Didn’t people see this house as her home anymore? She supposed they were right in their presumptions. She’s spent the last twenty odd years more or less permanently living with her sister, Brett, Pippa and Nile in the large living quarters above the pub, the few years before that, the ones after losing Bren she’d spent living half of the week at the house, and half there.
‘No it’s not. Although after the key incident, I’m considering getting a handyman in to check everything. I’ve come to grab some photos. Brett and I are meeting for lunch at the pub and plan to reminisce.’
‘That’s nice, and it will be good stimulation for Brett.’
Morgan’s face beamed. ‘It will, won’t it? I never thought of that.’
‘I’m having my lunch at the pub today as well. I’d like to come over and have a look at the photos as well if that’s okay with you, when you’re finished. But I totally understand if they are personal and you’d rather keep them that way.’
Morgan’s mouth opened to answer, but she didn’t know what to say. The photoswerepersonal, but Ned had known both Marie and Bren, and wasn’t it good for others to see them? It would keep their memory alive if more people saw them and thought of them.
Morgan nodded. ‘Of course.’
Ned took a sip of the coffee and grimaced. ‘Actually, I might have been wrong about expiry dates. The coffee tastes bitter.’
Morgan lifted the jar, and scrutinised it with a frown. She spotted a crack on the top. ‘Oops. Cracked lid.’
Ned laughed and placed his mug down. One of the dogs whined. ‘It’s dinnertime. I’d better get them back.’ He walked out of the kitchen towards the front door. Morgan shadowed him. ‘Whatareyour plans with this place Morgan? Now I’vebeen inside and seen how charming it is, it seems a shame to let it just sit empty.’
‘I honestly don’t know Ned. I was thinking the same thing as I was walking here this morning.’
He stopped and turned to face her. ‘I’m only a street away if you ever need someone to throw ideas around with.’ The hallway suddenly seemed so much smaller and intimate as Morgan looked up into Ned’s face. He had almost violet-coloured eyes. Very unusual and unique. Why hadn’t she noticed that about him before?
Morgan smiled and reached around him for the door handle, bringing her even closer to him. She realised he could quite easily move over two inches, but he stayed where he was. Finally, the door clicked open. ‘Thanks. I’ll bear that in mind if I ever come to a decision.’ She pulled at the door and Ned had to move to allow it to open.
‘See you later then.’
‘Yes, see you later.’ He walked out and his pets followed. ‘And thanks for the help with the lock.’
Chapter five
Morgan sat at her favourite table in The Cheese Wedge and Pickles waiting for Brett. The shoebox of photographs was on the bench seat beside her, and she rested a hand protectively on top of the box. Beneath the lid lay images she hadn’t dare look at in over three decades.
She sipped at her wine and watched as the pub filled with local retired residents and young mums meeting their friends for lunch, their toddlers and pushchairs in tow. She was feeling jittery and nervous at revisiting old memories. Not because they wouldn’t be nice, but because she knew they would be wonderful and might leave her in floods of tears.
Oliver came wondering over with a pint of Guinness and placed it down on the circular pub mat in front of the unoccupied seat next to Morgan. ‘Brett will be here shortly, won’t he?’
Morgan nodded. ‘Yes. He’s told you about our lunch date then?’
‘Yes, he’s got Pippa helping him put photos in a box to bring down.’
Oliver pulled a face. ‘I hope Pippa doesn’t get too upset.’
Morgan almost let it slip about the pregnancy to Oliver, but instead kept her thoughts to herself. Early pregnancy hormones were playing havoc with Pippa’s emotions at the minute, so she definitely would get upset seeing photographs of her mother again. She closed her eyes and sighed.
‘Oh no. I never gave it a thought. I’ve been too preoccupied with my own emotions while revisiting the house to collect my box of photographs, I should have realised Brett would need help locating them.’
‘Don’t worry, Leanne’s working today, so if Pippa gets too emotional, I’ll send her back home.’
Morgan smiled up at Oliver. ‘Thanks Oliver. She got a good one when she married you.’
Oliver shook his head with a content smile. ‘No. I was the lucky one Aunt Morgan.’ Morgan’s heart melted.
Brett came into the pub lounge carrying the clear plastic box Morgan had purchased a few years ago to keep all his family photos dry and safe. He headed straight for her table.
‘Where’s Pippa?’
‘She said she had something in her eye and disappeared into the bathroom.’ Morgan was in two minds to excuse herself to go and find her niece to comfort her, but Brett put her mind at ease when he placed the box onto the table freeing a hand to rest on her shoulder. ‘It’s okay. I’ve given her a hug. The eye excuse is to re-do her make-up I think after getting a little upset seeing Marie again.’
