Captive Destiny

The reminder of his physical condition stayed Emma’s reckless impulse to tell him exactly what she thought of his behaviour. Instead, she folded her arms closely about her, and moved almost like a sleepwalker towards the window which looked out on to the walled garden at the back of the house.

‘How long was this going on?’ she asked, in a tense voice, and David made a sound of irritation.

‘Does it matter? It’s all over now. It was all over before our marriage—–’

‘Yes.’ Emma swung round. ‘I expect it was. But why, I wonder? Because you’d told her that once we were married you intended to be faithful to me?’ Her lips twisted. ‘Or because the crash curtailed your activities in that direction!’

David’s face burned with colour. ‘That’s a foul thing to say!’

‘But more accurate than you care to admit!’ declared Emma, without compassion. ‘Heavens, to think that all those nights I thought you were working, you were with this—girl, whoever she is! Did anyone know? Did your mother know? Have you both been laughing behind your hands all these years—–’

‘No!’ David was adamant. ‘No one knew.’

‘Sandra Hopkins knew.’

‘Yes, well—she got married soon afterwards herself, and as far as I know, she may have moved away from Stratford.’

Emma digested this. Then suddenly she realised she had overlooked the most important thing of all. Why did David have the girl’s handbag? What was it doing in the attic, wrapped in his sweater? A film of perspiration broke out all over her. Dear God, he hadn’t murdered the girl, had he?

David was watching her, and suddenly she couldn’t ask the obvious question. It wasn’t that she was scared exactly. She knew David’s capabilities, and put to the test, she was probably stronger than he was. He had spent four years practically confined to a wheelchair, and it was unlikely he could harm her in any way. But if there was some reason for his confidence in believing that Sandra Hopkins would not talk about their relationship, she would rather not hear about it from him. She could no longer trust him to answer her honestly, and the sympathy which had kept her affection for him alive had received a mortal blow.