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Hope set her cloth down with a frown. ‘It’s only been a couple of weeks since Keith was fired, and Rhys paid him up to the end of the month. Amelia’s working full-time and I know she gives her parents almost every penny she earns, plus Daisy had those extra hours here. How can they be in debt?’
‘He’s gambled it all away.’ They both swung around at the sound of Amelia’s voice. She was standing just inside the hallway door, pale and wan as a ghost. ‘Mum found out when she spotted a final demand on the doormat. Dad always insisted on doing everything, the bills are all in his name and she doesn’t even have access to the bank account.’ Amelia closed her eyes. ‘I told her so many times she needed to sort that out, but she never was one to rock the boat.’
‘Come and sit down.’ Ziggy was already moving to put his arm around Amelia’s shoulders and steer her towards the chair she’d vacated earlier.
It was only as she sat that Amelia spotted the cloth in front of Hope. ‘Oh, God, you shouldn’t be doing that!’
‘Behave yourself,’ Hope said. ‘I’m not going to melt from doing a few chores, for goodness’ sake.’
‘Well, I’ll speak to Mrs Davis and find a way to make up the hours,’ Amelia protested.
‘No,’ Ziggy said, in the firm voice of a man who knew how to put on the mantle of authority when the situation required it. ‘You will not.’ He glanced over at Hope. ‘Will you give Amelia and me a moment, there are some things we need to discuss.’
Hope rather had the feeling it would be a one-way discussion, but Amelia was in the best possible hands. If anyone could find a solution to the current mess, it was Ziggy. ‘Of course, I’ll take the dogs out.’
Closing the kitchen door behind her, Hope lifted her face to the sunshine and let it chase some of the sadness away. It had only been a matter of weeks ago that she was chafing under the weight of her family’s over-attentiveness and craving a space of her own away from them. Though she still wanted to take the step towards further independence, she was more determined than ever to do it with the right amount of grace and appreciation for everything they’d done for her. But for a twist of fate, she could be in Amelia’s shoes. She could have been in an even worse situation if her mother hadn’t taken the necessary steps to protect her and escape from her own awful marriage.
Still, there was a gap in her mind about the man she owed half her DNA to. Hope wanted to forget all about him, to carry on in blissful unawareness, just as she had for the first twenty-five years of her life. What would it gain her to be like Amelia and know the truth about the people who were a part of her make-up, even with all their faults and weaknesses? Hope didn’t know. But like a sore tooth, she couldn’t stop poking at the idea of finding out, even if it was likely to cause more pain.
Hope stayed in the yard with the dogs, who were happy to chase a tennis ball for as long as she was willing to throw it. When the back door finally opened and Amelia stepped out, Hope was relieved to see she’d got some of her spirit back. She still looked pale and tired, but whatever Ziggy had said to her had put a bit of steel in her spine and she looked much more like her old self. ‘Okay?’ Hope asked.
Amelia shook her head, but there was a hint of a smile as she said, ‘Not by a long shot, but I will be.’
‘I know you will. Hey, I need to head into the village to pick up a few things, do you want a lift?’
‘No, thanks. I’m going to walk. I’ve got a lot to think about.’ Amelia glanced over her shoulder to where Ziggy was leaning up against the open doorway. ‘Thank you.’
‘You don’t need to thank me. Give me a call when you’ve made that appointment and I’ll come with you.’
‘Okay.’ Amelia turned back to Hope. ‘I’ll see you later.’
‘I’ll text you next week and maybe we can meet up for lunch one day?’ If Amelia was going to get her life back on track, she was going to need all the support she could get. They’d both let their friendship drift and it was time for Hope to be the one to reach out.
‘I’d like that.’
As she walked away, Ziggy came to sit beside Hope on the bench. ‘I need you to do a couple of things for me when you’re in the village, if that’s okay?’
‘Sure. Whatever you need.’ She had a few minutes before she had to get going, so she leaned back against her uncle and let the reassuring weight of his arm settle along the back of the bench behind her. She lifted her face to the sun once more, grateful for the strength and the steadfastness of this man who’d always been there for her. But even in that moment of contentment, she couldn’t help but poke at the empty space in her mind.
* * *
Hope was just crossing the road from the shop to the pub when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She paused on the pavement to adjust the bag of shopping she’d paid for – along with the Rileys’ outstanding bill, as per her uncle’s instructions – and checked her messages. It was Cam, letting her know they were calling it a day at the dig and he’d be back at the lodge within the next half hour and she was welcome to join him whenever she was ready. Deciding that if she was quick, she’d have time to get home, have a shower and still get to Cam’s by six so they could chill on the patio before dinner, Hope pulled open the door to the pub and stopped dead at the sound of raised voices.
‘I’ve told you twice now, Keith, you’re not welcome in here any more,’ Iain, the landlord, was saying.
‘And I’m telling you it’s a bloody free country and I want a beer!’ Keith yelled back.
Feeling like a coward, but knowing now was not the time, Hope let the door close and turned towards where she’d parked her car. She’d speak to Ziggy and they could make another arrangement to pay off Keith’s tab. Her uncle had persuaded Amelia to allow them to settle all the outstanding debt and once the final total was known, they would set up a repayment scheme. It was better than a bank loan, or loading up on credit card debt. The interest on either option would be another millstone around Amelia’s neck. Whether or not they’d be successful in implementing the other half of Ziggy’s plan to get Keith’s doctor on board and try to get him into a treatment programme… Hope glanced back at the pub in time to see a red-faced Keith storm out… well, that was a problem for another day.
Three-quarters of an hour later, she was walking up the porch steps of the lodge carrying a large quiche and a bottle of her favourite rosé. She’d left the dogs at home with Rhys, who’d promised to take them out later when he walked Samson and Delilah. The patio doors were wide open to allow what little breeze there was in, and Cam was sitting at the inside table, his still-damp hair falling over his forehead as he stared at something on his laptop. ‘Knock, knock,’ she called as she walked in.
‘Oh, hey, come and look at this!’ His smile was so broad it crinkled the skin at the corner of his blue eyes, and he looked like he’d caught the sun again.
She set the food and bottle down as he scooted to one side of his chair, leaving a space for her to perch on beside him. His arm closed around her waist and he hugged her close as he reached with his other hand to tap the screen. ‘Look,’ he repeated, sounding more excited than she’d heard him before.
Hope wanted to drink in the joyful expression on his face, but she did as she was told and stared dutifully at the image on the screen. It was mostly off-white with a load of fuzzy splotches and lines. ‘What am I looking at?’
‘You’re looking at what might be one of the greatest undiscovered complexes of buildings in the country!’
