Sarah held up the ring. ‘You came here for answers.’
‘No, I didn’t, not to begin with. I honestly did not know that Joseph had the same ring. It was a coincidence that I walked into his shop. The first time I met Joseph, we were just browsing in his shop out of the rain while we waited for Ray’s shop to open,’ Lili explained. ‘Maisie told him we were looking for a holiday rental and he offered us the flat above his showroom. I thought it was a kind gesture from a stranger, but I declined. However, when I couldn’t find anywhere else, I came back. That’s when he had his fall.’
Lili breathed a sigh, and admitted, ‘I don’t really know him – not as a friend.’
‘Then why—’
‘Lie?’
‘It’s a long story.’ Lili did not want to get into how she came to be on an extended holiday in Aldeburgh with someone else’s child, not to mention that her partner had dumped her.
‘Have you told Nate and Ray thislong story?’
Lili caught the sarcasm in her voice, the distrust.
‘Look, everybody assumed Joseph and I must be good friends if he was letting me stay in the flat.’
‘And you let people think that without correcting the misconception?’
Lili said in a small voice, ‘I’ll tell them when I get back to Thorpeness. I left Maisie with William, Ray, and Nate at The Summerhouse.’
‘Ray is at the house?’ Sarah said in surprise. ‘He never goes there.’
Well, he does now, thought Lili. She changed the subject. ‘Nate was surprised you had a date, Sarah,’ she said.
Sarah’s eyes narrowed. ‘I’m not the only one who has been on a date.’ She stared at Lili.
‘Are you talking about me?’ Lili looked at her and shook her head. ‘That wasn’t a date. Nate just invited me to dinner as a thank you for—’
‘Nate?’
‘Yes.’ Lili saw her confused expression. ‘Who did you think I was talking about?’
‘Ray.’
‘Ray? Whatever gave you the impression that—’ Lili stopped mid-flow. ‘Oh, the bouquet! It’s not what you imagine. I told Ray to stop buyingyouflowers.’
‘Oh, you did, did you?’
‘There was no ulterior motive, if that’s what you’re thinking,’ Lili added. ‘I didn’t want Ray for myself – why would I? He’s … old.’ Lili raised her eyebrows. ‘Sorry, that came out wrong.’
Sarah smiled. That was what she had thought; what would a pretty young woman like Lili want with her husband?
‘Look, we met by chance on the beach and ended up having fish and chips together. That’s when he asked me, as a woman, for my advice about how to win you back. I stupidly told him to stop smothering you and give you some space. He mentioned that you kept telling him to stop sending you flowers. I thought it was time he listened to what you wanted for a change.’
‘So, he sentyouflowers instead.’
‘It was meant as a joke. I think it had become such a habit, so he had flowers delivered to me instead as a thank you for my advice – that’s all. Then I realised my proposal had backfired when you told me you’d joined a dating site. You thought he’d moved on.’ Lili sighed. ‘I can’t believe you assumed he was interested in me. I can assure you that is not the case.’
‘I overheard him ordering them. When I saw the bouquet in the flat window …’
‘You got it all wrong.’
Sarah smiled. ‘I can see that now.’ She sighed. ‘I’m an idiot.’
Lili returned her smile. ‘Me too. I’m the last person who should give him relationship advice.’ She didn’t know how long Ray and Sarah had been apart or the reason they had split up, although she would not be surprised if it had something to do with Nate and their decision to send him away to live with his grandfather. She imagined that decision had festered for years until retirement brought them too much time, which they had spent blaming one another for past mistakes.
‘To be honest, my own relationship has broken down. I’m in no position to tell someone else what they should do about their love life. That’s how I found myself here, on an extended holiday. My partner doesn’t want me back.’