Decision made, he took a long draught of his beer, almost spilling it down himself when a woman bumped his elbow.
‘Oops, sorry,’ she began, then recognition flashed in her eyes and Mark realised he knew her. ‘Mark Stafford,’ she said. ‘Well I never! I’d heard you were in town.’
‘Lisa Spencer, you haven’t changed a bit.’
‘Liar, but thank you anyway. And it’s Lisa Edwards now.’
‘How are you?’
‘I’ve got three kids, a husband with a broken arm, two dogs, a hamster, and a full-time job, so I think ‘frazzled’ is a good description.’
‘Wow! That’s a handful. I still think of you as being, like, twenty. It’s a shock to see you all grown up, a real responsible adult.’
‘I’m faking it. I don’t feel in the least bit responsible or adult. Bea and I were saying that very thing the other day. Now, there’s a lady whodefinitelyhasn’t changed much, don’t you think?’
‘She hasn’t,’ he agreed. ‘She hardly looks a day older than the last time I saw her.’
‘Which was the day you dumped her.’
Ouch. ‘It might have been. I honestly don’t remember.’
‘I do. So does Bea.’
Where was Lisa going with this? There had been a lifetime of water under that particular bridge.
‘Why are you here, Mark?’ she asked, and he frowned. It was none of her business.
She carried on, ‘Bea told me that you’re writing a book, but surely you can do that anywhere? It doesn’t have to be in Picklewick.’
That was out of line, so he felt he could also be blunt. ‘What’s it to you?’
‘I picked up the pieces last time. I don’t want to see her hurt again.’
‘What pieces? What do you mean?’
Her eyes widened and she bit her lip. ‘Nothing. Ignore me. Honestly, I don’t know what I’m talking about.’
He wasn’t going to let it drop. ‘Are you saying I hurt her? I didn’t think she was that into me. I mean, we dated for a few months but we weren’t in love, or anything.’ Actually, maybe he had been – a little. Butshehadn’t.
‘Ten months and three weeks,’ Lisa shot back. ‘And Beawasin love with you.’
Mark blew out his cheeks. ‘I didn’t know.’ Bloody hell. Was Lisa telling the truth?’
‘Would it have made any difference?’ Lisa asked.
‘No. Maybe.’ He thought again. ‘I honestly don’t know. I was young, ambitious. Hungry.’ Would love have been enough to keep him in Picklewick? He would never know.
Lisa said, ‘What are you now? Are you still ambitious?’
‘Not as much,’ he admitted.
She pursed her lips. ‘Look, forget I said anything. Bea will kill me if she found out I told you.’
‘So why did you?’
She shrugged, as though she wasn’t sure herself. ‘She’s been through a lot lately.’
‘The ex-husband?’
