Page 35

A warmth stirred low in her stomach as she thought about Frances, drawing a curve at the corner of her mouth. She enjoyed the feeling, even if Frances was infuriating, even if it wouldn’t lead anywhere.

If she were a lesbian — which was still only gossip — it didn’t make her any less unreachable. She was far older than Lucie. In her late forties, maybe early fifties. What interest would she have in a thirty-five-year-old temp dressed as an elf?

Still, she held on to the idea that she had something in common with Frances. They needed it, given how differently they approached caring for someone with memory difficulties. Watching someone slip away never got easier. All you could do was try your best to deal with it. There was no right or wrong way, except when the patient wasn’t having their needs met, which appeared to be the case for Rose. Lucie just wasn’t convinced Frances was handling it as well as she thought she was.

Crossing the village green to the Royal Oak, she pushed the door open as the bell rang for last orders. Mandy immediately grabbed a glass and popped it on the bar, half filling it with a bottle of white wine from the fridge. Lucie spotted her dad chatting to a punter by the open fire, and she gave him a wave. He returned it with a nod.

“You look like you could do with this.”

“Thanks, Mands.” Lucie dropped her rucksack to the floor and took a long gulp, hoping the wine would take the edge off.

“What’s up?”

“Just playground behaviour at work.” Lucie was reluctant to say any more, fearing a lecture from Mandy about getting involved.

“You haven’t been poking around in things you shouldn’t be again, have you?”

How Mandy always knew everything yet had missed Lucie’s dad’s interest in her for the best part of a decade was beyond her.

With a sigh, Lucie hopped onto a barstool as an elderly man vacated it.

“I couldn’t help it,” Lucie said. “Rose came out of her house yesterday when I happened to be passing, followed by a ton of smoke.”

Mandy’s eyebrows shot up. “Seriously? Was she okay?”

“Yes. She incinerated a slice of toast and set off the smoke alarms. I took the blame for it when we were set upon by an overzealous security guard. Not that I got much gratitude for it from Frances,” Lucie grumbled.

Confusion crossed Mandy’s face for a moment. “Oh, the daughter. Why did you take the blame?”

“Frances is trying to keep her mum’s condition quiet.”

Before she could stop it, the thought of her boss stretched Lucie’s lips.

“What’s this grin for, Lucie Brown?” Mandy snarked, pointing at her face.

“What grin?” Shit, Mandy was right. She took a sip of wine, hoping to wipe the expression away. “I had to lie to my supervisor again today,” she added quickly, hoping to divert Mandy’s attention away from any remaining tightness in her lips.

“Sounds complicated. I did tell you to keep — ”

“My nose out of other people’s business,” Lucie finished. “Yes, I know. But sometimes that’s easier said than done.”

“Particularly when you’re determined to stick it in,” Mandy teased, lifting her brows. “I’m still wondering why you can’t leave this Frances and her mum alone. And this ridiculous grin! Does that have something to do with them... or one of them?”

Lucie groaned internally. Trust Mandy not to let up about that.

“It’s nothing.”

Mandy narrowed her eyes, and Lucie relented.

“I just feel sorry for Frances. I’ve been in her shoes. I know what she’s going through — and what’s coming.”

Mandy reached forward and patted her arm. “Sue was in here again last night. She was telling me a bit more about Frances. How she’s unmarried and a lesbian.”

Lucie shrugged, aiming for a casual tone. “Oh, yes. Someone mentioned that.”

Mandy let out a loud chuckle. “Oh, Lucie. I’ve known you since you were nine. Don’t think you can hide anything from me.”

“Shh,” Lucie hissed, glancing around the room at all the faces now turned their way, including her dad’s.