Finn's car was in the driveway when Leah arrived on Monday. The boot was open, and he was trying to fit a suitcase inside. Through the rear window she could see a coat spread over his climbing bag on the back seat.
She stopped with Mara's overnight bag on her shoulder.
“Going somewhere?”
Finn looked up. He hadn't heard her car.
“Taking Mara.”
“Where?”
“Away for a bit.”
Mara came out of the house carrying a small canvas bag. She was wearing jeans and a soft grey sweater. With her hair tied back, she looked like the friend who used to turn up at Leah's shop before opening and drink coffee from a chipped mug behind the counter.
“You came. Lovely.” She leaned in to kiss Leah's cheek.
Leah turned, and Mara's lips brushed the air. She stepped back without commenting.
“That's everything, then. Give it here, sweetheart.”
Leah took the overnight bag off her shoulder and handed it over. Mara passed it straight to Finn. He caught it by the handle, put it in the boot and shut the lid.
“He's been an absolute darling,” Mara said. “I don't want to stay here. I'm sure you understand.”
“I want to talk to my brother.”
“Of course. Finn, let me just—”
Mara reached for his hand. Her fingers found his with an ease that made Leah forget the rest of what she was going to say. Finn's hand closed round hers. Then he noticed Leah looking and let go.
Nobody spoke.
A delivery van passed beyond the gate. Its engine faded. Somewhere inside the house a vacuum cleaner started.
“So you are seeing her,” Leah said.
Finn's eyes stayed on Mara for another second.
“Yes.”
Leah had thought she was ready for that answer. She had asked for it yesterday. Now she had it and a glimpse of the life they had been having without her: private calls, familiar touches, bags loaded into a car.
“How long?”
“Six weeks.”
“Six.”
“It wasn't meant to—”
Mara squeezed his wrist. “We didn't plan to hurt you.”
“You were engaged to Theo.”
“Yes. And very unhappy. You knew that.”
“I knew you'd had arguments.”
“I wasn't going to give you every horrible detail. You've had enough of your own to think about.”
Leah looked at Finn. He was staring at the gravel.
Six weeks. He had told her about a leaking tyre, a supervisor he hated and a delivery to the wrong street. He had called to ask which shirt to wear for a night out, and she had teased him about finally meeting someone he liked. He had laughed and said he was always meeting someone he liked.
Mara had been at Leah's flat the evening they'd had that call. She had sat across the kitchen table, listening.
“You let me talk about him,” Leah said to her. “About Adam. About everything.”
“Because I wanted to hear. I'm still your friend.”
“You let me be the person who didn't know.”
Finn lifted his head. “I didn't know how to tell you.”
“You could have started with yes, yesterday.”
“I know.”
Mara turned to him. “It was a dreadful morning. Don't let her make you feel you had to handle everything perfectly.”
He took his keys out of his pocket, then put them back.
Leah stepped closer to the car.
“Theo says you told him Adam was sleeping with Mara.”
“I heard.”
“You knew it wasn't Adam. It was you.”
Finn glanced at Mara.
“I'm asking you,” Leah said.
“It wasn't meant to happen like that.”
“Did the two of you agree on that story beforehand?”
“Leah.” Mara's voice sharpened. “We've had people asking questions all morning. Finn has told them what he knows. So have I. We need a little peace.”
“Did you?” Leah asked him. “And why Adam?”
Finn's face had gone red. He opened his mouth, but Mara spoke first.
“Adam has always wanted to be involved in things. I'm not saying he deserved any of this, but he did keep stepping in.”
“So you chose him because he was useful?”
Finn shut his eyes. “I'm not talking about what we agreed or why here. Not with everybody walking through.”
There was nobody in the driveway except the three of them.
“Then I'm going.”
Mara moved away from the car. “Wait. You've only just got here.”
“I brought your bag.”
“We'd like you to be happy for us.”
Leah gave a short, startled laugh. Mara's face fell.
“Don't do that.”
“You knew my brother was seeing you when you put your hand on Adam on those stairs. When you asked me to keep everyone quiet.”
“I was trying to get out alive.”
The words made Finn step towards Mara. He didn't touch her this time.
Leah held her own bag against her side.
“Theo told me he wanted to separate before the party.”
“That's what he says now.”
“He said it on the stairs,” Leah said. “Adam heard him.”
“Oh, Adam heard.” Mara looked at Finn. “You see? We can't say anything that won't be turned around.”
Finn was watching Leah. She had been watching him since she was old enough to understand what a small brother could get himself into. At ten she had opened a locked garden shed because he was too frightened to tell their father he'd broken the handle. At seventeen she had collected him from a party where he'd missed the last bus. Most of those rescues had been simple. He needed a key or a ride or somebody who wouldn't laugh until he was safe.
Now his boot was full of luggage, and Mara wanted a departure blessed.
“I've got a room for a few nights,” Mara said. “We need to breathe, then we'll work it out. Finn has Monday off. We can be somewhere else by lunchtime.”
She knew his day off. Leah hadn't, this week. Finn usually had to trade shifts to get Mondays.
“I won't tell you how to feel,” Mara continued. “But I really need you with us on this. Theo will make it sound awful. You know how kind Finn is. You know he wouldn't deliberately hurt anybody.”
“He can speak for himself.”
“Leah, please.” Finn's voice cracked on her name.
She took a step towards him before she realised she was doing it. He had the same frightened look he'd worn at sixteen when he'd crashed their mother's car into a gatepost. Back then she had put both hands on his face and asked if he was hurt.
She stopped.
Mara gave an impatient little sigh. “Nobody's running away from you.”
Leah looked at the loaded car.
She walked back to her own. Finn followed her as far as the driver's door.
“What are you going to tell Adam?”
“That you and Mara are seeing each other. That you told Theo the lie.”
He looked over his shoulder. Mara stood beside the passenger door, holding the canvas bag tight against her stomach.
Leah got in. She had left the window open, and Finn put his hand on its edge.
“I love you, you know.”
“Move your hand. I need to go.”
He moved it.
She drove out slowly, keeping her eyes on the gateposts. In her mirror Finn and Mara stood on opposite sides of the car. Neither had got in yet.
Back at the shop, a customer waited outside holding a pot with a broken rim. Leah unlocked the door, put her bag down and asked what had happened.
“My cat,” the woman said. “He's very pleased with himself.”
Leah found a replacement pot. She managed the sale, wrapped the damaged one so its sharp edge wouldn't cut through the customer's bag and wished her a good morning.
Only after the door closed did she sit down on the stool behind the counter. She took her phone out, called Adam and told him what she'd seen.