Page 70 of A Summer Scandal

Della’s eyes opened wide. ‘Why does she think that?’

‘Because she’s dead set on getting her hands on the pier, and she’s clutching at straws,’ Vi said. ‘And because she doesn’t like me.’

‘I’m sure that’s not true,’ Della said. ‘Why on earth would she not like you?’

Vi huffed. ‘Oh, it’s a long list. She thinks the Lido is a haven for hippies and weirdos, and that my use for the pier is a step away from running a brothel, and …’

‘And what?’

Vi looked at the ceiling. ‘And she disapproves of my relationship with her son. Not that I’m having one, as such, any more.’

Della looked understandably confused. Violet had told her mum about many of the comings and goings at Swallow Beach, with the notable exception of Cal.

‘What I mean is, I was sort of having a bit of a relationship with him, but then his wife came back.’

‘Violet!’ Della said, her voice shrill. ‘You were having a relationship with a married man? No wonder his mother is livid! I’myourmother and I’m not impressed either! And what about poor Simon in all of this?’

Vi rubbed her temples. ‘Okay, so he does have a wife. But she moved to America a few years ago, just left him out of the blue, so he was doing what anyone would do and getting on with his life. It wasn’t seedy, honestly. He just didn’t expect her to ever come back again.’

‘But she did,’ Della said, dully.

Vi nodded, resigned. ‘She did, and he’s taken her back, and now his mother thinks I’m some kind of scarlet woman trying to ruin her son’s life and bring the town into disrepute. Or I think she does, anyway. I’m paraphrasing.’

‘But it’s definitely over, you and this man?’

Vi sighed and looked down at her hands. ‘It was over before it began, really. Ursula came back and that was that.’

Della squeezed her daughter’s hand. ‘And how do you feel about that?’

‘Does it matter?’ Violet said.

‘It does to me,’ her mum said. ‘Because from where I’m sitting, I’d say you’re the one who’s lost the most here.’

Violet didn’t even pretend it wasn’t true; her tears would have made a liar of her if she’d tried.

‘I never wanted to be the other woman,’ she said, sniffing. ‘And I know it was disloyal of me to fall in love with someone else so soon after Simon.’

‘Oh Violet,’ Della said, on her daughter’s side in a heartbeat. ‘It’s even worse than I thought. You love him?’

Thoroughly miserable, Violet nodded. ‘And he lives in the apartment opposite mine in the Lido, and no doubt she will too soon now, so if I stay there then I’m going to be living next door to them.’

‘So don’t. Come home,’ Della said softly.

Home.It was a funny word; when she was in Swallow Beach Violet called her parents’ house home, but now she was here, home conjured up the Lido, and the beach, and Cal. What a god-awful mess.

‘I can’t just give up,’ she said, firming up her thoughts as she went along. ‘And I don’t want to, Mum. I’ve made friends there, and I’m proud of what we’re doing at the pier. I’ve carved out the beginnings of a life for myself at the Lido.’

Vi knew her mum would like nothing more than to have her safely back under her roof again, and itwasblissful to come back for the respite of her mother’s kitchen table, but even just being here for a little while and talking about it solidified things in her mind. She’d entrenched herself in Swallow Beach over the last few months, and while she might not have belonged to one of the town’s all-hallowed established families, why should that make her feel less entitled to live there? She’d allowed herself to feel sidelined by Ursula; she saw now that what she’d actually done was run from trouble instead of facing it head on. She’d been hiding herself away in the apartment when she wasn’t at work, scurrying between work and home, feeling browbeaten and small. It wasn’t brave, and it was time to flick from defence mode to attack.

‘The Lido,’ Della said, shaking her head and laughing softly. ‘Some things never change.’

‘I wish you’d come,’ Vi said. ‘Barty said to send you his regards.’

Della frowned. ‘I don’t think I remember him, Violet.’

‘Are you sure? He definitely remembers you.’ Vi had mentioned Barty over the phone sometimes and just assumed her mum knew who she was talking about.

‘He does?’ Della’s mouth twisted as she thought back. ‘I was so young, Vi, it was a long time ago.’

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