Page 57 of The Village of Lost and Found

Amber looked sad. ‘Poor Tom. She really did break his heart.’

‘Maybe they’ll get back together,’ said Molly, in a dreamy voice.

‘Are you mad?’ said Belle. ‘Why would he do that when she cheated on him?’

‘It’s like Bridget told me,’ said Molly. ‘Sometimes the other person needs to cheat to get it out of their system.’

Lucy couldn’t stop herself from commenting, ‘So you’re saying that I should get back with Jamie Watkins? Even though he lied about still being married and cheated on his wife?’

Molly shook her head. ‘No! Of course not. He treated you terribly.’

‘Just like Gary has towards you,’ said Amber in a pointed tone.

‘But Bridget said…’ began Molly, frowning.

Amber gave her a small smile. ‘We know that she’s your oldest friend, but she always seems to make you feel bad somehow.’

‘No, she doesn’t,’ said Molly, violently shaking her head.

Belle gave her a stern look. ‘She told you the other day that you should give up your job because you’re useless at it, and help her at the hairdressers instead.’

‘She was just trying to help,’ said Molly, not sounding so sure now. ‘I’d had a bad day.’

‘Rubbish,’ said Belle. ‘She just belittles you all the time and doesn’t even let you have your own opinion.’

‘You’re so lovely,’ added Amber, putting her arm around Molly. ‘So kind and giving. We just hate to see you miserable, that’s all.’

Molly bit her lip. ‘I’m just not very good at anything,’ she said.

‘Nonsense,’ said Lucy, leaning up against the balcony. ‘Why else have I told Tom to promote you?’

Molly looked up at her, astounded. ‘Me?’

‘Of course, you!’ said Lucy, smiling. ‘You’re bright and great with people. I’ve told him to make you our social media editor. You can deal with all the Twitter, Instagram and all that kind of stuff.’ She suddenly stopped talking. ‘Are you crying? What’s the matter? What have I said that’s wrong?’

‘Of course she’s crying,’ said Belle, rolling her eyes. ‘Hopefully they’re happy tears for once.’

‘They are!’ sobbed Molly. ‘I can’t believe it.’ She looked up at Lucy with tear-filled eyes. ‘Do you really think I can do it?’

‘I wouldn’t say so otherwise,’ Lucy told her. ‘I may be useless at most things, but even I can spot when somebody is overqualified for their job.’ She sighed. ‘And, I’m afraid, we’re going to need everything we can get because the newspaper is in serious danger of closing.’

She was absolutely not going to cry, she told herself. But it didn’t stop a big lump forming in her throat.

The other women looked at each other, shocked.

‘It’s that bad?’ asked Amber. ‘I had no idea.’

‘Me neither until this morning,’ said Lucy.

‘But it can’t close,’ said Molly, looking perplexed. ‘I’m about to get a promotion.’

Lucy smiled at her. ‘Well, we’re hoping that it won’t. And with your help it might even reach out to more people.’

‘But surely you’re more qualified?’ Molly told her, biting her lip in concern.

Lucy almost laughed at the irony. ‘You’re joking! Only by being in the headlines, not by actually writing them. Besides, you’re far more friendly and easy to like than I am.’

Belle suddenly smiled. ‘You don’t have a very high opinion of yourself, do you?’