For Better for Worse

Once this land would all have been water; in its way it was a testament to what man could achieve, his determination, and his obduracy… his stubborn determination to conquer and control.

From locking out the sea and building the dykes, man had progressed to refusing to share his captured territory with its original owner, wanting it for his own use alone, jealously guarding his stolen prize. The skyline here had a haunting melancholy about it, the cries of the seabirds mingling with the soft soughing sound of the wind.

‘No, I can’t go back,’ Fern agreed quietly. ‘Our marriage is over.’

‘So what will you do? You know you’re welcome to stay here as long as you want…’

Fern laughed, amusement crinkling the corners of her eyes and curling her mouth. As she watched her, Cressy thought that she had never seen her looking more attractive, more mature… more of a woman.

‘That’s generous of you, but no, I shan’t do that, Cressy,’ she respo

nded, touching her hand. ‘Nick and I have to talk for one thing, and for another…’ She turned to look out across the sea.

‘What you need is a completely fresh start; somewhere new where you…’

Fern shook her head. ‘No,’ she told her friend quietly, adding, ‘I have a few friends at home, a life… I’ve been a coward for long enough, Cressy. If I run away now… Nick won’t like it, of course.’

‘Will you be able to manage… financially?’

‘It won’t be easy,’ Fern admitted. ‘I shall have to find some sort of job, and of course I don’t have any proper training, much less any real experience, but I am willing to learn.’ She pulled a rueful face. ‘There must be something I can do. Finding somewhere to live won’t be quite as easy, but…’

‘But surely Adam will be able to help you there? He must have contacts… know people…’

Automatically Fern stiffened, turning away so that Cressy couldn’t see her expression.

‘Adam is Nick’s stepbrother. I don’t want to involve him in this.’

‘You might not be able to stop him from involving himself,’ Cressy told her drily. ‘Adam is that kind of person.’

‘Adam is Nick’s stepbrother,’ she repeated. ‘I don’t want or need his help.’

As she turned round Fern saw the perplexed frown furrowing Cressy’s forehead and knew she was overreacting, but it was impossible for her to stop the panic and desperation from entering her voice.

‘But Nick resents and envies Adam, Fern,’ Cressy told her. ‘He always has done. How on earth Adam has managed to tolerate him so patiently I’ll never know. Look at the way Nick pushed Adam out of your life. What’s wrong? Are you cold?’ she asked in concern as Fern suddenly shivered.

‘Yes. Yes, I am a little bit,’ Fern fibbed as she hugged her arms around her body. She didn’t want to talk about Adam like this… didn’t want to risk making herself feel even more vulnerable than she already was.

Although she could not admit it to Cressy, it was her feelings—her love—for Adam that was likely to cause her to move away to a different area, rather than her separation from Nick.

* * *

‘Are you sure you won’t stay a little bit longer?’ Cressy pressed her three days later when Fern announced that it was time for her to leave.

‘I can’t,’ Fern told her, adding wryly, ‘Besides, I have to face Nick some time.’

‘Don’t let him change your mind, will you, Fern?’ Cressy cautioned her. ‘Don’t let him make you think you owe him anything. You don’t.’

‘You’ve made me see him in a completely different light,’ Fern told her. ‘Made me realise… I thought it was all my fault, that it was my responsibility… my duty to make our marriage work.’

‘He manipulated you… used you,’ Cressy told her grimly. ‘You are the injured party, Fern, not him. He’s the one who has been unfaithful. With a good divorce lawyer…’

Immediately Fern shook her head. ‘No, I don’t want that,’ she told Cressy with uncharacteristic firmness. ‘I don’t want anything from our marriage, Cress. Somehow I feel as though it would be tainted, as though I would be tainted.’

‘But you’re entitled…’

Again Fern shook her head. ‘No… Not really. I haven’t contributed anything financial to our marriage.’ She smiled gently as Cressy made an angry explosive sound. ‘It’s true. We don’t have any children. There’s no need for Nick to make any financial provision for me. I don’t want him to.’

‘But he should… You have worked, Fern. You’ve worked damned hard for him, far harder than anyone else would have. Far harder than he’s ever worked for you. Don’t be a fool… I know how you feel, but even if you’re lucky it’s going to take time for you to retrain. Jobs, even for qualified people, aren’t that easy to come by.’