Page 75 of Summer at Rachel’s Pudding Pantry

Hours passed in unseen and unanswered texts, another two trips to his farmhouse with still no one home, and a sickening churn in her stomach. The beep of her phone roused her; it was almost eleven p.m. by now, and Rachel was trying unsuccessfully to sleep. She snatched up her mobile from beside the bed and saw the screen. The message was from Tom. Thank God.

‘I wanted to let you know I’m okay. But don’t try to see me. I need time to think. I think we might be over.’

Rachel’s heart went into free fall. What was he saying? What was happening?

She quickly texted back: ‘Tom what are you talking about? I heard about the court case – it’s good news, isn’t it?’

She paused, frozen, completely baffled. She was desperate to reach out to him, to stop this – whatever this was – from spiralling further. There was no immediate response. ‘But I can come to you. Whatever it is, we’re in this together, remember?’ she pressed.

The reply chilled her already aching heart: ‘I don’t think so, Rach.’

And then, silence.

40

Tom turned up at the Pantry at ten thirty the next morning, unshaven and looking as though he hadn’t slept a wink. Rachel well knew that feeling, having only snatched a few hours herself.

She glanced up and caught those gorgeous green eyes, tinged with sadness. She really didn’t understand what was going on; the result of the court case should have meant he’d be walking on air. But he very clearly wasn’t. She shook her head: whatever it was, she could help him put it right. He was here now, that was the main thing.

‘Tom …’ She moved out from behind the counter, ready to take him in her arms … to do anything to ease his pain. But, as soon as she placed a hand on him, he flinched.

‘I need to know the truth, Rachel.’

She was still at a loss as to what was going on, but this seemed like a conversation to have in private. ‘Mum, we’re just going across to the house.’

‘No problem, love.’ Jill was ready to take over the reins, and finished the order for Frank, who was peering nosily over the top of his newspaper.

They walked across the yard to the farmhouse. Rachel’s hand was itching to hold Tom’s, but he was keeping his pace at a distance. Last night’s text message was haunting her: I think we might be over. But they could still face this together. If only she knew what this was.

In the sun-filled private space of the kitchen, Rachel got to it. ‘Okay, Tom, what’s going on?’ Her voice was filled with love and concern.

‘I think you know what, Rachel.’

‘I honestly don’t, you’re going to have to fill me in.’

Yet Rachel had an inkling now. What if her worst fears were confirmed? What if he’d got wind of the false rumours flying around the village?

‘Is it true? You and Jake?’ He looked dejected, betrayed. ‘If there’s still something there between the two of you, then that’s it … I can’t marry you, Rachel.’

‘Look Tom, if you’ve been hearing some crazy rumour going about the village, then please don’t buy into it. You know me better than that, and you know what the gossip in this place can be like.’

He sighed. ‘Of course, when I heard the tittle-tattle, I dismissed it as a load of shite. I trusted you, Rach. But … I also know what I saw with my own eyes. How could you betray me like that?’ His voice was as hard as stone.

‘I-I don’t understand Tom …’

He looked at her, filled with hurt and anger. ‘I saw you, I – I saw you both … kissing. When I arrived back here yesterday.’

‘What? What are you talking about, that’s—’

‘Don’t lie, Rachel,’ he said, rubbing his hands over his eyes.

‘I’m not! I swear, why would I … and look, these rumours we’re all hearing, they’re nothing to do with me and Jake …’ she floundered. But, how could she tell him what was really going on? ‘It’s just …’ Shit, if she told him the real truth behind those rumours, she could wreck Eve’s marriage, blow apart her friend’s gorgeous family. She’d promised.

‘There are no “justs” in any of this, Rachel.’

‘I know, and look, I don’t know what you saw, but …’ And then it came to her: the fly in her eye, Jake getting close as he tried to prise it out … Could Tom have seen that?

‘This is all a complete misunderstanding. Jake was just helping me yesterday, I had something in my eye. Was that what you saw? Honestly, it was completely innocent, though I suppose it might have looked like something else. You know what a nightmare Jake is, how badly he’s let me down. You know how much I love you … I would never, ever, go there …’