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all packed up and ready for the off.” He forced a smile but did not let it reach his eyes.
    “The Decree Nisi papers came this morning,” she stated matter-of-factly. “That’s it now…things are finally done,” she said breezily. Jim shook his head, the curve of his mouth taking a downturn.
    “Aye well, I guess mine will be forwarded with the rest of my mail.” He felt sadly resigned now. After a pause, he looked back at her and said, “Flick, we’ve been apart for ages now, and yet you still manage to make it sound like you’re escaping some horrible, despicable fiend of a man.”
    She seemed to squirm under his gaze. “It’s Felicity , James. I don’t think you’re despicable at all.” She snorted. “You and I both know that we didn’t work. It’s over. We can happily get on with our respective lives, just the way we want now.” She pulled invisible lint from the sleeves of her smart winter jacket, avoiding eye contact. Jim realised he was flogging the proverbial dead horse yet again.
    “Aye, well it’s Jim , thank you, Felicity . And there are those of us who disagree with your opinions on our marriage. I, contrary to what you may think and feel, will remember our time together with fondness and will sign those papers with a stab of regret and sadness in my heart.” He put the car into gear and drove away without giving her the opportunity to have the last word.
    “How did we end up here, eh, Jasper? I really wish I knew.” Jim leaned over and scratched the top of the dog’s head as he began his journey northwards, the sound of Beautiful Day by Three Colours Red resonating around his beloved car.
     
     

Chapter 3
    January 2010 - Eleven Months After the Break Up
     
    Although he was raised in Scotland, Jim was by no means heading home. Dumbarton, place of his upbringing, held no pull for him now with his parents gone. They had put every penny they could aside for their sons. The brothers discovered after their parents’ deaths that this was the reason for their frugal existence. The modest town house they inherited on top of the savings had meant that Jim could buy himself a place, albeit small and a little run down. Although the money had always been intended to set him up in a home with Felicity, he’d sat on the money for years not daring to dip into it lest it be swallowed up on minor frivolities. But that home— their home—clearly was never meant to be.
    The choice of his new location, Shieldaig in the West Highlands, was more of an escape. He had visited as a child with his family when they were on holiday, but he didn’t remember too much about it. His memories were all in the family photos he’d kept. He just knew that it was a peaceful, almost undiscovered place, certainly more his pace of life than London. Because he had no memories of Flick here, he knew he could start afresh.
    Wipe the slate clean.
    There would be nothing around each corner to remind him of what a mess he had made of things. He could reinvent himself if he so wished. Not that he would do that. He wasn’t pretentious. That had kind of been the problem really. He couldn’t pretend to be anyone but himself and this hadn’t been good enough. He’d come to realise, in recent years, that Flick was out of his league. But he also knew that he wasn’t a bad person. Other than a failed marriage he had nothing to be ashamed of. He had loved his wife more than life itself. He’d tried so damned hard to fit in with her life and all its glamour. But he simply wasn’t that good an actor.
    His brother, Euan, had escaped too. He had emigrated to Australia to be with the woman of his dreams whom he had met two years ago whilst travelling through Europe.
    Jim was slightly envious of Euan’s relationship with Tara. She was very easy going and fun to be around. Every bit the beach babe, she had a petite frame, sun bleached curly hair, and eyes as green as the brightest emeralds. Euan had always been into sports and had