Can You Keep A Secret?

talking to a journalist?'

'Why do you think she was talking to a journalist?' chimes in Jemima proudly.

'What?' Jack's gaze swivels to her with dislike.

'You think you're such a bigshot millionaire! You think you can use little people. You think

you can give away someone's private secrets and completely humiliate them and get away

with it. Well, you can't!'

She takes a few steps towards him, folding her arms and lifting her chin with satisfaction.

'Emma's been waiting for a chance to get her revenge on you, and now she's found it! That

was a journalist, if you want to know. And he's on your case. And when you find your little

Scottish secret plastered all over the papers, then maybe you'll know what it feel like to be

betrayed! And maybe you'll be sorry. Tell him, Emma! Tell him!'

But I'm paralysed.

The minute she said the word Scottish I saw Jack's face change. It kind of snapped. He almost

seemed winded with shock. He looked straight at me and I could see the growing disbelief in

his eyes.

'You might think you know Emma, but you don't,' Jemima is continuing delightedly, like a cat

tearing apart its prey. 'You underestimated her, Jack Harper. You underestimated what she's

capable of.'

Shut up! I'm screaming internally. It's not true! Jack, I would never, I would never …

But nothing in my body will move. I can't even swallow. I'm pinioned, staring helplessly at

him with a face I know is covered with guilt.

Jack opens his mouth, then closes it again. Then he turns on his heel, pushes the door open

and walks out.

For a moment there's silence in the tiny room.

'Well!' says Jemima, smacking her hands triumphantly, 'That showed him!'

It's as though she breaks the spell. Suddenly I can move again. I can draw breath.

'You…' I'm almost shaking too much to speak. 'You stupid… stupid… thoughtless…

bitch!'

The door bursts open and Lissy appears, wide-eyed.

'What the hell happened here?' she demands. 'I just saw Jack storming out. He looked

absolutely like thunder!'

'She brought a journalist here!' I say in anguish, gesturing at Jemima. 'A bloody tabloid

journalist. And Jack found us all closeted here, and he thinks… God know what he thinks…'

'You stupid cow!' Lissy slaps Jemima across the face. 'What were you thinking.'

'Ow! I was helping Emma get vengeance on her enemy.'

'He's not my enemy, you stupid…' I'm on the verge of tears. 'Lissy… what am I going to do?

What?'

'Go,' she says, and looks at me with anxious eyes. 'You can still catch him. Go.'

I pelt out of the door and through the courtyard, my chest rising and falling rapidly, my lungs

burning. When I reach the road I look frantically left and right. Then I spot him, down the

road.

'Jack, wait.'

He's striding along with his mobile phone to his ear, and at my voice he turns round with a

taut face.

'So that's why you were so interested in Scotland.'

'No!' I say, aghast. 'No! Listen, Jack, they don't know. They don't know anything, I promise. I

didn't tell them about-' I stop myself. 'All Jemima knows is that you were there. Nothing

more. She was bluffing. I haven't said anything.'

Jack doesn't answer. He gives me a long look, then starts striding again.

'It was Jemima who called that guy, not me!' I cry desperately, ru

to stop her… Jack, you know me! You know I would never do this to you. Yes, I told Jemima

about you being in Scotland. I was hurt, and I was angry, and it… came out. And that was a

mistake. But… but you made a mistake too, and I forgave you.'

He's not even looking at me. He's not even giving me a chance. His silver car pulls up at the

pavement, and he opens the passenger door.

I feel a stab of panic.

'Jack, this wasn't me,' I say frantically. 'It wasn't. You have to believe me. That's not why I

asked about Scotland! I didn't want to… to sell your secret!' Tears are streaming down my

face, and I brush them away roughly. 'I didn't even want to know such a big secret. I just

wanted to know your little secrets! Your little stupid secrets! I just wanted to know you…

like you know me.'

But he doesn't look round. The car door closes with a heavy clunk, and the car moves away

down the road. And I'm left on the pavement, all alone.

TWENTY-SIX

For a while I can't move. I stand there, dazed, with the breeze blowing on my face, staring at

the point at the end of the road where Jack's car disappeared. I can still hear his voice in my

mind. I can still see his face. The way he looked at me as though he didn't know me, after all.

A spasm of pain runs through my body and I close my eyes, almost unable to bear it. If I

could just turn back time… if I'd been more forceful… if I'd marched Jemima and her friend

off the premises… if I'd spoken up more quickly when Jack appeared…

But I didn't. And it's too late.

A group of party guests comes out of the courtyard onto the pavement, laughing and

discussing taxis.

'Are you all right?' says one curiously to me, and I give a start.

'Yes,' I say. 'Thanks.' I look one more time at where Jack's car disappeared, then force myself

to turn around and make my way slowly back up to the party.

I find Lissy and Jemima still in the little office, Jemima cowering in terror as Lissy lays into

her.

'… selfish immature little bitch! You make me sick, you know that?'

I once heard someone say Lissy was a Rottweiler in court, and I could never understand it.

But now, as I watch her striding up and down, her eyes blazing in fury, I'm actually pretty

scared myself.

'Emma, make her stop!' pleads Jemima. 'Make her stop shouting at me.'

'So… what happened?' Lissy looks at me, her face alight with hope. Mutely, I shake my head.

'Is he-'

'He's gone.' I swallow. 'I don't really want to talk about it.'

'Oh, Emma.' She bites her lip.

'Don't,' I say in a wobbly voice. 'I'll cry.' I lean against the wall and take a couple of deep

breaths, trying to get back to normal. 'Where's her friend?' I say at last, and jerk my thumb at

Jemima.

'He got thrown out,' says Lissy with satisfaction. 'He was trying to take a picture of Justice

Hugh Morris in his tights, and a bunch of lawyers surrounded him and bundled him out.'

'Jemima, listen to me.' I force myself to meet her unrepentant blue gaze. 'You ca

find out any more. You ca

'It's OK,' she says sulkily. 'I've already spoken to him. Lissy made me. He won't pursue it.'

'How do you know?'

'He won't do anything that would piss Mummy off. He has a pretty lucrative arrangement with

her.'

I shoot Lissy a 'can we trust her?' look, and she gives a doubtful shrug.

'Jemima, this is a warning.' I walk to the door, then turn round with a stern face. 'If anything

of this gets out — anything at all — I will make it public that you snore.'

'I don't snore!' says Jemima tartly.

'Yes you do,' says Lissy. 'When you've had too much to drink you snore really loudly. And

we'll tell everyone you got your Do

Jemima gasps in horror.

'I didn't!' she says, colour suffusing her cheeks.

'You did. I saw the carrier bag,' I chime in. 'And we'll make it public that you once asked for a

serviette, not a napkin.'

Jemima claps a hand over her mouth.

'… and your pearls are cultured, not real…'