surface, catching the light as it went. Stalks of grasses waved slightly, barely moving. Here it was again, all around her - that sense of utter peace. Flopping over onto her back again, she dozed.
The sun was low when she awoke. She took a last look around as she got up. How beautiful this place was. All the handiwork of nature, but the grasses framing the lake just so , with clusters of wildflowers where the sun reached and wild garlic filling the shade. There’d be water lilies in the summer – Lizzie could see the first curled up leaves poking through the surface of the lake. It was as much a work of art as an Old Master. And suddenly, out of nowhere, an idea took root. Her pulse quickened. Was she mad to even think about it? But as she looked around and thought some more, a smile stretched across her face. She couldn’t wait to talk it through with Katie.
Fortunately the rush hour brigade had dispersed before the familiar shape of the little MG drew up outside the Star, and Lizzie ran outside to meet her.
‘Lizzie! You look - so different!’ Katie studied her friend, lightly tanned and so much more relaxed in such a short space of time. ‘Oh, it’s so brilliant to see you!’ She hugged her, smelling familiarly of her trademark CKOne, before stepping back and looking at her quizzically.
Lizzie glanced down at the scruffy old jeans which she’d barely noticed. And what was wrong with an old T-shirt when all she was doing was walking and lying in the sun and daydreaming… Katie by contrast, was dressed in slick, elegant black as she always was. Every bit the city girl, Katie, not one shiny brown hair out of place.
Linking her arm through Katie’s, she didn’t even notice how odd it sounded when she said ‘Perhaps we could walk up to Dave’s to get my clothes...’
Then she showed Katie to their room.
‘Now don’t expect too much,’ Lizzie warned, fiddling with the clunky lock. ‘Are you ready? And here we are! Welcome to Littleton’s finest!’
‘Erm, lovely,’ said Katie, taking in the tired wallpaper and the curtains that didn’t quite meet in the middle. She slung her bag on the floor. ‘Not exactly the Ritz but hey! Now what does a girl have to do to get a drink round here? I mean we are in a pub aren’t we! Shall we order something on room service?’
Lizzie nearly choked. ‘Er, round here? I’ll nip downstairs and get a bottle. Red ok? It’s slightly less horrible than the white.’
She disappeared and was back in no time with a bottle and two glasses. As she poured it, Katie took one and held it towards Lizzie.
‘ Here’s to your new life…long may it last!’
‘T hat, my friend, is up to Mick!’ Lizzie clinked her glass against Katie’s.
‘Now, spill! I can’t believe it but you still haven’t really told me anything …’
‘I’m not sure where to start… I suppose …’ Lizzie thought back. ‘It was that last day at work. Tuesday wasn’t it?’ It seemed a lifetime ago. ‘Anyway, it was just another boring, tedious day, and suddenly I realised I wasn’t excited about anything. Not about marrying Jamie, or the wedding - any of it. It had all become a chore. Isn’t that terrible? Then I had this meeting to go to, and even now, I can’t remember what it was about. It was like I lost two hours of my life that morning, and when it was over, I had a panic attack. At least I thought it was at the time, and I ended up leaving early… Actually the whole day was weird.’ Only as Lizzie recalled it did she realise it was true. ‘I’m beginning to realise Katie, I’ve been missing something for ages. Probably since before Mum was ill. I’m still not sure exactly what… Anyway, it all ended up with me finding this.’
She rummaged around for letter and passed it to Katie.
‘I do understand why you did it,’ said Katie slowly, after reading it. ‘Oh
The sun was low when she awoke. She took a last look around as she got up. How beautiful this place was. All the handiwork of nature, but the grasses framing the lake just so , with clusters of wildflowers where the sun reached and wild garlic filling the shade. There’d be water lilies in the summer – Lizzie could see the first curled up leaves poking through the surface of the lake. It was as much a work of art as an Old Master. And suddenly, out of nowhere, an idea took root. Her pulse quickened. Was she mad to even think about it? But as she looked around and thought some more, a smile stretched across her face. She couldn’t wait to talk it through with Katie.
Fortunately the rush hour brigade had dispersed before the familiar shape of the little MG drew up outside the Star, and Lizzie ran outside to meet her.
‘Lizzie! You look - so different!’ Katie studied her friend, lightly tanned and so much more relaxed in such a short space of time. ‘Oh, it’s so brilliant to see you!’ She hugged her, smelling familiarly of her trademark CKOne, before stepping back and looking at her quizzically.
Lizzie glanced down at the scruffy old jeans which she’d barely noticed. And what was wrong with an old T-shirt when all she was doing was walking and lying in the sun and daydreaming… Katie by contrast, was dressed in slick, elegant black as she always was. Every bit the city girl, Katie, not one shiny brown hair out of place.
Linking her arm through Katie’s, she didn’t even notice how odd it sounded when she said ‘Perhaps we could walk up to Dave’s to get my clothes...’
Then she showed Katie to their room.
‘Now don’t expect too much,’ Lizzie warned, fiddling with the clunky lock. ‘Are you ready? And here we are! Welcome to Littleton’s finest!’
‘Erm, lovely,’ said Katie, taking in the tired wallpaper and the curtains that didn’t quite meet in the middle. She slung her bag on the floor. ‘Not exactly the Ritz but hey! Now what does a girl have to do to get a drink round here? I mean we are in a pub aren’t we! Shall we order something on room service?’
Lizzie nearly choked. ‘Er, round here? I’ll nip downstairs and get a bottle. Red ok? It’s slightly less horrible than the white.’
She disappeared and was back in no time with a bottle and two glasses. As she poured it, Katie took one and held it towards Lizzie.
‘ Here’s to your new life…long may it last!’
‘T hat, my friend, is up to Mick!’ Lizzie clinked her glass against Katie’s.
‘Now, spill! I can’t believe it but you still haven’t really told me anything …’
‘I’m not sure where to start… I suppose …’ Lizzie thought back. ‘It was that last day at work. Tuesday wasn’t it?’ It seemed a lifetime ago. ‘Anyway, it was just another boring, tedious day, and suddenly I realised I wasn’t excited about anything. Not about marrying Jamie, or the wedding - any of it. It had all become a chore. Isn’t that terrible? Then I had this meeting to go to, and even now, I can’t remember what it was about. It was like I lost two hours of my life that morning, and when it was over, I had a panic attack. At least I thought it was at the time, and I ended up leaving early… Actually the whole day was weird.’ Only as Lizzie recalled it did she realise it was true. ‘I’m beginning to realise Katie, I’ve been missing something for ages. Probably since before Mum was ill. I’m still not sure exactly what… Anyway, it all ended up with me finding this.’
She rummaged around for letter and passed it to Katie.
‘I do understand why you did it,’ said Katie slowly, after reading it. ‘Oh
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