Lili told her about the discovery that Connie had got her a place at the private boarding school when she was eight, that she’d done it out of guilt, and that she had known Lili’s father and mother. Lili explained that her parents had left her in Connie’s care while they were away on a trip, but Connie never divulged that fact. What Connie didn’t know, and why she could not explain why they failed to return for her, was that they’d visited another island and had been killed in a motorcycle accident.
‘I don’t get it,’ Hannah interrupted. ‘Why didn’t your relatives come forward after your parents died?’
‘Well, that’s the thing; Connie didn’t know a lot about my parents, but apparently my mother told Connie that she was estranged from her family. It appears they are not aware of my existence.’
‘And your father?’
‘The same, I guess. Sounded as though they were bumming around the world. And then I came along …’ It sounded to Lili as though her mum had been a bit like Hannah, although she didn’t voice her thoughts.
‘So, your grandparents didn’t know they had a grandchild – a little girl who’d been left behind on Corfu.’
‘Precisely.’
Hannah scratched her head. ‘That’s really sad,’ she said, ‘and all because your mum had fallen out with her parents …’ She went very quiet.
Lili stared at her. She had meant to say to Hannah that she should patch things up with her parents; Maisie deserved to know her maternal and paternal grandparents.
‘Well, now you know their names, you can find your relatives.’
‘I already have somebody working on that.’ Lili didn’t want to mention Ray, although she knew she’d promised him she would speak to Hannah about seeing his grandchild.
‘What do you think the significance of the rings is?’ Hannah asked when Lili told her all about the discovery that the ring she’d always worn on a chain around her neck was one of a pair of Hebrew wedding bands. The other had belonged to Joseph’s father, Maisie’s great-great-grandfather.
Hannah stared at her. ‘Wait – are you saying you might be related to Maisie’s father’s side of the family?’
‘I don’t know. Right now, all I’ve got to go on is the photo on my phone and this ring.’ Lili held up the band on the end of the silver chain around her neck.
‘Well, you know where to start – don’t you? You must return to—’
‘Corfu. Yes, I knew you’d say that!’ Lili fell silent.
Hannah bounced out of her seat. ‘Great. Now, let me fetch my laptop and we can book your flight.’
‘Okay,’ she said slowly. Since when had Hannah taken such a keen interest in her life? Her best friend was usually so self-absorbed.
Hannah returned with her laptop. ‘Ah, there’s a flight first thing tomorrow morning.’
‘Tomorrow?’
‘And there’s seat availability,’ Hannah remarked.
Lili stared at the screen displaying the EasyJet flight to Corfu. She wasn’t sure what she would find there. Her parents were long gone. It would be a better idea for her to go back to Aldeburgh and speak with Joseph. But although she wanted to find out about the significance of her ring, she couldn’t imagine showing her face in Cobbler’s Yard.
‘Corfu it is, then,’ Lili said with a wisp of a smile. She handed over her passport and her bank card. Hannah booked her flight while Lili picked up the photo of herself as a toddler. If nothing else, she could at least visit the beach where she’d been found.
The article about the young couple who had died on another island that Ray had discovered had stated their funeral arrangements. It sounded as though her father’s body had been repatriated to England to be buried. However, her mother had been laid to rest on Corfu in the British Cemetery. That was where Lili intended to go to pay her respects. Although it had all happened a long time ago, she was hoping she might find someone on the island who known her mum.
Lili was aware she was clutching at straws; Ray was far more likely to unearth her relatives through going down the genealogy route to build her family tree, with a bit of help from the local police in Zakynthos where her parents had perished. Perhaps one of her parents had links to the island; she imagined that was what Ray was trying to find out. What were they doing there? Lili would like to know whether there was any significance to their visit to the island.
She already had an idea. Connie had mentioned Lili’s mother’s estrangement from her family because of some secret she had uncovered. Lili was convinced that their trip to the other Greek island had had something to do with that.
She glanced at Hannah, who was busy filling in her passport details. Lili imagined that without Hannah pushing her to go, she would find plenty of excuses to delay the trip. For a start, there were her relationship issues. During her taxi-ride, Alex had surprised her by texting to apologise about how thoughtless he’d been to box up all her possessions and send them by courier. He’d said his behaviour over the past month had been inexcusable and had asked whether she could she ever forgive him.
Lili hadn’t known how to reply. It wasn’t just about the box. It still upset her that he hadn’t discussed his promotion with her and the move to Washington. She had a life in the UK.
Or did she? She’d not attended her interview at Kew, and the flat she’d shared with Alex wasn’t a permanent home. There were her London friends, of course, but they could easily keep in touch on social media. It was Maisie and Hannah that she would find hard to leave behind – especially Maisie.
However, Alex had been right when he’d said she had her own life to lead; she still wanted children and a family of her own. The problem was that youngsters changed at an alarming rate in just a short space of time, and she knew that if she moved with Alex to Washington, she would lose touch with Maisie all too quickly. Lili didn’t know if she was ready for that, or if she ever would be.
Lili cast a glance at Hannah, who was returning from the study with her plane tickets printed out. She didn’t know if she was ready for her trip to Corfu either. There would never be a right time to take the journey. She just had to make the effort and go. Perhaps then, whatever she discovered – or didn’t discover – she would be able to lay the ghosts of the past to rest and move on with her life.
‘Here are your plane tickets to Flower Island.’ Hannah placed the boarding passes on the kitchen table in front of Lili.
Lili picked them up, wishing Hannah would stop calling the island by that name. It just reminded her of the job in Kew she hadn’t attended the interview for.
Right now, she had nowhere else to go. Whatever was going on between Hannah and Kyle, it was obvious she couldn’t stay there for long. If nothing else, at least she would have a cheap holiday in the sunshine.
Alex had asked her to meet him, but she’d been in two minds. Hannah had actually done her a huge favour and made up her mind for her; she was definitely going to Corfu on the trail of a family secret.