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“Not anymore.” I sigh. “Last Christmas, I saw him shove her.”

Rudolph’s eyes blaze. “What?”

“Yeah, I know. I told him he was out of order.”

“What did he say?”

“He told me to fuck off.” I hesitate, then think oh, what the hell? “I didn’t tell Vix this, but he told me he’d seen the way I looked at her, and he knew how I felt about her. And she was his wife, and I needed to leave and not come back. So I did.”

“That’s why you haven’t been back?”

“Yeah. There are only so many times a guy can be told he’s not wanted.”

Rudolph meets my eyes and sighs. Then he looks away, out into the garden, at a Tui bird that’s sitting in the nearby lemon tree. “I wish I’d let you stop the wedding all those years ago.”

I blow out a long, slow breath. He’s already hinted at it, but ouch, that really stings.

“You can’t say that,” I tell him sharply. “She wouldn’t have had Millie if they hadn’t got married.”

“I know. But she’s been terribly unhappy. She thinks she hid it from me, but I could tell. I felt sorry for the guy when he had his accident. Nobody deserves to be in that kind of pain. I tried to help. But in the end, I lost my temper with him. I guess she told you.”

“She did mention it, yeah.”

“I couldn’t bear the way he was dragging her down with him. And you know what? When he walked out, although I was furious, deep down I was relieved. I’m even more relieved now I know he shoved her.” He glowers. “Fucking arsehole.”

It’s such an unusual thing for him to say that it makes me laugh. “Sorry,” I apologise, and he gives me a wry smile.

I can see that he needed to confess this to someone. I know that Julia had complications when she was in labour, and because of that, she was unable to have any more children. Because of that, Vix is the apple of his eye, especially now she has Millie. It must have been exceptionally hard to see your only daughter treated so badly.

“She seems to be flourishing now,” I say. “I heard about her organizing the children’s book fair.”

“Yeah, she’s blossomed since he left.” He eyes me. “Especially since you came back.”

I point the glass at him. “Don’t meddle.”

“I’m not. But I hope what I said back then doesn’t play a part in whatever decision you make. Vix likes you. I knew she liked you back then. I thought it was best that you didn’t complicate things, but I didn’t know then what I know now.”

“What do you mean by ‘whatever decision you make’?”

“Whether you stay,” he says.

I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. I close it again. Then I say, “Stay?”

He sips his whisky. Then he says, “Our Year Three teacher is going on maternity leave after Christmas.”

I stare at him. “You’d give me a job?”

“If you wanted it. You’re a terrific teacher. And it’s good to see more young men in primary teaching.”

“Rudolph…”

“I know you like her,” he says. “I’m just saying, if you wanted to stay, I wouldn’t stand in your way, in fact I’d encourage it. I’m sure part of the reason you left after Millie was born was because of what I said, and I’m sorry.”

“No,” I say hoarsely. “I left because I couldn’t bear to watch her with another man’s child. I loved her.”

“Loved? Past tense?” His lips curve up. “Or present?”

I give a short, humourless laugh and look away.