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‘I know she’s been a bit worried about you, Edie. Is everything okay?’
Hot tears sprung up in her eyes and she shook her head. She was not going to cry. ‘I’m afraid not,’ she said. ‘I’ve had some bad news.’
‘Oh, Edie. What’s the matter?’
‘It’s my sister. You know the one I told you about?’
Fergus nodded.
‘She’s dying.’
‘I’m sorry.’ He clasped his hand across hers.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Later that morning, there was a tap on the cabin door. Amelia opened the door and smiled at both Edie and the pink sweatshirt she wore with the words ‘Happy Thoughts’written across the front. ‘Come in. How are you, Edie?’
‘I’m fine, thanks, although a bit mortified. I think I owe you an apology, my dear.’
‘No, you don’t, Edie. Not at all. Are you okay though? That’s the main thing.’
Edie nodded. ‘Yes, I am. I’m so sorry, I don’t know what got into me.’
‘Do you normally sleepwalk?’ asked Amelia.
Edie took a long, deep breath. ‘Not for a very long time.’ Her eyes clouded over. She was silent for a minute.
‘Is there anything on your mind, Edie? You look worried.’
Edie frowned. ‘Well . . . no . . .’ She looked to be on the verge of saying something but shook her head. ‘Which reminds me, I wondered how you feel about helping out with the Christmas fair?’
Amelia laughed. ‘Of course, but you need to tell me more about it.’
‘Every year we have theChristmas lights switch-onfollowed by our Christmas fair. There are stalls, a bar and food, and everything you can think of. And the ceilidh on Christmas Eve . . .’
‘Sounds wonderful,’ said Amelia.
Edie smiled. ‘It is quite magical.’
‘The only thing is . . .’ Amelia wondered how to articulate herself. ‘Will it be okay for me to still be here at Christmas?’
Edie clapped her hands together in delight. ‘Of course.’
‘It’s just . . . Well, we’ve never talked about how long you want me to stay.’
‘As long as it takes,’ began Edie. ‘There’s no rush or deadline on my part.’
Amelia felt her shoulders drop in relief. She had been dreading the whole Christmas question and what she should do. She didn’t fancy spending any more nights on Suna’s floor, and although Jack and Ray would have welcomed her to their home in a heartbeat, she couldn’t afford a flight to Boston at such a peak time of the year.
‘Amelia,’ said Edie, softly. ‘You can stay here for as long as you want to or need to.’
Amelia nodded gratefully. ‘Thank you. It’s tricky . . . I don’t have anywhere to go back to.’ She automatically moved her fingers over to touch her wedding band, forgetting she’d removed it the day after she arrived. ‘The thing is . . . my husband left me.’ She sighed. ‘Then I lost my job . . .’ She had finally admitted it to someone other than Suna or Jack.
‘Oh, Amelia, I am so sorry to hear that. You poor love.’ Edie reached over and pulled her into a hug. She stroked her hair gently. ‘What an awful ordeal to go through.’
Amelia wiped a tear away and shrugged. ‘It wasn’t exactly what I had planned for my first year of married life. I thought we would be decorating our tree and looking forward to Christmas together . . .’
‘Life can be so cruel at times, dear. I am glad you are here though.’
