Free Driftnet by Lin Anderson Page B

the end of the business.’
    Rhona put down
the phone without answering.
    Of course,
Edward would prefer to deal with this by letter. Speaking directly
he might have to use Liam’s name, or worse, refer to him as our
child. Edward would never do that. Edward had always distanced
himself from the event like a bad smell. And so it was. A bad smell
come back to haunt him.
    Rhona swallowed
the remains of her wine and poured another glass. The cat grunted
with displeasure and jumped off her tense body, opting for the more
reliable comfort of the hearthrug instead.
    Outside, the
sky had cleared. Evening sun shone through the open curtains. The
room looked comfortable and empty. Like my life, she thought.
    Strange to look
back and see emptiness where once she had seen success. Getting her
degree. Studying for a PhD. The freedom to choose where she wanted
to work. The delight in being given the responsibility for her own
lab. Buying the flat. Money in the bank. Nothing. I have just been
putting in time, she thought... until now.
    The phone rang
again. Rhona cursed herself for not switching on the ansaphone.
Then it struck her that it might be Edward, calling back with
something he’d forgotten to tell her. Something important.
    The phone rang
again more insistent this time. Rhona lifted the receiver.
    ‘Is that Dr
Rhona MacLeod?’
    It was a man’s
voice.
    ‘Yes?’
    ‘This is going
to sound really silly,’ the man hesitated, then cleared his throat
nervously. ‘We met yesterday in the rain. My name’s Gavin
MacLean.’
    ‘We shared a
taxi.’
    ‘I wonder
whether you would like to come out with me tomorrow night to see a
film,’ he went on, before she could answer. ‘I quite understand if
you think I’m a nut and say no.’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Right.’ He
sounded disappointed.
    ‘I mean I don’t
think you’re a nut,’ Rhona laughed.
    ‘That’s a
relief. So you’ll come?’
    ‘I don’t know
if I can.’
    ‘Look. Just a
film. No strings.’
    She thought
about it. She would have the letter tomorrow. She didn’t need to
stay in any more. She needed to be normal again. He seemed nice. It
was just a film.
    ‘Okay.’ What
was she doing? ‘Just a film.’
    ‘Great. I’ll
pick you up about eight?’
    ‘Right.’
    It wasn’t until
after Rhona had spent half an hour convincing herself why she’d
agreed to go out with a strange man (she would have reason to
celebrate tomorrow, because she would know where her child was),
that she suddenly began to wonder how Gavin MacLean knew her name
and her home number.
     
     

Chapter
10
    The night that
Rhona phoned had begun well for Edward. He and Fiona were holding a
dinner party with Sir James Dalrymple among the guests. Edward knew
he could count on Fiona’s support. Unlike Rhona, Fiona understood
the importance of playing the game. He stood at the door and
surveyed his sitting room. June sunlight shone in through the
French windows and danced across the deep blues and pinks of the
Chinese rug, the chintz covered sofas and the polished mahogany
furniture. This room symbolised everything he had worked for, from
the silk framed windows overlooking the trim lawn, to the flower
vases (expensive vases, expensive flowers), and the well stocked
drinks cabinet.
    Without Fiona,
her contacts and her family, he might never have got this far. He
was good at his job, but there were many others who were just as
good. Fiona had made the difference.
    Through the
open double doors to the dining room he could see her, still in her
dressing gown, putting the last touches to an already perfect
table. As she bent to rearrange the centre-piece, Edward admired
both his wife’s attention to detail and her exposed thigh.
    Edward had
already poured Fiona two whiskies, ostensibly with plenty of water,
but in reality rather strong, being hopeful that some time between
arranging the table centre and the donning of her little black
number, she would let him make love to her.
    Fiona was
looking over at