Evie smiled, “There’s enough grub there to feed an army. She’s only a peedie thing.”
“Aye, but she will be famished with all the travelling and experiencing our fresh air. I didn’t want to risk her going hungry.”
Amelia was waiting for Evie at the hotel reception. She leapt to her feet when she saw Evie, throwing her arms around her for a tight hug.
Evie gently disentangled herself and the two of them got into Florence. On the short drive back to Evie’s home, Amelia sat quietly looking out of the car window at the green rolling fields and sparkling sea.
Evie was relieved by her much calmer energy.
Amelia said softly, “It really is lovely here, Evie. I can see why you wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”
“Well,” Evie replied, “It’s the spring now and we’ve been lucky with the weather. Not much rain and the wind has been soft but come back in the winter and we’ll talk then.”
Amelia smiled. “I hope I can come back, Evie, and I really hope we can be friends. I don’t have any close relatives and because we moved around a lot when I was little, I don’t have any proper friends. It’s something I always struggled with.”
Evie felt awful. She hadn’t given this poor lonely woman a chance. She knew the pain of being alone – she’d been very lucky to meet a friend like Sophia in London, who had been so kind and understanding.
Feeling guilty, she said warmly, “Well, you have found family now and you will make lots of friends here. People are very welcoming. And Freya is really looking forward to meeting you.”
They turned into Evie’s drive. Freya waved to them from the window and then Amelia found herself wrapped in the kind of warm embrace that makes you want to stay in that sweet smelling softness for ever.
“Let me look at you,” said Freya. “My goodness you truly are the spitting image of our Evie. There’s no need for DNA tests, you two look like sisters. Come and sit down and let me get you something to eat. I’ve made a few peedie snacks.”
Amelia looked at the kitchen table groaning with all kinds of homemade goodies that would have defeated an entire rugby team after a hard-won match.
The three of them would hardly make a dent in this spread. Freya smiled at her. “Would you like to try a wee dram?”
“That would be lovely, Freya. I usually drink bourbon, but obviously I know Scottish whisky is better.”
Freya nodded approvingly and poured three generous measures. Amelia asked her, “Do you have any Coca-Cola?”
Evie frowned. “I think I have some left from when Kate’s girls were round. They aren’t really allowed it but I got the zero-sugar stuff and I’ve sworn them both to secrecy.”
Amelia gratefully took the can and poured it into her whisky, drowning the dram with the sweet brown stuff. Freya looked appalled.
“I think that’s what’s known as sacrilege, Amelia. It’s actually against the law to do that to whisky here.”
Amelia looked shocked, her eyes wide, staring from Freya’s stern expression to her glass. She gave a hollow laugh. “You had me going there. I actually thought I might get arrested, but I guess you are just messing with me.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” said Freya. She kept her voice light but she was genuinely shocked at such terrible treatment of good whisky.
“Mind if I smoke?” said Amelia, getting her cigarettes out and preparing to light up. “I can lean out the window?”
“Actually,” said Freya, politely but firmly, “I do mind I’m afraid. Evie has bad asthma, and no one should smoke around her. Even if you’re leaning out of the window, it will linger in the room.”
Amelia looked stricken. “Evie. You should have said something when I was smoking in your cute little car. I am so very sorry.”
She looked distraught and almost on the verge of tears.
“And Freya what must you think of me. Can we start over? Let me drink this up so as not to waste it and then I will have it neat, or would it be OK to add a bit of water?”
Freya nodded approvingly, “Just as God intended.”
Amelia was eager to make amends. “I really can’t apologise enough. Having a cigarette always calms me down but I won’t ever smoke around you guys again. To be honest, I think I’m going to quit while I’m here on the island anyway. And I will never, ever again commit the crime of adding Coke to my whisky. Can you forgive me?”
She looked like a puppy pleading not to be kicked.
“Of course,” said Freya warmly. “Now look, you must have so many questions for us.”
