herself, sucked in a breath and chose her words carefully. ‘You know what I’m like about confrontation. After everything with Mum…’ She stopped herself, lips pressed together. ‘I’m not like you. I can’t let it bounce off me. It stresses me out. So I’m not going to pick a fight until I know the facts.’
Hailey leant across the table and gave her hand a comforting squeeze. ‘I know. It’s okay, don’t get yourself upset.’ She smiled. ‘If it’s facts you need, then let’s do a bit of sleuthing. If he’s supposed to be working late tonight, I’ll drive by his office and see if there’s anyone still there. How about that? Now Cassie’s off at uni, I’ve nobody to go home to.’ A flash of sadness crossed her face and she looked away, gulped down the rest of her coffee.
Sara knew Hailey was struggling a bit without her daughter around. They were very close, and Cassie’s absence had left a big hole in her life. A hole that she filled with work and exercise and obsessive house-cleaning. She was an exemplary mother, and even though her husband had left when Cassie was eight, she’d made sure that her daughter had the sort of upbringing she and Sara would have wished for themselves.
‘No, you don’t have to do that,’ Sara said, appalled at the idea of her sister snooping on her husband. But Hailey was undeterred.
‘I’ll wait outside his office this evening. I can be there about four to make sure I don’t miss him. Then when he leaves, I’ll follow him, and if he doesn’t come home, at least we’ll know where he’s going and who he’s meeting.’ Her eyes met Sara’s. ‘The only way to sort out problems like this is to confront them, and if you’re not ready to ask him… Well, this is the only way to find out the truth, isn’t it?’
Sara thought about it for a moment. What harm could it do? Hailey was right: knowing would be better than not knowing. Then her mind could stop racing around looking for solutions to problems that maybe didn’t exist.
‘Okay, you’re on.’ She almost managed a smile. ‘Thank you, I really do appreciate your support, you know.’
Hailey shrugged off her thanks. ‘What are big sisters for, eh?’
‘I’m going to see if I can find anything in the house that might give me a clue as to what he’s up to. Because I honestly don’t think it’s work.’ She frowned as she tried to put her thoughts into words. ‘When he says he’s going to be late, he always looks away. Seems a little antsy.’ She sighed. ‘It’s hard to explain, but when you’ve been with someone for as long as we’ve been together, you just know that something’s not right.’
Hailey checked her watch and pushed back her chair. ‘Gotta go. Look, I’ll keep in touch and I’ll see you later.’
Sara stood and went to the door with her, gave her a quick hug. Will Matt recognise her car? she wondered as she watched her sister drive away. It was a silver hatchback, very common, nothing standout about it, she reassured herself, and Matt wasn’t the most observant of people.
She crossed her arms and leant against the door frame, letting her eyes take in the scenery, the view over the jumble of slate roofs and gritstone buildings of the town to the moors above. Their terrace would have housed quarry workers back in the day, and stood proud on the lower slopes of the valley. If she looked to her right, the road was elevated enough to give a panoramic view over Wharfedale. This was her world, where she’d felt safe bringing up a family, but she had a horrible feeling the past was about to repeat itself, rupturing the life she’d crafted, and there wasn’t a thing she could do to stop it.
Chapter Three
A comprehensive search of drawers and cupboards uncovered nothing obvious to explain Matt’s recent change in behaviour. Sara had been so absorbed in her task that she’d lost track of time and now, she realised with a start, it was time to pick up Ezra from nursery.
Her phone rang as she was walking to the car. It was Fiona, a school mum, whose daughter Chelsea was best friends with the twins.