What is going on? Where is my husband and washe even in Skye? If he is in Skye, who is he with?! I made my excuses at workabout a bad migraine coming on and headed home. I had to do some digging butwhere to start? Of course … the P.C.
I log on and immediately check the searchhistory. This is slightly reassuring. There are lists of websites listingaccommodation for rent on Skye. At least he’s not lied to me about where he isgoing but there was something going on here. In all the years we’d beentogether I couldn’t think of a time he’d ever lied to me like this. If he’s notthere on work, then what?
I select five of the most recent links toproperties he’d been looking at and start dialling round. “Hello, yes, I amtrying to locate my husband Thomas Taylor. He was due to check in with youyesterday but there’s an urgent family matter I need to discuss with him, and Ican’t get through to his phone.” No luck with the first three calls but on thefourth call I strike gold. “Yes, Mr Taylor has booked to stay with us but I’mafraid he’s yet to check in. If you do manage to contact him perhaps you couldask him to call us and let us know if he’ll be needing the room. If I don’thear from him by this afternoon, I’m afraid I’ll have to re-advertise theaccommodation.” I pause briefly.
“There’ll be no need for that. I’ll takethe booking, thanks. If there is any surcharge for amending the details, pleaselet me know.”
I hang up and the enormity of what I’vejust done hits home. I’m going to abandon work and Michael to go on a wildgoose chase up north to try to find out what the hell is going on!
Potentially I could keep trying his mobileand if I managed to get through to him, we could have a chat about why he’s notbeen answering his phone. I could even go so far as saying I’d spoken with hiswork and they have confirmed they’re not expecting him. But even if I did this,could I trust his response? He has lied to me repeatedly over these past fewweeks. There have been the texts going back and forth late at night; thatpostcard; the fact he said he’s going there on business and most worryinglywhere he was staying. OK he didn’t give me the details of the accommodation hewas staying at, but I’d just discovered he’d booked and paid for accommodationand had never arrived there.
I could think of only two scenarios.Either he is having an affair and he’s shacked up somewhere on Skye (that’s ifhe’s definitely in Skye) with his mistress or (God forbid), he’s been involvedin an accident and that’s why he was unable to check into the accommodation andreturn my calls this morning. I don’t want to run away with this and forcemyself to calm down. I need to rule out that he has had an accident and decideto try calling him again.
He answers on the third ring. Relieffloods my system. Thankfully, he’s not been involved in an accident. He tellsme he’s fine, doing well in fact, and taking in some sightseeing beforestarting work tomorrow. The earlier feeling of relief is oh so quickly replacedwith an intense anger. I can’t believe this is the same man I married all thoseyears ago. He is so happily spinning lie after lie to me. Through gritted teethI somehow manage to maintain some decorum and tell him that sounds wonderfuland that I hope he gets on well in his search for a new financial adviser. Yeahright! As I hang up, I can feel a huge knot which has formed in my stomachtwisting and tightening and, with it, a painful throbbing in my temples andtightening in my chest. This only leaves the other possibility, that he ishaving an affair, I can think of no other logical explanation.
Another worrying prospect is that I travelall the way up there and there is no Thomas to be found! If he hasn’t checkedinto his accommodation was he even in Skye? I reason that I don’t have anythingelse to go on and his latest search history did show that he was looking ataccommodation there (albeit he hadn’t checked in) so it’s the best I have to goon for now.
I need to makearrangements for Michael whilst I’m away and phone my best friend Amy. Her sonLucas is also good friends with Michael, so I think he’d be happiest stayingwith them. She is a saviour. I’ve given her next to no notice and she’s got noproblem whatsoever in taking him in. I tell her it’ll only be for a few days,that something urgent has come up. And, like a true friend she senses that Idon’t want to go into it and doesn’t push me for any more information. Let’sjust hope Michael is on board with this arrangement too.
Work already think I’m unwell so there’sno problem there, I just need to keep the pretence going and phone in daily tonotify them of my absence. My mind wanders … if he is having an affair, whatthen? Could I remain married to him or would this be the end of us? If we splitup what would this do to Michael? He is at a crucial time at school with examscoming up and the thought of disrupting his little world with this bombshell(if it is true) makes me feel physically sick.
It then occurs to me perhaps there is athird explanation. I’d ruled it out long ago because he was so matter of factabout going there on business. I had had no reason to doubt him because, up tothat point, to my knowledge he had never lied to me before. I recall aconversation I’d had with him when
