Page 8 of Forgive Not Forget
“We are?”
“Yes, we’re going clothes shopping. You said yourself you need to smarten up for your new role. Apparently, a little girl pointed out she looked like a tour guide, Carrie.”
Carrie snorted. “Get her out of the abbey jumper before her skin fuses with it permanently.”
Katherine stroked at her chin. “I’m thinking a nice sharp suit, white shirt, maybe a pair of braces.”
“Oh yeah, is that some fantasy of yours?” Anna raised one eyebrow at her.
“I’ll leave you ladies to discuss that one in private.”
“Sorry, Carrie, too much information?” Anna called after her.
Carrie stuck her head back around the door. “Just a bit. Good luck with the hunt.”
Katherine stood. “Right, I’m going to squeeze this body into some Lycra and get to Pilates.”
“Oh, can I watch?” Anna pleaded as they left the meeting room.
“I’m not sure the group would want you watching them during Pilates.”
“No, I meant watch you squeeze into Lycra.”
Katherine twitched her lip at the accuracy of the wordsqueeze.
CHAPTER4
Anna left Abbey House with a promise to Katherine she would be back in good time for dinner. She felt like a kid going out to play with her friends. She’d always had to be back before the lampposts came on; it was the best way for an eighties child to tell the time. Technically she was going to visit a friend; she’d had a text from Laura inviting her and Katherine over for a cup of tea on Saturday afternoon. Katherine had suggested she go alone so they could catch up properly and said that she would meet her another time.
A little flutter of excitement had been with her all day at the prospect of hearing what Laura had been up to over the years and sharing her own news in return. Anna had very few friends, if any, outside of work, and she relished the thought of having someone close by who shared her experiences from long ago. It was grounding in a way. She might even have someone other than her dad, Gloria, and Carrie to invite to the wedding. She and Katherine had agreed to draw up a list of names each so they could finalise invitation numbers. So far Katherine hadn’t been forthcoming with hers, and Anna was embarrassed to show her list to Katherine, who no doubt had endless friends, colleagues, acquaintances from the past to invite.
A rustle in the bush at the end of the driveway alerted her to Virginia’s presence. The cat leapt out, running ahead of Anna by a few paces, and stopped in her path so she would have to be greeted. Anna stooped over to stroke Virginia’s head. Before she could reach it, though, Virginia dived back into the bush as a figure in a black coat flew past on a bike on the road beside her. It took Anna by surprise as much as it had Virginia.
She watched as the bike left the road and mounted the elevated pavement in front of the shops where Gloria was clearing tables outside the tearoom. As the bike reached Gloria, it jumped off the raised pavement and into a puddle on the road below, before popping a wheelie down to the other end of the village. Anna was sure there was something familiar about the figure in black.
Gloria had almost fallen over backwards in shock. She steadied herself on the nearby table.
Anna ran over to her. “Are you okay?”
“Little thug!” Gloria shouted after him. “It’s the second time he’s done that this week. I’m sure he’s aiming for me. He’s a menace.”
“I’m sure he’s just trying to have a bit of fun. He could perhaps do it somewhere more appropriate, though.”
“He’ll have my elderly customers over and drive away business if he keeps it up.” Gloria moaned, then collapsed into a nearby chair.
Anna stepped forward to help, though this prompted Gloria to bat her away.
“I’ll be all right, love, just give me a second. Did you want anything?”
“No, thanks, I’m heading to a friend’s for a cuppa. Do you remember Laura, whom I used to go to school with?”
Gloria thought for a moment. “Jean’s daughter?”
“Yes, she’s recently moved back to the village.”
“Jean was a good ‘un, like your mum. We all used to hang about together back in the day. It was a different village then. Everyone was younger.”
Anna braced herself for a long speech about the old days.
