Page 4 of Christmas at Sturcombe Bay
It took a couple of trips to haul all of Jess’s stuff up to Julia’s spare room on the first floor. At the far end of the passage, overlooking the stable yard, it was small and cosy, tucked beneath the eaves, with a sloping ceiling and a dormer window. The bed looked comfortable, the wardrobe and dressing table old-fashioned, but more than adequate.
“I’ll get some fresh bedding for you.” Julia dumped the three bags she had brought up from the car onto the floor. “Will you be all right in here?”
“Absolutely.” Jess smiled at her sister. “It’s fine.”
“It could probably do with a bit of a dust round.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll do that.”
“Okay.”
The two of them went back downstairs to bring up the last of the stuff from the car, then Julia brought the fresh bedding from the airing cupboard and helped Jess make up the bed. As they were finishing, the sound of hoofs on the cobbled stable yard echoed up to them.
Jess glanced out of the window as a slim, dark-haired young woman slid athletically down from a large chestnut. “Who’s that?”
Julia came to peer over her shoulder. “That’s Cassie — Cassie Channing. Liam’s fiancée. You’ll like her. She’s loads of fun. They’re getting married at Christmas.”
Oh. A wedding. Ouch.
Julia was quick to notice the thinning of her lips. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”
Jess shook her head. “Don’t be silly. People get married all the time. I can’t pretend it doesn’t happen.”
The woman was unfastening the horse’s girths and lifting off the saddle, all her movements quick and efficient.
“She’s Lisa’s sister. Remember Lisa Cullen from the hotel, the assistant manager?”
“Oh, yes.”
“Cassie’s been away for ten years, travelling all over the world. But apparently she and Liam had a thing going when they were teenagers, and when she came back they got together again.”
“Ah, how romantic.” Jess couldn’t quite keep the cynicism from her voice. Turning away from the window she began to pull her clothes out of the bags and hang them in the wardrobe. “What does little Robyn think of her?”
“She adores her. It’ll be good for her to have a mum again. It was so sad, Natalie dying like that when she was only two.Though Liam’s done a great job with her — he’s a smashing dad. Anyway, how about some dinner?”
“Sounds good.”
“We sometimes have dinner with the family, but I’ve got a lasagne on for us tonight. There’s plenty for the four of us, and . . . I guess you’d prefer to eat with just us anyway?”
Jess smiled crookedly. “Yes, I would, if that’s okay?”
“Of course.”
“Thanks, Jools.” Impulsively she hugged her sister. “Thank you so much. I feel better already.”
“That’s good. Come down in about twenty minutes. I’ll leave you to unpack for now.”
Alone in the room, Jess sat down on the edge of the newly made bed. The anger that had sustained her on the drive down here had exhausted her. Now her head was aching. She felt as if she had been hit with a sledgehammer.
Reaching into her handbag she pulled out a small parcel. Glenn’s Christmas present. A watch — quite an expensive one, one he had always coveted.
She’d bought it early, looking forward to Christmas with as much excitement as a child. Her first Christmas as Mrs Glenn Howell. Well, it wasn’t too late to send it back and get a refund.
If only she could get a refund on the past five years of her life so easily.
Oh dammit, it was her own stupid fault. Oh, not Glenn’s behaviour — that was entirely on him — but she should never have let it pass the last time he had done it. And the time before.
She hadn’t told Julia about that first one — she had been too embarrassed. He had apologised so profusely, promising her so sincerely that he would never do it again. And she had believed him because she had wanted to. Pathetic.
