the next few months.’
‘Ouch. Just what you’re not in the mood for.’
‘Not exactly.’ She ran a hand through her hair, pushing it away from those sparkling eyes. ‘Today was the only one that was Edward’s family. But there’s three more before Cora’s. The next one’s my cousin, Beatrice. Then there’s Tessa and Jack – they’re friends from the Mill. Edward would have hated that one anyway, so he’ll probably be happy to miss it. Then another friend from school. Guess I’ll just go it alone.’
He shouldn’t offer, Alex knew. They’d barely seen each other in ten years, and she’d just broken off her engagement to another man. And yet, he found himself saying, ‘I’ll go with you instead, if you like?’
His reward was the first real smile he’d seen from Lily all day. ‘Really? That would be fun.’
‘Fun,’ Alex echoed. ‘Yes, it will. But there’s a condition.’
‘Oh?’
‘I’ve got a wedding of my own to attend in a couple of weeks. Be more fun with a friend.’
Because maybe he wasn’t going to marry Lily Thomas. But he could be a friend to her, right now, when she needed it.
Lily smiled. ‘You’re on.’
* * * *
The fact that her mother stood waiting by the open front door of her house before Lily even turned into the driveway was, she thought, a pretty bad sign. The suitcase on the step in front of her was even worse. Especially since it was Lily’s, and had last been seen gathering dust under the spare bed in the cottage she had, until that morning, shared with Edward.
‘Edward dropped this off half an hour ago,’ Evelyn said as Lily approached. ‘Said it should do you until you came to your senses. What in heaven’s name is going on?’
Unable to think of a good way to break the news, despite spending the entire walk from the pub attempting it, Lily decided that fast and clean was the only way to go. ‘Mum, I’ve left Edward. We’re not getting married – in fact, I don’t think I ever want to get married. And can I move back in with you?’
Possibly she shouldn’t have had the second brandy with Alex before coming to break the news to her mother.
Despite the fact that she had to have at least guessed what had happened, Evelyn still affected a faint against the doorframe. Lily hefted the suitcase up and rolled her eyes. ‘Come on, Mum. You always said he was too good for me. This can’t be that much of a surprise.’
‘I never once said that!’ Evelyn’s eyes had widened in shock, and Lily found herself taking a step back down onto the driveway at the vehemence in her mother’s voice. ‘You’re my daughter. Nobody is too good for you. Now get inside this house before the neighbours start talking.’
Blinking in surprise, Lily did as she was told.
She was upstairs, trying to find space in the already overstuffed closets for the few items of clothing Edward had decided she would need, when the doorbell rang. Lily tensed, hands clenched in the fabric of a top she’d never really liked, waiting to hear a voice to go with the bell. Would it be Edward, come to try and talk some sense into her? Or would it be one of Mum’s friends, come to sympathise – and get all the gossip?
Neither, as it turned out.
‘Ready?’ Max’s familiar voice was utterly incongruous, his too-large, overly enthusiastic presence an aberration in Evelyn’s perfectly neat and tidy, cool, calm house.
Lily dashed for the stairs. ‘Ready for what?’ Leaning over the bannister, she had the perfect position to see her mother jump at her words.
Evelyn turned slowly, a social smile rigid on her lips. She’d never really liked Max, and they’d clashed words at a few of the local events they’d both attended. Evelyn thought Max was too brash, too bold for Felinfach. Of course, that was exactly what Lily had always liked best about him. Max had always complained that her mother tried to interfere too much. Still, they seemed to have come to a sort of truce over recent
‘Ouch. Just what you’re not in the mood for.’
‘Not exactly.’ She ran a hand through her hair, pushing it away from those sparkling eyes. ‘Today was the only one that was Edward’s family. But there’s three more before Cora’s. The next one’s my cousin, Beatrice. Then there’s Tessa and Jack – they’re friends from the Mill. Edward would have hated that one anyway, so he’ll probably be happy to miss it. Then another friend from school. Guess I’ll just go it alone.’
He shouldn’t offer, Alex knew. They’d barely seen each other in ten years, and she’d just broken off her engagement to another man. And yet, he found himself saying, ‘I’ll go with you instead, if you like?’
His reward was the first real smile he’d seen from Lily all day. ‘Really? That would be fun.’
‘Fun,’ Alex echoed. ‘Yes, it will. But there’s a condition.’
‘Oh?’
‘I’ve got a wedding of my own to attend in a couple of weeks. Be more fun with a friend.’
Because maybe he wasn’t going to marry Lily Thomas. But he could be a friend to her, right now, when she needed it.
Lily smiled. ‘You’re on.’
* * * *
The fact that her mother stood waiting by the open front door of her house before Lily even turned into the driveway was, she thought, a pretty bad sign. The suitcase on the step in front of her was even worse. Especially since it was Lily’s, and had last been seen gathering dust under the spare bed in the cottage she had, until that morning, shared with Edward.
‘Edward dropped this off half an hour ago,’ Evelyn said as Lily approached. ‘Said it should do you until you came to your senses. What in heaven’s name is going on?’
Unable to think of a good way to break the news, despite spending the entire walk from the pub attempting it, Lily decided that fast and clean was the only way to go. ‘Mum, I’ve left Edward. We’re not getting married – in fact, I don’t think I ever want to get married. And can I move back in with you?’
Possibly she shouldn’t have had the second brandy with Alex before coming to break the news to her mother.
Despite the fact that she had to have at least guessed what had happened, Evelyn still affected a faint against the doorframe. Lily hefted the suitcase up and rolled her eyes. ‘Come on, Mum. You always said he was too good for me. This can’t be that much of a surprise.’
‘I never once said that!’ Evelyn’s eyes had widened in shock, and Lily found herself taking a step back down onto the driveway at the vehemence in her mother’s voice. ‘You’re my daughter. Nobody is too good for you. Now get inside this house before the neighbours start talking.’
Blinking in surprise, Lily did as she was told.
She was upstairs, trying to find space in the already overstuffed closets for the few items of clothing Edward had decided she would need, when the doorbell rang. Lily tensed, hands clenched in the fabric of a top she’d never really liked, waiting to hear a voice to go with the bell. Would it be Edward, come to try and talk some sense into her? Or would it be one of Mum’s friends, come to sympathise – and get all the gossip?
Neither, as it turned out.
‘Ready?’ Max’s familiar voice was utterly incongruous, his too-large, overly enthusiastic presence an aberration in Evelyn’s perfectly neat and tidy, cool, calm house.
Lily dashed for the stairs. ‘Ready for what?’ Leaning over the bannister, she had the perfect position to see her mother jump at her words.
Evelyn turned slowly, a social smile rigid on her lips. She’d never really liked Max, and they’d clashed words at a few of the local events they’d both attended. Evelyn thought Max was too brash, too bold for Felinfach. Of course, that was exactly what Lily had always liked best about him. Max had always complained that her mother tried to interfere too much. Still, they seemed to have come to a sort of truce over recent
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