Hope was waiting for her on her return. She could see the look of pain on her friend’s face. ‘Come on in, angel, tell me all about it.’
‘I need a drink, Hope.’
‘Tea?’
‘No, something much stronger!’
Hope poured Jess a large scotch, and they made their way out to sit in her rambling garden. It was a beautiful sunny April day. Hope’s youthful, bare-chested gardener was down by the orchard on a sit-on mower. Jess laughed momentarily. ‘Only you could pick a gardener like that, Hope Adams!’
Jess began to enlighten her friend about the events at the Police Station. ‘No wonder there was no bloody passion in our relationship, Hope. He didn’t just have that one indiscretion. The bastard has been shagging around for years. Good old quiet Sam, I really can’t believe it. But I saw it today, the evidence right in front of my bloody eyes. Hundreds of thank-you cards from women sucked in by his charm.’
Jess took a large gulp of her drink. ‘How could I have been so stupid, Hope?’
‘What a complete bastard,’ Hope stressed and continued, her voice softening.
‘Jess, I have something to tell you and I really don’t want you to be cross that I’ve kept it from you.’
‘Hope, nothing will ever shock me again, what it is?’
‘I bumped into Cherry at the funeral.’
‘You what?’
‘You know I arrived late, well she was outside the gates crying. Anyway she spat out that she hadn’t been the only one, and Sam was renowned for having affairs.’
Jess sat back and closed her eyes, Hope continued.
‘I hope you’re not cross at me for not telling you, Jess, but I think sometimes there are some things that are better left unsaid. I knew you were hurting anyway and I just didn’t see the point in making you feel worse.’
Jess waved her hand in the air. ‘Hope, I’m not cross with you, don’t be silly. I know now anyway don’t I? I am bloody furious with him! Not to mention the embarrassment of everyone at Lemon knowing what he’s been up to and little old wifey at home has had no fucking idea, for years! I am stunned, Hope. In fact I am so upset that I never thought I’d ever say anything so awful, but I’m glad he’s dead! How dare he? How dare he put me and Freya through this?’
Jess stood up and starting pacing around the garden table. ‘The police said that they think that the fire was probably started as a result of his philandering, and this makes total sense. One of these women must have eventually snapped. They saw him coming back to his beautiful home and family without fulfilling any of his empty promises to them.’
‘Or it could have been one of their husband’s or even brother’s, you just don’t know?’ Hope added.
‘God I didn’t even think of that. Just how many lives did Sam Beresford ruin I wonder? It just is too disgusting to think about. I cannot believe I could misjudge somebody so greatly. Hope, I am never ever going to trust a man again.’
‘Oh, Jess, I’m so sorry.’
‘And it gets worse, in fact the women issue shouldn’t be top of my list, I am also stony broke.’ Jess continued with tears in her eyes. ‘The bastard was not only spunking our money up the wall on all of his whores. He also was evidently gambling our hard earned cash on the internet.’ Jess sat back down. ‘I am dumbfounded, Hope, completely blown away that I could live with a man for so many years and have no clue of this at all. I thought I was an intelligent woman.’
‘Oh, Jessy, you are an intelligent woman. He was just a scheming rat. I really can’t believe it of Sam either though,’ Hope replied amazed.
‘Well they say the quiet ones are always the worst.’ Jess attempted a smile.
‘Shit, Jess, what are you going to do?’
‘Well I can sell his Mercedes as I’m more than happy to trot around in my old GTI. I’ve got a bit of my own money but not enough to live on for more than six months. I’m going to have to get a job.’
‘What about the Cornwall cottage?’
‘I’m assuming that will have to go as well. The situation is dire by the sound of it. I called Jonathan, our solicitor, before I got here, to see exactly where I stood. His hands are tied, until the police release all Sam’s files of course. He said it may take up to two weeks.’
Hope put a supporting arm on her friend’s leg. ‘He must have had a will surely?
Jess shrugged. ‘I guess so. I’ll know when I meet with Jonathan. It will be interesting to see just what he intended to leave, if anything.’
‘You know you can live here for as long as you like, Jess,’ Hope piped up.
‘I’m so grateful for that, Hope, but I actually need to get some independence again. I was going to look at renting a small place in the village if I can, just for six months, and then see where life takes me.’
Hope lowered the parasol and they sat in silence for a while. Jess began to mellow as the whisky took effect. ‘Hope,’ she said quietly. ‘There’s something I haven’t told you either.’
‘Go on,’ Hope urged.
‘I slept with Dan on the night of the funeral.’
‘No way, Jess!’
‘So I’m just as bad as Sam really. My husband is barely cold, both his daughters are asleep next door, and there I am shagging another man: his eldest daughter’s lover!’
‘Oh, Jess, don’t beat yourself up about it, you were both drunk.’
‘That had nothing to do with it, I wanted him, Hope. I wanted to feel close to someone when everything else seemed to be ebbing away in my life.’ Jess drained her glass of Scotch.
‘Anyway,’ Hope tried to pacify her friend. ‘Charlie dumped him the next day anyway, didn’t she? So actually there is no harm done.’
‘I suppose. Dan really loves me now you know. It’s so weird how the tables turn over time isn’t it?’
‘How did you leave it with him?’ Hope asked.
‘I didn’t. We did the deed, both of us woke up with a start at 4 a.m. and he scurried back to Charlie’s room. We didn’t have time to talk.’
‘And how do you feel about him now?’
‘I guess I do love him, but I’m just not in love with him anymore.’ Jess tipped her head back and rested it on the garden chair. ‘I’m knackered. This afternoon has really taken it out of me. If you don’t mind I’m going to go up for a nap.’
‘Of course, darling, you go up,’ Hope said kindly.
Jess headed up to her room and flopped on the bed. Tears filled her eyes and she looked up at the ceiling for what seemed like hours, furiously mulling over how on earth Sam could have got away with all that he had done, for so many years.