Nick picked up his beer, downed it in three swigs, and made his way to bed.
Chapter 21
Kitty opened her door to rain and a frazzled-looking Nick. ‘Oh, hello. Is everything alright?’ She peered around him. ‘Where’s Emily?’
‘I left her with Margot. Can I come in for a minute?’
‘Um, yes, I suppose so.’ Kitty opened the door wider and Nick pushed through, heading straight for the kitchen. Most of the time she forgot half the village knew the house better than she did, from the days of Solly living there. She followed Nick and automatically switched on the kettle.
‘You don’t have anything stronger, do you?’
Kitty frowned and glanced at her watch. ‘It’s not even midday yet.’
Nick flopped onto an old battered sofa and ran his hands through his hair. ‘I could really do with a beer. Oh God, this is such a nightmare.’
‘What’s happened? Is Emily alright?’
‘She’s a bit upset, but not too bad.’
‘You’re worrying me, Nick. What’s happened?’
‘Can I have a tea with a couple of sugars? In the absence of alcohol, it will have to do.’
‘Alright. While I make it, you can tell me why you’re here.’
Nick looked up sharply, as though it hadn’t occurred to him he would need to explain himself or would not have been welcome. ‘Sorry, are you busy?’
Kitty was not. In fact, she had an entire weekend stretching before her with nothing planned and nowhere to go. She wasn’t about to admit as much to Nick, however. ‘I’ve got a few things to do, nothing that can’t wait.’
‘OK, thanks. I won’t stay long. I just needed to talk to someone, and you seemed the obvious choice. Carla rang me last night.’
‘I thought she called every night?’
‘To speak to Emily, yes. I give her a quick update when she calls, not what you’d call a proper conversation.’
‘Last night was?’ Kitty filled a pot with tea leaves and hot water and carried it to the kitchen table.
Nick blew out a long breath ‘She’s going to be away longer than she first thought.’
‘How much longer?’
‘It’s impossible to say.’ He scrubbed his face with his hands. ‘She thinks maybe up to a month.’
‘A month? That’s going to be so disruptive for Emily.’
Nick blinked. ‘I guess it will. Carla’s coming next weekend to see her and explain. In the meantime, she suggested I enrol Emily in school, to give her a routine and a bit of normality. She hopes it might take her mind off missing her mum.’
‘It’s not the worst idea I’ve heard,’ said Kitty. ‘Still, a month. That’s a long time to be apart from her mum. How has she taken the news?’
‘She doesn’t know. As far as Emily is aware, she’ll be going home by the end of next week.’ He shook his head. ‘She’ll bedevastated when she finds out she’s stuck here with me. She’s homesick enough as it is.’
Kitty poured two cups of tea and pushed the sugar bowl closer to Nick. She tried not to look surprised when he spooned five heaped teaspoons into his mug. ‘I thought things were going well between the two of you.’
‘As well as can be expected, but it’s not easy. Emily often wakes up crying at night, and she doesn’t fully trust me yet. I haven’t a clue how to comfort her, what to talk to her about, and I’m running out of things to do with her in Saffron Bay, especially now the weather has taken a turn for the worse.’
Kitty stared up at the roof lights, where the rain pattered gently against the glass. ‘Entertaining children is definitely harder in the rain. Why don’t you take her to the cinema?’
‘I don’t have a car.’ Nick’s cheeks turned rosy, and he put his mug to his mouth to hide it. ‘And… and I can’t afford it.’
