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the stage for a few moments seemed to have given him time to regroup.
    ‘Serena is right. I was ending it that night, Pierre,’ he continued quietly. ‘I
had
ended it.’ Gustav swiped his hand over his forehead. ‘I’m desperately sorry you had to see that. But I’m even more sorry that she carried out her threat. Found you and fucked you, just like she promised.’
    ‘Fucking, flagellating, what’s the difference? You show me yours, I’ll show you mine! Someone sits on your face, you’re not going to turn her down, are you? Especially not someone you’ve secretly lusted after for years!’ The expression on Pierre’s face was a combination of smile and snarl. ‘Oh, your wife was so hot, Gustav. Steaming. The sexiest thing I’ve ever had. Ever will have.’
    Polly gasped. Her blue eyes were round and red. We were all trapped in this room, this snapping of words and images. I slammed my hand down on the desk. ‘Would you listen to yourselves? Do you want a reconciliation or not?’
    They weren’t hearing me. They were being drawn back together by the images scrolling across the cine-screen of their shared memory.
    ‘You’re like Margot’s ventriloquist!’ Gustav was jabbing his finger now at Pierre. ‘Your going with her was despicable, the worst call you ever made. You may have thought she was your new protector, but all she wanted was to break me. P, she took you and turned you into someone else.’
    There was a brief, heavy pause. Surely Pierre would respond to that heartfelt cry of love and despair? That unexpected use of a childhood nickname?
    ‘She didn’t change me. You’re the one who changed from hero to bad guy.’
    The massive building shook with a sudden gust of strong wind. A train rattled loudly over Hungerford Bridge and a series of sirens wailed up the Embankment towards some catastrophe.
    ‘The worst thing I ever did was welcome Margot into our lives and I will never forgive myself for that. Or for letting you think of me as a villain.’ Gustav walked stiffly back to the desk, all the while keeping his eyes on his brother. ‘But take some of this on your shoulders, Pierre. You didn’t have to fall so completely into Margot’s trap, choose her over me without a second thought. Oh, I know how relentless she is when her claws are in, but you broke my heart.’
    The brothers stared at each other across the abyss. Surely this was the moment to forge some kind of truce? Pierre followed his brother to the desk and leaned across it.
    ‘I might have tried to resist her charms if she hadn’t told me one more tiny fact about you. Every word of which made perfect sense.’
    ‘That woman would swear day was night and people would believe her! Every word that comes out of her mouth is a lie, Pierre. I’ve tried to explain myself to you, but if her poison is still in your ears, what’s the point? I can’t take any more of this today.’ Gustav looked down at the sales ledger and started, very slowly, to close it. ‘You’re still so damn prickly.’
    ‘Is it any wonder I’m prickly, with my problem skin?’ Pierre stroked his hand up the arm that Polly had slapped earlier. ‘Remember that?’
    ‘Of course I remember.’ Gustav’s eyes followed the curious gesture of his brother’s hand as if he was being hypnotised. ‘How is it? Still gives you grief?’
    ‘What do you think? That’s something else you have to answer for.’
    ‘You’re holding me to ransom. It’s one-way traffic at the moment, and it’s getting us nowhere.’ Gustav shook his head. ‘I’ve nothing to hide. I will do whatever it takes to fix this, Pierre. But I’m done for now.’
    ‘You’re ending the conversation? Just like that? Detaching yourself from me yet again?’ Pierre went very white. Stretched out his hand as if to grasp something. Or to shake hands? But his hand remained empty. ‘So cold, Gustav. So bloody cold.’
    ‘Far from it. I’m deeply attached to you, Pierre, and I always will be.