‘Sunny and hot mostly. Look, Emily, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but has Lottie said anything to you about me?’
The question – and his intense gaze – took her by surprise. ‘Um, no. She hasn’t. I don’t really know her well enough for her to confide in me.’AlthoughI’ve confided in her, she thought. ‘Zach said you two were crazy about each other when you were younger.’ She figured telling him that wasn’t breaking any confidences.
He smiled briefly. ‘Yeah, we were. Wasn’t a day we didn’t see each other.’
‘That’s pretty intense.’
He was watching Lottie again. ‘It didn’t feel that way. It felt right.’
Emily felt warm and fuzzy at his words. She knew exactly what he meant. ‘Did you come back for Lottie?’
He blew out his cheeks, looked at her and away again. ‘I came back for me. It’s the only place I’ve ever truly belonged. But Lottie and the Collins family are a big part of why I feel that way.’
‘It’s a shame the manor is being sold. I guess the family won’t have a reason to come back here any more.’
‘I guess not,’ he said.
‘The end of an era, Zach called it.’
‘It’s certainly the end of something.’ He zipped up his coat all the way to the top with a firm action and rammed his hands deep into his pockets. Emily did the same; it had definitely turned colder.
When Lottie got back to the manor Aunt Nicola was in the hallway.
‘I have cleaned up that horrid little dog’s mess.’
‘Your robovac’s mess,’ said Lottie.
Aunt Nicola ignored her. ‘I threw out the rug – it was beyond saving.’
‘Oh, that’s a shame,’ said Lottie. She remembered a series of family photos of newborn Collins babies all snapped on that rug – including one of herself.
‘Well it’s the sort of thing we’ll be chucking away soon anyway.’ The words came like a slap to Lottie. The house was like a giant keepsake box, safely storing her precious memories. But what Nicola was saying was true: most of the furniture was old, but not old enough to be antique. Nobody would want it, not even the charity shop if it didn’t have a fire-resistant label, so it would get dumped. The thought of all Nana’s treasures in a skip loomed in her mind. Aunt Nicola was giving her an odd look.
‘Are you all right?’ Lottie asked, because despite herspiky exterior Aunt Nicola had a lot on her plate. ‘I mean, after yesterday.’
‘I might look calm, but in my mind I’ve already murdered him a dozen times and hidden the body parts.’
‘Right,’ said Lottie, not sure how to respond; but she was reassured by the answer – it was typical Aunt Nicola.
‘You’ve been in this situation. You know how it feels. There’s not really any recovering from betrayal.’
‘I’m not sure it’s exactly the same,’ said Lottie, an unwelcome picture of the night she’d caught her ex racing through her mind. Her situation was still quite fresh. ‘This thing with Uncle Daniel was a very long time ago.’
‘But I’ve just found out. He’s kept it secret all this time. He’s not the man I thought he was.’
‘Have you had a chance to talk to him about it?’ It was none of her business, but after the conversation she’d overheard with Rhys it did seem that the affair was ancient history.
‘Not properly. I swapped with Rhys last night and slept in the box room. I say “slept” but those dolls gave me nightmares, so I was awake for most of it.’
‘Sorry,’ said Lottie.
‘It’s fine,’ said Nicola. ‘But you’re right, I should talk to him.’ She snapped off a rubber glove, making Lottie jump.
Lottie dished out instructions for someone to light a fire in the drawing room and snug before she set about making lunch. She felt more Christmassy today than she had yesterday, it was odd. Perhaps it was the fun of the duck race, or the relief of not having to cook a full roast dinner –or, a little voice inside her head cut in,it’s being around Joe again. No. She banished that little voice and decided it must be that she had overdone the mulled wine. Yes,that would be it – too much alcohol and not enough to eat, that would certainly make you feel jolly.
Lottie could hear a kerfuffle coming from the drawing room, but she chose to ignore it, deciding that if it was something important someone would come and get her. She set about carving up the ham. It was a huge joint, and it would take ages if she was going to slice it thinly like Nana used to do.
‘Have you seen the pen I bought your mother for Christmas?’ asked Scott, appearing in the doorway.
