It seemed almost unbelievable she’d fallen out so spectacularly with her once dear friend, she thought as she set off down the mountain, with no clue where she was going.
In hindsight, of course she shouldn’t have invited Jon, but it was done with good intentions and it wasn’t her fault he’d become infatuated with her.
Deep down, she reckoned Louise must have been jealous and critical of her for a long time, and hidden it. She’d seemed to back Stella’s decision to break up with Al, but perhaps she’d never really approved of any of her choices.
Her hurtful behaviour cast into doubt everything she’d said in recent months, every piece of advice she’d given. Stella now wondered if Louise had ever really even liked her. Maybe she’d just been faking.
About halfway down the mountain, she noticed a small, slight figure walking purposefully towards her, carrying two big brown bags.
They must have been heavy because the woman was arching forwards, her arms stretching down so far, they almost touched the ground. It looked quite painful.
Stella soon recognised Katerina and started to wave, but quickly stopped herself, realising the old woman would have to put down her bags to return the greeting.
‘Good morning, Mrs Johnston,’ Katerina said politely when she drew up close, still holding the bags. ‘It’s another beautiful day.’
Stella smiled. ‘Yes, gorgeous.’
It seemed for a moment as if Katerina would continue on her way without stopping. Stella was relieved. After the fallout with Louise, she wasn’t in the mood for small talk.
But there must have been something in her expression that made the housekeeper hesitate.
‘Is everything all right?’ she asked, plonking down her load at last. A juicy-looking fat orange rolled out and Stella stooped to pick it up.
‘Fine.’
‘Are you sure?’
Katerina fixed two sharp black eyes on Stella, who felt herself buckle under the scrutiny.
‘Not really,’ she admitted, her shoulders drooping.
‘Whatever’s happened?’
She didn’t intend to tell Katerina much of her sorry story, but somehow she couldn’t help herself.
When the housekeeper pointed to a grassy mound and they sat down, side by side, the words gushed from Stella’s mouth like water from a burst pipe.
Katerina was a sympathetic listener and before she knew it, Stella was explaining all about Harriet, the marriage split, Jon’s infatuation, Hector’s unhappiness and Louise’s fury.
‘I came here to give the kids a treat. I thought they deserved it – well, Lily anyway. I also hoped I’d be able to relax and recover a bit from the last couple of horrible years, but now things are worse than ever. I don’t know what to do.’
Her nose and eyes were dribbling and she sniffed noisily; she couldn’t help it. Katerina patted her knee gently before leaving a small hand there to rest. To Stella’s surprise, this felt comforting and entirely natural.
‘I knew you had troubles,’ Katerina said softly in her pronounced Greek accent. ‘You have suffered a great deal, but you’ve come to the right place. You will heal; you just have to be patient.’
Stella wished she had such faith. She desperately wanted to believe in the old woman’s reassurances, but couldn’t.
‘But what about Jon?’ she said croakily. ‘I don’t know how to handle the situation. Whatever I say seems to make it worse. And Louise? I’ve already lost my best friend, Harriet. Now Louise has gone as well.’
Katerina removed her hand and placed them both on her lap, her knees lightly touching. She was neat all over, in a straw hat, short-sleeved white blouse, black skirt and brown leather sandals. Her skin was tanned in the places where it showed, and her arms were thin and wiry.
She made a clicking sound with her tongue and shook her head.
‘You can’t force these things,’ she said. ‘You have to wait for the clouds to part. Only then will the way become clear.’
Stella frowned. This sounded like wishful thinking to her, but she was slightly afraid of the doughty housekeeper and didn’t fancy challenging her.
‘Would you like some water?’ she asked, pulling a plastic bottle from her bag.
