Free Caught in the Act by Gemma Fox Page A

surprised. ‘Well, all those times I told you that I was going to leave my wife for you.’ He sounded slightly indignant. ‘All those times I promised you that we would have a life together—a little house, a fresh start, a cocker spaniel, be a real family.’
    â€˜All those false promises and false hopes you trotted out to keep me hanging on?’ she said.
    He visibly bristled. ‘I’m sorry?’
    â€˜Oh, don’t be so silly, George. I’m not totally stupid. I always knew that you would never leave Judy for me.’
    He looked at her in astonishment. ‘re ally?’ he said. He sounded genuinely amazed.
    She laughed. ‘Of course. Don’t sound so surprised. Hopeless, impossible, doomed love is a wonderfully dramatic thing—at least for a while. I was young and it all seemed terribly romantic.’
    â€˜So what happened?’
    Callista took a long pull on her drink. ‘Honestly?’
    He nodded.
    â€˜I grew up.’
    â€˜Good God. How terribly pragmatic of you,’ he said.
    Callista stroked his hand. ‘Yes, that’s right. Now eat your pie; you’ll feel a lot better.’
    â€˜But I’ve pined for you for…’ George said. ‘If I’m honest I have pined for you for the last twenty years.’ He looked pained and sounded quite cross now.
    â€˜You silly man,’ Callista said kindly, pullingthe knife and fork from his pocket and shaking out his napkin.
    â€˜I’ve always suspected that Judy knew my heart wasn’t altogether in it. All those years—’ he shook his head—‘all those dreams wasted.’
    Callista topped up her gin with the last of the tonic, and when it was obvious that she didn’t plan to comment, George continued, ‘And how about you? How has life been with you?’
    Callista smiled. ‘Me? Oh, I’m fine. We’ve been doing a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream this year and our school has been selected for funding from Europe to improve the drama facilities, which is re ally exciting. We’ve put a bid in for a drama studio and—’
    â€˜That isn’t what I meant and you know it,’ he said, cutting her short. ‘Didn’t you ever miss me?’ It was obvious from the tone he was hoping that she had pined for him just a little.
    Callista stared at him. How could she possibly tell him that she hadn’t thought about him for years? ‘You re ally did love me, didn’t you?’ she said in a low, even voice.
    George nodded.
    Callista set her hand down over his,wondering what on earth she could say. ‘George, I am re ally sorry. If I’d known I might have been more determined to get you, made more of a fuss, fought a little harder, but I thought that you were just toying with me, that I was just a game. I thought maybe—maybe it was something you made a habit of. You know, new female teacher, straight out of college. Easy pickings.’
    He winced.
    Callista sighed. ‘Then again, if I’d known how you felt it would have been far more painful for both of us, wouldn’t it? After I left Belvedere I went up to North Yorkshire, to a lovely school. I married a solicitor called Laurence—I was made head of department five years ago. We’ve got two daughters, Emma and Charlotte, they’re fifteen and seventeen. We’ve got a nice house, a dog—a little summer place in France. We’re very happy. I’m very happy.’ She paused, seeing the pain on George’s face. ‘Oh, George, I thought that it was just an affair.’
    He pursed his lips, quite obviously struggling to keep his emotions under control. ‘You were the love of my life, Callista,’ he murmured. ‘I have never forgotten you. Never a day goes past when I don’t think about you and how itmight have been if I had been brave enough, strong enough, to walk away from my marriage, from Judy.’