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‘Ellie?’
She gulped and wiped her hand over her eyes before turning around.
‘Hi, Darcie.’
‘I’ve been worried about you. I was going to stop by but Finn said you had the stomach flu and didn’t want to be bothered. And that, of course, worried me even more so that was why I messaged you.’ Darcie grimaced. ‘Sorry, you know this from my messages. But I did want to bring you some soup and some rehydration drinks but when you were so adamant that you just wanted to stay in bed, I thought that you might not want to be bothered. But it’s been over a week and… Oh I’m sorry, Ellie, here I am going on when you look so tired and pale. You grab what you need and let me walk you home.’ Darcie offered a concerned smile and Ellie felt like the worst fraud in the world. Poor Finn had made excuses for her too and that meant he’d had to be untruthful with his sister and his family and she knew that must have been hard for him.
‘I’m feeling a lot better now, Darcie, thanks,’ she said. ‘Stomach has been a bit gripey, but it’s passed and hopefully I’m no longer contagious.’
‘I hope not. Stomach flu is just awful.’ Darcie shook her head. ‘But Finn did say he stopped by with some bits and bobs and that he left them on the doorsteps for you.’
‘Yes, that’s right.’ Ellie nodded. ‘He’s been great.’
‘Good, good.’ Darcie smiled again and Ellie felt even worse. Was she turning into a big, fat liar? This was her friend and she was being dishonest with her.
‘I… uh… better go and pay for this lot.’
‘Of course. I’ll wait for you at the door.’
Ellie took the basket to the counter and while she unloaded it then packed it into bags and paid, she wondered how she was going to deal with this. She loved Darcie and didn’t want to lie to her. But how could she admit to her friend what had really happened? Didn’t it make her sound like a desperate sex-crazed freak who’d pounced on the first man who’d been truly nice to her since her divorce?
But Finn isn’t just a man. He’s lovely. You’ve always liked him. He’s a friend and your feelings for him run deeper than friendship.
She sighed, picked up her bags and carried them to the door. Darcie reached for the bags but Ellie shook her head. ‘It’s fine, honestly. I can manage.’
‘Let me take one of them,’ Darcie implored so Ellie gave in and handed her the lighter bag.
They walked slowly and Darcie chatted about her family, what Cole had baked that week and how she was excited about some of the items she’d found at a flea market in London.
‘Actually, I have some things you might like for the shop,’ Ellie said. ‘I haven’t finished sorting the attic yet but my aunt had plenty there that you could sell, I’m sure.’
‘That would be amazing,’ Darcie replied. ‘As long as you’re sure you’re OK parting with it.’
‘I’m fine. There’s so much there and some of it wouldn’t fit me even if I lost a stone. Iris was tiny when she was younger but I doubt she fitted into a lot of it as she got older.’
‘The curse of the menopause, eh?’ Darcie laughed and Ellie joined in, despite her unease. ‘Gets us all at some point. I think the worst bits for me are my flattened bum and my thickened waist. Like, I didn’t even see that happening and then I tried on a pair of jeans I’d always loved and they were baggy around my bum and I couldn’t do the waist up.’
‘Time to get out the elastic waistbands then,’ Ellie said with a grin.
‘It sucks, right?’ Darcie shook her head. ‘I mean, we’re not even fully menopausal yet and out bodies are changing.’
Ellie nodded. ‘The years have flown. You look fabulous though, Darcie. I can’t see that your waist has thickened or that your bum has disappeared.’
‘Thanks, my darling. I do what I can to dress for the body I’ve got now.’
‘I think it’s the only way,’ Ellie said.
Before she knew it, they’d reached her cottage. ‘Would you like to come in for a cuppa?’ she asked.
‘Oh… Well only if you’re sure?’ Darcie said.
Ellie paused for a moment. ‘What I would like is to go for a walk… if you fancy that instead.’
‘Sure. That would work.’
‘Come in for a minute and I’ll make a flask of tea and we can go for a good walk and have a sit down somewhere.’
‘Great.’ Darcie smiled.
