Harriet’s eyes sparkled with promise as she looked at Maria hopefully. ‘It’s only a temporary position, mind you. I’ve got everything handled any other time, but when summer arrives, it’s much harder to stay on top of it all. The place gets so busy, you wouldn’t believe it.’
Maria tried to laugh it off and shook her head quickly. ‘No, I don’t think so.’ In her mind, she could clearly hear Mike roaring with laughter. He would think it hilarious if she, Maria, who’d been a ‘kept’ woman since they’d met, now took up the role of a waitress. The sound of his evil cackling rattled around her mind, making her nerves surge back to the surface once more. Swallowing, she tried to shove Mike into a box right at the very back of her mind and added a padlock for good measure. He was gone for good now. History.
‘Why not?’ Rob persisted cheerfully, seeing no problem with the idea. ‘You’d be great, and with you only staying here for the summer it’s perfect. I think you should go for it. Help Harriet here out!’
And I think you should shut up, Robert, Maria thought to herself, with a smile plastered onto her face so that they couldn’t see what she was really thinking. ‘I don’t know,’ she said slowly, as if mulling it over, when she already knew the answer. ‘Maybe.’
‘Oh, it’s all right. Don’t feel like you have to,’ Harriet laughed heartily. ‘But, if you do happen to change your mind, don’t hesitate to pop back.’
Maria smiled, grateful at Harriet for noticing her discomfort. ‘I will do, thank you. I’ll no doubt be back for breakfast anyway,’ she laughed.
‘Goodbye,’ Harriet waved, as Maria and Robert left the café.
*
‘That wasn’t so bad, was it?’ Rob said before downing the last of his coffee and placing the empty cup into the sink with a chink against the others.
They were back at the cottage and Maria was putting away the shopping she’d picked up on the way back to Daffodil Lane. Her stomach felt deliciously full after their breakfast. She was still surprised at how much she’d managed to eat that morning, wondering whether it was the very area itself working its magic on her. It was a completely ridiculous notion but something had certainly changed that morning.
‘It was lovely,’ she agreed with a smile, and she meant it. ‘Exactly what I needed. If you hadn’t turned up today, I’d probably still be wandering about in my dressing gown. It’s done me the world of good to get out and into town. I feel much better for it. Thank you.’
‘Right,’ he announced after a quick glance at his watch. ‘I best be off. It’s my turn to cook dinner tonight. Teriyaki chicken.’ He rubbed his hands together in anticipation. ‘The girls and Rosanna love it. And you’re welcome, by the way. It’s a stunning place. I’m glad you’re tucked away here for the summer. I reckon you’ll be back to yourself before you know it.’
Maria walked Rob to the door, feeling sad to see him go but looking forward to relaxing. She hadn’t even begun to gather the bits and pieces for the decorating yet. She had no idea where to begin with it. Still, it would be good to turn her mind to something else, and despite having not been expecting Rob to turn up on the doorstep that morning, she’d actually really enjoyed his company.
‘Come here.’ On the doorstep, Rob grabbed her head roughly and yanked her towards him. He planted a loud kiss on her forehead and laughed when she protested.
‘Ow, Rob!’ she screeched, trying desperately to wriggle free and push his hands away. ‘Get off! I’m older than you, don’t forget that, will you?’
He stepped backwards towards the car. ‘I know you are, but you’re still my sister. See you soon, all right? Take care of yourself. Oh, and Maria? Why don’t you have a think about that job in the café? You never know what might come of it.’ He hopped into the car then, and reversed off the driveway, before trundling up the road and disappearing round the corner.
Maria watched him go before turning to take in Daffodil Lane itself. It was, she had to admit, a gloriously pretty area. The cottages were almost identical. One had a bike propped up beneath the kitchen window and another had a garden absolutely overflowing with gorgeous wildflowers that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a watercolour painting above someone’s fireplace. Surrounded by thick woodland and with the cornflower-blue sky above, Maria began to feel that she was on holiday in some far-off land, which she knew had been the point of coming here in the first place. It was a relief to be away from the house she’d shared with Mike for so long. She wondered if he’d packed up his things and left yet. The very thought of going back there sent her stomach rolling. She disappeared into the coolness of the cottage to stop herself from feeling dizzy and light-headed.
Stepping inside, she walked down the narrow hall which led into the conservatory at the back of the cottage. It provided her with a perfect view of the never-ending, rolling green fields reaching out into the distance. The sight was relaxing and, with a sigh of relief that the morning had been successful – in that she hadn’t had a meltdown or burst into tears – she plopped down into one of the wicker chairs and allowed the sun to warm her face through the windows. She kicked off her shoes and stretched her legs out, propping her feet upon the oak table in the centre of the small room. She wriggled her toes and felt calm in the simple beauty of her surroundings. Yes, she could get used to this. No worries. No pressure. Just the journey of getting back to her original self. It would no doubt be hard, but oh-so worth it in the end. The happy, carefree Maria who she missed dearly could be just around the corner.
Stupid Mike. She’d never forgive him for what he’d done to her, what he’d done to their relationship. But it was time to let go and focus on herself, Maria promised, as she closed her eyes and relished the feel of the sun warming her cheeks through the glass.
Yes, by the time summer came to its end, she vowed to be happy once more.
It hadn’t taken Maria long to decide on visiting the café again the next morning. There was something about the place, perhaps even about Harriet, that Maria felt pulled towards, like a magnet. One thing was for sure, the food she’d eaten had been incredible; she could already feel the stirrings of hunger within her stomach at just the thought of eating it again. Also, fluttering about in her mind was the vacancy. She knew she shouldn’t have allowed the thought of Mike laughing at her to put her off, but it was difficult to ignore. Still, she wasn’t completely decided on it. It was just there, taunting her, refusing to let her concentrate.
Getting herself a part-time job just for the summer wasn’t such a bad idea though, was it? Besides sprucing up the cottage, she didn’t have anything else to do in the area, except perhaps take woodland walks and wander about in the sunshine. And, she had to admit, she did like the café and the owner. It would be a wonderful place to work. Was she up to it? Well, she couldn’t be sure of that, but she’d always been a believer in giving things a bloody good go and hoping for the best. She was friendly, approachable, and once she got to grips with something there was no stopping her. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea after all? She nibbled her lip as she thought some more about it. It deserved at least a bit of consideration.
First though, before any of that, she’d promised to give Ellen a call to update her on the cottage and how she was getting on. Still in her dressing gown and with a cup of coffee fresh from the shiny machine in the kitchen (which she’d finally managed to figure out), she took herself back into the conservatory which was quickly becoming a favourite room of hers. It must have been a recent addition to the cottage as it hadn’t yet been painted or carpeted, although it didn’t put her off in the slightest. Maria curled her legs up beneath her as she picked up her mobile phone, her feet cold from the floor, and called Ellen.
‘Hi, Mum. It’s only me. Just checking in.’ She twisted the belt of