‘I’ve not heard from him since the day we lost the house almost a month ago.’
‘What a shit.’
I laughed, enjoying the attempts of the weak sun to warm my face.
‘Was it a happy marriage?’
How to answer that? In the end, it seemed easiest to be honest. ‘Not really. We only got married because I was pregnant. I’ve grown fond of him over the years, but it was never any great romance. And I’ve had my suspicions there have been other women. Not that Rob ever rubbed it in my face. He was always discreet, but it still hurt that I wasn’t enough.’
Harry propped herself up on one elbow, and I turned my head to look at her. ‘Liv, I hope I’m not speaking out of turn here, but is there a reason you’re waiting around for your husband before making any life decisions? I mean, it doesn’t seem like he’s reciprocated that respect.’
‘He’s Bertie’s father. I owe it to my son to work things out, if I can.’
‘And what model is that giving to Bertie? That a man can cheat on his wife, lose all their combined wealth, disappear for God knows how long, and she’ll still take him back?’
‘We made vows. In a church.’
‘And?’
‘Marriage is sacred.’
‘But surely Rob’s destroyed the sanctity of your marriage by his actions?’
I stared up at the cloudless sky, reluctant to be drawn into a religious debate about marriage. I wasn’t even a churchgoer, but even so, marriage seemed too precious to discard like a broken toy.
‘Can I put an idea to you?’
‘Go on.’ I turned my head back to Harry. She’d moved her arms behind her head like a pillow and closed her eyes.
‘You may not have any qualifications, but I can tell you’re an intelligent, capable woman. At the moment, you’re stuck in limbo, right?’
‘Yes.’
‘That can’t be doing you or Bertie any good. And that kid needs to be in school. As much as I’d love him to help me on the farm all day, every day, he’s too bright, too inquisitive about the world to be missing out on his education.’
‘You think I should go back to Exeter?’
‘No, I think you should stay here, at least until the summer holidays. I’m sure they’d have space for Bertie in the villageschool. It would give you both a bit of breathing space, a chance to figure out what you do next. And if your errant husband turns up in the meantime, it wouldn’t hurt to make him wait a while before you rush back into his arms.’
‘But Harry, I’ve got no money. I couldn’t possibly stay here for months without contributing financially.’
‘I’ve been thinking about that, too. I’ve been trying to get this lake project off the ground. Seb’s been taking the lead, but we’re so busy with the other farm work, it’s hard to give the project the attention it deserves. What I’m thinking is that you could take it on.’
‘Me? But I wouldn’t know where to start.’
Harry pulled herself up and sat cross-legged, staring at me. ‘Running a home and caring for a child requires superior organisational skills. I’m guessing you were a member of the school PTA?’
‘For my sins.’
‘Exactly. You have tons of transferable skills. And you won’t be working alone. You and Seb can work on the project together.’
My stomach plummeted. The thought of working closely with Seb left me with an unsettling mix of excitement and horror.
‘As the project hasn’t got off the ground yet, and we’re still waiting to hear about funding, I could only afford to pay you one hundred a week. But obviously food and board would be thrown in, and you’d be welcome to find a second job either in the village or Liskeard, which is only half an hour on the bus.’
‘I don’t know what to say.’
‘Just say yes. Obviously, it’s different from anything you’ve done before, so we could start with a month’s trial. If it doesn’t work out, you can still stay here until the summer. There’s plenty of other work you can help with.’
