Ashley was clutching her side as they arrived back at Madame Dupont’s villa, stitch stabbing at her as she fought for breath. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d run that fast or that far and as she looked over to Haydon she was almost irked that he showed no signs of fatigue at all. The police car was parked a few feet away in a little passing place on the road but it was empty, the occupants presumably inside the house.

As he yanked open the gate and strode up the path to the veranda and the main door, she followed, wiping sweat from her brow. Maurice and Nanette came out to greet them.

‘She’s OK?’ Haydon asked, bristling with tension that was almost palpable. No matter how he’d been reassured that physically Ella was fine, it was clear he wouldn’t be happy until he’d seen for himself.

‘She’s a little shaken,’ Nanette said. ‘But she is unharmed.’

‘And Molly…?’ Ashley hardly dared ask but she had to know.

Nanette shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, but she and Bastien have not returned yet.’

‘They’re probably still looking for Ella,’ Haydon said, taking the steps up to the veranda two at a time.

Ashley threw a look at the darkening sky before she followed Haydon inside. She’d make sure everything was OK with Ella and then she was going to have to turn her attention to looking for Molly regardless of whether Bastien was with her or not. In fact, she was surprised that Bastien’s family weren’t making more of a fuss about his absence, but none of them had seemed too concerned so far.

Two gendarmes were sitting at Aunt Violette’s dining table. Each had a glass of wine in front of them and were chatting casually to some of her guests as if they were party guests themselves. Ella was sitting next to Sue, who had a protective arm around her shoulder, and she was letting out that peculiar hiccoughing sound that only comes when someone has been sobbing so uncontrollably that their diaphragm seems to go into overdrive. It pained Ashley to see Haydon’s youngest daughter so distressed and to know that a great deal of it was down to her. As her father entered the room Ella looked up and for a moment both froze, uncertainty written into their features. But then Haydon took the room in less than three strides and Ella threw herself into his arms and started to cry again.

‘I’m sorry, Dad,’ she wept. ‘I’m sorry I made you so worried.’

‘You have nothing to be sorry for,’ he said, kissing her head. ‘Nothing at all. If anyone’s sorry it should be me and I am, more than I can say.’ He pulled back and gave her a critical once-over. ‘You’re alright? You’re not hurt?’

‘She was lucky.’ One of the gendarmes cut in, not a bit fazed by the emotion of the scene unfolding before him. ‘If the driver had not been looking she would have been under the lorry.’

‘A lorry!’ Haydon glanced from one policeman to the other. ‘Nobody said anything about a lorry! I thought…’ He looked at Maurice and Sue. ‘When you said a road accident I thought…’

‘We thought it was a car too,’ Sue said. ‘It doesn’t matter now – the main thing is the driver managed to avoid her and she’s safe.’

Haydon pulled Ella into his arms again and held her tight. ‘Jesus, Ella… don’t ever do that to me again – I don’t think my heart could stand the strain.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Ella sobbed.

‘Don’t be – just promise me that when something upsets you in the future you’ll come and talk it over with me instead of reacting blindly to it. OK?’

She nodded, sniffing and spluttering uncontrollably. ‘I will; I promise.’

‘Perhaps you two need some time alone?’ Sue asked, and Ashley’s heart went out to her mum, who looked about as mortified and guilt-plagued as she’d ever seen her. ‘I suppose you’ve got things to talk about.’

‘Come on… let’s go for a walk,’ he said, gently leading Ella to the doorway. Ashley watched them go and fresh tears filled her own eyes. She’d lost him now, she was sure of it.

‘You’re bearing up?’ Sue asked, and Ashley turned in response to the gentle hand her mother laid on her arm.

‘Yes,’ Ashley said, sniffing hard. Madame Dupont poured some wine into a glass and held it out to Ashley, and she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the kind but ultimately misguided gesture. The last thing she wanted right now was a glass of wine. But she forced a smile and took it.

‘I’ll go with Maurice and find Molly and Bastien,’ Sue said.

Ashley glanced at the two policemen who were listening to the conversation with interest but didn’t seem overly concerned that two teenagers were still missing. In fact, they looked as if they were about ready to join the party. But then one of them seemed to realise that Ashley’s pleading look meant they were probably supposed to offer some sort of assistance.

‘We will alert our colleagues and we will soon find them,’ he said.

‘Thank you,’ Sue said.

‘We will need some details,’ he continued. ‘If you could assist…’

‘Of course,’ Sue said, going over with her phone and clicking onto her camera roll to give them photos of the two teens while Ashley watched, feeling all at sea and wondering how the hell she’d got here.

The sky was indigo-washed as Haydon stepped out onto the road that led back to the villa he’d shared with Ella for the past week. Ella walked quietly by his side. She looked delicate, as if the wrong word might break her, and he was suddenly terrified that he might utter it.

‘Is it true?’ she asked in a small voice. ‘I thought… I thought Molly and Bastien might have been playing a trick on me.’

‘Yes, it’s true.’

‘But you never told anyone…’

‘I didn’t know, Ella, I swear. I found out literally ten minutes before you did.’

‘But you liked her so much. When you played your cello with her and you looked so happy, and then when Bastien said, I thought…’

‘That I must have known all along? God, no, Ella. I would never keep something so huge from you, and it doesn’t matter how much it looked as if I liked her, she will never come between you and me. Nobody will ever do that.’

‘But she’s your first kid.’

‘That doesn’t matter. You’re my daughter and I love you more than life itself. Molly will come to mean a great deal to me in time, I’m sure, but what we have will never change, even when that happens.’

‘You don’t love Molly more than me?’

‘How could you even think that for one second? I’ve been going out of my mind tonight when I thought I might never see you again!’

‘Molly’s lost too.’

‘She went out to look for you but Bastien is with her and I’m sure Ashley is sorting that out now. I don’t want you to worry about it.’

‘It’s my fault.’

‘The only person who isn’t at fault in all this is you. Sweetheart, you’ve done absolutely nothing wrong.’

They lapsed into silence. Perhaps Ella was computing it all, and Haydon grasped for the right thing to say, something that would be an instant fix. But the fact was, such a thing didn’t exist and, if it did, it was certainly way out of his reach.

‘I suppose I always wanted a sister,’ Ella said quietly into the gap.

He gave a half-smile, relief welling up in him. Ella was resilient; she’d had to be over the past couple of years, and perhaps she’d cope with this new shock better than he’d feared once they could move past it.

‘Was Mum really mad at you when she called?’ she continued.

‘You could say that. But I’ve put up with worse.’

‘Really?’

‘No, not really,’ he said with a laugh. ‘But it’s OK.’

‘Will Molly and Ashley move in with you?’

‘It’s too soon to think about things like that yet.’

‘But will they one day?’

‘Would it make you sad if they did? You like living with your mum and Kevin, don’t you?’

‘I suppose.’

‘And there’d be plenty of visits any time you liked.’

‘But they’d be with you all the time and I wouldn’t.’

‘It wouldn’t make me love Molly more than you if that’s what you’re thinking.’

‘I know,’ she said. But Haydon had to wonder if she really did know. He had a feeling that was something she’d take a long time to come to terms with.

‘That’s something that may or may not be in the future and I don’t want you to worry about it now.’

‘But you love Ashley?’

Haydon fell to silence again as his gaze turned to the glow of the setting sun. Right now he didn’t know how he felt about Ashley. Part of him wanted to hate her for the secrets she’d kept and the trouble they’d caused, and part of him felt desperately sorry and sick with guilt for all the years she’d coped alone and all the years they could have had together. But of course, she was right about a lot of things and one of those was that if they hadn’t been forced apart by circumstances then he wouldn’t have met Janine and he wouldn’t have Ella.

Did he love Ashley? The question had occurred to him earlier that night as he got ready for the party, his stomach flipping at the idea of spending time with her. He’d almost convinced himself that he’d always loved her, right from that first drink in Ibiza. But that was crazy, right? That didn’t happen in real life. He didn’t know what to think or say to Ella in reply to her question; he only knew that the thought of Ashley disappearing from his life now pained him more than he could comprehend. If that was love then yes, perhaps he did love her.

‘You can say it – I won’t freak out this time,’ Ella said.

‘I know.’ He looped an arm around her. ‘I just don’t know what to say. Love is… well it’s not often as straightforward as we’d like it to be. And being in love with someone doesn’t automatically mean you can be with them.’

‘Why not?’

‘Loads of reasons. Sometimes being in love with someone doesn’t even mean that being with them is the best thing for everyone involved.’

‘Like when you split up with Mum?’

‘Yeah, I guess so.’

He looked down at Ella. So young and yet already so wise that she could see what he and Janine had both denied – they’d been in love even as they’d signed the divorce papers but they’d never been right for each other and ultimately their love couldn’t overcome that. Whatever happened, he knew that he and Janine would always care for each other even though they couldn’t be together. Was Ashley any different? If Janine had loved him and yet he’d still lost her, who was to say he wouldn’t lose Ashley too in the end, even if they decided to give it a go? When he thought about it now, what did he actually know about her? They’d become so close so quickly and yet he didn’t really know her at all.

‘Will you have to give Molly money?’ Ella asked, breaking into his thoughts.

‘Straight for the practical considerations, eh? I would even if I didn’t have to. Remember she’s had no dad for sixteen years so it’s the least I can do.’

‘But it wasn’t your fault?’

‘It wasn’t really anyone’s fault – it just happened that way. I met Ashley on holiday and I didn’t know how to contact her when we both went back home. She didn’t know how to contact me either, so when she found out she was expecting Molly she couldn’t tell me. It’s only a crazy coincidence that means I know now. If we’d never come here perhaps I’d never have known. Weird, eh?’

Ella let out a long breath and Haydon couldn’t help but detect a note of disapproval in it. Even he had to see the irony of that coming from his nearly fourteen-year-old.

‘It was all a bit stupid,’ he agreed with a wry smile. ‘There was no Facebook or Snapchat or anything back then, though, so it was easier to lose people than you might think.’

‘Did you miss her?’

‘Sometimes. But then I met your mum so I didn’t think about her so much after that.’

‘Do you wish you’d married Ashley instead of my mum?’

‘Never. I wouldn’t have you then, would I?’

‘But you wouldn’t have known that.’

‘I know it now. I’m not interested in what might have been, only what I’ve got now and the most important bit of that is you.’

‘Do you want to go back and see if they’ve found Molly?’

‘Do you?’

Ella shrugged. ‘I’d feel bad if she was in trouble.’

‘I don’t think she’d be in trouble for long. I do need to talk to her at some point. You understand that, don’t you? I need to talk to her because we haven’t even discussed the fact that I’m her dad yet, and I don’t know how she’s feeling about it.’

‘Will you have to do a test?’

‘What sort of test?’

‘You know, like to test whether you’re her dad for real?’

‘I don’t know – I haven’t really thought about it yet. So you want to head back now to see if she’s back yet?’

‘Yeah, I suppose so.’

‘OK.’

There was a brief silence as they turned to retrace their steps. Then Ella spoke again. ‘Dad… please don’t be angry…’

Haydon frowned. As if there hadn’t been enough drama, apparently there was something even worse coming.

‘What?’ he asked, a note of new trepidation in his voice.

‘When I saw the truck coming at me I dropped my phone.’

Haydon blinked.

‘The screen smashed and now it doesn’t work,’ she continued, and as he looked at her he could see fresh tears in her eyes.

‘Oh my God!’ he cried, relief flooding through him as he pulled her into a hug. ‘If that’s the worst thing to come out of tonight then I’ll be very happy to buy you a hundred new phones!’

As soon as Haydon had left with Ella, Ashley’s veneer of strength finally cracked. As she collapsed, sobbing into her mother’s arms, Maurice tipped her chin up and smiled down at her.

‘Don’t worry – we will find Molly. All will be well and we will be partying again by the end of the night.’

‘It’s all such a mess – and it’s my fault!’

He shrugged. ‘It is only life. Sometimes it’s good and sometimes not so good, but you will always find a way through.’

One of the gendarmes spoke rapidly into his radio as Maurice began to organise another search party. Bastien’s uncle did a fair amount of what could have been swearing in his native language and Ashley was only glad that Bastien’s parents had been unable to make the trip down to Saint-Raphaël because she wouldn’t have wished the trauma she and Haydon had been through tonight on another parent.

Then her thoughts turned back to Haydon. He’d been reunited with Ella and, of course, she was happy about that, but she couldn’t help reflecting on the fact that Molly was still missing and he wasn’t here. Didn’t he care? Was this a huge signpost to what their future relationship – if there was even going to be one – would look like? She understood that it was hard for him to take in the news that Molly was his daughter but surely he must have been vaguely interested in where she was now? Would Ella always mean more to him? She supposed she could understand that too, but the fierce mother tiger inside her didn’t have to like it. Molly was their daughter and his firstborn, and that had to mean something. He’d said he was going to talk briefly to Ella, so why hadn’t he come back to help find Molly?

‘We will leave now to make the most of the last daylight,’ Maurice said, leaning in to kiss Sue.

Ashley stood up. ‘I’m ready when you are.’

‘Stay here,’ Maurice said. ‘You have been searching for hours and you are exhausted. We will find her, don’t fear.’

‘I can’t just sit here and wait.’

‘That’s exactly what you can do,’ Sue said. ‘Maurice is right – they all know the area better than us and they’ll get around much quicker…’

‘Without a hysterical mother?’ Ashley finished for her.

‘It wasn’t quite how I was going to put it. Besides, someone has to be here in case Molly comes back of her own accord.’

‘Aunt Violette will be here.’

‘It’s hardly fair to expect her to deal with it on her own if they do come back to find only her here, is it?’

‘I can’t just sit around and wait.’

‘You can because I say it’s right.’

‘I’m thirty-four, Mum.’

‘You’re also in a state. Please… arguing is only delaying everyone else’s departure and it’s getting darker by the minute. I’ll get you a cognac and we’ll do some phoning around while the others are out.’

Just as she was about to nod reluctant agreement, Haydon appeared at the kitchen door with Ella.

‘Still no sign of them?’ he asked.

‘Not yet. We’re going out for another look,’ Maurice said.

‘I’ll come with you,’ Haydon replied. He threw a pleading look at Ella and she nodded with a small smile.

‘Sure,’ she said. ‘Should I stay here?’ she added uncertainly.

‘You can sit with us if you like,’ Sue said. ‘I’m staying behind with Ashley and Madame Dupont in case they come back of their own accord.’

Without another word Ella took a seat. The policemen, who had been murmuring amongst themselves in between making calls, now stood up and took their leave while the rest of the search party headed for the door.

‘Bring her back,’ Ashley said.

Maurice gave her an encouraging smile. ‘Before night falls they’ll be here.’

Ashley nodded, though it wasn’t Maurice she’d been addressing. But Haydon didn’t say a word; he just kissed Ella on the head and told her not to worry, and then they were gone.

---

It didn’t matter how often Ashley tried Molly’s phone, it kept on ringing out. Ella tentatively offered the idea that perhaps Molly’s phone had somehow come to a sticky end, just as her own had, but nobody really thought this was the case. More likely Molly was stubbornly sticking to the notion that she somehow had responsibility for finding Ella herself. Ashley had texted her to say that Ella was back safe with them at Villa Marguerite and all she could do was hope that at some point Molly would check her phone and see the message.

Ella sat on the swing seat on the veranda now, staring out into the dusk. She’d been out there for twenty minutes as Ashley paced up and down the kitchen and Sue conversed with Aunt Violette in her best French about the events of the evening. Every so often Ashley would look out of the window to see Ella in exactly the same spot, silent and still. Looking out for the search party that contained her dad, Ashley supposed. She’d wanted to go and talk to her, but what was she supposed to say? There was this huge thing now, a barbed-wire fence between them full of snags and sharp edges. Did the news about Molly now make Ashley the enemy? If there was to be any kind of future between her and Haydon then she needed to get Ella on side, but any friendship with her seemed like a distant dream now.

Folding her arms, she turned back to Sue, who was reading a text from Maurice.

‘Any news?’ Ashley asked.

Sue looked up from her phone and shook her head. ‘God knows where they could have got to.’

‘I wish she’d just give it up and come back. She must know she can’t do much more now.’

‘Stubborn. Who does that remind you of?’

Ashley gave a wan smile, but a squeal from outside halted her reply, and both she and Sue raced to the window.

‘Thank God!’ Ashley cried as she bolted out to the garden.

Ella had beaten her to it and was now hugging a tearful Molly.

‘I couldn’t find you!’ Molly sniffed, while Bastien stood a foot or so away and ran a hand through his hair, looking relieved that the ordeal was over.

‘I’m sorry,’ Ella said, and now she was crying too.

Then Molly looked over her shoulder and Ella, realising why, relinquished her grip, turning to Bastien to continue her apologies while Ashley ran to Molly and pulled her close.

‘You can be so bloody infuriating!’ Ashley said, holding her tightly. ‘I told you not to go out when everyone else had it under control!’

‘I’m sorry, Mum.’

‘Fat lot of good sorry is. Tell it to the new grey hairs I’ve developed over the last few hours!’

‘I didn’t mean to.’

‘Oh yes you did. But it doesn’t matter – I’m just glad you’re back now.’

‘I’ll let Maurice know to send everyone back,’ Sue said from behind them.

‘Everyone’s out looking for you,’ Ashley said in answer to Molly’s silent question. ‘Well, almost everyone.’

Molly’s eyes widened.

‘Don’t look so terrified,’ Ashley said. ‘You could hardly expect us to sit around waiting for you. I just hope the police aren’t going to be too mad that we’ve wasted their time.’

‘The police?’ Molly’s face seemed to lose three shades.

‘What else were we going to do? Three teenagers missing and not the foggiest where to start looking…’

‘Sorry,’ Ella said again.

‘Where the hell were you for all this time?’ Ashley said to Molly.

‘We just walked around… We didn’t know where to look so we went everywhere.’

‘And I suppose you didn’t stop to consider that while you were just walking around everyone else was just walking around trying to find you?’

‘Sorry,’ Molly said.

‘Sorry,’ Ella repeated.

Ashley waved away the apologies. ‘Let’s not dwell on it now – none of us. What’s done is done and everyone is safe and sound again. Just as soon as your dad gets back I think we might need to talk. Is that OK with you two?’ she asked, looking at Molly and Ella in turn, who both nodded.

Which, after all that had happened that night, would be fine – as long as Haydon was in the mood to talk. Ashley couldn’t be sure of anything where he was concerned.