When they got home, Daniel tried to embrace her in the hallway, but she gently pushed him away.
‘I need a shower and then I’m going to bed.’
‘Anna, don’t leave things like this. We need to talk.’
‘Fine. But let me have a shower first.’
The pounding of the hot water over her body was comforting, but fear gnawed at her. She didn’t want this conversation with Daniel as she was afraid it would only go one way.
After her shower, she wrapped herself in a bathrobe and towelled her hair before heading back downstairs, her legs feeling like lead.
In the kitchen, Daniel handed her a cup of tea. ‘Here, drink this.’
‘Thanks.’
She wandered into the living room and slumped onto the sofa. Daniel sat next to her and took hold of her hand. She resisted the urge to snatch it back from him.
‘I’m really sorry about tonight,’ he said.
‘So am I. But we all know who’s behind this. Why would Verity want to have a go at me like that? I don’t even know her.’
‘She’s always been a pot stirrer and likes to be the centre of the drama. But Charlotte was right, you know. You could report it as an assault.’
‘And what good would that do? It would only stir up more trouble.’
‘I’ll have a word with Lucinda if you really think she’s behind this.’
‘No, I don’t want you to have a word with Lucinda.’
‘So what do you want me to do?’
‘I want you to stop running back to Lucinda all the time. You tell me it’s over between you, but your actions are telling me something completely different. And they’re telling everyone the same thing.’
‘But I’m not running back to her. I’m just trying to get through to her that we are together and she can’t keep behaving this way.’
‘But don’t you see that’s exactly what she wants? She’s finding ways to keep that connection between you, giving you reasons to speak to her. And you fall for it every time.’
‘We’ll always have a connection. We have Ben.’
‘Yes, I know that, and I’d never get in the way of that. But this isn’t about Ben. It’s about you and her, and the fact that I’m in the way now and she doesn’t like it. Don’t feed the flames, Daniel.’
He sighed. ‘I can see what you’re saying. But I just think she needs to get used to the idea. Give it—’
‘Don’t tell me to give it time. How can I, Daniel? What do you want me to do? Accept that, every time I go out here, I risk the chance of being publicly humiliated? Is that what you want for me?’
‘No, of course it isn’t. I just think that if we stick together they’ll get bored.’
‘Do you know what? Until tonight I thought that too.’ She turned to face him — all she could feel was sorrow. ‘After the exhibition I’d planned to tell you that I was going to help you with the school. I was going to put my own ambitions on hold, and spend more of my time up here with you and Ben. I’m sick of us being apart so much, and I thought that was the answer.’
His eyes lit up. ‘But it still can be. We can make it work, here together. It’s being apart from each other that’s killing this relationship.’
‘It’s part of it, yes. But me moving up here wouldn’t work.’
He frowned. ‘Why not?’
‘How can I make this place my home when all I’m met with is hostility? And why should I give up my life in London, my own career, my family and my friends, when you’re happy for me to be treated this way?’
‘I’m not happy about it. Not by any means, but it would be different if you were here.’
