Page 20 of Be More Capybara

Helen huffed. ‘He gambled away all our savings on a sure-fire investment without consulting me, and when it failed, he tried to hide it. I knew I’d never be able to trust him again after that.’

‘All your savings?’

‘Everything. Except a couple of hundred pounds in Premium Bonds that my parents bought me as a christening present. If it weren’t for Dad dying and leaving me his estate, I’d have struggled. I wouldn’t care so much, but a lot of it was money we’d saved to help the boys through uni. Callum got his share before Angus had his bright idea, but there’s none left for Harry. I feel awful about that.’

What a bastard. He was angry that someone had treated her like that. ‘Angus is the one who should feel awful, not you.’

‘I know, but I can’t help thinking that if I’d kept a closer eye on our accounts, I would have spotted the big withdrawals sooner and at least salvaged some of the money.’

‘Hindsight is a wonderful thing.’

‘And what would you have done about your situation in hindsight?’

‘I’ll have to come back to you on that one.’ He laughed.

They carried on walking in companionable silence, while he thought that through. What would he have done? Left the company sooner and split up with Madison sooner too. Or suggested they go to marriage counselling. He was worried about what all this was doing to the girls more than anything. But the thought of getting back together filled him with dread. No, he might have been shell-shocked in the beginning, but Helen’s comment about a fog lifting was exactly right. She always used to have a knack for getting to the core of a problem.

‘Do you see anything of Angus now?’

‘Absolutely not. I keep it civil for the boys’ sake. I guess one day at least one of them will get married and I’ll have to share the top table with him, but otherwise I intend to give him a wide berth.’

‘You don’t miss having him around the place then?’

‘No. Rocky and I are very happy on our own. I can do as I like for the first time in years, and it feels amazing. I’m not going to be rushing into another relationship any time soon.’

Nigel felt strangely disappointed by that statement, but he could understand why she felt that way.

‘Me neither,’ he said.

12

HELEN

So Nigel isn’t planning on starting a new relationship. Hardly surprising, Helen, when he’s only just left the old one. And you’ve just told him you’re not looking for a new partner. Which had been true until yesterday. Despite what she’d said to Carrie, the idea of having someone to share life with again was appealing. At least she and Nigel were talking.

They’d reached the old wreck at the far end of the beach.

‘I think the tide’s turning. We’d better head back,’ she said.

‘I’ve got out of the habit of paying attention to the sea.’

‘Didn’t you miss it?’

‘The sea? Yeah. I never had much time to escape to the coast when I was working. Did you miss it when you were in London?’

‘Yes, I was always looking for excuses to come home to visit. I suggested we move here when the boys were small, but Angus didn’t want to live this far from civilisation, as he put it.’

‘Dashford’s not that remote.’

‘I guess it feels like it is when you’ve always been a city dweller. He grew up in Glasgow then moved to London to study. And his work’s in London.’

‘What does he do?’

‘He’s a product designer. That’s where our money went. Investing in an invention that was going to change the world.’

‘I’m intrigued.’

‘Some form of lightbulb that used a fraction of the energy that current light bulbs do.’