Page 27 of Coming Home to Hope Street

Phoebe popped her head around the door. ‘I thought Ellen said it was Petronella.’

Livvy and Pip shared a look before laughing.

‘It was a trick to see how fast news travels around Somerley,’ Pip admitted.

‘It seems it doesn’t take long, as usual.’ Hannah laughed too. ‘And I won’t tell her if you don’t.’

Phoebe beckoned them forwards. ‘Come on through to the living room. We can’t all congregate in the hallway. Tilly!’ she shouted up the stairs. ‘We have company.’

Tilly came into the room two minutes later. She gave a shy smile before sitting down. Introductions were made again, and Pip sat next to Tilly on the settee as they discussed their mobile phones. Elliot lay on his stomach in front of the TV, his feet kicking to and fro in the air.

They left the children to it and went into the kitchen.

‘I don’t know about you,’ – Phoebe pulled a bottle of wine from out of the fridge – ‘but I’m really ready to empty this. Hannah, get some glasses.’

‘I brought wine too.’ Livvy found her voice at last. ‘And some things to eat for the kids.’

‘And the grown-ups.’ Hannah pulled out the strawberry bonbons with an exaggerated smile.

Phoebe snatched them from her. ‘The kids aren’t having them.’

Livvy laughed and took the glass that Phoebe was holding out to her. Once they were all full, Phoebe suggested a toast.

‘To new beginnings,’ she said.

‘New beginnings,’ Hannah and Livvy parroted.

‘So’ – Phoebe looked at Livvy pointedly – ‘are you going to tell us more about why you never came back for so long?’

Hannah rolled her eyes. ‘I told her it was none of her business,’ she said to Livvy. ‘I’ll hand the sweets out to the kids.’

Phoebe could see Livvy gnawing at her bottom lip, glancing around the kitchen, her eyes landing on anything to avoid her glare. But as soon as Hannah was out of their hearing range, she rounded on her.

‘I don’t know what your game is, turning up out of the blue after so long. But if you’re here to fleece Hannah of anything before you bugger off again, then you’d better seriously rethink your plans.’

‘I wasn’t—’

‘She’s special to me, and actually, come to think of it, I’ve been more of a sister than you’ll ever be to her. So if you hurt her, I’ll come after you, do you hear me?’

‘I hear you, but I do have a mind of my own.’

‘Clearly so, because you left Hannah in the lurch for your own selfish needs.’

‘You don’t know my circumstances. I had my reasons.’

‘Not good enough.’ Phoebe stepped forward to prod Livvy in the shoulder. ‘You didn’t have any reason to ignore her. Do you know how many years she’s talked about you coming back? She never gave up.’

‘Well, I’m here now, so…?’ Livvy pushed away Phoebe’s hand.

‘If you’re only planning on staying short term while you find yourself something better, you’re going to break her heart.’

‘I – I don’t know what we’re doing yet, but we’ll be here for a while.’

‘Just don’t give her the run around. She might not show it as she’s being all nicey-nicey, but she’s scared of offending you; wary that you’ll do a runner again. And then that’s where I’m left to pick up the pieces. I’m not afraid to say it as it is.’

‘I’m not about to bail out on her. I’d like to get to know her again, but I can’t make promises that we’ll get on. Not yet, anyway.’

‘I don’t want to—’

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