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‘Of course. Of course. Would you like to take a walk together in the sunshine after breakfast?’
‘Yes, as long as you don’t mind that I’ll have to bring my dog.’
‘You brought your dog?’
Alice nodded, deciding not to mention her other pets.
‘We could go down to the cove and walk along the beach,’ Alice suggested. ‘It’s going to be chilly, though.’
‘I don’t mind.’
‘Me neither.’
‘Can I take these plates?’ Emily asked as she approached their table.
‘Yes, thank you,’ said Omar handing her a plate.
‘Afterwards we could go into Aldeburgh for lunch,’ suggested Alice. ‘We’ll have to take a taxi.’
‘That’s not a problem,’ said Emily overhearing their plans. ‘I could arrange one.’
‘Thank you, Emily.’ She smiled at her before turning to Omar, and adding, ‘I know a lovely little café called The Two Magpies Bakery.’
Emily paused with the plates balanced in her hands and asked, ‘Would you like to sit together for dinner this evening? I could lay the table for two?’
Alice looked at Omar. ‘It seems silly to sit apart.’
‘I agree.’
‘Yes, please,’ Alice said.
She didn’t notice Clarissa looking their way and exchanging a smile with Emily as she carried the plates out of the room.
Chapter 39
‘So, have you heard from your mum?’ Jolene asked.
Freya turned around and frowned at Jolene for bringing that up. ‘No.’
Jolene had followed her into the ladies’ toilets and was standing there, arms folded across her chest, watching Freya wash her hands.
Freya gave her a sideways glance. ‘Did you follow me into the loo?’
Jolene stepped to one side so Freya could dry her hands. ‘Well, this is the only time I get to talk to my best friend.’
‘I don’t know what you’re on about.’
‘You’re always with Tarek.’
Freya threw a paper towel in the bin and turned to face her, her expression one of exasperation. ‘Well, of course I’m always with him. We work together.’
‘That’s not what I mean.’
‘Then what do you mean?’
‘Have you heard from your mum? Because it’s been like over a week, y’know.’
Freya looked at her, surprised she had randomly changed the subject. ‘Yes, I do know, thank you very much for reminding me. No, I haven’t heard from her.’ Although she had brought up her concerns with her dad as the days had passed by with no sign of her mum, he didn’t seem unduly worried. In fact he had insisted there was nothing to worry about; he’d said that Alice had just needed to get away for a few days and have some time to herself. Freya knew it wasn’t Jolene’s fault her mum had gone AWOL, but despite her dad’s reassurances, she still felt guilty over the fact that the days had passed in a blur and she hadn’t bothered to try and contact her – not that she could, given that her mum had left her mobile phone at home. It occurred to her that she might have done that on purpose.
