Page 104 of The Sunrise Sisterhood

‘As far as I was concerned, it was strictly business and not a date at all,’ he assured her. ‘You know the annexe?’

‘Of course,’ said Liz, beginning to realise where this was going.

When she and Jen had first met the Delmarges, Patrick had shown them the self-contained annexe beside his house. Rachel had had plans for it once, but they’d never got around to doing any of them before she died.

‘Viv believes that it could be suitable for a holiday let. We talked about it briefly that first evening, but she contacted me the next day, saying she had a proposal for me. So I agreed. I must admit, I was surprised at the sort of money we’re talking.’

‘It can be very lucrative,’ she agreed. ‘And a simple way to earn an income.’

Viv had suggested it to Liz as an option once. Apparently, if she moved out of Clemency House for the summer months and allowed Viv to let it out for the holiday trade, she could earn enough to live on for the whole year.

‘Unfortunately, I don’t think Viv and I will be doing any business.’ Patrick ran a finger around his collar. ‘Only moments into our conversation she tried to hold my hand across the table, at which point I had to put my foot down and set her straight.’

Liz had to suppress a smile at the affronted look on his face.

‘I said that I had met someone else,’ he continued.

‘Have you?’ she said, feeling her heart start to thud.

He nodded. ‘That someone is you, Liz. I was happier on that short trip in the Ecsta-Sea than I’ve been in a long time. I have no plans to see Viv again, either socially or professionally. And I apologise again for the misunderstanding. I hope we can remain friends?’

To his surprise, Liz pulled him in to a hug and kissed his cheek. ‘Of course we can.’

She let go of him and was pleased to see that the twinkle in his eyes had returned.

‘I’ve known Viv a long time and she’s a difficult woman to say no to,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions, but Viv was so sure that she was on a date with you that I was completely taken in. Let’s forget all about it.’

‘With pleasure!’ He looked genuinely relieved. ‘Does that mean you’ll join me for a trip on Ecsta-Sea sometime? I wasn’t kidding when I said I could use your expertise and it goes without saying that I’d love to have your company.’

This time, Liz didn’t hesitate to accept his invitation. ‘That would be lovely. We’ve got a big lunch event at Clemency House tomorrow, so how about the day after that. I’ll need a day off to recover by then.’

Patrick was grinning from ear to ear. ‘It’s a date.’

She kissed his cheek and said goodbye before driving the few metres to Mrs Barton’s house. This had worked itself out beautifully. Whether Viv would feel the same was a different matter entirely.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Skye

Skye took off her apron and folded it. She and Liz were finally leaving the wake. They’d spent the last five minutes packing leftover food into the fridge while Liz had repeated word for word what Patrick had told her about Viv and how they were friends again. Judging by how girlish Liz was being, Skye would bet money on them being more than friends before long.

Mrs Barton came to the door to wave them off; she looked tiny standing on her front doorstep.

‘Thank you for your hard work. You made it so much easier for me.’ She held out an envelope to Skye addressed to The Seaside Gourmet Girls. ‘Here’s the balance of your fee.’

‘It’s our pleasure, Mrs Barton,’ said Liz. ‘Thank you for using our company.’

‘Ken would have loved it.’ Mrs Barton dabbed her eyes. ‘He always liked a party.’

‘You did him proud,’ said Skye. ‘Your husband’s wake struck exactly the right note.’

‘I’ve known him all my life, you know.’ The old lady gave them a watery smile. ‘We grew up on the same street. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love him. He’s such a big part of me, I’m not sure who I am now he’s gone.’

After managing well all afternoon, Skye was now struggling to hold back tears. She’d never felt like that about anyone. What a privilege, to love and to be so loved by another person that your whole existence becomes one, that you grow into each other so completely that you feel inseparable.

‘He sounds like a very special man,’ said Liz, her eyes looking shiny too.

Mrs Barton seemed to gather herself. ‘Anyway. Are you sure you won’t take any of the leftover sherry – I bought far too much.’