‘They’re not coming until five, and it might help Emily to have a familiar face to greet her. This must have been a huge shock for her.’
Kitty wanted to say no, to keep herself to herself. Yet how could she refuse without sounding like a hard-hearted cow? ‘Alright.’ She tried to sound enthusiastic. ‘I’ll see you later. Where do you live?’
‘Seashell Cottage, on Cliff Lane. I’ll send you directions if you give me your number. It’s easy to find.’
‘Great.’ Kitty pulled out her phone and added the number Alice gave her, hiding the screen from view. What would Alice think if she saw only three contacts on Kitty’s phone? There was no doubt it would raise suspicions. She liked Alice, but if she’d learned anything over the past five years, it was to trust no one.
Chapter 14
By the time they reached the centre of the village, Nick’s head was spinning. Emily had come out of her shell since leaving the house, and he had had to fend off a barrage of questions. While she hadn’t quite stretched towhy is the sky blue, she’d come close. Nick added it to the long list of times he’d questioned his own intelligence.
‘I don’t understand why they’re called seagulls when you find them in cities. And why do they like eating pasties? Birds eat worms or sometimes fish. Pasties will give them sore tummies.’ Emily tugged on Nick’s hand. ‘Have you ever had a pasty stolen by a seagull? Do you get lots of birds pooping on your windows ’cause you’re so near the sea? Do you have bird feeders in your garden? Mummy helped me make a bird feeder. It didn’t work because the birds never came onto our balcony. Do you know why they don’t like our balcony? Can we make a bird feeder and put it in your garden?’
‘Ah, here’s the café,’ said Nick, desperate to distract Emily from her train of thought. By taking her there, Nick knew he would be in for an interrogation from resident busybody andcafé owner Margot. He was sure she’d save the questions for when he was alone, and she’d find out about Emily sooner or later. At least this way, he was in control.
Nick spotted a small table by the window in the busy café and led Emily to it. Her eyes widened as she stared around the room, and Nick guessed it was the eclectic mix of vintage furniture that had caught her eye. Margot’s café was on the opposite end of the interior design scale to Plymouth McDonald’s.
‘What would you like?’ Nick asked, helping Emily up onto a chair.
She shrugged. ‘What is there?’
‘Hot chocolate, ice cream, milkshake, lemonade…’
‘Cupcakes, muffins, chocolate cake.’ Margot appeared at their table, a small notebook in her hand.
Nick frowned. ‘Hi, Margot. You don’t usually offer table service.’
‘I wanted to come and say hello to your friend,’ said Margot.
Nick sighed. He should have known she wouldn’t waste any time sniffing out a bit of gossip. ‘This is Emily. She’s staying with me for a few days.’
‘While my granddad is poorly,’ said Emily.
‘Oh, that is a shame. I hope he feels better soon.’
‘He’s going to die,’ said Emily matter-of-factly.
‘Right.’ Margot’s cough didn’t quite hide the surprise in her voice. ‘I didn’t know any of your friends had children, Nick.’
‘Neither did I,’ he muttered, studying the menu. ‘What would you like, Emily?’
‘Can I have a banana milkshake, please?’
‘Of course you can,’ Margot smiled, ‘especially with manners like that. Would you like some cake to go with it?’
Emily’s eyes flickered to Nick, unsure. ‘No, thank you.’
‘It’s alright if you’d like some cake,’ he said, trying not to think about the balance of his current account.
Emily hesitated, then smiled at Margot. ‘Could I have some chocolate cake, please?’
‘You certainly can.’ Margot bent to Emily’s level. ‘Do you like colouring, Emily?’
She nodded.
‘Wonderful. I’ve got a colouring set you can use while you’re at the café. Why don’t you wait here and Nick can come and fetch it while I make your drinks?’
Emily nodded again, and Nick climbed out of his seat. There was no point delaying the inevitable.
