Page 8 of Welcome to the Cornish Country Hospital

‘I wish I had some Super Noodles! You know me too well, thank you.’ Danni stepped to one side to let her best friend come in; Brenda was already drooling as the smell of lasagne drifted down the hallway. ‘Shouldn’t you be busy unpacking? You must be way behind schedule after helping at the hospital.’

‘You’d think so, wouldn’t you?’ Esther rolled her eyes. ‘Except that by the time we got back, Mum, Dad, Nan and Pops had unpacked almost everything. I’m never going to know where to find my cheese grater, or the blender, but I nearly passed out when I saw Nan putting the underwear Lucas got me for his birthday into the drawer, although apparently not even she’s got the skills to fold a basque!’

‘It could have been worse; it could have been Pops!’ Danni laughed, deliberately picturing the look that would have been on Esther’s grandmother’s face at the impracticality of un-foldable underwear, rather than imagining the look that had been on Lucas’s face when he’d given it to Esther.

‘Oh my God, don’t say that!’ Esther laughed too, and they headed down the hallway into the kitchen.

‘I was just about to go out for some chips, but this is much better.’ Danni took the dish of still warm lasagne from her friend, the rumbling in her stomach even louder than it had been before as she set it down on the kitchen counter. ‘Can I get you a drink?’

‘I can’t stay, even though I’d love to. I’ve got to get back to everyone, especially after they all worked so hard for us today. I just wanted to make sure you had something proper to eat and to check you’re okay.’ Esther tilted her head slightly, giving Danni the appraising look she always did when she was worried she might not be looking after herself properly. ‘It must have been tough today, especially seeing the bus driver the way you did and then having to wait with his wife until her daughter arrived.’

‘Lucas told you?’ Danni shouldn’t have been surprised. He and Esther probably told each other everything.

‘Yes, and he told me how well you handled things too.’

‘I don’t think I did.’ Danni could still picture Karen’s face as the news that her husband had died hit her.

‘You never do, Dan, but it’s part of what makes you, you, and it’s why we love you.’ Esther reached out and squeezed her hand. ‘Maybe one day you’ll see yourself as you really are and then…’

‘Then what?’ They knew each other so well, but for once Danni couldn’t read the expression on her friend’s face, and then Esther shook her head.

‘Oh nothing, just maybe then you’ll realise that you deserve to be happy.’

‘I am happy.’ Danni’s voice had gone an octave higher and she knew she sounded like she was protesting too much. But she’d been getting there. A new lightness had come without the daily reminder of her feelings for Lucas, or why her love for Esther meant she had to fight so hard against them. But now it was like all the progress she’d made had disappeared, and she was completely torn. Having her best friend standing in her kitchen should have made her happier than she’d been in months. But, even when he wasn’t there, it was like a Lucas-shaped shadow was looming over them. Danni shook herself, painting on a smile. ‘It suits me fine, always the bridesmaid. Some of us don’t want to be the bride, that’s all.’

‘Well, I’m glad you have no objections to being my bridesmaid.’ A slow smile crept across Esther’s face. ‘Because Mum and Dad made an enquiry with Noah, the vicar at St Jude’s in Port Agnes, and he’s said we can move the wedding down here, as long as we’re happy to do it on a weekday.’

‘What about all the deposits you paid in London?’ Danni leant against the kitchen counter. It was one thing playing the part of maid of honour miles from home and never again having to pass the venue where Lucas and Esther had promised themselves to one another for the rest of their lives. It was quite another to have it in a church that Danni had no chance of permanently avoiding.

‘Even with losing the deposits we’re going to save money doing it here, and this already feels like home.’ Esther squeezed her hand again. ‘Because you’re here.’

‘If you’re happy, that’s the best news I’ve heard for a long time.’ Danni’s head was starting to ache from keeping her smile in place. One day soon, if there was any justice in the world, the only thing she’d feel about Lucas and Esther’s wedding was happy for them. God knows she was trying.

‘I’m so glad you’re glad. I didn’t know if you were looking forward to going back up to London, especially as you never managed to find the time once you moved down here.’ There was no bitterness in Esther’s voice, but the appraising stare was back, and Danni couldn’t bear the thought of her friend seeing the truth.

‘I really am glad and, as soon as you get back to that wonderful family of yours, I’ll be diving into this lasagne and opening a nice bottle of something to celebrate.’

‘All right, I can take a hint.’ Esther laughed again.

‘Say thanks to your mum for dinner, won’t you?’ Danni hugged her when they reached the door. ‘And thank you too, you really are the best friend a girl could ask for.’

‘Don’t you ever forget it!’ Esther was still laughing as she waggled a finger in Danni’s direction, but for a split second she thought she saw something else in her friend’s eyes and then it was gone. ‘I’ll see you at work tomorrow.’

‘Looking forward to it.’ Danni kept waving until Esther had gone. Closing the door, she stood with her back against it, wondering whether that momentary look in Esther’s eyes really had meant something, or whether she was just tired. She was probably overthinking things, the way she always did. She needed something else to think about, that was all. Reaching inside her pocket, she pulled out the crumpled envelope containing the letter Connie had given her for safekeeping.

Richard Bruce, Trengothern Hall

Taking her phone out of her other pocket, she keyed the name into Google. It was time to focus on someone else’s problems for a change.

6

Connie hadn’t expected to wake up. She’d been certain that something would go wrong during one of the operations. When it became clear the external fixation wasn’t working and her pain levels remained unbearably high, a second operation had followed, just twenty-four hours after the first and her pelvis was now held together with a series of screws and metal plates.

The surgeon had warned her it was a more complex operation and having two anaesthetics so close together came with some level of risk, so it was only natural that she expected the worst. Well, only natural for her perhaps. The damage she’d sustained had been severe and there’d also been some injury to her bladder, intestines and one of her kidneys. A lovely nurse had reassured her it was all fixable, but with the likelihood of further operations, monitoring of the damage to her internal organs and the need for physiotherapy, she was going to be in hospital for quite some time.

Connie had never liked hospitals and, until now, she’d only ever had to stay in once and that had been enough to make her hate them even more. Then, after her sister and brother-in-law had both died within eighteen months of each other, she’d decided she’d seen more than enough of hospitals to last her a lifetime. To Connie, they always symbolised the end, so waking up to hear the operation had been a success had been unexpected.

For the first few hours after she opened her eyes, all she’d felt was relief. And then suddenly, when she was back on the ward, she remembered the letter.

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