Page 29 of Snowflakes Over Micklewick Bay

Hannah pondered this for a moment. ‘I had no idea. I just assumed everyone would believe the lies Polly and Darryl were spreading around.’

‘Quite the opposite.’ Just then, a kerfuffle at Florrie’s end made her turn and Gerty landed in the room. She placed her paws on her owner’s knee and pushed her face into Florrie’s, the low thud, thud of her tail hitting something as it wagged happily. ‘Hello there, Gerty, come to join in, have you?’ Florrie laughed, smoothing her hand over the Labrador’s head. ‘I’m talking to Hannah, you remember her, don’t you?’ Gerty responded by delivering a lick to Florrie’s cheek.

‘Hello again, Gerty.’ Hannah couldn’t help but laugh at Gerty’s enthusiasm.

Hearing her name from the direction of the laptop, Gerty leant towards the screen, treating Hannah to a zoom-in of a snorting wet nose.

Giggling, Florrie tugged at the Labrador’s collar. ‘Come on, lass, Hannah doesn’t want to see up your snout.’

Hannah watched as her friend pulled Gerty back, a male figure appearing behind her, a mug in his hand.

‘Thought you might like a fresh cuppa.’ Hannah noted he had a friendly expression and kind eyes.

‘Thanks, Ed.’ Florrie beamed up at him. ‘Sounds good, come say hi to Hannah.’ She turned to face the screen. ‘Hannah, this is my fiancé, Ed. Ed, this is Hannah who used to live here in town.’

‘Hi, Hannah, s’good to meet you.’ He gave a warm smile.

‘Hi, Ed, good to meet you too.’ It didn’t escape Hannah how Florrie positively sparkled around him.

Once he and Gerty had headed back downstairs, Florrie picked up where she’d left off. ‘As I was saying, the lasses in particular are on your side big time – me included. You can rest assured we’ll fight your corner if necessary. Heaven help anyone who gets on the wrong side of Jasmine – I daresay you can remember how feisty Jazz can be.’ She reached for her mug of fresh tea.

Hannah could remember that, though she didn’t like to say so. Instead, she said, ‘I wonder what they’d make of what I’ve just told you?’

Florrie’s eyes widened, and she paused, her mug halfway to her mouth. ‘They’d be horrified and disgusted, same as me.’

Hannah ran this around her mind. After Florrie’s reaction, she was beginning to feel that she wanted the other women to know; that it wouldn’t be so bad for them to hear her side of things. Florrie appeared to pick up on this.

‘Would you like them to know?’ she asked gently. ‘I could tell them, if you like? It’d save you having to go through it all again when you get to meet up with them.’

There was that kindness and compassion shining in Florrie’s eyes again, breaking down her friendship barriers even further. ‘Would you do that? I mean, you wouldn’t mind?’

‘’Course I’d do it. Mind, I can’t guarantee I won’t shed a tear when I’m telling them, but it’s far better than you having to face it all again; I could see how upset you were, flower.’

‘In that case, yes, I’d like it if you could tell them on my behalf. Thank you.’ She felt another weight lifting from her shoulders and floating away. ‘Now, please can we talk about something other than me? I’ve totally hogged the conversation. Tell me more about the bookshop.’ She wiped her eyes once more, removing all last traces of her tears and found a smile. She loved hearing all about Florrie’s plans.

‘Ooh, my favourite subject!’

By the time the two friends came to end their call, they’d been talking for over two hours.

‘I just want to finish by saying that I’m horrified at what Polly and Darryl put you through, flower, but it’s even more reason to show your face in Micklewick Bay. It’s your hometown, your roots are here. And don’t forget, me and the lasses have got your back.’

‘Thank you.’ Her words meant more to Hannah than Florrie would ever know.

TWENTY-ONE

FRIDAY 27TH FEBRUARY

Over a week had passed since Hannah was last in Micklewick Bay. It was hard to believe she’d sworn wild horses couldn’t drag her back, but today she found herself in the town once more, awaiting her appointment with Mr Cuthbert.

The weather couldn’t have been more different this time. Up above, the sun was a ball of bright gold suspended in a broad splash of cerulean blue, its rays reaching down and creating sparkles over the sea. Gentle waves made their way idly to the shore, their white, frilly edges dancing where they met the sand. An unmistakable hint of spring permeated the air, reaching in and tingling its way to Hannah’s soul. She’d arrived early and parked up on the top prom, taking a moment to steady the nerves that had returned with a vengeance. She’d been gazing out at the view for the last half hour and since there was still an hour to go before she was due at the offices of Cuthbert, Asquith & Co, she was taken by the urge to go for a walk, but her reservations were holding her back. ‘Come on, Hannah, you made a promise to your aunt. You need to push yourself,’ she said sternly. Her reluctance jostled with her new-found resolve for a couple of minutes before the impulse to stretch her legs took over and she grabbed her bag from the passenger seat, opened the car door and stepped out into the glorious sunshine.

She stood for a moment, the warmth of the sun taking the edge off the crisp, light breeze that brushed over her skin. She closed her eyes and tilted her face skywards, drawing in a lungful of air, savouring the salty tang. It felt instantly soothing; a balm to her soul. She inhaled deeply once more before hooking her bag over her shoulder, and headed towards the railings, a new lightness in her step. See, it’s not so bad, is it, lovey? Auntie Coll’s voice crept into her mind, as it had developed a habit of doing recently, making Hannah smile. She cast her gaze along the panoramic view, taking in the ro-ro ferries on the horizon, the fishing boats chugging their way out to sea as gulls swirled noisily above. The new marina on the left side of the beach couldn’t have looked any more splendid as it glittered in the sunlight. It crossed her mind how the development would have elevated the status of the once less salubrious part of town that not so very long ago had emanated an air of neglect, with its rows of terraces punctuated by boarded up properties and warehouses. Her eyes continued their journey, stopping at the pier. After what she’d recently learnt from Birdie, the sight of it made her heart jump. She quickly shifted her gaze, moving along to the landmark that was Thorncliffe, basking in the sunshine. Unlike last week when it looked brooding and angry, today the great hulk was more of a gentle giant, its might seemingly softened by the milder weather.

Hannah couldn’t have felt further removed from the person she’d been when she’d stood in this very spot only ten days ago. Then, she’d felt overwhelmed by grief and utterly despondent. Her future had seemed beyond bleak and her mind had been in turmoil. She’d felt that there was no hope, no point going on. She’d be the first to admit she still had a long way to go, that grief and what she’d describe as not depression per se, but definitely a low, all-encompassing mood, still tugged at her and had the capacity to pull her down if she let them. But now she felt she had the strength to break free of them and push them away. It wasn’t only her aunt’s letter she had to thank for this, but also Birdie and, most unexpected of all, Florrie Appleton, too.

Hannah had done a great deal of soul searching since her conversation with Birdie after her first visit here, and indeed the following chats they’d had since in the run-up to today, not to mention her FaceTime call with Florrie and what that had revealed. And not just that, Hannah had been surprised to find talking about her past had offered her an unexpected sense of closure. Though reliving it had given rise to a multitude of negative emotions, she’d decided Polly and Darryl weren’t worth the detrimental effect they’d had on her mental health and general well-being for so many years. It dawned on her that her previous way of dealing with them had actually placed the power over her squarely in their hands and, like the classic bullies they were, they’d taken advantage at every turn. But no more. She was going to whip the rug from under their feet and muster up every ounce of strength she possessed so it wouldn’t happen again. From now on, Hannah was going to be in charge. She wasn’t going to let them get under her skin. She knew it wasn’t going to be easy, that there’d be blips and bumps along the way, but the balance of power had shifted – it was in her hands now. Her mind went to the keys she’d slipped into her bag before she’d set off that morning, their presence almost burning a hole through the fabric. Innocuous items with the potential to cause more ripples than she could imagine. They’d been amongst the ones she’d found in the tin alongside the letter in her aunt’s chest of drawers.

Hannah’s gaze was drawn back to the pier, thoughts swirling around her mind as her emotions leapt to attention. She reached for the moongazing hare pendant around her neck, bringing it to her lips and pressing a kiss to it. ‘Love you, Auntie Coll,’ she whispered. ‘You always were full of surprises, and this recent lot tops them all.’ Her eyes prickled but she blinked her tears away. She wasn’t going to give in to them today. Today was about moving forward.