‘I might be a psychic but I didn’t see this coming.’ She gave a little chuckle, much to Bea’s relief. The last thing she wanted was to anger anyone on her arrival.
‘But are you okay?’ Bea asked again. ‘How’s the car? Do we need to swap details? I’m Bea.’
‘Martha Gray,’ replied Martha, who was looking at the Mini. ‘I think we’re okay as there seems to be no damage.’
‘Thank God,’ replied Bea, still trying to calm her beating heart. ‘I’ve only just arrived in the village. What a way to make an entrance.’ Her voice wavered and she felt like she was about to burst into tears.
Martha’s face softened. ‘It’s okay, these things happen. As long as you’re fine too?’
‘This was meant to be the first day of the rest of my life, and now look.’
Martha narrowed her eyes. ‘Heartache or running away from trouble?’ Martha clearly wasn’t afraid to say what she thought. ‘In my experience – there’s been a lot of that – and at your age, it’s usually one of the two.’
‘I’m not in trouble, except maybe with you.’
‘So, it’s a man then.’ Martha reached inside her bra and pulled out a card, which she handed to Bea.
Bea looked down at the card, which read: ‘Mystic Martha the fortune teller’.
Martha pointed towards a sign wafting in the light breeze, which said “Foxglove Farm”. ‘You’ll find me up there, the vintage caravan. Five pounds to have your fortune told.’ Martha checked her watch. ‘I have somewhere I need to be. Where are you heading?’
‘Julia’s B&B.’
Martha pointed. ‘It’s just down that lane. Don’t give that man any more headspace. He was never good enough for you. Chalk and cheese. Any man who has had a fungal nail infection since the age of sixteen can’t look after himself, never mind a beautiful soul like yourself. Punching above his weight, I’d say.’ Martha tipped her a wink.
Bea’s mouth dropped open. ‘How would you even know that?’
‘You, my dear, have had a lucky escape and one day your ship will come in – and believe me, you won’t be making him wear socks in bed.’ Martha gave a small chortle. ‘And how long are you staying in Heartcross?’
‘Two weeks.’
Martha stared at Bea as though in deep concentration. When she spoke, her voice was low, causing the hairs on the back of Bea’s neck to stand up. ‘That’s what you think.’
Bea gave a nervous laugh. She’d never really believed in psychics but there was something mesmerising about Martha. Her gaze didn’t leave the older woman as she turned on her heels and climbed back into her car, leaving Bea spellbound by their first meeting. She stuffed the card she had been clutching into the back pocket of her jeans and watched the Mini slowly reverse out of the hedge. Martha nodded in acknowledgement as she drove past.
Bea was thankful that after her lack of concentration no one was hurt and there was no damage to either car. Despite the bad start to her arrival, the weather was glorious and Heartcross felt a good place to be. She wondered exactly what Martha meant by saying, ‘That’s what you think.’ Bea knew she couldn’t stay longer than two weeks – she had a job back home, and at some point would need to move her stuff out of the rented flat she shared with her ex. She didn’t relish the thought of that.
But in the meantime, despite everything, she was determined to enjoy her time in Heartcross and couldn’t wait to explore.
ChapterTwo
Arriving at the B&B, Bea parked the car and grabbed her suitcase from the boot. She knew from the website that the elegant three-storey country-style house dated back to the mid-1800s. She was thankful she’d rung ahead to secure a room, as a ‘No Vacancies’ sign hung on the gate.
Inside, a woman behind the reception desk gave her a welcoming smile. ‘Good afternoon, I’m Julia, do you have a room booked?’
‘I do, Bea Fernsby,’ replied Bea. ‘And you must be the owner of this lovely property.’
‘Did the name give it away? “Julia’s B&B”,’ she replied, still smiling, whilst tapping on the computer in front of her. ‘And thank you, I do agree it’s lovely but I’m a tiny bit biased. That’s an accent from not around these parts.’
‘Staffordshire.’
‘Are you here for a holiday?’ asked Julia, opening up the key cupboard at the back of the reception area.
‘I think so,’ said Bea, thinking about Martha’s words then noticing the look of confusion on Julia’s face. ‘Mending a broken heart,’ she shared. ‘Assessing my life and wondering what the heck is next for me.’
‘We’ve all been there and you’ve certainly come to the right place. Heartcross is the best place to mend a broken heart.’
‘I’m hoping so, but I nearly didn’t make a good first impression.’
