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Alice took that as a no. What a shame.
‘I think I’ll start by apologising about last night and tell him why I was so upset.’
‘I think that’s a marvellous idea,’ Alice replied. But she was disappointed by what Emily said next.
‘I know it sounds silly, but I kind of believe things happen for a reason. Maybe what happened … between me and Joss, well perhaps we’re not meant to be together.’
Alice’s smile faded. Her thoughts wandered to the other guest who was due to arrive that day. The Egyptian. It couldn’t be him – could it? She dismissed that idea entirely. Fate had thrown them together once, in that guest house. Surely not again. It was the night that had changed everything …
‘Alice?’
‘We should go back and look at the shop in Cobblers Yard.’ Alice picked up her sandwich, avoiding eye contact, aware she had changed the subject.
‘You think it might be suitable for a vet’s practice?’
‘I don’t know anything about running one, but I do know that your talents are wasted helping your parents running their guest house – sitting on reception and serving breakfast. I’m sure your parents agree.’ At least Alice hoped they did. Although she imagined that now Emily was back, they were going to have a hard time seeing her leave again.
Alice could empathise. She had missed Freya when she’d left home and moved in with Theo. Now she was used to having her home again, it would be hard to let her go. Empty nest syndrome all over again.
Alice enjoyed talking shop, as they called it, hearing all about Freya’s day at the museum and progress with her PhD thesis. She got the impression that Freya enjoyed it too. Freya had mentioned that Theo wasn’t interested – his eyes would glaze over every time she talked about it. Alice could empathise with that too; it had always been the same in her relationship with Jeffrey.
‘I’d never thought of opening my own practice.’ Emily stared into space, as though imagining it.
Alice looked at Emily. ‘It’s not a bad idea, you know. I had to go all the way to Southwold to see the vet.’ Alice glanced at Hester, who was lying under the table, her head on her paws, her eyes closed. She wasn’t fooling anybody. The moment a crumb dropped on the floor, she’d be there.
‘But I haven’t got any money to start a business.’
For some reason, Joss sprang to Alice’s mind. She was thinking about how long Joss had been staying at the guest house and how much money that must be costing him. They might not know much about Joss, but something told her that he wasn’t worried about money. She got the feeling he wasn’t short of a bob or two. Perhaps he intended to invest in Emily’s business. She looked at Emily. ‘Perhaps something will come along …’Or someone, she thought, smiling. She still hoped Emily would change her mind about Joss and give him a second chance.
Emily smiled. ‘I think Iwillreturn to Cobblers Yard.’
Chapter 28
‘There’s something on your mind.’ It wasn’t a question.
Freya looked across the room at Jolene, working alone on a museum window display. Freya sighed, turning her attention to Tarek. She wasn’t about to repeat the conversation she’d just had with Jolene while having their morning break.
‘Tarek, there’s nothing on my mind apart from sorting out this display case – all right?’
Tarek pursed his lips and muttered, ‘All right, then.’
‘What was that?’
‘I said let’s get on with it, then.’
‘Fine.’
She gave him a sideways glance. He was helping her set up a new display case with some artefacts they had brought up from the storage vault. She had been paired with Tarek to work, even that day when they’d all come in to do overtime. She knew that it was her job, showing him how things were done at the museum. But there were people more qualified than her, who worked there full-time.
Freya glanced at the full-timers, who were talking amongst themselves as they worked. She was sure that her being paired up with Tarek for the next month hadn’t been the dean’s idea at all and had nothing to do with the fact that she had applied for that secondment. It was simply that the other women had nominated her because they didn’t want to be stuck with the newbie.
Freya didn’t want to be stuck with him either. On the other hand …
‘There’s definitely something on your mind.’
She rolled her eyes at Tarek. ‘Why do you say that? Is it because I’ve been less talkative that usual?’ Freya quipped. She was being sarcastic.
‘No, that’s not it.’
