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Something flashed in the woman’s eyes, a mixture of pain and regret, then abruptly she stood up and walked to the window to stare out over the trees just as Beth had done that time when David had offered her the job and a place to live. The comparison between her and the other woman was so stark that Beth felt a sharp little tug of pain. Set alongside her, she would pale into insignificance, and she was woman enough to dislike the idea.
‘It’s I who should apologise. I just assumed that you would know who I am, but why should you?’ She turned, a brilliant yet artificial smile on her lips. ‘I’m Maggie Kane.’
‘Maggie Kane…then you must be David’s…’ Beth couldn’t seem to get the words out as shock enveloped her.
‘That’s right: David’s sister-in-law. I’m married to his brother, Matthew, although I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he hasn’t said much about either of us.’
Beth swallowed hard, unwilling to admit that she’d been terrified of what Maggie had been about to say. For a moment there she’d imagined that she was going to claim to be David’s wife, and she couldn’t have borne the shock of that, of having history repeat itself. ‘I’m afraid David hasn’t mentioned you to me.’ She stood up, feeling clumsy and ill at ease. ‘I’m Beth Thomas.’
‘Thomas? Then you and David aren’t…?’ Maggie stopped, glancing pointedly at Beth’s stomach, and Beth felt colour flare in her face.
‘No! Look, I think it’s time that I did some explaining now. David and I aren’t—’
‘Married. And Beth feels very self-conscious about her present state. We shall have to do something about it, I think.’
Beth hadn’t heard the door opening and she jumped nervously as David suddenly appeared. He came over to where she was standing and slid an arm around her shoulders. Beth flinched and started to move away, then stopped when his hand fastened on her shoulder to hold her by his side. What was going on here? He had never really touched her before, yet now the way his arm was resting around her shoulders implied a degree of intimacy which made her uneasy.
‘How have you been, Maggie?’ His voice was cool, so cool that Beth forgot her unease in sheer surprise. This was his brother’s wife so surely she should warrant a touch more warmth than that coldly polite enquiry?
‘Fine. And how about you, David? I hear that the business is doing very well. You must be pleased.’
‘Naturally. It makes all the hard work worth while.’ His fingers tightened on Beth’s shoulder for a moment before he moved away to pour himself a large glass of whisky. Beth’s eyes widened; David never drank this early in the day and definitely never filled a glass that full. What was wrong with him?
‘Would you like a drink, Maggie?’ he offered politely.
Maggie shook her head. ‘I’d better not. The baby wouldn’t appreciate it. I’m still nursing her.’
David’s face tightened, then he looked away as he busied himself adding ice to his glass. ‘I heard you’d had another child. Congratulations.’
‘Thank you. Another girl. Janey was thrilled to have a little sister. We called her Elizabeth.’ She turned to Beth with something like relief, as though she was glad to shift the conversation round to her. ‘Is that your real name too?’
Beth shook her head, glancing quickly from Maggie’s strained face to David’s equally set one. She felt like an onlooker standing in the wings watching a play unfold step by slow, painful step. What had happened in this family to make the meeting between Maggie and David so tense? ‘No. I was actually christened Beth. It’s not a diminutive. But I must say that I like the name Elizabeth. It has a lovely sound to it.’
She was talking to cover the silence and Maggie shot her a grateful look. ‘That’s what Matthew and I thought, too. We spent ages trying to find a name we could both agree on then finally arrived at that. That’s part of the fun of having a baby, as you must well know yourselves…choosing the name.’
It was obvious what she thought and Beth tried again to set the record straight. ‘Oh, but this baby isn’t—’
