The next morning Hope dished out painkillers with coffee as everybody’s heads were throbbing. Jess was thankful that Georgina and Annabel were keeping Freya amused, as she couldn’t bear to have to deal with her child’s matter-of-fact questions this morning.
Charlie appeared in the kitchen, her eyes were red from crying.
‘Oh, Charlie, darling, come and sit down,’ Jess said caringly.
‘God, why is life so unfair,’ Charlie cried. ‘He was such a good man.’
‘I know, angel, I know.’ Jess held her to her chest.
Hope looked on. She had been bothered by Cherry’s comments at the church gates. Yes, a woman scorned would be angry but why should she lie about Sam’s other indiscretions. She looked at Jess’s tortured face. She had never kept anything from her friend in her life, but this was something she would never be able to tell her. She knew Jess’s heart was breaking anyway. What good would it be to drag up even more hurt? She decided at that moment that Sam Beresford’s sordid secrets would remain buried along with him, the bastard!
Everyone ate their toast and then milled off to their respective rooms to pack. Jess and Charlie sat alone at the kitchen table in silence until Charlie put her head in her hands. ‘Oh, Jess.’ She started crying again.
‘It’s OK, darling,’ Jess soothed, suddenly feeling complete guilt, for her actions of the night before. ‘I told Dan it was over this morning,’ Charlie wept.
Jess felt a sudden surge of relief and panic at the same time. Last night had felt so right with Dan. However, in her sobriety she realised the enormity of what she’d done in sleeping with him. She knew she wasn’t Charlie’s actual mother, but the devastation of her actions could have been huge.
‘Dad’s death just made me realise that I can’t just play at life anymore. Dan’s a great guy and we’ve had amazing fun together, but there is just something missing. If you asked me what that missing something was, I wouldn’t be able to tell you but what I do know is that he’s not the one.
She looked directly at Jess and questioned. ‘You just know don’t you, if they are the one I mean?’
‘Yes you do,’ Jess said quietly. ‘You really do.’