Annabel looked from her sister to her pyjamas and fluffy bunny slippers, no longer quite sure how to respond. Yes, she might be inappropriately dressed considering their venue, but with mascara and eye liner smeared all over her face, she had to ask if Rebecca was really in a position tocomment.
‘And two, what’s hedoinghere?’
Annabel saw that Dan was about to reply, but quickly put her hand up to silence him. Rebecca had long made her mind up with regards to her dislike for the man and, no matter the explanation, she’d still want rid of him. Besides, having already made it clear Dan’s role here was non-verbal, she felt more concerned about her sister’s well-being. She’d never seen such an emotionalwreck.
‘Never mind him,’ she replied. ‘What are youdoinghere?’
‘I’ve been asking myself that for the last two hours,’ saidRebecca.
Annabel peered out at the building before her. With a boarded-up window and half its neon signage refusing to light up, the pub couldn’t be more of a dive if it tried. Considering their surroundings, her sister was lucky she hadn’t been robbed at knifepoint or car jacked. And goodness only knew what kind of woman her brother-in-law had got himself mixedupwith.
‘Earlier,’ her sister carried on. ‘When he rang to say he was working late again, something just snapped. I got in the car and waited outside the office for him to finish. That’s when I followed him here.’ Tears began to well in her eyes. ‘He’s in there, Annabel, with his otherwoman.’
‘Oh, Rebecca,’ she said, her sister’s pain almost tangible. ‘You shouldn’t be doing this to yourself, not in yourcondition.’
Out of the corner of her eye, Annabel saw Dan move, as if about to speak. Anticipating his question, she decided to get in with the answer first. ‘She’s pregnant,’shesaid.
Dan’s whole body seemed to slump. ‘Jesus, Annabel,’ hereplied.
His reaction surprised her. Dan appeared as shocked by the news as she’d been, he didn’t seem able to say anything else. Instead, he just sat there. Then again, Annabel supposed there wasn’t much he could say. All the platitudes in the world wouldn’t change things. Her sister would still be having a baby and she still wouldn’t. She could see a tenderness in his eyes as he leaned over with a comforting hand, a gesture that left her, like him, lost for words. As she was taking in his gaze, the moment seemed to go on a little too long and, suddenly uncomfortable, Annabel snapped herself out of it. ‘Now is not the time for sympathy,’ she said, trying to re-focus.
‘I just needed to see it for myself,’ said Rebecca, as her lip began toquiver.
‘And if he is with another woman,’ said Annabel. ‘Whatthen?’
Her lip quivered some more. ‘I don’t know. I haven’t thought that farahead.’
‘I take it you still haven’t spoken to Gavin about any of this then?’ asked Annabel. She again took in their dodgy environment. ‘I’m guessing we wouldn’t be here ifyouhad.’
Rebecca shook her head. ‘So he can tell me I’m imagining things? That it’s my hormonesplayingup?’
As her sister broke down in tears, Annabel didn’t know what to say for the best. She turned to Dan, hoping he’d have some words of wisdom, before quickly changing her mind again. After all, this was the last person Rebecca would take advice from. With no other options, she simply dug into her handbag and pulled out a clean tissue before silently handingitover.
Annabel watched her sister wipe her eyes and couldn’t help but question why life had to be so complicated. If Gavin no longer felt happy in his marriage he should have come clean about his feelings, not turned to another woman. And once Rebecca had suspicions, she should have confronted her husband, not taken to sneaking around after him like this. Why couldn’t people just be more honest with each other? She suddenly felt the warmth of Dan’s leg against hers, forced to ignore the little voice inside of her that was suggesting that she might want to take her own advice.Great,she thought. Now she was hearing things. Maybe her sister had been right of late; maybe she was losingtheplot.
Annabel insisted all of this sitting around wasn’t getting anyone anywhere, and decided to take charge of the matter at hand. ‘Just to get things straight,’ she said. ‘You haven’t actually been inside thepubyet?’
Again, her sister shook her head. ‘I’ve tried to pluck up the courage,’ she said. ‘But that’s why I rang you. I was hoping you’d go informe.’
Annabel looked into her sister’s rather smudged, yet pleading, eyes. Then she once more turned her attention to her pyjamas and bunny slippers and wondered why these things always happened to her. She wished she’d listened to Dan and got changed beforesettingout.
‘Annabel, you can’t,’hesaid.
She threw him a look. ‘What choice do I have?’ sheasked.
He held his hands up and, gesticulating his surrender, leaned back in his seat as if retreating to a safedistance.
Okay,she thought.You’ve been in worse situations. You candothis.
She took a deep breath. ‘Right, any idea as to whereabouts in the building he might be?’ she asked. With a bit of luck she could just march in, grab him, and march straight back outagain.
‘None at all,’ repliedRebecca.
‘Bugger!’ saidAnnabel.
Dan tried to say something, but again, she refused to let him. She opened the car door, ready togetout.
‘You’re going in like that?’ asked hersister.
