Waves of Betrayal (The Isabel Marsh Trilogy Book 1) Read Free Page B

basically his boss then. He was a good natured, sweet man. Tall and gangly with shoulder-length wavy chestnut brown hair and a piercing through his nose. That was then of course. He has since graduated in Accounting and Economics and is working from home as a freelance financial advisor and doing very well by the sound of it. He got down on one knee, three years ago, on the pebbly shore of Cartheston beach after a romantic picnic of smoked salmon, strawberries and Frank and Audrey’s finest sparkling wine. He’d even remembered the cups!
    ‘Three scampi?’ Two waitresses arrive at their table and begin offloading knives, forks, serviettes, sauces, coleslaw and three steaming baskets full of delicious crispy scampi on chunky home-made chips.
    ‘Mmmm, proper pub grub,’ says Isabel, sprinkling her food liberally with a sachet of salt. ‘Jeeez, if ever I had to decide what my last meal was going to be, it’d be this. I’m sure I’d still have an appetite for it even if I was about to meet my maker!’
    ‘Mmmm, me too,’ says Rachel, blowing steam from her mouth as she struggles to cool a hot crispy chip on her tongue.
    ‘So when’s the big day Rach?!’ Claire asks, taking a big glug of wine and looking slightly uncomfortable. Jealousy perhaps? Claire hasn’t had a boyfriend that anyone knows about since she was eighteen and that only lasted a few months.
    ‘We’re planning for august next year. You’ll both agree to be my bridesmaids of course, won’t you?’
    ‘Of course!’ Isabel jumps excitedly up and down on the bench, creating a small pool of wine that begins to drip through the slatted table onto her jeans. ‘But I think we’ll be more “Maids of Honour” at our age,’ she laughs, reaching over and gripping her friend’s hand happily.
    ‘Back in a mo,’ says Claire suddenly, ‘Loo.’
    ‘Don’t be too long, we need to get measurements. I’ve brought my tape measure!’ teases Rachel.
    ‘Hey, we’re running low. While she’s gone, I’ll go and get another bottle in. I’m the smallest, it’s easier for me to squeeze my way through to the bar,’ Isabel winks. ‘Save our seats and don’t get calling lover boy to join us while I’m gone. It’s a girl’s night, remember!’ she waves a pointed finger in her face, jokingly.
    As she heads to the bar, unsteadily on her wedge heels, Isabel sees Claire through the window talking to a man on the pavement outside Joan’s front door. She seems in deep conversation. ‘Dark horse’ she mutters to herself as she struggles to make out his features. They look intense, as if arguing. She side-steps quickly away from the window as Claire tugs pleadingly one last time on the sleeve of this stranger’s shirt and strides off the kerb back towards the pub. As the door swings open, Isabel recoils into the crowd and Claire marches past her towards the toilets. Confused and concerned, Isabel looks through the window but the man has already gone. Obviously in as much of a hurry to get away as Claire was.
    ‘Drinks!’ Isabel announces loudly as she returns to the table, suspecting that Claire will probably be glad of one after what she had just witnessed. But, she is surprised to find quite the contrary...! Claire and Rachel are laughing hysterically about themed weddings and ridiculous ideas for the hen night. Rachel is laughing so much that tears of mascara are running down her cheeks and Claire is gripping the table with one hand and her stomach with the other as she struggles to breathe.
    ‘Have I missed something??’ asks Isabel with a note of confusion and seriousness in her voice.
    The evening passes without any mention from Claire about her mysterious rendez-vous. Rachel seems totally oblivious to it all, so Isabel decides to say nothing and helps herself to another large glass of wine.

Chapter 5
    ‘W hy did I drink so much? I never drink that much!’ Isabel groans to herself as she sits up in bed, muffling her face in Paul’s pillow. She