Page 110 of Outback Secrets

‘My boyfriend would come to Christmas lunch—Mum would expect it. Isn’t the pub closed anyway? Do you have somewhere else to be?’

‘I draw the line at Christmas,’ he said, ignoring her question. ‘I’ve gone along with this farce in every other way, but I don’t do Christmas with anyone. And that’s not negotiable.’

‘Farce?’ Hurt flashed in Henri’s eyes. ‘I … What do you usually do Christmas Day?’

‘I drink.’ He’d told her almost every other damn thing about himself—she might as well know the ugly truth. ‘I drink until I get very, very drunk and then I drink some more until I pass out.’

‘But I’ve barely seen you drink at all.’

‘It’s better that way.’ Then before she could ask him why or try to convince him to change his mind just this once, he threw back the covers, stormed from the room and headed downstairs.

He made himself a whiskey and Coke—lighter on the latter—leaned against the bar and took a long, large gulp.

What had Henrietta Forward done to him?