‘Wait. I’m booked into Sapphire Hotel?’
He nodded. ‘It’s all been arranged. It seems rather grand. And imagine having someone to cook and clean for you for a month.’
Ava had to admit that was a good point. And it wasn’t as if she’d have to palm Georgia off on anyone in London while she gallivanted around the country.
Feeling a little dazed, she returned to her desk and flopped down in her seat.
Even though Nancy sat opposite her, she sidled round and perched on the edge of Ava’s desk.
‘So?’ Nancy queried.
‘I have an assignment. I’m going to be in the Midlands for four weeks.’ She handed the paper to Nancy, watching as her eyes widened.
‘That is amazing,’ Nancy cried. ‘You lucky cat.’
‘I’ve been before, I used to go for summers with my parents.’
‘What was it like?’
‘Sleepy, but in a nice way. I bet it’s changed since then, though. From what I can recall, there weren’t too many people in the village.’
‘Sounds too sleepy for me,’ Nancy replied. ‘If there aren’t wine bars and theatres and lots to do, it would be my kind of hell.’
‘There’s a beautiful lake.’
‘You wouldn’t get me on a boat!’
‘Me neither.’ Ava had never liked large stretches of water unless she could see it from a sun lounger on a sandy beach. A paddle in the waves was her limit.
‘I’ll be fine.’ Ava pulled a face. ‘I’m going to miss you, though. What am I going to do without you for four weeks?’
‘Never mind you,’ Nancy cried. ‘What am I going to do here with Brendon the bull on my own?’
Ava sniggered. ‘If there was one thing I’d be grateful of, it would be not to see his face every day. Perhaps this trip will do me good, after all. And you know what they say. A change is as good as a rest.’
CHAPTER TWO
Only Ava’s train could be delayed for over an hour, causing her stress levels to go through the roof. She’d intended on arriving in time for dinner at Sapphire Hotel, but she was going to miss her reservation. It was now half past six. The journey from Euston would take a couple of hours, and from there, she had a thirty-minute taxi ride to the outskirts of Somerley.
Finally able to board, Ava pushed her suitcase into the luggage rack and settled in by the window. The train began to fill, and she prayed she might not have to sit close to someone. She wasn’t good at making small talk.
She placed her handbag on the seat next to her and got out her Kindle so she could put her head down. Obviously if the train was full, she would move her things. She wasn’tthatrude. But for now, she wouldn’t catch anyone’s eye.
Thankfully, a few minutes later the train started its journey, and she sighed with relief as the carriage was only half full, the seat next to her empty. She emailed the hotel to say she would be late, then got out the details of her assignment.
Although she’d visited many times in her childhood, with fond memories of long summers, it would be strange to be in Somerley again. She wondered how much it had changed in thetwenty-two years she hadn’t been back. She certainly had, that was for sure.
The refreshments trolley arrived, and she loaded herself up with caffeine and sugar, gratefully biting into an overpriced chocolate bar as if she’d never had one before.
She glanced out of the window, the darkness giving rise to her fear of going into the unknown, and tried not to think about her ex-husband, Giles. After marrying him when she was twenty, Ava had thought they’d be together forever. Now, she couldn’t help thinking she’d given him the best years of her life. Finding out about his affair – no, his latest affair – had been the turning point she’d needed.
She reminisced about the night in question. Giles had told her he was working late, again, having a meeting about a takeover that was happening shortly where he worked as a business analyst. Nancy had persuaded her to go for something to eat after work.
She’d spotted Giles with a woman as soon as they’d been seated at a table. Giles was holding her hand up to kiss her knuckles. The woman, who seemed to be ten years younger than him, was tittering, looking all coy. It was clear it was no business meeting.
Ava had seen red. She’d walked over, quite bravely she’d thought afterwards, and introduced herself as Giles’s wife, taking a slight satisfaction when the woman’s face had paled.
‘Oh, you clearly didn’t know about me,’ she’d said. ‘Mind, I’m not surprised as he’s done this so often, I bet he forgets who he’s told and who he hasn’t. Unless he tells none of you that he’s married.’
