Page 23 of Forgive Me Not
She bent down and picked it up.
Chapter 8
It took over an hour to dig up the deadly nightshade bushes. Emma was glad of the distraction. Afterwards, she headed to the kitchen for a quick cup of tea. Bligh was labelling his red onion jars in the shop and rebuffed her offer of a drink. Next she dragged the old bench into the goats’ enclosure and immediately one of them jumped on top. She scratched its head. She sawed an old piece of wide guttering in two and put one half in the rabbits’ run to act as a tunnel, filling it with strawberry plant leaves. Dusk fell, and as an evening treat, she chopped up some apples for the sheep and hand-fed one with a black patch of wool on top of its head. He was an orphan they’d saved and named Spit because he never completely mastered drinking from a milk bottle. He’d taken it best from Andrea, who at one stage slept in the sheep enclosure overnight. Emma remembered doing that herself one summer when her favourite lamb fell ill.
Repeatedly she checked her watch. Why hadn’t Andrea rung with news? When the sun started to set, Bligh drove to the hospital. Andrea wasn’t replying to his calls or texts and he was worried. While he was gone, Emma swept the yard. Any evidence of the summer shower had quickly evaporated.
His car pulled up. Andrea opened the passenger door and got out. Emma laid down her broom and hurried over.
‘How’s Mum?’
Tears filled Andrea’s eyes.
‘Is she okay? Bligh?’
He nodded.
Andrea wiped her eyes and tugged out her ponytail bobble. ‘They told me to go home. Mum hasn’t been sick. She isn’t hallucinating. They think she must have just eaten that one berry.’
Emma exhaled. Thank goodness.
‘I’m just so worried,’ said Andrea. ‘What if they’re wrong?’ Bligh locked the car and came around to her side. ‘Thanks for staying late, Bligh,’ she continued in a flat tone. ‘Go home. You’ve done more than enough; you must be as tired as I am.’
‘Not until I’ve at least made you a hot chocolate,’ he said. ‘Have you eaten at all?’
She shook her head. ‘I just wasn’t hungry, and in any case I couldn’t leave Mum’s side. She looked so scared in the unfamiliar surroundings. What if she wakes up frightened tonight?’
‘I’m sure she’ll be all right,’ said Emma.
‘What would you know?’
‘You told me yourself, Andrea, that the doctors weren’t worried. They’re just keeping her in overnight to be safe,’ said Bligh. ‘Try not to worry. She’s in good hands.’
‘Look, let me make us a drink,’ said Emma, and without waiting for an answer, she went into the kitchen. She set out three mugs, spooned out hot chocolate powder and boiled milk in a pan. When she turned round, Bligh and Andrea were sitting at the table. Both looked utterly exhausted. Emma handed out their drinks and joined them. For a moment no one spoke.
‘I’ve dug up the deadly nightshade bushes,’ she said.
‘Bligh told me what you’ve been up to.’ Andrea put down her mug and gave Emma a cold stare. ‘One afternoon of tidying up doesn’t put straight the mess from the past.’
‘I know. But please, let me stay a bit longer and help – try to put things right. I think you need me.’
Andrea picked up her mug again and sipped. ‘You can forget staying here,’ she said eventually, ‘and I can’t imagine anyone in the village wanting to put you up.’
‘Then I’ll sleep rough until I get something sorted and the inheritance money comes through.’
‘Don’t be so dramatic.’ Andrea shook her head. ‘That’s not a solution.’ She was still refusing to make eye contact.
‘What about the barn for… for a couple of days, to start with?’ asked Emma, bending down to stroke Dash, who’d snuck in the back door and was sleeping by her feet.
‘But there’s no furniture, no hot water…’ countered Bligh.
She looked up. ‘If Andrea doesn’t mind, I’ll use the bathroom in the house – but apart from that, it’s more than adequate.’
‘No.’ Andrea shook her head. ‘I said you can’t stay here.’
‘What about Mum?’
‘I’m managing,’ said Andrea, as if she were trying to convince herself. She screwed up her eyes and muttered something about one of her headaches.
