Andee said, ‘Aha, here comes our soup. I don’t remember ordering it, do you?’
‘You didn’t,’ Fliss informed her. ‘This is just to keep you going while we sort things out in the kitchen. It’s on the house.’
As she set the bowls down, Andee said, ‘Was that Maria Colbrook who stormed out just now?’
With a sigh Fliss said, ‘It was. Honestly, you can’t help someone for trying. This is the third time I’ve given her a job and she either burns the food, clouts one of the other staff, or offends the customers. Today she threw a cast-iron pot at Kevin, the cook. Missed thank God, but I had to fire her, or Kevin would have walked. I’ll put money on her being on the doorstep again before long begging for more work. If she doesn’t get hiked off to prison again first. Anyway, I’d better get back to it, the orders are piling up and I’m trying to do the till as well.’
‘I’ll finish this and come and take over the front of house,’ Leanne promised. ‘It’ll leave you free to chat with Dan when he comes,’ she said to Andee. ‘But first, I’ve been thinking, should we try to find a partner for him? He’s highly eligible, and he must be very lonely rattling around that lovely duplex over his office.’
‘I think he prefers it that way,’ Andee told her, ‘He’s been incredibly busy with the RJ project lately as well as his law firm, but don’t worry, Graeme and I are keeping an eye on him.’
By the time Dan arrived Andee and Leanne had finished their lunch. After a warm greeting, Andee hopped up from the table, saying, ‘I’m going to make a call. I’ll be right back.’
In the café’s cloakroom which was full of wet coats and umbrellas, she moved further along to the rose-scented area outside the bathrooms and connected to the number Leanne had given her for Claudia. Disappointingly she was bumped through to voicemail, so she left a message. ‘Hi, my name’s Andee Lawrence. Leanne Delaney gave me your number. I was hoping to talk to you about some drapes that I need making in a hurry. It’s quite a big order, for a show home. If you’re interested and would like to talk more you can get me on this number. I’m really hoping to hear from you. Thanks.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
Claudia watched her mother’s face as she replayed the message from Andee Lawrence, knowing very well what Marcy was thinking. It was probably much the same as she’d thought herself when she’d first heard it, although her mother would have far more optimistic hope going on than she’d had.
At last something that might persuade Claudia to emerge from her shell.
‘Are you going to call her back?’ Marcy asked, returning the phone and carrying on brushing her hair in the mirror. She was clearly trying not to make a big deal of it, continuing to get ready for a meeting at the community centre, and given how carefully she’d applied her make-up Claudia wondered, not for the first time lately, if there was someone special on her mother’s horizon.
‘I think if I don’t call back you’ll leave me,’ Claudia quipped.
Marcy smiled, her blue eyes softening in a way that made her seem younger and happier than she’d looked in a while. ‘It’s a great opportunity to start building your business again,’ she said, ‘and to meet someone new.’
Claudia wasn’t going to deny that, for it was what she’d thought herself, and turning to look at the dining table laden with dishes of coloured beads and charms, special threads and wire, her pliers, glue and needles, she gave a small sigh. She’d made jewellery several years ago and sold it online, and now she was in the process of doing more, rebranding her designs as Simply Baubles. It wasn’t going to make her a fortune, but it wasn’t a fortune that she needed.
It was a life.
‘You shouldn’t waste any time,’ Marcy urged. ‘If you don’t get back to her right away, she’ll find someone else. You can do this.’
In spite of the anxiety tightening her heart, Claudia said, ‘OK, I’ll call her now,’ and tapping Andee Lawrence’s number on the phone screen, she looked at her mother again as she waited for the connection.
Marcy’s face was full of hope, eyes bright with encouragement and Claudia knew she was doing this as much for her as she was for herself.
‘Hi, Andee Lawrence speaking.’
Claudia’s eyes drifted to the rain on the windows. ‘It’s Claudia Winters,’ she said, feeling oddly as though she was stepping into another world, with no knowledge of where she might land. ‘I got your message. I– it’s possible I could help you, but I need to know more about …’
‘Oh, thank goodness,’ Andee replied in a rush. ‘Maybe we could meet at the property so you can see exactly what’s required – and I’ll have to pray you won’t go screaming off into the night when you see what I’m asking for.’
With a smile, Claudia said, ‘We only arrived in the area a few months ago so I haven’t really set myself up yet, so I don’t have any workers or suppliers, at least not locally.’ Could she contact the team she’d used before? No, of course not. Was she out of her mind? ‘If you’re in a hurry …’
‘Don’t worry, we can work it out together,’ Andee assured her. ‘I have plenty of contacts, and if you need help sourcing fabrics I can make several suggestions, although I’m sure you’re much better connected in that field than I am.’
Since she wouldn’t have to use her old name when placing orders, Claudia said more confidently, ‘OK. If you text me the address and a time I’ll be there. I have no other commitments so I can fit in with you.’
‘Music to my ears. I’ll do it right away.’
Clicking off the line, Claudia wondered where her mother had gone but didn’t go to look. Instead she walked to the window and rearranged the folds of a gauzy drape. She really didn’t think Andee Lawrence’s call was a trick, something set up by her sister-in-law, but she could no more stop the thought than she could the traffic outside. She scanned the Promenade for familiar faces, but saw only raincoated tourists braving the late September weather and locals going about their business.
‘No one’s out there,’ Marcy said gently as she came back into the room. ‘You don’t need to be scared.’
Claudia turned around. ‘I know,’ she replied, and drew a hand down her slender neck as though to relieve the tension, ‘and one of these days I might stop thinking there is.’ She smiled. ‘It’s not happening as often now.’
It was true, the sense of being followed or watched was no longer as consuming, and she’d even stopped seeing Eugena in the supermarket, coming out of the station, in the café, walking towards her on the beach … Women who actually looked nothing like her could morph into her for brief, horrifying moments, but thankfully she was getting this under better control.
It wasn’t quite the same with Marcus, for she still had nightmares about him and his cruelty; awful, terrible scenes of violence and anger that stayed with her after waking up, that even revisited her during the day. Eugena had known what he was like, and some sadistic part of the woman had actually seemed to enjoy all the terror and misery her brother inflicted. ‘That’ll be the address,’ Marcy said, as a text arrived on Claudia’s phone.