I’m feeling quite sentimental, that’s all, which is mad considering I’ve been staying in Silverbells less than a week!
We load up the backpacks, collect the basket for Mrs Richards, and set off, crunching through the deep snow and calling at houses and cottages along the way.
Everyone seems pleased to see us – especially when they see the treats we’re delivering – and the chat is all about the snow and people’s plans for Christmas. Even Maud’s eyes open wide with pleasure when we present her with paper napkins wrapped around two double chocolate cookies and a home-made mince pie.
We visit the houses on the high street, including Anita’s mum and dad’s house, where she’s been staying with Rufus since splitting with Jeff. Her mum, who’s in the process of writing her Christmas cards, jokes that she definitely deserves a break from such a laborious task, and she takes three large cookies, promising to take two into the back garden, where Anita’s dad is making a snowman with Rufus. After that, we double back to the bridge and call on Nora, who looks as if she’s been taking a nap.
Her eyes light up at the baking, and she’s much more talkative than she was when I spoke to her the other day - possibly because she knows me now and trusts me. ‘This is so nice of you, Carrie. Both of you. I’m absolutely obsessed with cake right now. I suppose it must be the hormones. Ooh, yummy!’ She takes a slice of chocolate cake and puts it carefully on a plate in its napkin, declaring she’s saving it for later.
‘How are you, Nora?’ I ask.
‘Huge. And tired. I keep wishing she’d arrive but then I feel terrified at the thought of giving birth.’ She turns to Anita. ‘Does it hurt a lot?’
Anita smiles. ‘I’d be lying if I said it was a breeze. But the midwives are fabulous. Don’t worry. You’ll be fine, Nora, honestly.’
Nora nods but she still looks terrified. Just like a child herself, really, I reflect sadly.
‘I think she’ll be a great mum,’ Anita says, as we head on over to the houses around the village green. ‘She’s so brave to be living on her own.’
I nod. ‘She looks so young, but she’s actually quite mature for her age. It’s so sad that her parents aren’t supporting her.’
‘I know.’ Anita ducks to avoid an over-hanging bush from someone’s garden. ‘Ouch! Bloody holly!’ she whispers, as her hair gets caught on the prickles. ‘I guess that just about sums up my Christmas this year.’ She shakes her head gloomily. ‘I’m really dreading it, Carrie.’
‘Christmas sucks when you’re sad,’ I agree, untangling her. ‘But…Rufus will make you smile.’
Mention of her son seems to revive her a little. ‘Seeing his face on Christmas morning will be the highlight, that’s for sure. But…Jeff won’t be there.’
‘Well, what about…I mean, do you think you could give Jeff another chance? He might be telling the truth, you know, when he says he’s entirely innocent.’
She sighs. ‘I was going to invite him over to talk it through. But then…’
‘What?’
She gives a guilty grimace. ‘I phoned the woman he was snogging at her work. I had a glass of wine first to give me Dutch courage.’ She sighs. ‘I just wanted to hear her side of the story.’
My eyes open wide. ‘What did she say?’
‘That she and Jeff had been flirting on the phone for weeks and she’d known it was only a matter of time before they got it together. She thought he was single. So that’s why she arranged to meet him in the pub on the pretext of a work query.’
‘Right…so it was her coming on to him. Maybe she imagined the whole attraction thing?’
Anita frowns. ‘Yes, but they were kissing, Carrie. Right there, in front of my eyes. He claims she pounced on him before he realised what was happening, which could be true. But the thing is, his hands were around her waist. He wasn’t repelling her. Not in the slightest. He was kissing her back and he looked as if he was enjoying it. A lot.’ She shudders. ‘I just can’t get that image of the two of them out of my mind…’
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
‘Did you trust Jeff before that happened?’
‘Yes.’ Her chin wobbles. ‘Absolutely.’
‘So…maybe you should just try to forget about that woman and what you saw. Put it behind you?’
She stares bleakly at me, and I sigh, realising how facile my words sound, because of course Anita can’t