Exhausted by her midnight excursion, Sarah had no time to ponder over what Felix was up to, for as soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell into the deepest of sleeps.
*
Sarah washed and dressed early. Despite the sunny day, she wore a long-sleeved top to hide the bramble scratches on her arms. With her jeans covered in mud, Sarah pulled on a pair of leggings, hating how they exposed her too-large thighs and enormous bum. The concealer in her makeup bag had covered some of the bruising around her head wound, but a bright streak of red still lay dashed across her forehead.
Fran was already in the kitchen when she got to work. ‘My God, what happened to you?’
‘I fell on my way back from the toilet last night,’ said Sarah, feeling the lie was justified.
‘It looks nasty. Get it checked out by a doctor.’
‘It’s not as bad as it looks. How come you’re in so early?’
‘Oh, I just fancied the chance to get ahead of things.’
‘Right, well, I’m here now, so let me help you.’
When Fran asked Sarah to chop lemons for the lemon drizzle cake, she kept quiet about her grazed hands. As the acidic juices bled into her skin, Sarah fought back tears. Despite her wounds, she remained convinced following Felix had been the right thing to do. It was better to know what she was dealing with.
As she was thinking of him, Felix walked into the kitchen. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Sarah. ‘What the…’
‘Silly girl fell on her way back from the toilet,’ said Fran. ‘You’d think she’d learned by now to take a torch with her.’
‘Yes,’ said Felix, eyeing Sarah through narrowed eyes, ‘you’d think she would. What time did this happen? I heard nothing. I’d have helped if I’d known.’
‘Oh, I’m not sure,’ said Sarah. ‘I woke in the small hours with a dicky tummy. I guess I was in a rush and not looking where I was going.’
‘Hmm,’ said Felix. ‘Well, I wish you’d told me. That gash looks nasty.’
‘It’s just a scratch.’
‘If you say so,’ said Felix. He gave Sarah one last inscrutable look before turning on his heel and heading back into the café.
‘What was all that about?’ asked Fran.
‘What?’
‘You could cut the atmosphere with a knife. Have you two been falling out again?’
‘No,’ said Sarah. ‘Nothing like that.’
There was no point speaking ill of Felix. She was the only person who recognised his true colours. She’d wait until she had enough evidence, then expose him for the liar he was.
Chapter 34
WhenSaraharrivedatKate’s house, she found her cheerful friend quiet and withdrawn. Kate sat under a blanket on her purple sofa, a glass of wine in hand, magazines spread across her lap.
‘Hi, everything OK?’
‘Urgh,’ said Kate, throwing a magazine down onto a growing pile. ‘I think my head’s going to explode. Who knew organising a small wedding could be so stressful?’
Despite looking forward to their weekly meetings, the late night chasing Felix through the woods had caught up with Sarah. She wasn’t in the mood to be picking someone else off the floor. She had enough of her own problems to deal with. ‘I don’t understand why you’re getting so stressed.’
Kate stared at Sarah, a frown creasing her skin. ‘Haven’t you been listening to me these past few weeks? The seating plan is a nightmare, the dressmaker isn’t sure she can get the alterations done in time, and I’ve got Bob’s mum trying to invite the whole of Bodmin. I’ve got less than twenty people coming from my side. His list is pushing two hundred.’
‘Just tell him they can’t come.’
‘Easier said than done. Apparently, it’s rude not to invite second cousins, even if he’s seen none of them for twenty years. He wants his mum to invite all her friends, and I get that, but it’s our wedding, not hers.’
