She sat down in her chair and stared at the screen.
London.
At least there wouldn’t be seagulls trying to steal her ice cream.
20
Abby
“Are you sure a walk is a good idea? We could find a room, or even go back to the pub.” She’d never seen her mother vulnerable before, and it was an unsettling experience. Her mother was always in control, and she had answers to every problem. Abby had never seen her shaken out of her usual state of cool, until now. “The Lookout where I’m staying is cosy and we wouldn’t be disturbed.”
The taxi had dropped them at the top of the hill and they’d walked down the steep cobbled street to the harbour. It was buzzing with people. Abby didn’t think it was the best place for a conversation, but her mother seemed to have other ideas.
“I’m fine, Abby. Don’t read too much into my dizzy moment in the hotel. I’d come off a long flight where I foolishly worked instead of sleeping. I drank too much coffee and skipped breakfast. A series of bad decisions on my part. The croissant your chef made was exactly what I needed. And you’re right.He’s good.” She frowned, considering. “We need to talk about how we can allow him greater freedom to create an exceptional culinary experience for our guests.”
Seriously? Her mother had been through what had to be a traumatic experience and she was focusing on how to maximise Luca’s potential?
“Mom—”
“Stop looking at me as if I might collapse. I’d like to walk. I walked all the time when I lived here. It was when I did my best thinking.” She eyed the path that led up onto the coast path. “That was the walk I did almost every day.”
“I love it, too.” It felt odd to think she and her mother might have walked the same route and stared out across the same views. “Do you want to stop and change your shoes or anything?”
“No. We won’t be walking far.” She shaded her eyes. “Just to the top of the path. Is there still a seat there?”
“Yes. It’s positioned to make the most of the view.”
“If I recall correctly, it’s a little set back from the path. That’s where we’ll go.”
“Are you sure? Because—”
“I’m sure. You of all people should know I don’t say things I don’t mean.”
“But seeing—”
“Seeing that man must have been hard? It wasn’t pleasant, but it wasn’t as hard as I’d imagined it would be if I ever saw him again. Which surprises me as much as it probably surprises you. Let’s walk, shall we?”
Was that really it? All she was going to say?
Abby had been frightened to see her mother so vulnerable for those brief moments, but now she was scared that her mother might withdraw to her usual impenetrable self before they could have a proper conversation.
She was brimming with questions, but she followed hermother’s lead and they headed up the coast path that was now so familiar.
Luckily for them the seat was empty, and they sat down.
“I missed this view.”
“Yes.” Abby found the view breathtaking, but right now she wouldn’t have cared if they’d been staring at a brick wall.
“I want to talk to you, and this feels as good a place to do it as any.”
Abby relaxed a little. At least they weren’t going to push it aside and pretend it had never happened.
“I’m here for you.” She put her hand on her mother’s arm. “I hope you know that. I’m not surprised you want to talk.”
“Oh, I don’t want to talk abouthim.” She covered Abby’s hand with her own. “You’re kind, but what you need to understand is that he’d already taken so much from me. He robbed me of my childhood, of my mother, and also my childish beliefs that a father was someone to depend on, to trust. Perhaps if he’d walked into that room showing remorse and eager to make up for all our missed years that might have been harder to handle, but it was obvious to me that he hadn’t changed at all. Not one bit. And I will not let him steal a moment more of my time or my thoughts. So yes, I really am fine.” She gave Abby’s hand a gentle squeeze and then let go. “Why do you think I changed my surname to Strong? At the time it was both a goal and a reminder of who and what I wanted to be. I wanted nothing to do with him, or his name. That hasn’t changed. And now, unless you have more questions, I think it’s time we put him in the past.”
“But you said you wanted to talk.”
