Woman’s Weekly UK – 06 August 2019

womansweekly.com 53

tothecemetery,butshe
wasn’thome.Darcy
swallowedher
disappointment.How
couldMolly,of all
people,nothave come
to seethem?
A warmsalt-scented
breezebrushedherskinas
sheenteredthecemetery
gates.It wasanoasisof calm
whererabbitsandsquirrels
scamperedabout to the tune
of birdsong.
Darcykneltat her
grandmother’sgraveside,
carefullyremovingallthe
cardsfrom the wiltingflowers.
‘Theysaysomeone
smashedintotheVictoria
deliberately,’shesaid.‘Who’d
dosucha thing,Gran?’
Tearscamemoreeasily
now.Allthishadtippedher
overtheedgeandbroken
throughto thegriefshe’d
beenholdingback.She
rubbedat hereyeswith the
backof herhand.
‘Theythinkit mighthave
to bedemolished.ButI can’t
helpthinkingourbeloved
Victoriacan’tdie.Toomany
peoplerelyonherandshe’s
beenpartof thistownforso
long.I’mnotreadyto lether
go.Anyway,Stellacameto
therescueandwe’re staying
at theGrand.’
Shestuffedthecardsinto
herjeanspocket and sat back
onherheels.
‘Katewentoutandbought
useverythingweneeded.
They’vebeensogoodto us.’
Darcywouldhave
preferredto moveout,but
shedidn’twantto uprootPop
andbesides,hewantedto
stayascloseto the Victoria
aspossible.
‘I don’tunderstandwhy
youweresocareless,Gran,’
Darcyburstout.Hotonthe
heelsof griefcameangerand
frustration.‘Howcouldyou
havesucha stupidaccident?
ForaslongasI can
rememberyouwarnedme
to keepawayfromtheedge.’
Darcyshuthereyestight.
All she knew was what she’d

Itwasasif Stellawasenjoying

this,Darcythoughtuncharitably

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Continued overleaf

beentold,butthepictures

hermindhadconjured were

vividandhaunting.

Estherhadbeenfoundbya

dog-walkerat aroundthetime

Pophadnoticedshehadn’t

comebackfromherwalk

andwasstartingto worry.

Sheknewbetterthanto go

toocloseto thecliffedge,

butnooneknewwhyshe

mighthavedoneit. She

couldhavespottedan

injuredbirdoranimal,or

hearda noiseof distress

fromthebeachfarbelow,or

maybeshejustmisjudgedthe

distanceandlostherfooting?

‘Excuseme.I’msorry,

I didn’tmeanto intrude.’

Darcyalmostfellasshe

scrambled to her feet. She

hadn’tseenNedsincethat

dayin thehospital.He

lookeddifferentin jeansand

a blackT-shirt.Youngerand,

oddly,a littlebitlost.

‘Whatdoyouwant?’she

askedsharplyandcould

havekickedherself.She

didn’tmeanit to comeout

likethat.‘Sorry.I was...’She

turnedto lookat thegrave.

Whatwasshedoing?Trying

to makesenseof thelastfew

weeks.Gettingangryover

thingsshecouldn’tchange.

‘It’s beena difficulttime for

you,’hesaid.‘I getthat.I got

to knowEstherquitewell

whileI wasstayingat the

Victoria,’headdedandshe

sawrealpainin hiseyes.

‘I don’tknowhowmuchyou

were told, Darcy, but she

wouldn’thavesuffered.She

waskilledinstantly.I knew

theminuteI sawher that

shewasgone.’

‘Youwerethere?’

‘I wasontheambulance

crewthatrespondedto the

call.I’msosorry,Darcy.’

‘Youhavenothingto be

sorryfor,Ned.’Shereached

outandtouchedhisarm.His

skin felt cool underher fingers.

‘Iknow,’hesaid.‘ButI am

sorryshediedandI’msorry

forthemannerof herdeath.’

It washardto believehe

wasMichael’sbrother.They

hadthesamevividblue

eyesandtheyweren’tthat

differentin looks,butNed

seemedlessdriventhanhis

brotherand,in a strange way,

lesshaunted.

Michaelappearedconfident

andin control,butDarcy

sensedit tooka lotof effort.

‘I’mhereto seemydad,’

Nedsaid.‘Hediedwhen

I wasa kid.Myfolksran

a smallB&Bjustoffthe

seafront,butafterDaddied,

Mummovedaway.I always

wantedto comeback,but

Michaelbeatmeto it. Mum

moved in with him a couple

of yearsago,butI guess you

alreadyknewthat.’

Darcynodded.‘I remember

StellamovingintotheGrand,’

shesaid.‘Shehitit offwith

Granfromthestart,butI didn’t

realiseshe’dlivedherebefore.’

‘Ladieswholunch,’Ned

saidwitha wrysmile.‘Esther

madeMumwelcomeand

helpedhersettlebackhere.

I movedbackassoonas

a positionlocallybecame

available,muchto my

brother’sannoyance.’

‘I didn’trealiseStellahad

anothersonuntilMollytold

mewhoyouwere,’Darcy

said,thenrealisedit wasa

tactlessthingto say,butNed

didn’tseemto takeoffence.

‘Michaelgivesherplenty

to talk about,’ he said.

‘How’sAlanbearingup?’

‘Surprisinglywell,’Darcy

said,brightening.‘Hewas

flooredfor a while,but he’s

startedtalkingabout what

happensnext.’

‘He’snotthinkingof trying

to restorethehotelis he?

Youknowthatmaynotbe

possible,’Nedsaidgently.

‘It’slikelythatthebuilding

willhaveto bedemolished.’

‘Andif it is,we’llrebuild

it,’ Darcysaid defiantly.

Wherehadthatcomefrom?

Upuntilnowshe’dthought

it wasover.‘TheSpencers

aren’tfinishedyet and

neitheris theVictoria.What

areyousmilingat?’

‘Youremindmeof my

brother.Whenheboughtthe

Grand,it wasrundownand

lookedhopeless,butlook

at it now.Whenhewants

something,he goes all out

to getit.’

‘Exactly.All you need is

thewill.’

‘Andthemoney.’

‘Thatcouldbea problem,’

Darcyadmitted.‘I’mnotsure

theinsurancewillcovertotal

re-building,butwe’llsee.’

‘Goodforyou,’hesaid.

‘It wasniceseeingyouagain,

Darcy.GiveAlanmybest.’

‘Youtoo,’Darcysaidashe

turnedto go.‘Michaelhas

invitedusfora mealtonight.

Whydon’tyoucomealong?

I knowPopwould be pleased

to seeyou.’

‘I don’tthinkMichaelwould

betoohappyaboutthat,’

Nedsaidwitha regretful

smile.‘Anothertimemaybe.’

✿✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

‘I’mall fingersand thumbs,’

Popsaidashefumbledwith

histie.Darcypushedhis

handsoutof thewayand

knottedit forhim.

‘There,’shesaid,stepping

backandbrushinghis

shoulderswithherhands.‘You

lookgreat,Pop.Verysmart.’

‘What’sit in aidof do you

think?’heasked.

‘Maybethey’rejust being

nice,’ Darcy said.