Anna looked at her father. ‘Dad, did you—’
‘Anna, I know you mean well, but you really can’t defend him,’ he said. ‘He hit Harry and it looks like he had a go at you too.’
‘He did, but—’
Harry pulled himself up from the floor, blood seeping from his nose. Anna quickly ran a tea towel under the tap, wrung it out, and began to gently dab Harry’s face.
‘And that’s not the only thing he’s done,’ her father continued. ‘I found out today that he’s stealing from the business.’
‘What?’ Anna asked, pausing in her administrations.
‘It’s true. He’s been overcharging customers, putting the right amount through the books and pocketing the rest. I only found out because someone mentioned their job was more than they were expecting. You know how useless I am with paperwork, but I’ve been going through the accounts. I should never have left it to him without checking it myself, but I trusted him.’
‘Oh, Dad! I’m so sorry.’ Anna left Harry’s side and put her arms around her father.
‘I would never have believed it from one of my own.’ He leaned his head against hers. ‘But he’s a bad apple and now he needs to face life on his own. See how much he likes that.’
‘Maybe he’ll see the error of his ways,’ Harry said.
‘Maybe he will,’ Andrew said. ‘But I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to trust him again. And neither should you. We need to get some ice on that face or you’ll have a right shiner tomorrow.’
Chapter Sixteen
The following week was incredibly busy as they worked on the shots they had been commissioned to take prior to the show opening on Friday. Anna was grateful as it took her mind off what had happened with Jack. She’d known he could be chauvinistic, particularly where she was concerned, but she hadn’t been prepared for the depth of his hatred, or the level of violence he’d shown towards both her and Harry. And she certainly hadn’t been prepared for him stealing from the family business. She and Jack had definitely grown apart as he got older, and she wondered how much her easy relationship with Harry was a factor. But that wasn’t because she loved Harry more than she did Jack, it was just that Harry was much easier to get on with. If she’d known Jack had been fostering jealousy all these years, maybe she could have done something to stop it from reaching boiling point.
Like her, Jack hadn’t been academic and had shown no interest in school. If it hadn’t been for their dad giving him an apprenticeship, she didn’t know where he would have ended up. And yet even that hadn’t been enough for him. Despite everything he’d done, though, she couldn’t stop worrying about him. Their dad refused to even mention his name, but Anna wondered how Jack was managing without either a home or a job, and it distressed her that she couldn’t do anything to help him.
On Thursday, after a particularly gruelling day of pandering to the temperamental personalities of both fashion designers and models, Daniel asked Anna if she’d like to join him at home for dinner. They were packing away the last of the equipment and she was bone-weary, dreading the long journey home.
‘Just a takeaway and a bottle of wine,’ Daniel said.
‘That would be lovely,’ she replied. ‘Save me having to face the Tube in rush hour.’
They finished packing the equipment they needed for the next day’s shoots and, after a short journey to his house, she was sitting by the kitchen island on one of the comfortable bar stools.
‘This is great.’ Daniel smiled at her as he poured a glass of wine. ‘I really can’t face another evening on my own, but I haven’t got the energy for going out.’
He seemed to be going out less these days, and he certainly wasn’t showing up on social media on the arm of a beautiful model. She wondered what was happening to him.
She took a sip of the wine, relishing the cool acidity as it slipped down her throat. ‘I love it when I get an evening to myself at home, but it doesn’t happen very often.’
‘How is it at home these days?’
‘It’s getting better actually,’ she replied. It was certainly a lot quieter and more easy-going without Jack. ‘Dad’s taken a fancy to cooking, so at least that’s one chore that isn’t my sole responsibility. But Harry is in the middle of his exams so he’s really stressed.’
‘And what about your other brother? Jack, is it?’
‘Jack’s moved out,’ she said carefully, not wanting to reveal that he’d been thrown out, or the reason why. ‘So it’s just the three of us now. We’re getting along okay. Better than we have in a long time to be honest. It’s still a busy house, though.’
‘Have you ever thought about getting a place on your own?’
‘I’ve thought about it, but I’ve always felt the need to look after them. Besides, I couldn’t afford somewhere on my own.’
He smiled. ‘Maybe that will change after your exhibition.’
‘I doubt that! One little exhibition isn’t going to make me a fortune.’
‘No, but it will set you on your way. The photos are great. Charlotte is determined to make it a success.’
