Page 40 of The Summer That Changed Us

Filled with purpose, she closed the windows in the studio, locked the cottage and set off for Auntie Small’s.

Chapter Fourteen

Grace tied her dressing gown belt, dragged herself through to the kitchen in her slippers and flicked the kettle on. Her vision hadn’t quite focused yet, which was good because she had a suspicion that the pristine glossy kitchen would look as if a bear had broken in and attempted to make itself a three-course dinner. Her head was banging, her tongue was furry, and her stomach was making noises like a blocked drain.

The LED clock on the cooker came into view and its red display burned into her eyes. She pressed a hand to her face to block the harsh light.

‘No way,’ she groaned. ‘I can’t have slept until noon. What have I turned into? Don’t answer that, Grace.’

She had always been an early bird, instantly wide awake when the alarm went off, up with the larks and just as tuneful, humming to herself as she bustled around their house, throwing herself into the new day with gusto. Myles used to stay in bed a bit longer, coming to slowly with a double espresso in one hand, his phone in the other while scrolling through the news. What would he think of her now? She choked back a sob, tried to stop her hands from shaking as she made her tea and gradually cast her eyes around the open-plan space.

Two empty wine bottles sat on the work surface. Two! A red and a white. When Ned had told her to help herself to his wine cellar, she was sure he hadn’t meant her to drink it dry. She dreaded to think how much she’d polished off in the last few days. She’d been managing her grief quite well recently. Myles was always there in her thoughts, but the pain had become less raw. But thanks to that phone call from Julia, it had all come flooding back.

This drinking was going to have to stop. Right now. She picked up the bottles and took them outside to the glass recycling box; only one fitted in, so she left the other next to it and wedged the lid back on. Then she stood and gulped in the fresh sea air and looked across the bay. The breeze danced in her hair, but she wasn’t cold; the sun was overhead, and it was one of those April days that made you think that summer was just around the corner.

She turned and went back inside to drink her tea and make a plan for the day. No more prevaricating and pickling her liver. She didn’t believe Julia for one minute; it didn’t take a genius to work out that she was making it all up. Of course Myles hadn’t had an affair. For starters, they’d scarcely spent a night apart in the whole time they’d been together. And he was an open book. She’d have noticed if he’d started behaving oddly or changing his routine. Not to mention the fact that she was very sure of his love for her; he’d never given her a moment’s pause to doubt that.

It was obvious what Julia’s game was. She’d do anything to get more of Myles’s money for Austin and Olivia. Grace wouldn’t be surprised if she’d got them to agree to a cut for her if she succeeded. And if Julia sullied Myles’s reputation and broke Grace’s heart during the process, she wouldn’t care a jot. She was in mourning for the love of her life, how dare Julia not respect that? Julia, Grace decided hotly, could go boil her own head.

Today marked a fresh start. She was going to stop moping around and maltreating herself. She grabbed a pen and paper, pulled a bar stool out from the kitchen island and began to make a list of positive things she could do right away.

The first three items were easy enough: buy fruit and vegetables, do some exercise, ring solicitor. She was more determined than ever not to give in to Austin and Olivia’s demands now, so she ought to call Roger Mathers and find out what the procedure would be for challenging a will. The thought of a court case made her feel sick. Austin and Olivia had been such sweet kids. When had they become so mercenary?

Before she could go any further with her list, there was a knock at the front door. She put down her pen and answered it.

The post lady was on her doorstep holding out a slim envelope that would definitely have fitted through the letter box. ‘Morning, lovey. Ooh, someone’s had a rough night!’

Understatement, thought Grace, tightening the belt on her dressing gown. ‘Bit of a headache, that’s all.’

‘A walk in the fresh sea air, that’s what you need. Here’s your post. I’m Alice, by the way.’

Grace introduced herself and took the envelope from Alice; it looked like something from the bank, certainly nothing interesting.

‘I think I will go for a walk,’ she said, looking over Alice’s shoulder at the clear sky. ‘I’ll go and do some shopping in town, maybe even treat myself to something from Auntie Small’s.’

Alice beamed. ‘You must! I swear by their thermals in winter. I was in there earlier. Brought young Katie a bit of good news by the look on her face. A letter from the

North East Gazette!’ She clapped her hand over her mouth. ‘Whoops. Probably shouldn’t have said anything. I’m not normally one to gossip.’

‘Of course you aren’t.’ Grace’s heart thumped. Hadn’t Katie’s blackmailer threatened to go to the paper with those pictures. Had there been a development and Katie hadn’t told them? ‘But was it definitely good news?’

‘Yes, I’m pretty sure.’ The older woman’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. ‘Why?’

‘Lovely to meet you, Alice.’ Grace stepped back, preparing to close the door, ‘I’d better get some clothes on. Bye!’

A flush of shame crept over her face as she got into the shower. Other than set up a WhatsApp group for the three of them, Grace had done nothing to support her two new friends. Robyn obviously had something she wanted to get off her chest and hadn’t had the chance, thanks to bloody Julia. Poor Katie was in a terrible predicament and so far, all Grace had done was wallow in wine and self-pity. She’d get ready, give her solicitor a quick call and then set off.

An hour later, she looked more like the old Grace in Converse, a T-shirt and white capri trousers. Her hair shone, she’d added some colour to her cheeks and after a concerted effort with her electric toothbrush, all traces of last night’s red wine had vanished. She’d even managed to cross something off her to-do list. But as she put a line through ring solicitor she half wished she hadn’t bothered.

Roger was a darling. Sharp as a tack, eminently professional but still managed to be delightfully charming. Grace had always come away from a meeting or phone call feeling calmed because he had everything in hand. Today though, he hadn’t soothed her at all. When she’d casually mentioned Julia’s claim, he’d quizzed her for several minutes, pressing her for details which she couldn’t supply. When and where had this confession to Julia supposedly taken place? How long ago was this alleged affair? Had Grace ever had cause to suspect anything … His probing, gentle though it had been, persisted until Grace, taken aback by the direction their conversation had taken, had cut it short by pretending that there was someone at the door.

She checked her reflection in the mirror one last time and massaged away the frown lines between her eyes, replacing her haunted expression with a cheerful one. Smile, and the world smiles with you, she told herself as she locked up and left Sea Glass House. She didn’t know who said that first, but it seemed like sound advice, because maybe if she looked happy, the uneasiness Roger had stirred up would simply blow away on the North Sea breeze.

Chapter Fifteen

Robyn skirted the harbour, pausing to lean on the wall and watch a shoal of silver fish as they danced in perfect unison beneath the water, and then turned uphill onto Merle Bay high street. It had become somewhat gentrified over the last few years. Gone were the ancient shops: the old-fashioned hardware store, the fishing tackle shop, Mrs Cotton’s fabric emporium where Robyn’s mum used to buy scraps of material to make soft toys for her and the sweet shop that sold bonbons and lemon drops by the quarter in paper bags. Now there was an art gallery, bakery, bookshop and a café, along with several charity shops and of course Auntie Small’s halfway up the hill overlooking the sea.

Robyn stopped outside Katie’s shop and cast her eye over the window display. She approved; someone had a good eye for colour. She did notice that the shop’s signage could do with being renewed. The moist salty air was lovely to breathe in, but it played havoc with paintwork. She painted the window frames at Admiral Cottage most summers because it cracked and peeled so often. Through the glass she could see Katie talking to someone, and another member of staff dealing with a customer at the cash desk. She pushed open the door and went inside.