There was a beat before Veronica answered, ‘Of course!’ but I could see the tension in her smile.
‘Did you notice Veronica’s expression when I asked about her daughters?’ Milly asked after we set off towards Pippinthwaite.
Milly evidently didn’t know about the tension between Veronica and her girls and I wasn’t going to betray anyone else’s confidences.
‘No. What did I miss?’
‘I thought she looked tense when I mentioned them, but maybe I’m imagining things.’
‘Wasn’t it her daughters who insisted on her having the party when she didn’t want one? That’s probably it.’
‘Yeah, that would make sense. I wonder if they’ll get some decorations for her after all.’
‘Better to have double than none at all,’ I said.
Laughlin had told us that, although Veronica hadn’t wanted the party, she was a great believer in the idea thatif you’re going to do something, do it properly.Her daughters didn’t seem to share that philosophy and had done little more than book the venue and confirm the menu. Veronica had bought and sent the invitations and had even organised her own cake but was loath to organise decorations, despite her discomfort at the small but special details being overlooked. Milly, Paulette and I had therefore been fully supportive of Laughlin’s suggestion that we form a decorating committee and surprise Veronica with balloons, banners and table decorations. Even though she’d said her sixty-third birthday wasn’t important, it was really her belated sixtieth and we wanted her to have the party she should have had back then. Milly was driving into Keswick to collect everything as soon as she’d dropped me off.
As Milly pulled onto my estate, Christian was pulling out in his car. I was about to raise my hand in a wave but stopped myself, realising that he wouldn’t recognise Milly’s car. She dropped me off outside my house before turning round in the cul-de-sac and I was putting my key in the lock as she drove past.
‘Happy Valentine’s Day,’ she called out of her open window.
‘And to you!’ I called back, laughing.
Valentine’s Day. Cliff and I used to make it a fun day. We’d give each other cards, carefully chosen with messages which worked for love between friends and we’d try to out-cheese each other by finding the funniest or tackiest Valentine’s gift. What must it be like to receive a card sent with genuine romantic intentions from a secret admirer or a loving partner?
I pushed open the door and my heart leapt. There was an envelope on the doormat with my name handwritten on it. A Valentine’s Day card? The only person I could imagine hand delivering me one was Christian. I ripped open the envelope with shaking hands, my heart pounding as I took in the entwined hearts on the front. And then it sank as I read the words:Engagement Party!
Opening the card, my disappointment at it not being a Valentine’s card was replaced with happiness for Emma and Killian. I was delighted for them and wondered when Killian had proposed and how he’d done it. Emma had told me he was a true romantic so I figured it would have been something pretty special. My instinct was to dash over to Christian’s to ask for details but that would be pointless when I’d just seen him leaving the estate. It struck me that he might be heading off to meet a Valentine’s date. Would it bother me if he was? I wasn’t convinced it would.
34
Veronica’s party the following day was being held in Lakeside Inn in Willowdale – a large hotel, bar and restaurant which overlooked Derwent Water and stretched from opposite The White Willow to just beyond our proposed pop-up shop. Milly picked me up as agreed and I smiled at the clear bags full of balloons bobbing about on her back seat. We’d arranged to meet Laughlin and Paulette an hour early and waved at them crossing the road by the corner shop as we pulled into Lakeside Inn’s car park.
‘They’ve got the conservatory booked,’ Laughlin said as Milly distributed bags. ‘Oh! Looks like she’s beaten us here.’
We all looked towards the large conservatory at the back of the building. The vertical blinds on the windows weren’t fully open but there was enough space between them to see Veronica in there.
‘Who’s she with?’ I asked. There was at least one other person in there but I couldn’t see them properly.
‘I can’t tell,’ Laughlin said. ‘Could be one or both of her daughters but could be staff. We’ll soon find out.’
The conservatory was accessed from a wide corridor inside the hotel. The double doors were closed and Laughlin was about to reach for the handle when Milly grabbed his arm and pulled him back. At the same time, I heard raised voices inside but wasn’t close enough to the door to hear what was being said.
‘It’s her girls,’ Laughlin whispered. ‘Felicity’s coming!’ He ushered us all backwards.
The door opened a few inches and Veronica’s voice came across strong and clear. ‘Don’t walk away! Please, Felicity, we need to talk about this.’
‘There’s nothing to talk about.’
‘There is!’ Veronica called. ‘I’m not stupid and I’m not blind. Something has soured between the two of you and it’s affecting all of us. I want to know what it is.’
We were trapped. The door to the corridor had a loud squeak so if we opened it to try and beat a hasty retreat, we’d alert them to our presence and possibly make a bad situation worse.
‘Then ask Rebecca,’ Felicity snapped.
‘I don’t care who tells me but one of you has to. You used to be so close but something changed and I’ve had my fill of it. Talk to me! Whatever it is, we can work it out together.’
‘Just leave it, Mum.’ That voice had to be Rebecca’s. ‘It’s your birthday. Enjoy it!’
