Bonjour les amis!

Happy hump day 🙂 Time to sit back and enjoy this week’s excerpt.

Can’t wait to hear what you think,

Sigrid

“Can we talk?” Milly asked.

Christine narrowed her eyes. “Is it that important?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, fine, sit,” Christine said and gestured to the two chairs in the corner. “I do need to talk to you about something too.”

Milly’s hands were clammy. “Sure, okay.”

“Let’s start with you. What’s going on?” Christine asked.

Milly nodded, but couldn’t bring herself to speak. Her heart was racing. She had been thinking about this conversation all night. She hadn’t slept at all.

Hannah had been asleep – or pretending to sleep – her back turned to Milly. That had left Milly staring at the ceiling and feeling more than a bit upset.

Hannah had refused to explain her outburst, insisting Milly ask Christine about it. And so, after a long and frustrating night, Milly was here to do just that.

Christine sighed. “Let me guess: Hannah Emsworth.”

“Yes!” Milly blurted out. “I’m sick of all the secrets and lies!”

“I never lied to you,” Christine replied coolly.

Milly’s nostrils flared. She was having a hard time believing Christine. “Just tell me how you know Hannah.”

“Fine.” Christine folded her hands and frowned. “This is not something I am proud of.”

Milly leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.

“I’ve known Hannah her entire life,” Christine admitted. “Lucile Leroy was my best friend for over thirty-five years.”

Milly’s lips parted as her mind was racing to catch up. “Her entire life?” she asked, her voice shaky.

“Yes. Lucile and I were very close. See, Henry was never home.” Christine smiled. “Hannah loved the pigeons and squirrels in the park. So Lucile and I took her there every day.”

Milly’s hands were shaking. “You kept this from me all this time,” she stammered.

Christine rubbed her cheek. “Would you like something to drink?”

Milly snorted. “It’s 10 AM!”

“I meant tea. Just tea.”

“Oh. No, thanks.” Milly shook her head warily.

Christine stared at the kitchen door. She didn’t get up, though.

Milly was too angry to wait for her to make up her mind. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked.

“I was ashamed,” Christine replied. Her neck and cheeks were flushed.

“Why?” Milly asked again, trying to sound less harsh this time.

Christine stretched her legs and took in a deep breath. “I betrayed them,” she said, her voice cracking.

She lifted a hand and gestured for Milly to give her a second. Milly did. It took every ounce of her restraint, though.

“Henry passed away unexpectedly. His heart just stopped. Hannah found him in his study. He had been dead for at least two hours, the doctors said. It was a sight no daughter should ever see.”

Milly felt a chill run up her spine. No wonder Hannah was still having such a hard time talking about her father.

Christine wiped her eyes. “I spent as much time with Lucile and Hannah as I could. They were both so, so lost. Hannah especially. ”

Milly was having a hard time breathing. Her throat was so tight it hurt. She had seen a glimpse of that sadness in Hannah’s eyes several times.

“Then what happened?” she asked quietly.

Christine was staring at a vase with white flowers on the table between them.

“Four years after Henry’s death, Lucile met someone,” she finally said with a pained expression. “I don’t know what got into her. Philip was the exact opposite of Henry. I no longer visited every day…”

“I guess there was some sort of new normal for a while,” Christine continued. “Hannah got her own apartment as soon as Lucile and Philip got married. She despised him.”

Milly suddenly realised Hannah had never mentioned Philip by name. Not once.

“Philip and Lucile got a divorce,” she guessed, thinking out loud.

“Yes, and that’s where I come in again,” Christine said quietly.

Milly rubbed the back of her neck. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to hear this. She was walking into a very private part of her coach’s life now. How had she ended up here?

Christine coughed. “I’ll stop beating around the bush…”

Oh noes! That’s the end of the excerpt 😉