Page 30 of Cupcakes and Kisses in Micklewick Bay

‘Which was why they blamed me for everything that went wrong for him.’

‘Hmm.’

A heavy sigh escaped Jasmine’s mouth. ‘I haven’t got the energy to fight them, Lark.’ She looked at her friend through weary eyes. She didn’t have the energy to do anything, least of all get excited about her Danskelfe Castle news. She just wanted to hide under her duvet and escape all her problems, hoping they’d go away. ‘They’re never going to believe I haven’t got their stuff.And even if I had, I’d have given it to them years ago to get them off my back if nothing else.’

‘I know you would, flower.’

‘What am I going to do?’ Jasmine’s bottom lip wobbled.

Lark sat upright in her chair. ‘I’ll tell you exactly what we’re going to do. After you’ve drunk your tea’ – she flashed Jasmine a wide smile – ‘I’ll make us a bite to eat – no arguments, you haven’t been eating properly recently which will’ve been contributing to you feeling rubbish – then I’ll contact Stells, tell her about the letter, get her legal take on it. How does that sound?’

‘Sounds good.’ Jasmine mustered up a watery smile. ‘Thanks for being such a good friend, Lark. I don’t know what I’d have done if you hadn’t found me.’

‘You were guided to me, flower; I was meant to be in Old Micklewick this afternoon, meant to find you, and meant to get some camomile tea down you.’

‘Compost heap juice, you mean.’

‘Mmm. I beg to differ!’

They grinned at one another before Lark wrapped her arms around Jasmine and squeezed her tight, her bracelets jingling away. ‘It’s going to be all right, Jazz. I promise. Please trust me on this. You might not think so right now, but the rest of the year is going to be awesome for you.’ She released Jasmine from her embrace and took a step back, her hands resting on her friend’s shoulders. ‘And when have I ever been wrong about these things?’

‘Can’t remember you ever being wrong, Lark.’ It was true – whenever Lark had one of her feelings or premonitions about something, she was invariably right. Though Stella and Jasmine gently teased her about it from time to time, the group of friends had learnt to trust her otherworldly instincts.

An hour later, Jasmine was feeling much better. Lark had helped shape her worries into a manageable size which had been a huge weight off her shoulders. On top of that, Stella had called back from a room tucked away in the court building at York, full of fury about the Forsters. Lark had switched it to FaceTime, and the pair had peered at their friend dressed in her courtroom gear of black robes and white horsehair wig covering her blonde hair which was tied back into a ponytail. She made for an intimidating sight.

‘S’cuse the get-up but I’ve just come straight from a trial. I spotted your message and wanted to call straight away. So, what’s been going on?’

Jasmine had brought her up to speed with the details.

‘Despicable bullies! They’re just trying to intimidate you by going through a lawyer, but don’t let them,’ she’d said, her bold, no-nonsense tone filling the small living room. ‘If you like, I can call round tonight after the kids have gone to bed, help you draft a letter. The Forsters want putting very firmly in their place and to finally accept that their son wasn’t the little angel they hold him out to be. I’m sorry he passed away, I can’t imagine what it must have been like for them to lose a child, but they need to stop clinging on to this sort of negativity. It does no one any good. And, deep down, I’m sure they know you haven’t got those things.’

‘I agree,’ Lark had said. ‘It’s as if by stirring up trouble, it somehow keeps his memory alive. They don’t seem to realise that by acting the way they do, they’re not just hurting other people, they’re hurting themselves, too. I’d feel sorry for them if it wasn’t for the fact they’re always so unkind to our Jazz.’

‘It’s the way they are, Lark; they seem to feed off each other’s nastiness. Anyway, Jazz, there’s always the option of using a solicitor to send a letter on your behalf, of course,’ Stella had added. ‘Thinking about it, receiving a reply with a solicitor’sletterhead might have a better effect than one directly from you – no offence. Might give them the shake-up they need, make them stop hounding you.’

‘None taken, Stells, I appreciate your advice.’ Jasmine had reached the point where she was prepared to do whatever it took. ‘They can come and search the house, I’ve got nothing to hide, and they won’t find any of that stuff hidden away. In fact, I wish they would, then they might leave?—’

‘Stop right there, Jazz.’ Stella’s authoritative voice had spliced through her words. ‘Do not, under any circumstances, suggest that to them or their lawyer. Knowing the Forsters, they’d be round before you could catch your breath, rummaging through your stuff, helping themselves to whatever they wanted.’

Stella’s stern tone had sent a spike of alarm through Jasmine. ‘You don’t have to worry about that, Stells. It was just said tongue-in-cheek. I wouldn’t let them over the doorstep.’

‘Good. And don’t forget there’s the option of making an appointment with old Maurice Cuthbert at Cuthbert, Asquith & Co. They offer a free initial half hour there. I doubt he’ll tell you anything different to what I’ve just said, but at least if you decide to go ahead and instruct a solicitor to act on your behalf, you’re already there and can set the wheels in motion, get things moving.’

‘True,’ Jasmine had said, Stella’s words running around her mind.

‘Oh, and Jazz, try not to worry, I’m sure this’ll get sorted quickly. It’s just the Forsters’ latest way of creating another fuss around themselves, keep that in mind. They’re all bluff and bluster.’

‘Let’s hope so.’ Jasmine had offered up a smile.

‘Right, I’m going to have to dash, I’ve got a conference with the CPS in five minutes. But if you need me, just leave a messageand I’ll get back to you as soon as I’m free. As I said, I’m happy to drop by this evening if you need a hand drafting that letter.’

‘Thanks, Stells. Good luck with your case. See you later.’

‘Bye, Stells.’ Lark and Jasmine had waved at their friend until she’d disappeared from the tiny screen on Lark’s phone.

‘Feeling better?’ Lark had asked, turning to Jasmine.

‘I am actually. Thanks for being so supportive.’ Jasmine had thrown her arms around her friend and planted a kiss on her cheek in a most un-Jasmine-like display of affection. Though the traces of her earlier headache had still lingered, and her eyes had felt puffy, the talk with her friends had left her feeling inexorably relieved.

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