Chapter 9

Richard leant against the inside of the front door and exhaled with a whoosh. He had expected Sharon to make a scene. Instead, while obviously knocked sideways, she had acted with dignity and grace. That she had still wanted to go to bed with him was a measure of her love for him. Richard had spoken truly when he had told her it was too soon for him to have fallen in love with Deborah and it might well be that, when she told him more about her divorce or daughter, he might be put off. He could not believe he would. He could not envisage Deborah doing anything vicious or wicked. Also she had said that her divorce had been her decision so it seemed likely that her ex was the guilty party. On the other hand, there were always two sides to the story.

If he did fall in love with Deborah what about Sharon? He could not just brush her aside. He could not repay her loyalty to Rachel and him like that. Nor could he rebuff her love without hurting her deeply and possibly wounding her forever. Neither had foreseen this eventuality when Sharon made her offer. Even when she had fallen for him she had promised never to stand in his way. Easier said than done. Perhaps both of them secretly believed that he never would fall in love again. And he hadn't yet — quite.

He would have to come clean with Deborah too. That could really put the cat among the pigeons. He wondered whether she had remained chaste since her divorce. Almost certainly. However there was no need to get wound up about that at this stage as it might never be necessary although he found himself hoping that it would.

He went off to the kitchen to fix himself some lunch. He had a client coming down this afternoon. He hoped he could think straight. At least they would not meet Deborah if they walked the dogs. He also had to ring the theatre.

Sharon had turned off into the gateway she usually used when there was an emotional upheaval with Richard. She turned off the engine and gripped the steering wheel so tightly that the whole car shook with her trembling. The moment she had been dreading had arrived and she did not know how she was going to cope with it. The love she had developed for Richard had just kept growing stronger. It was not that he had encouraged her. It was just his innate kindness and consideration and the greater easy familiarity that had developed. She had promised him that, provided she approved of Richard's choice, she would not stand in his way. Come what may she would stick to that promise. She had also begged him to let her stay part of the family and she had no doubt that that would be his wish too. But what about his new girlfriend? She would be the problem and Sharon was realistic enough to recognise that her feelings, if she let them show, might wreck Richard's chances. She had to show no jealousy and no antipathy. How could she not?

At that moment the floodgates burst.

"Don't send me away, Richard," she howled. "And don't let her make you."

Finally the tears stopped.

"He won't," she muttered, banging the steering wheel with both fists. "He won't. He won't. He won't.