“OK.” I lean forward, forcing him to look at me. “Now, I want to talk to you about Cordelia, and what you’ve read in the news.”
“What’s there to talk about? I’m the only one who was keptin the dark about it. The person marrying her. I’m hardly important.”
“You’re the most important person in the world to her. And that’s why she didn’t tell you.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” he says sadly, shaking his head.
“You know her better than anyone else. I can imagine you’re feeling hurt right now, upset that she didn’t share this big part of her life. But you have to find a way to step into her shoes for a moment and ask why she would do that.”
He doesn’t say anything.
“It’s never easy to admit something you’re ashamed of to someone you love,” I say quietly, aware that I’m telling him something he already knows. “You persuade yourself that you’d be disappointing them, and if you don’t feel good enough anyway, it’s difficult to tell them something you’re afraid will break the spell. I don’t know about you, but I’ve definitely been there. It’s easy to get caught up in pushing off the truth until the right moment, but the right moment doesn’t really exist. Usually, you don’t realize that until it’s too late.”
“Yeah,” he says glumly. “I suppose I know what you mean.”
“Jonathan, in my line of work, I’ve honestly come to learn that the cheesiest rubbish people say about love tends to be true. That’s why it’s been repeated over and over, for centuries, in every song, film, and book. And an absolute classic is that love really is the most important thing we have. Ugh.” I make a face and he can’t help but smile.
“My point is,” I continue, smiling back, “I understand you’re hurt she didn’t tell you and I’m so sorry you found out in such a horrible way. But she loves how you look at her, what you see in her, and she didn’t want that to change. I think that’s why she didn’t tell you.”
He sighs, his shoulders drooping, giving in. “I know.”
We sit in silence for a bit.
“Thanks, Sophie,” he says eventually, “for coming to find me. I’ll go home and talk to her.”
“Thanks for talking tome.” I slide off my stool. “I should go.”
“If you don’t mind hanging around for a bit while I finish my drink, we could head back to the Meades’ house together? We may need your help to…” He searches for the right word. “… navigate everything over the next few days for the wedding.”
“I think it’s best I leave you to it.” I hesitate, wondering if I should tell him what’s going on. He’s going to hear about it anyway. It might as well be from me. “Truth be told, I’m the last person they want to see right now.”
“Why? Are the others angry that Victoria hired you?”
“Well, that, and they think I leaked the story to the press.”
Jonathan looks shocked. “Did you?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“You’ve told them that?”
“Yes.”
“And they don’t believe you?”
“The timing doesn’t exactly work in my favor. Cordelia told me because she was beginning to trust me, and days later the story comes out. I’m not sureIwould believe me.”
“But you really didn’t tell anyone?”
I shake my head. “Not a soul.”
“Discretion must be part of your job description.”
“It is.”
“Nothing in it for you to leak that story to the press.”
“Nothing at all. And also…” I trail off.
