I swallow miserably. ‘I know. And I really wanted to, but...’
‘Is that why you went to such great lengths, helping me withthe fundraiser?’ he demands. ‘Because you felt guilty about what happened toPeg?’
‘What?No!I didn’t evenknowMaggie was yourgreat-aunt until I saw the photo of her in your bedroom! I helped you because Iwanted to, Aidan... because I really cared about you.’
‘But the flowers every week on Peg’s grave...I couldn’t work out who was putting them there. I thought it must be herfriend, Agnes. Those bloody flowers were a way of assuaging your guilt, weren’tthey?’
I look down, my face flooded with shame. ‘I suppose theywere.’
He shakes his head in disgust. ‘I thought I knew you,Kenzie. I thought I could trust you. How am I supposed to believe you’retelling me the truth about that day? That you were desperate to save yourfriends? For all I know, it could just be a pack of lies you’ve made up to getyourself off the hook with me!’
And before I can utter another word, he walks off.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE
After that terrible night, I bury myself in my work,trying to blot out the memory of Aidan’s angry face.
The nights especially are bad.
I pour all of my energy into making a success of thebusiness, determined to put Aidan out of my mind. But I’m missing Rachel andPoppy so much. If Rachel were here, she’d sit me down and put her arm around meand tell me I did the best I could do in horrible circumstances. I wouldn’tquite believe her, of course, but she’d help me come to terms with it...make me feel I wasn’t the bad person Aidan thinks I am.
I feel lonelier than I’ve ever felt in my life.
The only upside to the whole sorry mess is that my effortswith the pottery business are starting to pay off. By the end of June, a totalof five gift shops and galleries in the area are stocking my mugs, vases andpiggy banks. I’ve started branching out as well, creating a range of prettymatching plates and bowls, teacups and saucers, in the same style as thecrockery I designed for Aidan. And to my amazement, it seems to be reallypopular.
But as July rolls around and the orders keep increasing,it’s such a bittersweet time. The loss I felt when Rachel and Poppy vanishedhas doubled, now that I know I’ve lost Aidan’s friendship for good. I triedphoning him after that terrible night to try and explain my actions again, buthe won’t take my calls. So even friendship seems impossible now.
The single light in the gloom is Maisie’s adoption party,which is happening in a week’s time. And this morning at the café, Ellie takesme to one side to talk to me about it.
‘Are you okay about coming to the party?’ She looks at meanxiously. ‘It’s just that Maisie invited Aidan and I couldn’t say no.’
I stare at her, feeling a range of emotions.
A few days after Aidan walked away from me in disgust, Elliefound me sobbing in the café kitchen. She took me into her office and I pouredout the whole story to her – about everything that had happened with Rachel andDarren, and Aidan and Peg – and she listened in horror but was ultimatelysympathetic. ‘I’m not sure what I would have done in those circumstances.Probably exactly the same as you. Especially if Peg had seemed perfectly allright.’ She shook her head. ‘What a horrible dilemma you were in.’
Now, she murmurs, ‘I’d totally understand if you want togive the adoption party a wide berth. Because of Aidan.’
I shake my head and try to smile. ‘It’s fine. I wouldn’tmiss Maisie’s party for the world. I’ll be there.’
Aidan probably won’t go, anyway.
Not if he thinks he might run into me...
*****
The party is being held at the café, in the function roomat the back, and when I arrive – along with Madison, Katja, Fen and Primrose –I quickly scan the room but there’s no sign of Aidan, and I relax a little.
But halfway through the night, he appears, and at once, I’ma bag of nerves.
I was quite prepared for him to give me the cold shoulder.But it still makes me so sad, seeing him laughing and chatting with Ellie andMaisie, and being unable to go up to him myself. I’m keeping out of his way,though, and he certainly seems to be steering well clear of me.
Maisie is having a ball, in a beautiful silvery party dress,and there’s hardly a dry eye in the house when Ellie stands up and makes aspeech about how meeting Zak and Maisie was the best thing that ever happenedto her. Maisie runs up to her half way through and flings her arms around her.And Ellie continues her speech, fighting back happy tears and holding ontoMaisie tightly.
‘Bloody hell, I didn’t think it would be a three-hanky job,’croaks Madison, who’s standing next to me, snuffling into a paper napkin. And Inod in agreement, feeling emotional for all sorts of reasons.
As the party guests start to depart, I stand outside, chattingto Katja and Madison.
‘Maisie looked so happy, didn’t she?’ says Katja.
