Page 45 of The Runaway Wives

If this is the way you want to play it, I’ll have no option but to cancel your bank and credit cards. You want to start a new life on your own, go ahead, but you’re not doing it with my money.

She closed her eyes, leant her head back and took a few deep breaths. Nigel was trying to force her to come home by making her penniless, but he wasn’t going to succeed. He’d built his career on her back, she had been his unpaid PA, housekeeper, driver, childminder and a dozen other things. He couldn’t take everything from her. She would call a solicitor on Monday during her lunch hour and find out what her options were. Meanwhile, she had to pack, move her things to Edna’s, then go to the garden party. She’d promised to help and she had no intention of letting her new friends down.

She cleaned and tidied Sunset View, then took her few possessions around to Edna’s. As Primrose Cottage was only a few doors away, it didn’t seem worth packing them into her car then getting them back out again, so she took them around bit by bit, leaving them all in the lounge. She hadn’t really taken much notice of Edna’s cottage the other couple of times she’d been here, she’d been more worried about how Edna was, but now she noticed how dated it was. Sunset View had been repainted, modernised, and looked so spacious. Whereas Primrose Cottage was clean and cosy but it was old-fashioned and dark. There was no archway between the small galley kitchen and the lounge – Edna had left the dividing door open to let in the light so she hadn’t really noticed this before. The wooden staircase was still the original dark wood and the furniture was faded and worn. It was clean and comfortable though, and she was grateful to Edna for allowing her to live here.

Dee took her suitcase upstairs and put it in the guest room. She wouldn’t unpack now but it would be good to get the large case out of the way. As in Sunset View, there was a gorgeous view of the sea. The room was basically clean and tidy, like the rest of the house, although it could do with a vac and a polish. She would do that and put clean sheets on the bed when she returned from the Manor. Right now she had to hand in the keys to Sylvia and go. She’d promised to meet Kenny at eleven and it was almost ten already.

* * *

As she pulled up in the Manor car park a phone call came in from Annabel. ‘What’s going on, Mum? Dad said that you want a divorce and you’re going to live in Cornwall!’

Dee sighed. She could do without this right now but obviously Annabel was upset. She quickly explained about Nigel cheating on her in Portugal. ‘I don’t want to badmouth your dad, Annabel, but this isn’t the first time he’s cheated and quite frankly I’ve had enough. So yes, I want a divorce and at the moment I’m staying down here to give me time and space to sort myself out.’

‘Oh, Mum, that’s awful! I can’t believe it, Dad’s acting all hurt and hard done by and it’s his fault, he’s been a total jerk. Are you okay? You must be heartbroken.’

‘I’ve been better, but don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.’

‘I’m so sorry. But please don’t stay there forever. Because Hallie will miss you, Mum. And so will I. And I still have your birthday present here.’

‘I’ll miss you both, too, darling, but I have to put myself first now. You and Hugh have your lives, it’s time I lived mine.’ She softened her tone. ‘I’ll come and see you soon and you can come and stay for a weekend when I’m settled, you can give me my present then.’

‘Where are you going to live? Are you still in that holiday cottage? Surely it’ll cost you a fortune to stay there.’

‘I’ve moved out today, I’m looking after a friend’s cottage a few doors up while she recuperates at her sister’s. She had a nasty fall and hurt her hip and ankle. I’ll text you the address later. I’m afraid I have to go now. Give Hallie a big hug from me. I’ll be in touch soon, I promise.’

She got out of the car and walked over to the large grounds at the back where the garden party was being held. It was already a hive of activity with the people unloading boxes and laying out their goods. She was surprised at the big selection of crafts on display – exquisite glass items, delicate jewellery, soaps and candles, carved wooden house signs, seashell ornaments, paintings, home-made fudge, cakes, printing services and greetings cards. Dee stopped at the first stall, there was a large display of various cards but there were no paper flowers, decorations, jewellery, or origami figures like Dee used to make. Was there even a market for that? She paused at Glenn’s stall to admire the exquisite blue glazed pottery he was putting out. There was a young girl with long auburn hair, who looked about eight, sitting on a stool beside him, tucking into a bag of crisps.

‘Did you do this?’ she asked Glenn, trying to keep the surprise out of her voice. It really was beautiful.

‘Aye, that’s my job – that and part-time bartender when Sammi here is at school.’ He jerked his thumb at the young girl who smiled at Dee then jumped off the stool and ran over to join two other girls who were waving at her.

‘It looks very…’ she paused, stopping short of saying ‘professional’ in case Glenn took that as an insult. She knew from experience how prickly he could be.

He raised an eyebrow. ‘What? Professional?’

‘Well, er, yes, for want of a better word.’

‘It’s a good word to use, I am a professional. I’ve been doing this for years,’ Glenn told her.

Dee traced her finger lightly over an azure-blue jug. It was expertly glazed and smooth to the touch.

Glenn picked it up and held it to the light. Dee gasped, the way the light caught it made it look almost translucent. ‘That’s stunning!’

‘Thank you.’ He put the jug back down. ‘Do you do any crafting?’

‘I used to do paper crafts a long time ago, when I was a primary school teacher. I doubt if I could remember how to do it now.’

‘You won’t know until you try. It might be good for you to have a hobby, with what you’re going through. Creating things is a good way of channelling your emotions. When my wife died, I was full of anger and grief but I knew that I had to get myself together and function for Sammi’s sake. Pottery helped me do that. Mixing and moulding the clay is so relaxing.’ His eyes met hers. ‘And you look to me as if you need a way to channel your emotions and clear your mind, if you don’t mind my saying so.’

And there she was, thinking she’d been doing a good job of acting upbeat, in charge. Obviously not.

‘Maybe I’ll take it up again,’ she said.

Dee made her way over to the back section where, as she had suggested, there was an extensive area set up for the artists to run workshops. Kenny was there, putting up a large wooden table. She went over to him. ‘Hi, how’s it going?’

He smiled at her. ‘Hello, Dee. I wondered if you would make it. You’re moving into Edna’s today, aren’t you?’

‘Yes, I’ve taken my stuff around and left it to sort out later.’ She replied. ‘What time is Simon Hemingford arriving?’

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