Page 42 of Tears of Gold

“Property is good for making short term financial gain, but the market can fluctuate. There will always be people who want to spend too much on a fancy bottle of wine.”

I stare open mouthed at Jeremy. “I thought you were a teacher?”

He smiles wryly. “My husband was an investment banker. I guess I must have been listening after all.”

“Right.” Eli turns to the bottles and grabs one, rubbing at its surface. “This will do.” He grabs another. “And this.”

Jeremy peers closer. “Screaming Eagle, very nice.”

“Not the 1992 though, we’d better not drink that with an omelette.”

They both laugh. “I have no idea what you are talking about,” I grouch.

“But can you make omelettes?” Eli raises a cheeky eyebrow.

Bastard. He knows I can only open packets and jars and put things on a plate.

Turns out I can rustle up a French omelette which is basically just cheese mixed with egg and cooked in an indecent amount of butter, but I do need supervision while doing it.

We eat at the kitchen table and drink the wine. The omelette is delicious, the cheese literally makes my mouth water. Eli stares at me as I wolf it down still scorching hot. I can’t win. Yesterday he was worried I wasn’t eating my salad and today he’s worried I’m burning my mouth on oozing egg and cheese.

“That was great, thank you.” Jeremy places his knife and fork on his plate and sits back with a glass of wine. “It’s so weird being here with you, when I’ve heard about you all these years.”

Eli clears his throat and takes a deep sip of his own drink. “It must have been hard agreeing to be a secret part of his life.”

Jeremy lifts his shoulders and then lets them fall. “I guess it was a price I was willing to pay.” His words pierce through my chest. We all have a price to pay, sometimes without knowing it. “So anyway, what is it with you two? Peter thought it was the funniest thing ever when you met. He called you Little Miss Stropster.”

“What!” I open my mouth to protest but then can’t find the will. “Fair to say, Eli wound me up something chronic when we met.”

“Still do, don’t I?” Eli nudges my arm, playfully shooting me a wink.

“Every moment.”

He gulps another sip of wine. “Faith was all about her rules; it gave me great joy to break them.”

“Rules? Well, Peter never mentioned them.”

I shake my head, sitting up a little straighter. “He didn’t know. I guess he wasn’t the only one keeping secrets.”

The table lapses into silence and I close my eyes, briefly, taking a steadying breath. When I open them both men are watching me, Jeremy with curiosity and Eli with an expression I can’t decipher, like he’s waiting for something.

“I had a pretty shitty home life.” I shrug. “I was abused by my stepbrother.”

“Oh shit,” Jeremy exclaims. “Please, don’t feel obligated to tell me anything.”

“No.” I shoot him a small smile. We are family I guess, and anyway it’s all out in the open now.” I catch a flicker of a frown on Eli’s face. “I went to the police the day Peter died and told them what had happened. I should have told them earlier, but I didn’t.”

“Has he been arrested?”

“I think so.”

“So, you don’t know. Haven’t they called or anything?”

“Not yet. It’s only been a few weeks.”

“You should call your liaison officer, Faith,” Eli adds. “You need to organise your lawyer if you won’t let me do it.”

“I won’t,” I snap.