She recapped what she knew, told her mum that Susanna and Addie were here in Guernsey too. ‘Mum, they know.’
‘They know?’ A pause. ‘Oh, theyknow.’
The way her mum said it so conspiratorially had the power to calm her.
‘So, you and Gayle told them both?’ her mother asked.
‘Not exactly.’ The whole story poured out: Addie hearing them, Addie running off, talking with Susanna and Gayle, then Gayle collapsing and the boat trip over here because the medical facility on the island wasn’t equipped for emergencies like this.
‘And how is Gayle doing?’
‘We don’t know yet. Susanna and Addie are in the waiting room, but I needed to come outside for some air and to call you.’
‘What are they like?’ her mother asked after a beat.
She smiled. ‘Susanna is so obviously the older sister. She’s strong, she’s very much in charge. Addie is softer. She has a kindness about her – not that Susanna doesn’t. And Addie has curly blonde hair, not as blonde as mine, but the curls are the same. Harry had curly hair.’ She was babbling, perhaps a mix of excitement and adrenalin, she didn’t know why. ‘He would have it cut really short so the curls didn’t show. The only time they did, according to Gayle, was if you caught him between haircuts.’
‘I didn’t know him very well at all, did I? It’s moments like this that remind me. The girls must have been so upset.’
‘Addie more so.’ Addie hadn’t found the letter, she hadn’t overheard her dad like Susanna had and been somewhat eased into the secret of the affair. The information had hit Addie right in the face when she overheard the conversation in the kitchen.
‘Well, they know now,’ said her mum.
‘I should get back inside, find out what’s happening.’
‘Keep me up to date, won’t you? And Louisa… I hope you and the girls can work through this.’
‘Me too.’ She turned and followed a paramedic into the hospital.
Her mum saying she hoped they could work through this meant she hoped the girls weren’t too angry, weren’t too mean to her. It had been Lily’s biggest concern with the search for Harry, not only that he might reject her but that the rest of his family might make things unpleasant for her daughter. Of course, Harry was no longer around which represented another hurdle, but her mum’s relief when Louisa had told her that Gayle Rafferty was really kind and hadn’t told her to get lost, was palpable.
She found Susanna and Addie in the waiting room. Mateo was on the phone at the far end. ‘Any news?’ she asked when Addie looked up as she approached.
‘None yet,’ said Addie.
Mateo came over. ‘I’ve found you a couple of rooms in a guesthouse. Two of you will need to share, but it’s a place to stay.’ He passed on the address. ‘I have to go back to Anchor Island soon, I need to be at the marina in the morning.’
‘Thanks again, Mateo,’ said Addie, with the others echoing the sentiment.
Addie turned to Louisa. ‘Susanna and I will share – you can have your own room.’
Louisa suddenly felt like an intruder. Maybe it was better to return to the island. ‘Why don’t I go with Mateo, if that’s okay?’ She looked in his direction, and he agreed it would be fine. ‘This is your family. I haven’t known Gayle all that long and I don’t want to be in the way.’
Susanna put a stop to her protest. ‘You probably know more about Gayle than we do. And she likes you. Plus, youarefamily.’
‘Are you sure? I?—’
Susanna reached out for her hand. ‘We are sure.’ She looked at Addie.
Addie smiled at Louisa. ‘Gayle will want to see us all when she wakes up.’
These two women had no idea how much it meant to her to feel such acceptance, even in the wake of their shock.
Susanna spotted a vending machine with bottled water. ‘Anyone else parched?’
Both Louisa and Addie nodded, and while Susanna and Mateo went to get the waters Louisa quietly observed them. ‘They’re close,’ she said to Addie.
Addie smiled. ‘They used to be together. They dated for a long time before Susanna went back to the mainland and started university.’
