The Man on the Cliff by Janice Macdonald

Author:Janice Macdonald
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2002-05-14T16:00:00+00:00

“ALL I CAN SAY is the two of you got friendly very quickly.” Sharon followed Niall out of the kitchen. “What was she doing? A little research into your mouth?”

“Look, Sharon, if there’s nothing else, I’ve got some work to do.” He picked up the photos he’d shown to Kate. “By the way, the frames and canvases are all yours. Take whatever else you want from the gallery. I’ll talk to the solicitor tomorrow and have everything written up.”

“So.” She watched his face. “We’ve moved on already, have we?”

He said nothing.

“I remember how it was with us at first. You could hardly wait until we were alone, could you?” She grabbed his arm. “But she’ll learn, this new girl. Just as I did. She’ll start poking around, asking questions, and that’s when you’ll move on to someone else until she starts poking around in your head.

“You know what you are?” She grabbed the pictures from his hand and threw them onto the table. “You’re like one of these. Take this one—or this one of Elizabeth. Sure, it’s a lovely image, isn’t it? Lots of character on that face, look at it. Aren’t you just intrigued? Don’t you just wonder what’s going on in her head. Sure you do. Just as this girl tonight probably did when she looked at you. Well, I could save her the trouble. She might as well ask the bloody picture.”

He stood at the window, looking out at the dark night. In the windowpane, he could see his own reflection. Behind him, Sharon, prowling the room. He turned to look at her. “Look, it’s late and I’ve got a long day tomorrow.”

“I have a confession to make. Those letters I gave you the other night, the ones you wrote to Moruadh. I did read one of them.”

“Sharon.” He covered his eyes with both hands, dragged them down over his face. “Please.”

“All those calls from her in Paris last year, all your trips over there. A bit more than simple visits, weren’t they? You were cleaning up after her.” Sharon’s face flushed. “Sure, a spoiled, selfish girl who wanted only to have her own way and to hell with your life. It was always Moruadh first, wasn’t it?”

“That’s enough, Sharon.”

“It was Moruadh who really came between us.” She laughed. “You never stopped feeling responsible for her, did you? Even after she’d slept with every—”

“I said that’s enough.” He caught her arm. “Look, if you have any feelings for me at all, I’m asking you to forget whatever you read in that letter. We’ve all our reasons for behaving the way we do. Sometimes they turn out not to be the best ones, but then it’s too late.” He stopped. “I’m making a mess of saying this, but leave it alone, please. There’s a lot of pain you’re tromping around in.”

“I’m sorry.” She touched his arm. “I should know better than to ask whether I can help, but I’ll ask anyway.”

“You can’t, but I’ll tell you this. Your words didn’t fall entirely on deaf ears.

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