‘It would appear so. They have “serious” feelings for each other, according to Luca, so that justifies their actions apparently. They would never have run off together unless it was the real deal…’ Libby laughed ironically. ‘Clearly being engaged and married respectively was not the real deal – who would have thought it?’
‘How’s poor Angus coping?’ asked Helen.
‘Do you know what, he has been amazing,’ said Libby. ‘A complete rock for me and Izzy, despite everything he is going through.’
‘You said they hadn’t been in a great place for quite some time,’ said Helen. ‘Perhaps that helps.’
‘It doesn’t make it any easier, but I think deep down he suspects that it might be for the best. It’s just so shocking, though. To think of them going behind our backs like that…’ Libby trailed off, shaking her head in disbelief.
‘How could they?’ Miriam was clearly disgusted. The scandal of the affair had been the talk of Kent. She was glad that she had John by her side to help her deal with all the gossiping locals. ‘What are you going to do about Luca seeing Izzy?’
‘Well, that’s the hardest part in a way,’ said Libby. ‘The fact that I can’t just forget about him and move on. I have to accept that we will be in touch for the rest of our lives because of Izzy. I suppose that that’s just what happens when a relationship ends and a child is involved. The sooner I face up to him, the better.’
‘So you’ll see him as soon as he comes back to London?’
‘Yes, I’ll have to.’
‘Will you talk about it?’
‘We’ll see. I’m not sure how I’ll feel. But yes, I suppose we should. I need to force myself to be civil towards him for Izzy’s sake, and the sooner I do that the better.’
‘You’re so brave, darling,’ said Miriam. ‘I’m so proud of you.’
‘You’ve handled this amazingly well,’ said Helen. ‘I honestly don’t know what I would have done if it had happened to me…’ She gave her sister a big hug.
Later they left Libby as they headed back to Henry and John. Libby couldn’t help but envy them their happy relationships, and wonder if she would ever find happiness like that again. It would be very hard to trust someone after all this. She felt as if she had clamped a metal cage around her heart and she knew that it would be incredibly difficult to open it. She was doing what she had to do to stay strong for her daughter, though, and for Angus. But she was terrified that her resolve would fail and she would end up in a pit of despair so deep that she would never be able to climb out.
