that,’ I say, coming to his defence. ‘And
I know that I could help him out of this hole. I don’t want to see Chocolate Heaven go to the wall for the lack of a little
TLC.’
‘Don’t do anything hasty,’ Nadia warns.
They all laugh at that. As well they might. My entire life is
spent doing hasty things.
‘Talk it over with Crush again,’ she continues when the
laughter subsides. ‘See what he thinks.’
He’ll say no. Of course he will. If it was up to Crush there
would be a restraining order on Marcus that prevented him
from coming within five hundred miles of me. He has, indeed,
been the cause of much trouble in our relationship. But I can’t
help thinking . . .
Chantal stands up to check on Lana, who is snoozing peacefully in her buggy next to us, unaware of the drama in our lives
and the fact that we are having to deal with it in unsuitable
premises with substandard beverages and a life-threatening
dearth of chocolate. Chantal tucks the blanket round Lana’s
neck, adjusting her pillow.
‘What else has been going on?’ she asks when she sits down
again. ‘I feel as if I’m out of the loop now that we don’t meet
as often.’
‘I’ve got another meeting fixed up with Willow,’ Autumn tells
us. ‘I just hope she turns up this time.’
‘We’ll keep everything crossed for you,’ I chip in. ‘Do you
need any moral support?’
‘I think I’ll be OK. I’m a bit nervous, but I think I should
do this alone. I’m sure it will be quite emotional and I want
to make it as easy for her as possible. She’s coming into town
with Mary and I was planning to take her to Chocolate Heaven.
I thought she’d love it there, but after what Lucy has said,
maybe I’ll try somewhere else.’
Damn this. It’s ruining all our plans and socialising. How
can Autumn meet her long-lost daughter in an inadequate establishment? Marcus has to do something urgently! It’s all I
can do to stop myself picking up my mobile and telling him yes. ‘I’ve got a dilemma too,’ Nadia says thoughtfully. ‘I need
your advice.’ She pushes aside her slightly stale croissant. ‘I was
talking to James last night and he wants me to go up to Keswick
to spend Easter with him.’
‘I’m not seeing a problem,’ I tell her.
‘Neither should I,’ she confesses. ‘But I’m scared to take it
to the next level.’ She lets out a sigh. ‘I sort of like it as it is.
We have cosy chats every night and we get on really well.’ ‘What are you frightened of?’ Chantal says. ‘That if you go
up there you might not like him as much as you think, or that
you might like him too much?’
Nadia puts her face in her hands. ‘Both!’
‘Then you do have a problem,’ I agree, with a gentle smile. ‘If I don’t like him, then that ends our cosy chats and I go
back to lonely evenings.’ She shrugs. ‘If I do like him, then
where does that leave us? I don’t know exactly how far it is
from London to the Lake District, but I know it’s a bloody long
way. It must be at least three hundred miles. James can’t leave
his farm, so it would be down to me to go up there for holidays
and weekends. What kind of a relationship could we have long
term?’
‘Love will find a way,’ I say.
‘Oh, Lucy. You’re such an optimistic romantic,’ Nadia says.
‘I have to be practical for Lewis’s sake. I can’t drag my son up
and down the country just because I fancy a hottie gentleman
farmer.’
‘But you do fancy him?’ I wiggle my eyebrows suggestively. ‘Yes,’ Nadia laughs. ‘Like mad! But is that enough? Why
couldn’t I have met someone who lives in the same postcode as
me?’
‘You said you were thinking of moving,’ I remind her. ‘Yes, but not to the Lake District. I’m a townie. I always have
been. Plus my family are here.’
I don’t point out to Nadia that she’s still currently estranged
from her parents. They cut her out of their lives when she
married Toby against their wishes and haven’t relented since
he died. Seems
I know that I could help him out of this hole. I don’t want to see Chocolate Heaven go to the wall for the lack of a little
TLC.’
‘Don’t do anything hasty,’ Nadia warns.
They all laugh at that. As well they might. My entire life is
spent doing hasty things.
‘Talk it over with Crush again,’ she continues when the
laughter subsides. ‘See what he thinks.’
He’ll say no. Of course he will. If it was up to Crush there
would be a restraining order on Marcus that prevented him
from coming within five hundred miles of me. He has, indeed,
been the cause of much trouble in our relationship. But I can’t
help thinking . . .
Chantal stands up to check on Lana, who is snoozing peacefully in her buggy next to us, unaware of the drama in our lives
and the fact that we are having to deal with it in unsuitable
premises with substandard beverages and a life-threatening
dearth of chocolate. Chantal tucks the blanket round Lana’s
neck, adjusting her pillow.
‘What else has been going on?’ she asks when she sits down
again. ‘I feel as if I’m out of the loop now that we don’t meet
as often.’
‘I’ve got another meeting fixed up with Willow,’ Autumn tells
us. ‘I just hope she turns up this time.’
‘We’ll keep everything crossed for you,’ I chip in. ‘Do you
need any moral support?’
‘I think I’ll be OK. I’m a bit nervous, but I think I should
do this alone. I’m sure it will be quite emotional and I want
to make it as easy for her as possible. She’s coming into town
with Mary and I was planning to take her to Chocolate Heaven.
I thought she’d love it there, but after what Lucy has said,
maybe I’ll try somewhere else.’
Damn this. It’s ruining all our plans and socialising. How
can Autumn meet her long-lost daughter in an inadequate establishment? Marcus has to do something urgently! It’s all I
can do to stop myself picking up my mobile and telling him yes. ‘I’ve got a dilemma too,’ Nadia says thoughtfully. ‘I need
your advice.’ She pushes aside her slightly stale croissant. ‘I was
talking to James last night and he wants me to go up to Keswick
to spend Easter with him.’
‘I’m not seeing a problem,’ I tell her.
‘Neither should I,’ she confesses. ‘But I’m scared to take it
to the next level.’ She lets out a sigh. ‘I sort of like it as it is.
We have cosy chats every night and we get on really well.’ ‘What are you frightened of?’ Chantal says. ‘That if you go
up there you might not like him as much as you think, or that
you might like him too much?’
Nadia puts her face in her hands. ‘Both!’
‘Then you do have a problem,’ I agree, with a gentle smile. ‘If I don’t like him, then that ends our cosy chats and I go
back to lonely evenings.’ She shrugs. ‘If I do like him, then
where does that leave us? I don’t know exactly how far it is
from London to the Lake District, but I know it’s a bloody long
way. It must be at least three hundred miles. James can’t leave
his farm, so it would be down to me to go up there for holidays
and weekends. What kind of a relationship could we have long
term?’
‘Love will find a way,’ I say.
‘Oh, Lucy. You’re such an optimistic romantic,’ Nadia says.
‘I have to be practical for Lewis’s sake. I can’t drag my son up
and down the country just because I fancy a hottie gentleman
farmer.’
‘But you do fancy him?’ I wiggle my eyebrows suggestively. ‘Yes,’ Nadia laughs. ‘Like mad! But is that enough? Why
couldn’t I have met someone who lives in the same postcode as
me?’
‘You said you were thinking of moving,’ I remind her. ‘Yes, but not to the Lake District. I’m a townie. I always have
been. Plus my family are here.’
I don’t point out to Nadia that she’s still currently estranged
from her parents. They cut her out of their lives when she
married Toby against their wishes and haven’t relented since
he died. Seems
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