‘No! Maybe. Oh, I don’t know, Twi. It’s all so weird. Can I let you know?’
‘Of course!’ I touch her arm. ‘You do realise she probably won’t live there any more?’
Paloma nods. ‘I know. She was only sixteen in that photograph. She could be anywhere by now. But I’m hoping the people who live there will be able to tell me where the family went. And if they don’t know, I’ll knock on some neighbours’ doors and—’
The doorbell rings. I give Paloma a tight hug. ‘This is all so exciting. I’m sure you’ll find her. We’ll talk about it some more later, okay?’ Then I hurry through to answer the door.
Becky, one of my best friends from schooldays, is beaming on the doorstep, with a gaggle of ‘the girls’ behind her. She hugs me and says, ‘We all skipped lunch so we’d be able to do a good tasting job for you!’
It’s all really relaxed, with everyone sitting round the big oak table in the kitchen or standing chatting, sipping tea or Prosecco, and stopping occasionally to scribble on their score card.
Everyone seems genuinely delighted I’m opening a café in the village.
‘It’s obvious you’re filling a big gap in the market,’ murmurs Paloma as we stand together, refilling the cake stands. ‘And from the reaction to your cakes, it looks like you might be run off your feet when you open.’
‘God, I hope so.’
My phone rings and I go to answer it, thinking it’s probably someone apologising for being late. I don’t know the number that flashes up.
‘Hi, Twilight?’
‘Yes.’ My heart sinks. It’s Lucy.
‘A little bird told me you’re having a cake-tasting party. Can anyone come?’
‘Well, it’s not really a party. Just a few people …’ I trail off awkwardly, wondering how on earth she got wind of it. You can’t keep anything quiet in a village as small as Hart’s End.
‘I’m following a “clean diet” these days, but I’m sure I could step off the wagon for the afternoon, if it’s in aid of helping a friend,’ she says, and my eyebrows shoot up.
A friend? She has to be joking. Has she conveniently forgotten how she terrorised me for years? The only reason she’s phoning is because she can’t bear being left out.
‘Well, I don’t know …’ I hate myself for dithering. Why can’t I just tell her straight that she’s not invited? It’s not as if I owe her anything, for goodness’ sake!
Paloma is frowning at me. She’s probably guessed who it is. No one else but Lucy would make me so ridiculously awkward.
‘It would just be me and Jason. And Olivia,’ Lucy says, sounding affronted that I’m not immediately welcoming her with open arms.
‘Fine. Come round.’ I hang up, hating myself for giving in so easily.
‘What’s wrong?’ asks Paloma, seeing my glum expression. ‘Was that Lucy?’
I nod. ‘She heard I was having a party. She’s coming over with Jason and Olivia.’
Paloma looks annoyed. ‘What a cheek, phoning up to demand an invitation! I’d have told her where to go, although maybe not in so many words.’ She shakes her head. ‘Honestly, she hates to think she’s not right at the hub of things. The queen of our little community!’
I respond with a weary frown.
‘You’d already decided there was no way you wanted her here,’ says Paloma. ‘You should have just told her straight, Twi, that you wanted to keep the party small, so you’d only invited a certain number.’
With a sigh, I point out that Lucy did let me borrow her granny’s recipe book and that she was also providing curtain material, which made it hard to say no to her.
But I feel weak, like I’m making excuses for giving in to her.
A feeling of despair settles over me.
Will things ever change?
Chapter 11
The afternoon, which was going so well, is spoiled now because I’m permanently on edge, waiting for the doorbell to ring.
What’s Lucy’s motive for coming here with Jason and Olivia? Because I’m damned sure it’s not to tell me which of my cakes she prefers! Perhaps it’s to lord it over me with her darling Jason dancing attendance on her. She didn’t mention bringing the curtains over, even though she assured me I would have them in plenty of time.
A thought occurs.
What if the only reason Lucy offered to dress my café windows was so that she could leave me high and dry on launch day?
Paloma would say I’m being paranoid again. But what’s that well-known saying? Just because I’m paranoid doesn’t mean someone isn’t out to get me!
The doorbell rings and I go to answer it, feeling heavy with dread.
The threesome on the doorstep are all linking arms, a beaming Lucy in the middle. They look as if they’re about to perform a celebratory can-can in honour of my cake-tasting session.
Lucy sniffs the air appreciatively. ‘Everything certainly smells good. But I guess the proof is in the eating.’ She lets go of the other two and marches forward when I usher them in.
‘Just go on through,’ I say sarcastically to her back as she disappears into the kitchen, gravitating towards the group of chattering women. Olivia pinches my upper arm as she walks past and gives me a knowing look. ‘Just checking those bingo wings.’
Jason hangs back and we exchange an amused look.
‘It’s like going out with twins,’ he murmurs. ‘They’re never apart these days and they’re always whispering, although they stop immediately when I walk into the room. Olivia sees far more of Lucy than I do. Especially now they’ve embarked on this mission to get the whole of Hart’s End fighting fit.’
‘Oh, poor you.’
He grins. ‘Not really. I quite like it, actually. With Lucy engaged elsewhere, it means I can get out with the lads more often.’
I smile at him. He’s the same Jason I remember of old. Laid-back and happy to go with the flow. It would take someone with a personality like his to put up with a demanding type like Lucy
