Page 94 of The Cottage in the Highlands

I spent an awful Sunday evening seething with injustice and disappointment.

I switched my mobile off too, not expecting Flynn to call and apologise but not wanting to put myself though the agony of looking at my phone on the off chance that he might.

If I left my phone on, I knew I would be checking it every five minutes, mentally willing him to call and apologise; to say that he had reacted on the spur of the moment and that he didn’t believe for one minute I could betray him like that.

The twisting sensation of Flynn not believing me made me sink deeper into anger and fury. Well, if he could think so little of me, then it was a good job nothing had happened between us.

In the end, I occupied myself by putting up my Christmas decorations of rose-gold lights and erected my tree in the corner of the sitting room. Harley snuffled and played with the tinsel and baubles, while I fired on my CD player and desperately tried to channel Elton John’s joy of stepping into Christmas.

It didn’t work.

After we finished, Harley huddled up beside me on the sofa, pushing her curly, warm head into my leg and offering me gentle, loving licks that brought more frustrated tears to my eyes.

I woke up on Monday morning feeling hungover, even though I hadn’t had a drink, and robotically got ready for work. I didn’t want to go in and face anyone, even though I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong.

I dropped Harley round at my parents on the way to the office as fast as I could, citing I had an early meeting as the reason for me not hanging around to chat.

Mum commented that I looked pale and weary. She began quizzing me on what I was eating and whether I was eating enough. “I know a lot of you young working women,” she said, appraising me out of her critical eyes. “You’re so busy and on the go all the time. You don’t eat proper meals. What did you have for dinner last night?”

I mumbled something about lasagne and cited long hours in the office as the reason for me looking like a wax work.

She wasn’t convinced by that and called after me that she would make some minestrone soup and drop it round later. Then she ordered me to pace myself.

I pulled up at the rear of the Goddess offices and marched in, my chest fizzing with temper and frustration at what Kerry had done. The hurt and disappointment were crumbling, making way for something far bigger and more ferocious.

I wanted to get to the bottom of this mess.

I managed to make some polite conversation with Cole and Orion about the weekend, before Athena popped her smug face out of her glass cage. “Leonie? A moment please?”

Orion frowned over at me with concern as I thumped my bag down on top of my desk and threw my coat over my chair. I picked up my notebook, pen, and phone and strode over to Athena’s office.

Kerry was already seated at the new age table with a giant Minnie Mouse style red bow in her hair. I resisted the urge to wrap it around her neck and throttle her with it.

She struggled to look up at me from her notebook. He freckles were buried under scarlet cheeks.

Athena clattered her office door closed and primped to her chair at the top of the table. She clapped her hands together in delight. “So, you’ve been fraternising with Chandler?”

“I haven’t been fraternising with anyone.” I struggled to keep my voice calm.

I sat up straighter in my chair, squaring all my attention on Kerry opposite me. How could she do this? She didn’t even speak to me about it first. “How did you find out?” I managed to ask her through gritted teeth.

Kerry shrivelled before my eyes. “I overheard you talking to someone in the breakout area.”

That was how she found out. Flynn.

I pushed my pen around on the top of the glass table, fighting to keep calm. “Well done you. You must be very proud.”

Kerry fidgeted in her seat.

“I’d like the exclusive written up and on my desk ASAP,” chirruped Athena, oblivious to the Artic atmosphere. “If you take the lead, Leonie, and perhaps Kerry can assist? It would be good experience for her.”

I bit back frissons of fury. I had done all I could to help her. Build her confidence. Yet she does this?

My head blundered around, desperate for something to use as an excuse or at least a delaying tactic. If I could stall this piece for publishing just now, at least it would give Flynn senior and Lily some breathing space until I decided what to do.

They were just getting to know each other again after all these years. This would be the last thing they needed in the glare of publicity.

I pretended to flick through some notes in my reporter’s notebook. I couldn’t think straight but I had to try and come up with something, albeit a temporary stopgap. I summoned up my most confident-sounding voice. “Would it be possible, Athena, to hold off a little longer on this one before we splash?”