‘I feel the same.’
He reached for her hand. It felt like home once again, and she was comfortable and relaxed for the first time in weeks.
Even as she enjoyed the peace, she remembered that she still had to work out how she was going to break the news of her diagnosis to Alex because no matter how she tried to push the moment further on, she recognised that she couldn’t leave itmuch longer. Perhaps this was it – a quiet walk in the fresh air, the two of them with no distractions, and she’d just decided to open her mouth when his phone rang.
‘V…’ He broke into a smile as he answered it. ‘You have remembered you’ve got paying clients, haven’t you? To what do I owe this pleasure?’ He listened for a moment and then shook his head. ‘No, nothing yet. No news is good news, right? With a bit of luck, they’ve moved on and decided it’s too much hassle to come after me. I mean, they must have been able to see I’m hardly rolling in money here. I’m expecting some new guests today – only a family of four, but this time I’m going to be thorough; everything will be shipshape or I’ll die in the attempt…I will. I’ll let you know if anything happens, but it’s looking good so far.’
He ended the call.
‘Virginia?’ Zoe asked as neutrally as she could manage.
‘She was wondering if I’d had any correspondence from the party who were all for suing us. It’s good of her to keep in touch; good to know she’s on hand if we need her.’
‘Very good,’ Zoe said.
Positively saintly. Just the sort of thing one might do if they had a personal interest in…
‘Seems you’re not the only one who lives and breathes work. It’s Saturday morning and you’d think she’d have more interesting things to do than follow up with a client who can’t even afford to pay her.’
‘You would. Perhaps she only needed to know if she had to leave some space in her diary next week or something.’
‘I expect so. It’s been nice to see her…crazy, actually, when I think about it. Imagine telling my nineteen-year-old self that I’d see her again this many years later in such weird circumstances – I’d have never believed it.’
‘You never said –how did that happen?’
‘I keep up on social media. We have mutual online friends…it wasn’t hard to track her down. I didn’t intend to, if that’s what you mean, but when this all first kicked off, I was trying to find someone who might help, and an old friend reminded me that V had taken a law degree and had her own firm. I fired a message over, and the next thing she was in our kitchen. It’s amazing to me she even agreed to help.’
‘Why? Did you dump her?’
‘God, no! It was sort of mutual, I suppose. We began to realise we wanted different things out of life…and we were so young I doubt it would have lasted even if we’d wanted the same things. She met her husband and I met Jennifer pretty soon after, and that was that until now.’
‘She’s married then?’
‘Divorced. Recently, as it happens. I didn’t ask about the details – I get the feeling it’s painful for her to talk about.’
‘Do you? Did she say that?’
‘Not in so many words, but that’s the impression I get. More fool him, I say.’
‘You’re assuming he did the leaving.’
‘Well, yes. Like I said, it was the impression I got, but I didn’t ask.’
‘Hmm…’
‘You’re OK with her, aren’t you? I never asked how you felt about…but you’re far too sensible to get weird about stuff like that, aren’t you? You and me, we’re solid.’
Alex raised his hand, and it was then Zoe noticed Old Banger coming up the road they were walking. The car slowed and then stopped a few feet away, and Zoe followed Alex over.
‘Morning!’ Victor said, giving them both an amiable nod.
‘I bet it’s more like afternoon for you,’ Alex said. ‘I bet you’ve been up for ages.’
‘As it happens…’ Victor grinned and then fixed a more concerned eye on Zoe. ‘Corrine told me about your funny turn. You feeling all right now?’
Zoe nodded, flustered, aware of Alex’s suddenly searching gaze and wondering how it never occurred to her before that Corrine would tell Victor, who would undoubtedly say something. And if it hadn’t been Victor, it would have been Corrine herself, and there was every chance it would have been in front of Alex or Billie. ‘I’m right as rain, thanks, Victor. It was nothing, probably a touch of that bug that’s been going around.’
‘Aye…’ Victor looked sceptical, but perhaps he’d read the situation because he shot another curious look from her to Alex and then back again before breaking into a broad smile. ‘I expect it was. We’ve been glad to be up the hill and out of it. Half the village has been laid low, so I’m told. Geoff’s got it bad, apparently.’
