‘I don’t know,’ said Zach. ‘It’s this whole engagement thing. I was so sure, so certain. Now with everything being delayed and all my plans going wrong it seems like some sort of omen.’
Lottie thought of Dave peeing on Buddha and then banished it from her mind – Zach’s problems had started way before that. ‘No,’ she said firmly. ‘It’s not a bad omen. Sometimes things just don’t go to plan.’
‘But maybe they don’t for a reason. I can’t help wondering if …’ he tailed off. Lottie studied him: his expression was pained. Her heart went out to him. This was more than a wobble.
‘What?’ she asked.
‘If Melissa would approve.’ He shook his head. ‘I know it’s crazy – because why would she approve of me getting a new wife? She wouldn’t. Right?’
This was the moment. The opportunity to explain. The chance she’d been waiting for for nearly five years. She could solve Zach’s problem, tell him the truth about Melissa – but if she did that, would it tear his memories apart?
She took a deep breath. ‘Zach, there’s something you need to know—’
‘Ah, both my children together. That must mean you’re plotting,’ said Angie, slotting in between them both and putting her arms around their shoulders in an uncharacteristically affectionate gesture.
‘Not at all.’ Lottie made an effort not to look guilty and only partly succeeded.
‘Come on. I know you two. What’s going on?’ Her mother had some sort of sixth sense when they were keeping things from her.
Zach shot Lottie a ‘don’t you dare’ look. ‘We were wondering who’s bought the house,’ said Lottie, thinking on her feet. She could see Zach relax out of the corner of her eye. ‘Shirley reckons it’s some famous actor.’
‘Huh,’ said Angie with a snort. ‘Typical village gossip. I bet you’ll be glad to escape it. Won’t you?’
‘No – I love it here.’ Lottie swallowed down the unexpected emotion that accompanied her words.
‘Oh, Lottie. My little homebird. You need to spread your wings, explore the world, embrace the excitement and the danger.’ Angie’s eyes widened dramatically as she spoke. ‘Break some rules, live a little; like I have.’ Both Zach and Lottie failed to hide their smirks. ‘What? I’ve travelled.’ Angie removed her arms from their shoulders, the public show of affection was over.
‘Do you include getting chucked off a train to Cardiff in that?’ asked Zach.
‘How was I supposed to know you weren’t allowed to plug in hair straighteners? There weren’t any signs.’ Angie was indignant. They laughed together and Zach’s dilemma was forgotten – and with it, Lottie’s chance to unload the secret she’d been keeping.
Emily found she was walking next to Joe. He was someone she hadn’t spent much time with, and she had only picked up a few snippets of information from Lottie, who seemed to be very awkward around him. She was intrigued by what Bernard had said yesterday about Joe’s father being a murderer – but it wasn’t really a good conversation opener.
‘So you’ve known the Collins family a long time then?’ she asked.
Joe was nodding. ‘Yeah, like forever. I was born here and me and Lottie went to school together. My parents were always busy – they both worked non-stop. So I spent a lot of time up at the manor.’
‘Oh, so you must know them all really well.’ Questions she wanted to ask were already forming in her mind.
‘I did.’ His demeanour changed. ‘I moved away nine years ago. It seems so much has changed,’ he looked up and Emily followed his gaze, which was resting on Lottie. He turned his head to take in the surroundings. They were just coming up to the church on the left-hand side and a small row of chocolate-box cottages on the other, ‘and yet almost nothing has.’
His head dropped and she feared he was going to clam up on her. ‘America, wasn’t it?’ she asked. ‘Whereabouts?’
‘Gainesville.’ She shook her head; geography had never been her strong subject. ‘Florida,’ he added. ‘It’s about a two-hour drive from Walt Disney World.’
She nodded. ‘Oh, okay. And you were working as a vet out there too?’
‘Yeah. I worked at an emergency animal hospital.’ She could tell he wasn’t keen to talk, but she persevered.
‘That sounds exciting.’ He didn’t comment. A thought struck her. ‘How do you tell if an animal is pregnant?’
‘Really depends on what sort of animal; but enlarged nipples are a general sign in mammals. Why?’
‘Oh, no reason. I was just thinking that they can’t take a pregnancy test.’ She had to concentrate hard not to think about her nipples and she self-consciously adjusted her clothing.
‘We can tell for sure from blood samples. And an ultrasound at a few weeks in.’
‘Right.’ Neither of those was helpful to her. He was giving her an odd look now, so she changed the subject quickly. ‘What’s the weather like in Gainesville?’ she asked.
