Annabelle paused, hand on the door.
"Take your basket."
"It's a gift."
"I don't want it."
The thing in Annabelle's chest twisted harder. "Right. Of course."
She picked up the basket, carefully not looking at the woman, and stepped outside. The music was still pounding from inside the house, now competing with her own heartbeat thundering in her ears.
The door slammed shut behind her.
Annabelle stood on the path for a moment, basket in hand, face still burning. She'd really made a complete hash of that, hadn't she?
One of the flowers, a bright yellow dahlia, had fallen out of the basket during the chaos. It lay on the ground looking sad and wilted already, and Annabelle bent to pick it up. Then another fell out as she straightened. Then a third.
"Bugger," she muttered, trying to tuck them back in.
"Annabelle!"
She jumped, spinning around to find Daisy Green bouncing up the path in her Royal Mail uniform, positively vibrating with curiosity.
"Was that her?" Daisy asked, craning her neck to see past Annabelle toward the cottage. "What’s she like? I haven't gotten a good look yet. Very mysterious. Very famous."
"Famous?" Annabelle blinked.
"Oh yes!" Daisy's eyes were wide. "Gloria told Blossom who told me, the new neighbor is that rockstar. You know, from that band." She hummed a song, loudly and out of tune. "Thatband."
Annabelle's stomach dropped. "What?"
"Raven. That’s it. Raven." Daisy pulled out her phone, fingers flying over the screen. "Here! Raven. Lead guitarist and songwriter for Krimson Kisses. They split up. Raven’s girlfriend, Alissa, well, girlfriend is putting it strongly, her sort of, on again, off again thing, only went and secretly married their soundman in Vegas and now everything’s in uproar and Arty at the pub says she’s probably here to write a solo album, because that’s what he’d be doing in her place and, yeah…"
She turned the phone to show Annabelle a picture. It was definitely the woman from the cottage. The same angular features, same dark hair, though in the photo it was styled and dry and she was wearing considerably more clothing. She was holding a guitar and glaring at the camera in a way that was probably meant to be brooding and artistic but mostly just looked annoyed.
"She'sfamous," Daisy breathed. "Another celebrity. InBankton. It’s just like when Lilah Paxton moved in. But Lilah’s part of the woodwork now, you’d barely even know she was an actress at all, and besides, she’s gone all the time filming. But a real rockstar. Here. Can you imagine?"
Annabelle could imagine it quite clearly, actually. She could imagine being a famous person trying to escape scandal and find some peace and quiet, only to have an overly enthusiastic primary school teacher barge into your house while you were naked and fresh from the shower.
"Oh dear," she said faintly.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I just… I think I've made rather a mess of things."
Daisy beamed at her. "I'm sure it's fine! Everyone loves you, Annabelle. I bet in a few weeks, you and Raven will be best friends. Wouldn't that be something? Me being friends with someone who's friends with a famous rockstar!"
Annabelle managed a weak smile. The flowers in her basket were definitely wilting now, probably from the sheer force of the disaster that had just occurred.
"I should go," she said. "Lots of marking to do this evening."
"Oh, before you go," Daisy lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Do you think she'd sign something for me? Nothing too pushy, just maybe a photo or… or something."
"Daisy, I really don't think…"
"Right, right. Too soon. I'll wait a few days. Maybe a week. Give her time to settle in." Daisy nodded sagely. "That's what you always say, isn't it? Give people time?"
"Yes," Annabelle said tiredly. "Time. That's the answer."
