CHAPTER THIRTEEN
It was snowing again, and the world outside was pure white, gleaming under a darkening sky. The narrow country roads round where she lived hadn’t cleared from the last bout, and the new snowfall was leaving yet more inches on frozen inches. In wellies, she trudged up her path through crunchy snow, and out into the wetter slush of the road, which was crisscrossed with tractor prints from Mr Smirthwaite’s most recent comings and goings.
She eyed the gloomy sky to the north with misgiving. If the snow carried on falling like this for even a few more days, they were going to have problems.
Her feet left prints in the untrodden drive, and for once the gravel was silent as Hannah approached Abbey Villa. The thought made her sad, so she banished it, forcing a cheery smile to her lips as Ivy met her at the back door.
‘You naughty cat, Pepper,’ she said, shaking her head at the cat in Ivy’s arms. ‘I’m so sorry, Ivy.’
Behind the old lady, Hannah caught a glimpse of her new friend, a robust-looking man with bi-focals perched on the tip of his nose and a seriously receding hairline. He was wearing casual corduroy trousers, and a Vicar of Dibley T-shirt under an ill-fitting green cardigan. So that’s Colin, she thought, and raised a hand in greeting. He smiled and waved back, looking her up-and-down in his turn.
Ivy scowled and thrust Pepper at Hannah as if the cat had something contagious. ‘Here, take him.’
Perhaps Ivy was worried she might steal her fab new man, Hannah thought, and had to bite her lip so she wouldn’t giggle.
Ivy’s gaze narrowed on her face, perhaps guessing at her irreverent thoughts. ‘You really must keep him indoors, Hannah. He can’t continue coming into my house like this. What if I’d had my turkey out?’
‘Sorry?’
‘I cooked a turkey, since we missed the big day, and left it to cool on the kitchen table after we’d eaten. Luckily, I’d just covered the bird in silver foil when I spotted your cat prowling about the kitchen.’ Ivy wagged a finger at Pepper. ‘Bad pussy, sneaking in after a nibble of breast. Don’t think I don’t know what you want.’
Hannah almost choked. ‘Why not seal up the old cat flap? That would stop Pepper getting in for sure.’
‘I can do that for you,’ Colin offered helpfully.
‘You’ll do no such thing. You’re a guest in my house, not a handy-man.’ Ivy bundled her fancy man back into the kitchen, and began to close the door, dismissing Hannah with a brisk, ‘Well, have a good evening.’
‘Wait, please!’ She saw Ivy’s look of surprise as the old lady opened the door again, and added hurriedly, ‘H-How is Daniel? I mean, did he get back to London okay?’
‘Daniel?’ Ivy looked surprised, then her brow cleared. ‘Oh yes, he said you’d been over to the house once or twice.’
Once or twice?
‘I believe Daniel is perfectly well,’ Ivy continued, and her smile filled with pride as she said loudly, raising her voice as though to ensure that Colin heard her too, ‘He’s a very busy man, you know. Quite famous, in fact. All those films he makes …’
Hannah said nothing.
‘Well,’ Ivy said awkwardly, clearly wanting to shut the door again, ‘thank you for keeping my great-nephew company over Christmas. I’d better go back in now, or we’ll be losing the heat.’
‘Of course.’
The door closed and Hannah stood staring at it in silence for a few, dismal seconds. Then she turned and headed for home through the snow, clutching Pepper and grumbling at him. ‘You’re always causing trouble, trespassing in other people’s houses. Now I’ll never get Ivy to tell me anything about Daniel.’
Though it sounded like Daniel had not told Ivy about them at all.
Not properly, anyway.
He said you’d been over to the house once or twice.
Like she’d gone over there to borrow a cup of sugar, or help mend a dripping tap. Not as anyone special. Not as his lover.
Already she felt like the invisible woman, as though he had erased her from his life. That was what people did after a break-up. Now all that remained was for her to do the same. To wipe Daniel Elliott’s wonderful kisses out of her head and heart, and move on into a promising future without him.
If only it were that simple …
Back home, she put Pepper down inside the cottage kitchen, and stood looking at him, hands on her hips. ‘I know what’s wrong. You’re missing him as well, aren’t you, Pepper? That’s why you keep haunting Ivy’s house. Well, you’ll have to get used to it, she told him roughly, though really she was talking to herself, ‘because he’s left us and he isn’t coming back.’
On the kitchen table, her phone chimed, indicating that a text had arrived.
She wandered across to have a quick look. Then stared down at the screen, her breath caught in her throat.
It was from Daniel.
Missing you. Dan x
She hesitated painfully, then keyed in a short reply and sent it before she could chicken out.
Missing you too. Hx
So he had messaged her at last. That was unexpected.
Was he going to ring her now?
Her heart beating hard, she kicked off her snow-covered wellies, and curled up on the sofa with Pepper and the phone both cradled on her lap. She waited there all evening, not even daring to turn the television on in case she missed his call. Like the lovesick idiot that she was.
But there was no further message from Daniel. Nor any phone call. No promise to come back north. No declaration of love. Nothing.
Only more silence.