Warning: Episode may contain strong language, violence and sexual content. Reader discretion is advised.

PREVIOUSLY…

• Natalie overheard the truth that Emma is Nick’s biological mother.
• Julia and Emma raked over the past.
• Marion began to distrust her husband, Ed.
• Emma was left shocked by Julia’s revelation that Michael, her ex-boyfriend and Nick’s biological father, had died in a car accident years earlier.

CuriosiTEAS,
Glendale

Emma Blake sat at a small, round table near the window of the antique shop cum café, her fingers mindlessly tracing the rim of her coffee cup. She had arrived early for her coffee with Ben Granger – ridiculously early, if she was being honest – and had ordered a small latte to tide her over.

Emma’s mind swirled with reflections of her recent encounter with Julia Harrington-Jones. While she had long known that Julia would fight to her very last breath to keep the truth about Nick‘s biological parents a secret, it was the revelation that Michael, Emma’s ex-boyfriend and Nick’s biological father, had died in 2007 that had knocked her off kilter. Her world had tilted on its axis, and the heavy sadness that clung to her like a wet blanket had surprised her. Emma couldn’t move Michael from her thoughts. His smile, his laugh, their love – a life lost too soon.

Emma glanced around the café, her eyes dancing over the eclectic collection of artefacts: a weathered globe, an ornate grandfather clock ticking softly in the corner, and an array of mismatched chairs that seemed to tell stories of countless past owners.

The bell above the door tinkled, and Emma’s eyes locked with Ben’s. Her heart skipped a beat. With his scruffy jet-black hair, silvery grey eyes, stubble flecked with grey, and toned farmer’s build, there was no denying that Ben was easy on the eye.

“I’m so sorry I’m late,” Ben said with a hint of exhaustion as he slumped into the chair opposite Emma. “Farm stuff.” He noticed the near-empty coffee cup on the table and tightened the corners of his mouth, frustrated that he had made her wait so long. Ben’s dimples showed and melted Emma’s heart in the process. “Another?”

Emma smiled warmly. “Sure. Thanks.”

–  G L E N D A L E  –

Greystone Downs Farm,
Glendale

The kitchen of Greystone Downs buzzed with the familiar chaos of the weekly family lunch. Pots clanged, Kate Spencer sang along to her Spotify Liked Songs collection, and the savoury aroma of roast chicken mingled with the scent of apple pie baking in the oven. Every Saturday for as long as anyone could remember, the Spencer family had come together for lunch.

At the head of the long wooden dining table sat Audrey Granger, her silver hair catching the sunlight that streamed through the open window. Her crystal blue eyes, though slightly clouded with age, sparkled as she looked around the table at her family, who had gathered for the weekly tradition that Audrey cherished.

“And then, guess what!” said Noah Spencer, Audrey’s six-year-old great-grandson, with an animated voice from the seat beside her.

Audrey played along and leaned in closer. “What?”

The exuberant young boy, with golden blonde hair that he had inherited from his father, copied his great-grandmother and leaned in closer to her, his elbows resting on the tabletop and his little legs dangling over the edge of the chair, swinging in the breeze. “There was a shark!”

“Oh, good gracious!” Audrey gasped loudly and pressed a wrinkled, arthritic hand to her mouth in feigned shock. She sat back in her seat for added dramatic effect.

Noah’s eyes lit up, and he chuckled, tickled by his great-grandmother’s over-the-top response to his story. He simply adored her. “A big shark. Like, this big!” he said, his arms outstretched as wide as he could possibly make them.

“Goodness,” Audrey said, a tender smile curling her mouth. “A very big shark!”

“Yes!”

“A very big shark… in the pond… in the village green?”

“Yes!”

Audrey chucked. “Oh, the imagination of little ones,” she said, her voice warm and full of love. She reached out with a slightly trembling hand to ruffle Noah’s hair, the simple gesture brimming with affection.

Carol Kennedy, who sat opposite Noah, smiled at her mother. It warmed her heart no end to see the sweet relationship that the child and nonagenarian shared. “Hey, Noah,” Carol said, catching her grandson’s attention. “We could get Grandpa Tony’s fishing rod and try and catch it one day.”

Tony Kennedy, who sat beside Noah, looked down at his step-grandson and nodded.

Noah’s eyes lit up in amazement and practically bulged out of his head. “YES!” he said with a shrill squeal so high-pitched it hurt Audrey’s ears.

“Noah! Indoor voice!” Kate said as she brought the roast chicken to the table, while her husband, Tom Spencer, followed close behind with a platter of roast vegetables, Yorkshire puddings, and a jug of gravy. Kate glanced at her teenage daughter, Ava, who was still consumed with whatever it was she was watching on her phone. “Ava, phone down, please.”

Despite having her AirPods in, Ava had clearly heard because she had instinctively looked at her mother when she heard her name. Kate placed the roast chicken in the centre of the table and met Ava’s morose teenage glare. Ava submitted.

As Tom sat beside his mother, Kate walked around the table before sitting in between Ava and her other son, Harry. Audrey cleared her throat. The family turned their attention to the matriarch. Audrey smiled, lifting her glass of shandy. “To family,” she said, her voice strong and clear. “May we always find time for each other, and may these moments be as cherished as the memories we share.”

“To family!” an excited Noah yelled, his apple juice held aloft.

–  G L E N D A L E  –

Oak Cottage,
Glendale

Jasmine Atkins, miserable with a head cold, opened the front door. “Hey, Mum,” she croaked, managing a weak smile.

Marion Atkins, her arms laden with a care package of homemade chicken soup, fresh bread, and a small bouquet of daisies, eyed her sick daughter up and down. Jasmine was still in her pyjamas; her dark, unkempt hair was frizzy, and a tartan blanket was clutched around her shoulders. The scent of eucalyptus and menthol greeted Marion, a clear sign Jasmine had been battling her head cold with every remedy available. “Oh, sweetheart.”

Jasmine stepped aside, allowing her mother to enter the cottage, and closed the door.

“How are you feeling?” Marion asked, passing through the cottage into the kitchen and setting the care package down on the kitchen bench.

“Like I got hit by a truck,” Jasmine replied, her voice thick with congestion.

Marion took to her daughter, brushed a stray lock of hair from Jasmine’s forehead, and felt her temperature. “Go lie on the couch,” she said, instructing Jasmine with a wave of her hand. “I’ll make us some tea.”

Jasmine smiled and obligingly returned to her position on the couch, knowing better than to argue with her mother.

Marion flicked on the kettle, removed a porcelain teapot from a kitchen cupboard, and set down two mugs. Once the kettle boiled, she swished the boiling water in the pot to warm it and dropped in three tea bags: one for you, one for me, and one for the pot, as taught to her by her mother. While Marion filled the teapot, steam rose in lazy curls, adding a fragrant blend of Earl Grey to the room.

“Here we are,” Marion said, carrying the tray into the living room and setting it down on the coffee table.

Jasmine shifted and accepted the mug of freshly brewed tea from her mother after Marion had poured it. “Dad not coming?”

“No,” Marion replied, settling down in an armchair with a mug in hand. “He had to head into London for work, apparently.”

Apparently. It hung in the air and left absolutely no doubt in Jasmine’s mind as to her mother’s meaning. She knew her father worked a lot, but to see the obvious suspicion on her mother’s face and the heavy doubt that clung to her words gave Jasmine cause for alarm.

“Heard from your brother?” Marion sniffed, changing subject.

“No,” Jasmine replied, barely giving Lee a second thought as she glanced towards her mother. “Mum, if you want to talk about anything…”

Marion did not. “So, what else is going on? Where’s Nick?”

Jasmine ran her tongue over her cracked lips before sucking them in. With a defeated sigh, she agreed to change the trajectory of their conversation. “He’s gone to Maidstone to pick up some stuff for dinner.” Jasmine took a sip of her tea. It was scolding hot. “Did I tell you we’ve ordered some of those ancestry DNA kits?”

A deep frown burrowed into Marion’s brow. “Oh, I don’t know about that, Jaz,” she said, shifting in her seat, uncomfortable at the thought. “I don’t think they’re very secure.”

“It’s fine,” Jasmine replied reassuringly. “I read up about them, and it is perfectly safe and secure. You can ask them not to store your physical DNA and stuff, so it will be fine.” Her eyes narrowed as she looked at her mother. “Is there something you don’t want me to know? Am I not dad’s?”

Marion scoffed and looked at her ridiculous daughter. “Oh, don’t be so stupid! You’re the spit of your father!”

“Then maybe you’re not my mum,” Jasmine teased with a playful grin, holding the mug to her lips as if hiding behind it.

Marion’s mouth puckered tighter than a cat’s behind as she stifled a chuckle. “These stretch marks didn’t come from nowhere, y’know!” she exclaimed, a smile licking at the corners of her mouth. “Cheeky, cow!”

Jasmine chuckled, pleased to see a smile on her mother’s face.

–  G L E N D A L E  –

CuriosiTEAS,
Glendale

The barista placed two large cappuccinos between Ben and Emma, followed by a small plate of four macarons: a strawberry and a salted caramel for Emma, and a chocolate and a salted caramel for Ben.

Ben smiled a silent thanks at the barista. “So,” he said, leaning forward slightly and turning his full attention to Emma, “any more coffee mishaps this week?”

Emma’s cheeks flushed a deep shade of red, and she could feel her body prickle with heat. “Thankfully, no,” she laughed, shaking her head. “I think our two incidents this week are enough to last me a lifetime!”

“I guess that makes me your unwitting accomplice,” Ben said with a chuckle. “Though I’m glad it happened; otherwise, we wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”

Emma blushed; the sincerity in his deep voice caught her off guard.

Ben silently cursed himself. That was way too strong! He was sounding like an idiot. Play it cool, man! Ben cleared his throat and looked to the macarons, nervously avoiding eye contact as he was now keenly self-conscious.

“Me too,” Emma admitted. She noticed Ben’s cheeks pinking and his demeanour softening as his eyes flicked back to hers briefly. The embarrassed tension that had raced from 0 to 100 a few seconds earlier seemed to dissipate. “So, tell me more about yourself. What do you do when you’re not yelling at people for coffee and bird poo disasters?”

Ben’s cheeks darkened, and he silently wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole. He straightened up and met Emma’s eyes. For a moment, he was stuck on stupid, dumbfounded by her beauty. Her green eyes enthralled him, and the shy smile that licked at her mouth caused a weird flutter in his chest. Ben laughed, and the sound was warm and genuine. “Sorry again,” he mumbled, continuing before Emma had a chance to say anything further. “Well, by day, I’m a farmer. I live up at Glenbrook; it’s my family’s farm. Has been for generations. I run it now, though. By night, I’m a caped crusader, fighting crime in Glendale, one old granny at a time.”

Emma laughed, her head tilted to the side, amused by Ben’s absurdity.

“No, but seriously,” Ben began, as if he actually needed to correct the story. Farmer. Soon-to-be divorced. Dad to twins. Oliver and Poppy. Gillingham F.C. supporter, don’t judge me by that.”

Emma shrugged and shook her head with a polite smile, slightly puzzled as she had never heard of Gillingham Football Club in her life. “How old are your twins?”

Ben’s face lit up at the mention of his children, his absolute reason for being. “Six,” he replied. Without hesitation, Ben stuffed his hand into the pocket of his worn jeans and pulled out his phone. With a few taps, he passed it across the table to Emma, and, smiling back at her from the bright screen, were two of the most beautiful children she’d ever seen. Oliver, with his floppy brown hair, and Poppy, with her long golden brown locks, were the spitting images of Ben. From his eyes to his dimples, there was no doubt they took after their father.

“How cute!” Emma said with a warm smile and passed the phone back.

“What about you?” Ben asked, returning the phone to his pocket and slightly embarrassed that he’d felt the need to show Emma the photo so soon. “What secrets are there to know about Emma?”

Emma forced a smile. If only he knew.

–  G L E N D A L E  –

Greystone Downs Farm,
Glendale

The Spencers had settled into a comfortable, post-lunch lull. The once roaring cacophony of voices and laughter had softened into murmurs; Ava had returned to watching whatever it was that required her undivided attention on her phone; and Harry and Noah had raced outside with Tom to burn off some energy by kicking about the football. Audrey sat back in her chair, a contended sigh escaping her lips as she placed a hand on her comfortably full stomach.

“Can I get you anything, Audrey?” Kate asked, ever the attentive hostess, as she scraped the scraps of food onto a single plate and stacked the others, ready to carry them away into the kitchen.

Audrey’s eyes lit up at the offer. “A cuppa wouldn’t go amiss, darlin’.”

“Coming right up.”

“And don’t forget…”

“Tea bag left in. Four sugars. Carnation Milk. I remember,” Kate said in her thick Welsh accent, winking at her husband’s grandmother. “How you’ve not got diabetes is beyond me!”

Audrey was secretly chuffed that Kate had never forgotten exactly how she liked her tea. “I’ve got a lot of good livin’ to do yet, darlin’,” she said, patting Kate’s hand. “Don’t you worry about me.”

Kate smiled. “Carol? Tony?”

Carol shook her head and politely waved away her daughter-in-law’s offer. “We’re right, sweets,” she said, looking at Tony for confirmation.

“Gotta save some space for that apple pie,” Tony added, patting his particularly rotund stomach.

“Here, let me help you.” Carol offered and rose from her seat. She collected the stack of plates from Kate before she could refuse and headed into the kitchen.

“Actually, Carol,” Kate said, scraping the scraps into the food waste bin while her mother-in-law started stacking the dirty plates in the dishwasher. “I wanted to ask you a favour.”

“Riiiight,” Carol replied with a jokingly ominous tone in her voice.

“Well, my forty-fifth birthday is comin’ up, and I was wonderin’ if I could have a party in the pub? Free of charge, like?”

Carol, bent over the dishwasher, stopped mid-stack and looked back at Kate with a cocked eyebrow.

“It’s cheeky, I know,” Kate replied, completely unashamed. “But we can’t afford anythin’ too fancy, and I just thought—”

“Of course, sweets,” Carol interrupted with a smile. “Consider it part of our birthday gift to you.”

Kate beamed back at her mother-in-law. “Oh, brilliant! Oh, thank you so much, Carol! No wonder you’re my favourite mother-in-law!”

-:-

Tony checked his watch, conscious of how long he and Carol had left Sally in charge at the pub.

Audrey could feel her eyelids beginning to droop as the call of her usual afternoon nap tried to lure her in. As her eyes closed, she suddenly felt a presence at her side. Audrey opened her eyes to see that Ava had moved from the other end of the table to be beside her. The AirPods were out of her ears, and the phone was nowhere to be seen.

“Gigi,” Ava said, using the pet name she and her brothers always called their great-grandmother. “I’ve got to do an assignment on someone you admire. Like, you’ve got to interview them and stuff and get their, like, whole life story. And…” Ava’s cheeks reddened slightly with an embarrassment she didn’t fully understand. “I was wondering, like, could I interview you?”

Audrey felt choked up at the question. In all honesty, Ava was the one that Audrey admired most. The obstacles the fifteen-year-old had overcome since a horse-riding accident a few years earlier, which had left her paralysed from the waist down, were nothing short of inspirational in the elderly woman’s mind. “Oh, darlin’,” Audrey said in her usual silvery tone, humbled by Ava’s unsaid declaration of admiration and love. “I’d love nothin’ more.”

Ava’s face brightened, and a smile crossed her face. “I’ll get my notebook.” Ava moved from the table and then paused. “Gigi, you always seem to be, like, so happy when we’re all together like this. Why?”

Audrey smiled, her eyes distant, as she recalled a lifetime of memories. “It’s simple, really,” she said. “Family is everything. These moments we share, well, they’re what life’s all about. The love, the laughter, even the chaos. It’s what keeps us going, what gives life meaning.”

–  G L E N D A L E  –

CuriosiTEAS,
Glendale

Before Ben and Emma knew it, an hour had passed, the café had begun to empty, and the barista had given them a friendly reminder that the early afternoon closing time was approaching. The conversation had flowed, and they had gotten on like a house on fire. Emma was surprised to learn that Ben was Queenie’s godson, although that gave him a massive tick, and Ben was enthralled by all of Emma’s weird and wonderful medical stories.

Ben looked at Emma, a soft smile playing on his lips. “I’ve had a really great time today, Doctor Blake,” he said, referencing Emma’s mention of Queenie’s advice. “Would you be interested in maybe doing this again?”

Emma’s heart fluttered with excitement, and she was taken by the nervousness of Ben’s tone. “I’d love that,” she said.

The barista cleared their throat, issuing a not-so-subtle final reminder. Without needing to be told twice, Ben and Emma stood up and headed out of the café.

“Thanks again.” Ben smiled at Emma as they stood outside the café door, him preparing to turn right and her ready to go left. “I’ve really enjoyed today.”

“Yeah, me too,” Emma replied and stepped forward, giving Ben a gentle hug. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Bye,” Ben waved, firing off one final perfect grin before he turned and headed east down Queen Victoria Street towards his car.

Emma watched him for a moment and then turned to head home. As she headed west along Queen Victoria Street, Emma couldn’t help but think of Ben’s question about what secrets she was hiding. It gnawed at her, as did her heated discussion with Julia a few days ago. As ghosts whispered in her ears, Emma stopped and, turning her head to the right, looked at the churchyard of All Saints Church.

–  G L E N D A L E  –

Pineview House,
Glendale

Charlotte Sinclair pushed open the front door, the lingering scent of antiseptic still clinging to her from the urgent house call she had just attended. The morning had been long and emotionally draining. Charlotte closed the front door, dropped her bag, kicked off her shoes and savoured the cool touch of the wooden floor beneath her feet.

“Up here, Babe.” Mark Sinclair’s deep voice called to her from the second storey.

Charlotte headed up the quarter-turn staircase, her weighty feet plodding against the steps and her shoulders heavy with fatigue. Since her negative pregnancy test earlier in the week, another in a long line of monthly disappointments, Charlotte had found herself struggling. Cruel thoughts that she’d waited too long, was too old, and simply didn’t deserve to be a mother taunted her. Mark, sixteen years her senior, already had children who were now grown adults, so he had already experienced the joys of parenthood. But Charlotte, now thirty-eight, was beginning to feel that it was a lifelong dream slipping from her grasp.

As Charlotte reached the landing, she noticed a faint, warm glow coming from the bathroom. Curious, she followed the light and found Mark, immersed in the bathtub filled with steaming water, soapy bubbles, and candles flickering softly around its edge. The scent of lavender bath salts mingled with the air.

“What the…?”

“Come.” Mark lifted a wet hand from the water and waved for her to join him, a tender smile spreading across his face.

Charlotte didn’t need to be asked twice. A bath was just what she needed. She undressed, letting the stress of the day fall away with each piece of clothing, and sank into the hot water between her husband’s legs. Charlotte eased her naked body back against Mark’s and surrendered to her husband’s tender touch as he kissed the nape of her neck.

“I thought you could use a little pampering,” Mark said softly.

“Thank you,” Charlotte replied, her eyes closed as she surrendered wholly to the moment. “It’s exactly what I needed.”

Mark kissed the top of Charlotte’s head. “I’m sorry it hasn’t happened yet,” he said, referencing their failed attempts to fall pregnant. “But we’ll keep trying. It will happen.”

Charlotte’s eyes opened, and she felt a lump in her throat. “I know,” she whispered. “But right now, let’s just be here in the moment. I need this, and I need you.”

Mark nodded, his eyes shining with unshed tears that he was grateful Charlotte couldn’t see. “Always,” he said. “I’m here, always.”

–  G L E N D A L E  –

Greenview Cottage,
Glendale

Greenview Cottage was silent. Home from visiting Jasmine, Marion sat at the dining table, a cup of cold, untouched tea in front of her. Her eyes surveyed the sunny garden outside, watching the bees, butterflies, and birds, yet she didn’t take it in. She couldn’t. Her mind was preoccupied. Ed had been called to London again. Marion had asked him not to go; it was Saturday after all, but Ed had ignored her pleas and scurried off faster than a mouse with a nub of cheese.

Marion couldn’t help but feel Ed had been distant lately. His smile didn’t reach his eyes. His touch had become less tender and frequent. Marion had tried to brush it off and convince herself that it was just work stress or the fatigue of daily life, but the seed of doubt had been planted, and it gnawed away at her.

Brought back into the room by the chime of the clock on the hour, Marion took in her surroundings as if needing a reminder of where she was. Then she saw it. Sitting on the sideboard was Ed’s iPad. He must have put it down on his way through and forgot to grab it to take with him. Marion’s heart pounded in her chest, a mix of fear and guilt swirling in her mind. She didn’t want to be that person, the kind who snooped through her husband’s things, but the doubt had grown too loud to ignore, and before she knew it, she was at the sideboard and the iPad was in her hands.

With trembling fingers, Marion unlocked the device. She felt a pang of guilt even before she began, but she pushed it aside, telling herself she needed to know. Marion’s eyes scanned through countless emails, messages, and calendar appointments. She clicked through social media apps and photo albums, her heart sinking a little deeper with each swipe. There was nothing. There were no hidden messages, no suspicious contacts, and no evidence of anything untoward.

A wave of guilt crashed over Marion with a force that made her feel sick. She had doubted Ed, had invaded his privacy, and for what? Marion locked the iPad and set it back on the sideboard in the exact same position as before. She sighed, angry that she had allowed doubt to get the better of her.

–  G L E N D A L E  –

Ashbourne House,
Glendale

Golden rays of delicious afternoon sun mingled with the faint aroma of jasmine that wafted in through the large, opened sash windows of the morning room. Julia sat at a small table to the side, engrossed in the final preparations for the upcoming village fete. The morning room, Julia’s favourite in the expansive Ashbourne House mansion, was a sanctuary of elegance. Its walls were lined with antique William Morris wallpaper; a blue chintz Chesterfield sofa with two matching armchairs occupied the middle of the room; a selection of art hung from the picture rail; and antique knickknacks, personally curated by Julia, were scattered throughout.

The silence was broken by a clunk as the heavy-panelled door opened. Julia glanced up, her expression instantly hardening as she saw who had entered. Natalie Sinclair, her husband’s nineteen-year-old personal assistant, strode in with her usual air of self-importance. Natalie’s nude pumps clipped against the wooden floor, and her figure-hugging navy-blue sheath dress and perfectly groomed appearance did little to mask the disdain that simmered just below the surface.

Julia stiffened at Natalie’s audacity as the woman marched through the private room towards her as if she owned the place. “Do you mind?” Julia barked, looking at Natalie from over the top of her reading glasses. “This is a private space! What are you even doing here on a Saturday?”

“I’m going to talk, and you’re going to listen,” Natalie replied, her voice smooth but laced with barely concealed contempt as she ignored the frosty reception. “Understood?”

–  G L E N D A L E  –

Greystone Downs Farm,
Glendale

“Daaaaaaaad!” Noah’s whiny cry was soft and distant.

The usual chaos and hubbub of life that engulfed Greystone Downs had dissipated when Carol, Tony, and Audrey had gone home after lunch and Kate, Ava, and Harry had gone to Maidstone to buy some groceries to make homemade pizzas for dinner.

With Noah engrossed in the latest episode of “Bluey”, Tom had taken the opportunity to nip upstairs and check his old Samsung phone. He bit down on his lip as he took in the explicit image sent to him via text. He unzipped his Levi jeans and, with electricity surging through his body, slipped a hand inside his bulging trunks. Swaying his hips, Tom allowed his denim jeans to slide down his thighs, stopping a few inches above his knees, and then pulled down his underwear. The phone clicked as he took a photo.

You’ve caused a reaction 😜

The racy reply flew off into the ether. Tom locked the phone, pulled up his underwear, adjusted himself, pulled up his jeans, and returned the phone to the back pocket of the old pair of jeans hidden in the wardrobe. The bedroom creaked open.

“Shi…” With his heart thundering, Tom slammed the cupboard door shut, zipped up his fly, and spun around, one hand hiding the very apparent hardening in his jeans and the other running through his messy golden locks. He met Noah’s innocent stare. “Hey, Bubble!”

Noah tilted his head at his father’s unusual stance. “What are you doing?”

“Hmm?” Tom stalled, desperate for thinking time. “Oh, I’m just hiding Mummy’s birthday present so she won’t find it. Shhh.” He held an index finger to his lips and winked at his young son. “Keep it a secret, yeah?”

Noah’s eyes lit up in wonder, and he nodded. If there was one thing Noah loved, it was a birthday. A horrific wave of guilt and revulsion washed over Tom, disgusted in himself that he had now drawn his innocent son into the web of lies and deceit.

“’Bluey’ won’t work!” Noah said, looking up at his father with that pitiful look that children are able to turn on at the flick of a switch.

“Okay, let’s go and see if we can fix it,” Tom said, ruffling his son’s hair as he scooped him up in his arms and held him on his hip.

“Mummy’s going to love her birthday!” Noah was giddy with excitement as Tom carried him out of the bedroom and headed downstairs. “I’m going to make her thiiiiis much balloons!” he said, his arms once again outstretched as wide as he could possibly make them.

–  G L E N D A L E  –

Ashbourne House,
Glendale

Julia’s eyes narrowed, and her lips pressed into a thin line. “I’m quite busy,” she replied coolly, not bothered to mask her irritation as she dismissed Natalie with a wave of her fingers and returned her attention to the village fete preparations. “Close the door on your way out.”

Natalie placed her hands on the edge of the table and leant forward, looming over Julia with an unfazed malevolence. Julia looked up and met Natalie’s glare.

“You know, you really should be nicer to me, Julia,” Natalie said, her tone taking on a serious note. “After all, I know all your secrets.”

Julia’s brow furrowed slightly, and she sighed, an act worthy of an Oscar. “I don’t have any secrets.”

Natalie straightened up, her eyes gleaming with a hint of knowing satisfaction. “Oh, but you do, Julia,” she purred, relishing every moment. “We all have secrets.”

Julia sat back in her seat, removed her glasses, and tapped the arm of them against her lips. “What are you on about?” she sighed, already weary of Natalie’s games.

“That Nick isn’t your son,” Natalie replied matter-of-factly. “He’s Emma’s.”

Julia’s heart fell to her stomach, and her face dropped. How? How did Natalie know? It wasn’t possible.

–  G L E N D A L E  –

All Saints Church,
Glendale

The churchyard was vibrant in July, with wildflowers bursting through the grass and sunlight filtering through the leaves of the ancient oak trees. Birds sang from the branches above, their melodies mingling with the chime of the church bell as it marked the hour. But none of this beauty registered with Emma as she stood by the perfectly maintained grave, her eyes fixed on the name engraved in stone.

IN MEMORY OF
MICHAEL EDWARD BANCROFT
23 SEPTEMBER 1981 – 2 SEPTEMBER 2007
ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS

It was a simple message, yet it carried so much weight. The ache in Emma’s chest grew as she thought back to the moments they’d shared, both good and bad. Michael was gone now, and if the coffee with Ben earlier was anything to go by, her future seemed bright. But Emma couldn’t shake the stinging sense of loss that she had felt since Julia revealed to her that Michael had died suddenly, nearly seventeen years ago.

With a single yellow rose in hand, Emma knelt and placed it at the base of Michael’s headstone.

“I’ll always love you, Mikie,” Emma whispered softly, shifting her mouth from side to side to fight off the tears that threatened to break free.

Behind her, Judith Bancroft, Michael’s mother, stood a few feet away. Her face was a storm of barely contained rage as her eyes narrowed to slits.

NEXT TIME…

• Battle lines are drawn.
• Charlotte is made an offer.
• Natalie turns up the heat on the Harrington-Jones family.
• Tom’s actions come back to haunt him.