Page 43 of Secret Paths

My fingers go tight around my glass.

For one bleak second, I think he means us. That he has decided the neatest way to stop his sister matchmaking is to throw our secret onto the bar between the beer mats and the bowl of peanuts.

He does not look at me.

He looks at Alexandra.

“The bank is closing.”

The shift in Alexandra is instant. The teasing leaves her face so fast it might as well have been switched off.

“What?”

“My branch.” Peter reaches for his pint, then seems to decide against it. “End of next month.”

Hunter leans back. “Bloody hell.”

Alexandra stares at Peter. “Why did you not tell me?”

“I am telling you now.”

“You are telling me now because you wanted to distract me from Mark.”

“That is an added benefit.”

“Peter.”

“I was waiting for the official confirmation.”

“And you have it?”

“Printed, emailed and delivered with all the warmth of a parking fine.”

Her hand lands on his arm. “What happens to you?”

He glances down at her hand. His mouth tries for a smile and does not quite manage it.

“There are options.”

“What options?”

“Leeds.”

Alexandra pulls a face. “Every day driving all that way?”

“Unless I develop the power of teleportation.”

“That commute would be awful.”

“I have been led to understand motorways are character-building.”

“And the other option?”

“Regional role.”

“What does that mean?”

“Travelling. Hotels. Meetings in business parks where the sandwiches curl at the edges.”