Wish by Kelly Hunter Page A

very fine pieces to work with. The mirror hanging over the fireplace is quite valuable. I do hope you plan to move it once winter arrives and the fireplace is in use.’
    ‘I’ll keep it in mind,’ said Billie, pretty sure that the mirror in question hadn’t moved in years.
    Celia turned to Roly next and her face softened as if by magic. Her gaze warmed and her smile grew positively coquettish. ‘You know you’re more than welcome to consult me if you ever need advice in that direction.’
    ‘Ah.’ Roly looked distinctly uncomfortable, caught as he was between her own dark glare and Celia’s saccharine smile. ‘Thank you, Celia, but I don’t usually bother with that sort of thing. Maybe you and Billie could—
    Billie arched an eyebrow, Celia’s smile thinned.
    ‘No, never mind. Right. Things to do,’ he said hastily. ‘If you’ll excuse me.’
    ‘Coward,’ muttered Maude at Roly’s retreating back, and then to Celia. ‘What do you want this time, Celia?’ Maude’s sarcasm was thinly veiled and Celia had the grace to blush, however briefly. Maude had Celia Copeton’s measure, decided Billie. And Maude was going nowhere.
    ‘Well, I heard about the vandalism, of course, and as president of the CWA I wanted to drop by and see if there was anything the association could do. A cake stall, perhaps, or a raffle.’ She looked to Billie. ‘I understand that the damaged instruments belonged to you?’
    ‘Yes,’ said Billie quietly. ‘And some of the children.’
    ‘Perhaps the CWA might be able to help with the repairs,’ said Celia with unexpected delicacy.
    ‘They’re beyond repair.’ Lord she was tired. ‘But thank you anyway. It’s very kind of the CWA to offer. Maybe they’d be interested in raising money towards a new violin for Anna Sutter and a drum for Matty Young. I’m sure they’d appreciate the help.’ Maybe there was a heart hidden beneath the designer twin set after all. She summoned a smile. Celia smiled back.
    ‘I hear you’ve been spending time with Adam,’ Celia said smoothly. ‘And how is he?’
    Billie blushed, hot and hard. Surely Celia couldn’t know about her and Adam.
    Could she?
    ‘Hard to say,’ she said, aiming for offhand. ‘Adam keeps to himself.’
    ‘I must admit to being surprised when he let you stay on at the cottage when all you can possibly do is remind him of all that he’s lost. Adam and Caroline were so perfect together, you see. They had the kind of love that lasts a lifetime. And then to have her so cruelly taken from him, and Jeremy too. I don’t think a man ever gets over something like that, do you?’
    Another direct hit.
    ‘You know what I mean, Maude,’ said Celia. ‘You’ve pined for your Douglas your whole life.’
    ‘I’m not dead yet, Celia. And I stopped pining for Douglas forty years ago. I just never met a man to match him for sheer kindness, that’s all, and I refuse to settle for less.’
    ‘But surely that’s the same as pining?’
    ‘No,’ said Maude. ‘It’s different. Loneliness, on the other hand, can be a problem. But I don’t have to tell you that.’
    The look Celia sent Maude was truly venomous, more than enough to pull Billie from her own misery. No bloodshed Roly had told her once before and Billie had figured it for an exaggeration. Maybe it wasn’t. ‘I’ll let you know if I think of anything else the CWA can do to help,’ she said, hurriedly herding Celia to the door. ‘Thanks for dropping by.’ She saw Celia to the front bar and into Roly’s keeping and ignoring his imploring gaze, she fled.
    ‘Sorry about that,’ said Maude, when Billie returned. Maude was pounding pastry, pounding hard, her pastry definitely wasn’t going to be light and airy today. ‘Celia always did know exactly how to rub me the wrong way. Hard to believe we were the best of friends when we were girls.’
    ‘You were?’ Billie blinked. ‘What happened?’
    ‘People change, grow bitter.’
    ‘That last dig about