But Juliette had to forgive him for whatever was in the envelope, burn it to release him from guilt. Was he tempted enough to risk giving the secret a physical presence before it was willingly destroyed? No. Think of something else. This was just a silly stunt. He’d drunk too much wine. If they were all sober, they’d all recognize how foolish this was.
Juliette’s pen moved across the paper. What exactly was she writing?
‘I forgive you, Rhys.’ Kathryn was holding Rhys’s powder blue envelope in her hand. In the other she had a green transparent plastic lighter that Juliette had found.
‘That was pretty convincing.’ Rhys smiled humourlessly.
‘We all have to say it with conviction. Right, Evie?’ Kathryn’s eyes remained on Rhys.
Ted registered that Evie seemed transfixed by the couple facing each other over the table.
Kathryn rasped the flint of the lighter with her thumb and a flame flickered up towards the bottom edge of the envelope. She moved it closer and positioned both over the handcrafted yellow clay ashtray from Portugal that Ted’s parents had brought back for them.
Kathryn touched the flame to the paper, and it started to blacken, but after a few seconds, she extinguished the lighter and bit her lip. ‘I could just open it. What if I do that?’
Evie fingered an auburn lock behind her ear. ‘It’s not allowed. The trust has been placed in your hands.’
Kathryn seemed to enjoy Rhys’s uncomfortable expression. ‘Might be worth it.’
‘Are you forgetting that Rhys has your envelope?’ Jakob slurred.
‘Perhaps I don’t mind him seeing what’s in mine. Maybe opening them would be more honest than burning them.’
‘Maybe you’re right. Your choice, pumpkin.’ Rhys sucked on the hairs under his lip.
Now Ted wanted his own envelope back, wished he’d listened to his common sense. But the idea of having Juliette forgive him for what he’d written had been too difficult to resist.
Kathryn lowered the lighter. ‘Maybe there’s nothing but rubbish on mine.’ She was clearly relishing the moment.
‘Then you’ve cheated.’ Connor didn’t sound amused. ‘And if that’s the case, nobody plays.’
Orla eyed his lemon envelope. ‘Eager for me to burn yours then? We could all just open them now.’
But Evie interjected. ‘Stop teasing, Kathryn. Or hand him back the envelope. The sole purpose of the game is to release the past and unite for the sake of the future.’
‘You seem very keen to do that, Evie.’ Jakob reached for his glass, but it was empty.
Kathryn smiled at Rhys, then flicked the flint again. She played the lighter over the bottom of the envelope and the flames licked up the paper. She released it when they reached her French polished nails.
The envelope and its secret curled into black in the ashtray and nobody spoke until the last patch of blue paper had vanished.
‘I’d better open a window before we set the alarm off.’ Ted was glad of the distraction, slid the pane behind him open and let the freezing air pour in. But nobody sitting around the table complained about the cold.
‘My turn now.’ Rhys held his hand out for the lighter.
‘You can breathe,’ Kathryn said caustically and passed it to him. She shoved the ashtray and it slid across the table.
Ted wondered exactly what she’d just forgiven Rhys for. And did she now feel foolish because she had?
Evie sat straight. ‘We need a change in attitude here. This is to help us, not drive us apart. We’re all willingly doing this.’
‘Are we?’ Ted countered.
Juliette turned slowly to him, playfulness gone and suspicion creeping into her expression. ‘Yes. Or are you afraid I might open yours?’ Her eyes flicked to his sealed orange envelope on the table in front of her.
‘I just don’t think this is going to lead anywhere good.’ Ted shook his head too many times.
Juliette frowned at him, genuinely worried now.
‘Let’s just get this finished,’ Connor said in a surly tone. ‘Perhaps Evie will stop trying to analyse Orla and me then.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Evie almost sounded mortified.
‘Oh, come on.’ Connor shook his head.
‘Rhys, are you doing this?’ Kathryn nodded at her husband; her expression was flushed.
‘What’s the matter, pumpkin? Feeling uncomfortable?’ He grinned.
‘Don’t call me that.’ Kathryn clenched her jaw.
Ted knew the menopause had arrived early for Kathryn. She was having what she described as one of her ‘tropical moments’ but she’d made it clear she didn’t want people to fuss when it happened. Besides, the window was already open.
‘Just get it done,’ Jakob huffed.
Rhys nodded, held the lighter to the side of Kathryn’s aquamarine envelope and paused for dramatic effect. ‘I forgive you.’
‘You have to mean it, Rhys,’ Evie reminded him. ‘Say it like you do.’
‘OK.’ Rhys nodded and some of the cruelty drained from his face. He wet his mouth. ‘I forgive you.’ His eyes still fixed on his wife, Rhys set fire to the envelope and let it drop into the ashtray.
Jakob indicated the mint green envelope that contained his secret. ‘Maybe you should have gone first, Evie.’
‘Perhaps.’ Evie held it up and studied the seal.
Ted watched Jakob examine his empty glass and then the unopened bottle that Rhys had selected at the opposite end of the table. Looked like the game was sobering everybody up. It had definitely caused a fractious atmosphere between each couple, including him and Juliette. He just wanted it over now. He suspected he’d be calling cabs soon.
‘Show us how it’s done then.’ Jakob interlinked his fingers on the table and sat forward.
Rhys slid the smoking ashtray and the lighter down the table to where they were sitting. Jakob took them, positioned the ashtray in front of Evie and handed her the lighter.
She took it and maintained eye contact with him. ‘I forgive you.’ She smiled earnestly and blinked, then set fire to the green envelope.
But Ted noticed the side of her mouth twitch as the paper was consumed.
‘Don’t get your fingers burned.’ Jakob nodded at the envelope.
But Evie held it for a while longer before letting what little remained float down into the ashtray.
‘That’s you off the hook, Jakob,’ Orla said flatly. ‘Put the girl out of her misery.’
‘Or just open it and find out how imperfect everyone is,’ Connor added.
‘Connor,’ Orla growled.
‘I forgot, Evie’s rules.’ Connor emphasized