“When did you buy all this?”
He snorts. “Me? Hardly. They never gave me a chance.”
“Who?” I look towards Hal who has perched on the arm of the sofa next to Elodie, an arm affectionately over her shoulders.
“The people.” Brandon waves a hand towards the open door to the outside. “The Islanders. Gifts have been arriving over the last two weeks. Hal kept them for us. Millie and George sent a crib and a full set of baby bottles and sterilisers and a truly frightening contraption for expression.”
“Expressing, you mean?” A blush rises on my face.
He holds his hands, palms up, in a sign of surrender. “Millie assured me you will need it. Anyway, I’ve put up shelves in the spare room.”
“Why?” The word is half choked because a lump has risen to block my throat.
“Why? So, you can store things…” Then he notices my expression. “It’s okay, it’s a lot to take in.”
“I mean people don’t really know me. I’m the stuck-up cow from London.” My voice wobbles.
Hal looks up with an ‘I told you so’ expression. “Remember, this island can be unforgiving if you’re a threat to their community? But when you’ve earned their acceptance...” His eyes flick silently towards Doris. “Then you’ll never have better friends in the world. They’re your extended family.”
And now I really am fighting tears. My parents and my sister wanted me to go home for the birth; they hated the idea of me having the baby among strangers. “You should be among family and friends,” they kept saying.
Family and friends.
I never realised how much I’d missed that until just now when I’m offered so much friendship, so much love.
My gaze wanders to Brandon and finds him looking at me, his face full of understanding. It makes my heart overflow.
Love.
The word stays with me all through the day, as we move the baby gifts upstairs, as we have a delicious dinner with Elodie, Hal, Hedge, and Doris.
Love.
Not until I’m finally in bed do I let myself think about Clive.
I can’t remember when my feelings changed. But I do remember when I recognised it. Three weeks ago, alone on the stairs, the name I called was not Clive’s.
What comes next? Until three weeks ago, my life was moving towards something. Clive. My career. The Phoenix Bill. Now, I’m in love with a man I can’t have. A man who will be leaving sooner or later. If he doesn’t get the job in Amsterdam, he’ll get another and leave.
And what about me? What job can I do?
I reach for my phone and open my banking app to check my account. My savings should last a little longer; life on La Canette isn’t expensive. But I, too, will need to find real work by the end of the year.
A soft cry interrupts my thoughts and I throw off the covers and get up to feed my daughter.
Clive’s daughter, too.
I lean sideways, careful of Malinara, and reach for my phone to type a quick text to Viv.
ME: I have to speak to him. Very important.
Chapter Thirty-five
Lessa
I hate to trouble Brandon, but he volunteers. “I’ll keep an eye on her, take your laptop down to the sitting room so you don’t wake her up.”
He settles himself on the top stair outside my room where he can easily watch her and opens a book to read.
