AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Look, you’re my best friend, you know that, right? I’m not being mean, I just … I don’t think you should get involved with him.’
‘I won’t. It’s purely a business trip, as far as he is concerned. He doesn’t know I’ve got some personal reasons for going to that guest house.’
The look on Jolene’s face said she believed her. ‘All right. Talking of your personal reasons, you want to find that lady called Wendy, don’t you?’
Freya nodded. She looked at her phone.
Jolene sighed. ‘You know, that’s like the tenth time you’ve checked your phone in the last twenty minutes.’
Freya looked up. ‘Sorry.’
‘Has your Mum been in contact yet?’
Freya shook her head.
‘Look, this is only the second day she’s been gone. She’s probably just away for the weekend to have a break from packing for the house move.’
‘But what if it’s more than that? What if she found out about Wendy?’
Jolene rolled her eyes. ‘You don’t even know if your dad and this Wendy had an affair.’
‘Or if the girl I used to meet over the park, Wendy’s daughter, is my half-sister.’
‘Exactly.’ Jolene studied her intently. ‘There is one way to find out if you’ve got a half-sister out there, apart from having an awkward conversation with your dad.’
‘I know. Find Wendy and ask her.’
‘Well, that’s a possibility. But even if you do find her at this guest house, do you think she’s just going to come out with it and tell you the truth?’
Freya hadn’t thought of that.
Jolene smiled. ‘I’ve got an idea. There’s something I think you should do before you go …’
Chapter 31
‘I had a wonderful time,’ said Alice.
Emily pulled the car up outside the guest house. She unclipped her seatbelt and turned to Alice. ‘Me too.’ But she wasn’t thinking about The Two Magpies Bakery, where they’d just had lunch together, or the stroll up and down the high street, nipping in and out of some of the little boutique shops where she’d bought a sketchbook and a lovely set of pencils. Or the visit to the pet shop to buy a dog treat for Hester and a toy for Marley, who sounded from what Alice had said like he was feeling much better. Emily had laughed when Alice had told her about Marley’s antics with her pen, when he’d stolen it and disappeared under the bed.
Instead, Emily was still thinking about the decision to return to Cobblers Yard afterwards to have another look at the shop that was up for sale. The thought had her on cloud nine.
‘Are you thinking about the shop in Cobblers Yard?’ asked Alice, reading her mind.
‘Yes. It never crossed my mind to open my own practice. I love Cobblers Yard. I know the two old ladies, Mabel and Marjorie, sisters who volunteer in the charity shop, and the lady who took over The Potting Shed. Then there’s Reggie, who I don’t think will ever retire. He’s run the little music shop for years and years. It’s where I bought my first recorder, and my parents bought me an electric guitar for my twelfth birthday. I went through a phase when I decided I wanted to be a rock star when I grew up.’
Alice nodded. How many children went through similar phases? Probably a lot. Not Freya, though. All she’d ever wanted to be was an archaeologist and join digs in Egypt. ‘Cobblers Yard would be a lovely little place to work,’ she said.
Emily’s smile faded.
Alice noticed. ‘So, what’s the problem?’
Emily sighed. ‘I don’t think I’m experienced enough to run my own practice.’
‘Pah! You’ve got your qualification. I’m sure there will be people who can give you advice. I imagine an established vet’s practice would be more than happy to talk to you about their experiences of starting their own practice. Or perhaps someone from your university might point you towards a short business course you could do to learn the ropes.’ Alice glanced out of the window at the guest house. ‘Perhaps your parents could advise you on some of the nuances of running your own business.’
Emily nodded. ‘Maybe. But then there’s the issue of money. Where does it come from?’ She frowned. ‘I haven’t got the means to buy the shop.’
‘Are you still going to speak to Joss, and apologise about last night?’
