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‘But you had money!’
‘I know, that’s what Emily said. But he met someone who had more, a lot more, and who, I imagine, in his eyes probably seems to offer him more.’ Stella shrugged. ‘I think he saw himself in that life, which, to him, was more exciting than the one he had with us. And so, we were dumped.’
‘But how can he just do that? How can he leave his children?’ Caroline’s voice rose again.
Stella shook her head. ‘Honestly, it’s something that I ask myself at least a thousand times a day. But at the start, it was ten thousand times a day. And in time, I’m hoping he will see them…’
‘But he can’t just walk back into the children’s lives, surely.’
‘Well, he can if he wants to. He is their father and I know the children still love him; they’ll want to see him. I can’t stand in the way of that, it’s not fair on them, no matter how much I might hate the fact that he gets to do that. Caro, I’ve had time to think about this. And, believe me, this is not where I was even a few months ago. I was so angry at him. I still am at times, but I’ve been able to get used to life without him. I know we’ll be OK. And now I know what I do about him, I don’t want him in my life any more than he has to be.’
‘So, what did you tell him today?’
‘That I want the house in my name, the business fully back in my name. An agreement on when he sees the children. Proper financial agreements I’m happy with.’
‘And what on earth makes you think he’s just going to say yes to all that?’
Stella picked up her glass and leaned across towards Caroline, lowering her voice. ‘Because if he doesn’t, Emily and I will go to the police and tell them that he stole from us both. Simon knows he risks losing his new life if Annabel Collins finds out what he’s done in the past. And that’s the very last thing he wants to lose.’
‘But what evidence do you have that he actually stole the money? I mean, I might not like him, but Simon’s a smart man. Surely, he’ll try to wriggle out of it by saying it was money from the business, so it was his anyway, don’t you think?’
‘You’re right, he could. But he won’t want anyone knowing what he’s done. Not just to me, but to Emily too. Quite rightly, it’s awful.’ Stella closed her eyes for a moment. ‘Although,’ Stella held up her phone, ‘I might have pretended to him that I had evidence on here about the stolen money from Emily, too. Just to be on the safe side. I mean, I’m sure we could find it if we really needed it, but it was so long ago.’
Caroline stared at Stella. ‘You didn’t!’
Stella smiled. ‘I bloody well did.’
‘OK, so what happens now?’
‘I know it’ll take some time, but if he agrees to a no-fault divorce, which I hope he does for all our sakes, it takes months rather than years.’
Caroline sat back in her chair and looked at her sister. ‘You’re sounding very calm about this. Are you sure you’re all right?’
Stella sighed. ‘Not really, no. I’m heartbroken. But at the same time, I know I can’t change what’s happened. He’s not begging to come back. I don’t even know whether he will step up and be a good father again. But I have to give him that chance, knowing I tried my best to make our family, fractured as it is, work. And to be honest, Caro, he’s left me with no choice. At least I’m giving him one.’ She smiled at her sister. ‘Right, please can we order? I’m starving.’
Caroline smiled. ‘I don’t know how you’ve done it. You’re amazing.’
They ordered their dishes: calamari with red chilli and rocket, followed by seafood risotto for Stella, and for Caroline, roasted red peppers, anchovies and borlotti beans, followed by ravioli stuffed with ricotta, covered with marjoram butter. Two glasses of chilled white wine replaced the empty flutes in front of them, a pear-scented Arneis from Piedmont recommended by Joseph when he’d come by the table to say hello.
As Stella squeezed her wedge of lemon over her chilli-flecked calamari, she remembered Caroline had said she too had some news. ‘So, enough about me and my disastrous marriage… what did you have to tell me.’
Caroline laughed. ‘Well, it’s about me and Philip.’
Stella’s face fell. ‘Please don’t tell me you’re splitting up…’
‘No, don’t be silly. Philip and I will be married forever. I know it’s perhaps not the most exciting marriage on earth, but he is kind to me, even if he is a bit of an old bore sometimes.’
Stella tried to interrupt through a mouthful. ‘Oh, he’s not…’
Caroline shook her head. ‘Yes, he is, I know he is. I know you and Dad think he is too.’
‘We don’t!’
‘You do. And, to be honest, so do I sometimes. But he does love me, Stella. And the boys. He’s just not very good at showing it. It’s the way he was brought up. You know, packed off to boarding school at eight years old. Never saw his parents. Anyway, that’s not the point.’ Caroline took a large sip of her wine. ‘I realised, partly helped by coming to London to look after the girls when you went to Florence, that I totally love being here. I’ve been stuck out in the country for so long, surrounded by dogs and mud and fields and farm shops and fucking coffee mornings.’ She looked at Stella, who was laughing despite having a mouthful. ‘And as much as I love most of it, I really, really miss being in a city. I know it was only Matilda we went to see, but the whole thrill of being back in a theatre, with crowds and cheering and singing and whooping, well, it made me remember that I used to love all of that too.’
Stella eyed her sister, her glass to her lips. ‘Caro, where is this going? And why do I feel worried. Are you going to join a West End show or something?’
Caroline burst out laughing. ‘Of course not! I think I’ve left that a bit late. But I do have something to ask you.’
