"How long have you been in love with Delia for?"

The mug in Patsy's hand fell to the floor and smashed, scattering soap suds and china fragments across the tiles. Trixie jumped, her arm flying out to hold take hold of the table edge to steady herself. Patsy stood motionless, staring down at the sharp little shards now littered around her feet.

"What?"

She uttered the question as if she could hardly believe that she had just heard what she did. To her horror, Trixie could see Patsy shaking slightly, and her bottom lip was trembling. Already, she began to wish that she had said nothing at all, but it was too late now.

"What?"

This time it was more of a demand.

"Patsy, I…"

"You do know that what you are accusing me of is illegal?"

Trixie had to drop her gaze, unable to bear the sheer betrayal in her friend's eyes.

"Yes, I…"

"Then why? I could lose everything, Trixie,"

Instantly, Trixie's feeling of guilt was replaced by disbelief and indignation. Did Patsy really believe that she wanted to ruin her? After everything that they had shared, did Patsy really have such little faith in her? It took her a moment to collect her own thoughts, and control the new fire rising in her stomach.

"Just because it's illegal does not mean that I am accusing you of anything. Do you not know me at all?"

Patsy straightened up, squaring her shoulders and gritting her teeth.

"No, I don't think that I do anymore. I don't think that I want to know anybody who chooses to corner me when I'm alone to interrogate me. I want you to leave, Trixie,"

The ordinarily unperturbable Patience Mount had been rattled, and Trixie could see it in the scarlet flush in her cheeks. This was not the same blush that she had seen Delia so easily call up. It was darker, and fuelled not by love, but by anger. Her voice had lost its gentleness and sound of control. Now, it was cold and empty.

"So you deny it then?"

The part of Trixie not yet corrupted by her own feelings of rage was screaming at her to stop and apologise, but she was too far gone. She hated herself for her own ridiculous defiance, and she hated herself even more for the small rush of pleasure that she got when she saw that her question had rendered Patsy speechless. It was wrong, and she knew it, but she was not going to go down without a fight.

"Do you deny it?" she repeated, slowly annunciating each word, and watching Patsy flinch, as if in real pain.

"I…"

"So that's a no then,"

Patsy's shoulders slumped in defeat and she weakly should her head. The strength in her to oppose the allegations was gone, and she staggered backwards to support herself against the work surface.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Trixie asked, her voice immediately taking on a softer sound, "Patsy, you know that I would never turn you in or report you. I just wanted to know! I thought that we were honest with each other,"

Patsy barely suppressed a sneer, "Do you know how childish that sounds? What we are talking about here isn't some sort of playground folly. It's my livelihood and my reputation… and it's Delia's as well. I spend everyday living in absolute terror that we'll make a wrong move and I'll lose her and everything forever. Do you really think that I can afford to tell anybody else? Can you not see how dangerous that is for us?"

With that, Trixie's anger melted away, and the fierce guilt returned. For all of this time, she had never once considered how difficult a time Patsy may have been having, and she felt ashamed. She had been so focused on the injustice of being left out of the loop, that she had forgotten to stop and think about what Patsy and Delia were really up against.

"But, Delia's accident… and your flat,"

Patsy shrugged, "What of it?"

"Were you… you know?"

"Yes," Patsy confirmed bitterly.

"But that must have been hell for you!" Trixie exclaimed dismay, "And nobody knew… and she was so ill!"

Patsy glanced up at her, and felt her resentment towards Trixie fade a little; she looked genuinely distressed.

"It wasn't easy. I didn't think that I…" her voice cracked as the grief that she had buried resurfaced, "I didn't think that I would ever see her again,"

"But then she came back,"

"Yes. She did come back,"

Hearing the agony in Patsy's voice made Trixie's eyes burn with tears that were threatening to spill over. Careful not to smudge her makeup, she wiped them dry.

"If I had had any idea, Patsy, I would have…"

"You didn't Trixie, and it's fine. She's here now, and she's safe,"

"No, it's not fine," Trixie said sounding mortified, "I am so sorry! For all of this time, you were forced to live in secret! You almost lost her, and nobody would have known!"

Patsy stretched out her arm and pulled Trixie into a hug to console her.

"That's all in the past now, Trixie. That's all gone now,"

Trixie gave a small laugh, "Oh, how mad is this. You're the one comforting me!"

Patsy rubbed her shoulder, and smiled at her friend.

"For the record, Trixie, I am sorry that I never said anything to you. I do trust you; there just aren't many people that I can. But you do understand my reasons for keeping quiet?"

"Of course! You've got nothing to apologise for. I should never have tried to confront you like this, you don't deserve this on top of everything else,"

"Yes, well, it doesn't matter now. Let's just get this mess cleared up and leave it at that,"