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Hope half-smiled and Billie had the feeling that Ava had told her wife more than a little about Billie Brooke. “It’d be my pleasure,” was all she said.
And Billie thanked her before walking away.
“Oh, there you are,” Ava said, catching up with her in the corridor. “Better get your skates on, the bell’s going to ring in a minute.”
“Ag will keep everyone under control until I get there,” Billie said with a grin.
“You know, she reminds me a lot of my daughter. Alice was just as precocious and, frankly, she’s yet to grow out of it. She’s busy thinking about university and Hope’s busy trying to convince her that just because she wants to go to St. Andrews doesn’t mean that she’ll meet a prince there.”
Billie laughed. “I didn’t know you had a daughter.”
“Step daughter, technically, but we dropped the step a while ago. Too much of a mouthful. Still on for lunch?”
“The cafe on the high street three doors down from the bookshop,” Billie said. “I’ll meet you there.”
“Perfect,” Ava said as the bell rang and the big school doors opened, filling the corridors with children.
BILLIE HAD TIME to drop her bag and sit down in the pleasant little cafe before Ava walked in the door.
“I was practically running after you,” Ava said, still panting slightly. “Couldn’t you hear me shouting your name?”
Billie pulled a face. “I’m in a world of my own, sorry about that.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” said Ava, pushing her glasses up on top of her red hair in a way that made Billie hope that Hope knew how lucky she was to be married to someone like Ava. “You can tell me all about it in a second.” She glanced at the paper menu on the table. “Quiche for me, but I can recommend the sandwiches too.”
“Quiche is fine,” said Billie, who didn’t have much of an appetite.
Ava stood up again and went to the small counter where she was served by a woman so old that Billie was slightly worried about her actually working.
“Who’s that?” she asked, when Ava returned.
“That would be Gertrude, all of eighty three and not afraid to admit it. She’s a village institution, we’re going to be sad to see her go.”
“Where’s she going?”
“Finally retiring,” said Ava. “Now, on to more important things. Like you, for example. Do you want to tell me what’s going on, or is it still too painful?”
Billie sighed. She could use a sounding board at this point. “It’s Jules.”
“No shit,” Ava said, her American accent stronger than ever. She rolled her eyes. “Wanna share a little more detail?”
So Billie started to spill everything. By the time their quiche was half-eaten she’d gotten to the point where she’d walked out of the club.
“Dumb,” Ava said.
“Not my finest moment,” admitted Billie.
“But understandable, I guess, I mean…” Ava sighed. “I mean you obviously have self-esteem issues, Billie, if you don’t mind me saying so.”
“I’m working on it,” Billie said. “And there’s more. I, um, I know that I was wrong, I know that I was stupid, and I think that maybe I should apologize. I just don’t really know how to go about doing it. I’m afraid the Jules is going to tell me to get lost or something.”
“It’s her right to do that,” Ava said. “But if you’re trying to win her back then actions speak louder than words, you know.”
“Actions? Like what?”
“Not a clue,” said Ava with a grin. “You’re going to have to figure that one out yourself. And what prompted this sudden change of mind?”
“A four year old,” Billie said. “Or she might be five, I’m not entirely sure.”
