Page 86 of The Cottage in the Highlands

I rubbed at my forehead, almost causing a friction burn.

Flynn senior spoke again. “That was the last thing I wanted to do, but don’t you see? I felt like I had no choice.”

He took a deep breath before speaking again. “Astrid received news of her Africa post just after that Christmas. She was so excited.” He rocked forwards, his hands rubbing his knees as he spoke. “I actually thought the abuse had stopped by then. She hadn’t hurt me for weeks.” He emitted a short, ironic laugh. “I convinced myself she was trying to turn a corner and that was why I decided to give our marriage one more chance. I didn’t want your father caught in the middle of a messy break-up and divorce and I thought that if she really was trying to change, then I at least owed it to your dad to give things a go.”

“So, you decided to go with her to Africa?” asked Mrs Oates, her voice hushed.

“Yes. It was just for twelve months.”

“And Lily?” ventured Flynn.

His grandfather’s face was torn. “I felt wretched about her. I had made so many promises to her.” He shook his silvery head. “Lily was the most beautiful woman, inside and out. She had no idea about the abuse. When we were together, I always made sure I covered my arms or that the lighting was to my advantage. I didn’t want her to see.” He swallowed back the painful memories. “How could I tell her? It would have made me look pathetic.”

“Not at all,” I protested. “What happened to you wasn’t your fault. Lily would have wanted to know.”

Flynn senior raised his brows, questioning that theory. “Lily said she was so in love with me, and I hoped and prayed she would be prepared to wait the year until I came back.”

“And what happened then?” asked Flynn, grim-faced.

“Astrid got up to her old tricks again several months after we moved to Africa and it carried on until our return to Scotland.” He blinked hard at the memory. He shot each of us a look in turn. “That was when I knew I couldn’t do it anymore and asked her for a divorce. I knew she wouldn’t change.”

“And was that when you were going to sell Merry Wood?” I asked.

“It wasn’t my decision,” replied Flynn senior. “It was Astrid’s.”

I could hear the anguish in his chest. “It was like a lot of things in her life. She liked it there at the beginning; kept going on about how grand the house was. Everything was exciting for her at first.”

Flynn senior looked resigned. “Then once the novelty started wearing off, Astrid began criticising the house, saying how ugly it was and how boring the area was that we lived in. I think she missed being the centre of attention. She seemed to forget that it was her idea to leave Edinburgh in the first place.”

Flynn senior was reflective. “She wanted shot of the house. She was desperate to get her hands on the money from the proceeds of the sale, but I couldn’t bear the thought of selling Merry Wood.” He gazed at each of us, as though willing us to understand. “It was like I was being torn away from Lily and all the wonderful memories of her.”

He paused and composed himself. “That was when I decided to recruit Seb Banks, my accountant friend, to set up this trust under the name of Chandler.” He hesitated. “Lily told me her favourite actor was Jeff Chandler.”

Ah. That would explain why he chose that name as his alter ego.

There were charged looks swapped when Flynn senior mentioned this. He squirmed in his chair, realising that what he was about to say in front of me would open up a locked box of secrets. He was conflicted and unsure as to whether to say anything else.

“It’s ok, Mr Talbot,” I assured him. “I know. I know about you being Chandler. You have my word that I won’t be revealing anything about that.”

He flicked a panicked look at Flynn, who nodded his reassurance.

I turned my attention back to our conversation. “Go on, Mr Talbot,” I encouraged him. “I swear your secret is safe with me. What happened then?”

Flynn senior rivered a hand through his hair so that it slipped back off his face in a silvery sweep. “I made sure Astrid received her settlement from the supposed sale of the house – or so she thought. I insisted I deal with the selling off of the furniture, so she wouldn’t get suspicious or find out.” His mouth flipped into a brief, ironic smile. “Astrid was so greedy and anxious to get her hands on the cash that she wasn’t interested in anything else. She didn’t want to be bothered with the likes of solicitors or organising the removal of furniture.”

“But why?” I asked. “Why didn’t you want to sell Merry Wood? Because of Lily?”

“In a word, yes. I had all the plans laid out that we would live there together with Carl. Once Astrid reverted back to her old ways again, I knew I couldn’t stay married to her a moment longer. I had been deluding myself that she could change.”

He let his shoulders rise and fall. “I loved Lily. I always did.”

“So, what happened, Mr Talbot?” asked Mrs Oates, entranced. “Why didn’t you end up with Lily?”

A flicker of pain and confusion took over Flynn senior’s eyes. “You would have to ask her that. When we returned from Africa and I knew the divorce was going ahead, I went to see Lily straight away, but she refused to speak to me. She told me via her husband that she had decided she wanted to make a go of it with Bernard.”

I allowed this revelation to sink in. “Well, she might well have told you that, but it doesn’t change the fact that Lily is still living in that cottage opposite Merry Wood.”

Flynn senior looked like he had been stung. He made a strangulated noise. “What?! That can’t be. Are you sure?”