The Reunion Lie. Lucy King

or what the Ashwicke Forresters were remained a mystery to Zoe, but Harriet was practically quivering with delight—even the navy velvet Alice band that Zoe suspected was the same one she’d worn at school trembled—and her eyes were sparkling. ‘Oh, how thrilling. I met your parents once years ago. At the Queen Mary’s Ball, I think it was. Absolutely delightful. How are they?’

      ‘Divorced,’ he said flatly.

      ‘Oh,’ said Harriet, her eyes widening and losing some of that sparkle as the air thickened with awkwardness. ‘Well. I’m sorry to hear that.’

      ‘Are you?’ Dan said archly, and as Zoe caught a trace of steel beneath the charming exterior she felt her heartstrings twang. Clearly the subject of his parents’ divorce was a touchy one. As was marriage perhaps, she thought, because gorgeous successful single men over the age of thirty who didn’t have a problem with commitment or excess emotional baggage were rare. So should the conversation ever get round to the imminent proposal she’d hinted at—and in all honesty she didn’t hold out much hope that it wouldn’t—maybe she could do him a favour and release him from that particular obligation.

      His abrupt tone might have tugged at Zoe’s heartstrings, but it had taken the other two very aback if the lull in conversation was anything to go by. However, St Catherine’s girls never let conversation stagnate for long, and Zoe wasn’t the least bit surprised to see Samantha recover first.

      ‘Oh, I recognise you now,’ she said with a gleam in her eye and a faintly triumphant smile on her lips, neither of which Zoe liked the look of at all. ‘You’re that Dan Forrester, aren’t you?’