Abigail frowned at him. ‘What are you talking about?’
Joss caught her expression and sighed. ‘I’ll buy your cottage if you really want to sell it.’
‘You’d buy my cottage? You’ve got the money?’ Abigail shook her head. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply …’
Joss ran a hand through his unkempt blonde hair and looked down at his torn jeans. ‘It’s okay. I get that a lot.Look, don’t sell it just because you think if he finds out you might lose him.’
‘Lose who?’
Joss made a show of rolling his eyes and looking down the road. ‘As I said before, you can’t choose your family, or stop them from giving their property to whomever they choose. He should just accept who his aunt wanted the cottage to go to and get on with it.’
Abigail stared at Joss. She knew he was talking about Oliver. She was getting cross. ‘You’ve got it all wrong. I don’t care what Oliver thinks.’
‘Oh, really? That’s not what you said a moment ago. You said—’
‘I know what I said.’ She glared at him. Now she wished she hadn’t spoken her mind about wondering what their reaction would be – Oliver’s in particular. Although he had a point: it was out of everyone’s control. Would it be a big deal if they found out? Yes, because she had intentionally kept it from them. She now wished she hadn’t done that.
Abigail stormed across the driveway, ignoring Joss calling out that he was sorry if she thought he was being interfering.
Well, he was, thought Abigail, unlocking the cottage door, storming inside and slamming it shut. She did not have feelings for Oliver. Why would he think such a thing? What had Lili been saying, or someone else amongst the staff up at the Hall? Just then, Abigail was feeling cross with everybody. With Joss for thinking that, for Lili for probably saying that, for Joss’s uncle for … well … living in the lighthouse. But most of all Toby, for leaving her the property and complicating her life. But she knew, deep down, it wasn’t Toby or the cottage, or Joss, Lili or anyone who worked at the Hall that she was cross with. It was Oliver for stirring up feelings in her that shouldn’t be there. Not so soon after losing Toby. In fact, not at all. Toby was the love of her life – wasn’t he?
Abigail had been leaning against the inside of the front door, listening to a car manoeuvring on the driveway, feeling glad that Joss was leaving, when her doorbell rang, making her jump. He was being insistent.
Abigail threw the door open and said, ‘What?’
‘Well, that’s no way to talk to your old man.’
‘Oh.’ She looked past Gerald at his car in the driveway. Joss’s old banger was still there. The car she had heard on the driveway must have been stepdad’s. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Hi Sis!’
Abigail’s eyes went wide when she spotted her brother walking from the car. ‘Luke?’ Abigail narrowed her eyes. Her day was not getting any better. She frowned at Gerald. ‘I thought I said I wanted the cottage to remain between you and mum for now.’
Gerald turned around and glanced at Luke. ‘We work together all day. It just slipped out. I couldn’t help it.’
They were still in their fishing clobber. She guessed they had come straight from the boat.
Luke stepped forward, holding out his arms to hug his sister.
‘Ugh, you stink.’
He started slipping off the bright orange plastic dungarees and the waterproof jacket. Underneath, he was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. ‘Better?’
‘Marginally.’ Abigail stepped forward into his embrace.
‘It’s great to see you. I’ve been meaning to come up to London …’
‘I know.’ Abigail wasn’t surprised he hadn’t made it since the funeral. The trouble with his job was that they had to be out there in all weathers, working long hours. He didn’t get much time off work, not even to visit his grieving sister.
Luke stepped back. ‘So, this is it, the cottage.’
Abigail frowned at Gerald.
‘It’s nice, Abigail, really nice. So, you’re back.’
She sighed.
‘Come with us to The Anchor Inn. It will be like old times.’