Free When Night Closes in by Iris Gower Page A

herself? Why had she been so unquestioning, so trusting? She believed she would marry Jon so why had she learned so little about him?
    Sarah rose to her feet and Lowri stood up too. Sarah surveyed her up and down and Lowri was aware that she must look a wreck. Even now, as the injured wife, Sarah managed to appear composed and beautiful.
    â€˜What happened to him?’ Sarah asked in a cold voice. ‘That night in the hotel, did he tell you it was all over? Did you kill him rather than let him leave you?’
    â€˜Don’t be absurd!’ Lowri shook her head. ‘I don’t know what happened. I fell asleep on the balcony – I was listening to music. I just don’t know anything, I wish to God I did!’
    â€˜He’d had sex with you by then, of course.’ Sarah’s voice was like a lancet, picking away at a wound. ‘He was good at that. I know how good, I had the benefit of his libido for some years before he found me too dull, too unadventurous in bed.’
    She smiled thinly. ‘He must have enjoyed you very much to stick with you so long but remember this, what he really enjoyed was punishing me. He slept with you as a little diversion, you were never important to him, just understand that.’
    â€˜I understand,’ Lowri said emptily.
    â€˜He couldn’t be faithful to me so I’m sure he wouldn’t be faithful to a trollop like you! You were just one of many.’ Sarah paused and peered closely at Lowri.
    â€˜Have you asked that girl, that bottle-blonde tart Sally White, if she slept with Jon? Because I would put my last penny on it that she did.’ She shook her head. ‘If it moved, he’d take it to bed.’
    â€˜Please! Leave me alone.’ Lowri put her hands to her cheeks – they were burning. ‘Look, I’m tired, will you just go, please?’
    â€˜So you’re tired are you? Poor soul. Well, I’m devastated. I’ve lost my husband, he’s maybe dead or lying somewhere injured and you, you pretend to know nothing about it all. Do you think I’m stupid?’
    Sarah gritted her teeth, her face was suffused with colour and Lowri thought for a moment that she might attack her. But Sarah made an effort to regain control.
    â€˜You are disgusting, do you know that?’
    It was pointless trying to explain that Jon was a convincing liar, that she had really believed that he was free to marry her. What married man out for a fling took his mistress to his home, even if it was a holiday cottage? But perhaps Sarah was right and Jon’s main aim in life was to punish his wife, to taunt her with his other women.
    â€˜Just go!’ she said. Her brain felt scrambled, her emotions fluctuating between anger and despair. ‘I can’t deal with this, not now.’
    Sarah pushed her face closer, her eyes seeming to pierce Lowri’s skull. ‘You’ll have more to deal with before I’ve finished with you, madam.’
    She walked to the door and glanced back, and the hate in her eyes was frightening. ‘You wouldn’t have lasted much longer with him. Look at you, skin and bone, bags under your eyes. You were getting too old, my dear.’
    She put her hand on the front-door catch. ‘I’ve been watching you, you’ve found another fool to take you out. You didn’t let any grass grow under your feet, did you?’ She paused, a thin smile barely touching her lips. ‘I saw you, in the pub with him. He just picked you up at the bar, did he? Well, enjoy it while you may but I think you’ll find it a slippery road to ruin from here on in, Miss Richards. I am not a woman you would want as an enemy, believe me.’
    She walked outside, leaving the door open. As Lowri slammed it shut, her heart was thumping. The woman was deranged; there was no way of reasoning with her. But then would any wronged wife want to listen to excuses made by the other woman, especially when the