Page 30 of The Village of Lost and Found

‘Great,’ said Lucy. ‘Thanks, I’m starving.’

‘Don’t get your hopes up,’ added Belle, making a face. ‘They’re only microwaveable. My aunt can’t cook for toffee.’

Lucy was confused. ‘Your aunt?’

‘My Aunty Angie and Uncle Mike run the pub,’ Belle told her. ‘There’s the happy couple now.’

Lucy glanced over her shoulder to where a woman dressed in a neon yellow top was shouting at a man, who was rolling his eyes and trying to get a word in edgeways. The woman was holding what appeared to be another hanging basket.

‘Don’t worry,’ said Belle, in a sarcastic tone. ‘That’s about as happily married as they get.’

‘I don’t know why they just don’t divorce and be done with it,’ said Amber, shaking her head.

‘I think they actually work better when they’re arguing,’ said Belle. ‘When they went to marriage counselling, they were even worse.’

‘I don’t know,’ said Lucy, with a sigh as she stared down at the table. ‘At least they’re passionate about each other. My parents are the complete opposite. Their marriage is civil but cold.’

She looked up to find the other three women staring at her in surprise.

‘That must have been tough for you growing up,’ said Amber.

Lucy shrugged her shoulders, trying not to let the hurt bubble up to the surface. ‘They’re just not huggers. My mother didn’t even like picking me up when I cried as a child. I was an inconvenience, truth be told. They were happy to send me away to boarding school and to stay with Uncle Frank and Aunt Jane as often as they could.’

‘What about your wild-child years?’ asked Belle. ‘That must have been fun.’

Lucy grimaced. ‘Not really. I was just rebelling against my parents and wanting attention. Unfortunately I got the wrong kind.’

Belle pushed the glass of Pimms towards her. ‘Here,’ she said softly. ‘I cut up the fruit so at least you know Aunty Angie hasn’t added a parsnip or something.’

Lucy smiled, thankful for the change of subject. ‘Thanks. It’s really lovely out here,’ she said, looking around the pretty garden.

‘It is.’ Belle sighed. ‘Aunty Angie does a nice job with the garden. But it needs more customers.’

‘What about karaoke?’ said Molly. ‘That would be fun?’

‘Are you mad?’ said Belle, grimacing. ‘Do you want to hear Dodgy Del singing? Me neither.’

‘What about a gin tasting night?’ said Lucy, before taking a sip of her drink. ‘A lot of places are doing that now.’

‘That sounds like fun,’ said Amber.

Belle nodded thoughtfully. ‘Yeah. That might just work. Thanks.’ As her face lit up into a smile, Lucy realised that the sarcasm was perhaps just Belle’s sense of humour and that underneath it all she was actually a nice person.

‘Two chips and pizza!’ called out Angie from the pub entrance, holding a tray.

‘I’ll get them,’ said Amber.

But as she went over to collect them, she tripped over a thick tuft of grass and nearly fell over. Lucy watched as Josh rushed over to her to check that she was OK.

‘They’re so sweet together,’ said Molly, with a sigh.

Belle rolled her eyes. ‘You think every couple are sweet,’ she drawled. ‘Keep dreaming.’

‘It’s just nice to see Amber and Josh in love, that’s all,’ said Molly.

When she returned to the table, Amber was blushing. ‘I’m such a klutz,’ she said, laughing as she put the tray down onto the table.

‘At least you didn’t fall in the river this time,’ said Belle.