‘What’s her name?’
‘Ellie. Look—that one was taken just after she was born.’
‘She’s sweet. She’s sleeping now, is she?’
Jennie shook her head. ‘No. She’s out for the day, with her…father.’
Shelley had been flicking through the album, but she glanced up when she heard Jennie’s hesitation. ‘You don’t have to tell me, you know.’
‘Oh, it’s not a big, dark secret and I’m not ashamed of being a single mother,’ said Jennie defensively. ‘You know him, actually. Or you did. Remember Jamie Butler?’
Shelley nodded as she took another biscuit and bit into it. ‘Of course I do. He was ahead of us at school—a few years below Drew—am I right? Always very tanned—loved boats? Blond curly hair? Good-looking?’
‘That’s the one,’ said Jennie wistfully. ‘He still loves boats, and Ellie adores him. So do I.’
It wasn’t her place to pry. ‘That’s nice,’ said Shelley evenly.
‘No, it isn’t nice,’ disagreed Jennie mulishly. ‘It’s hell, if you must know.’
‘Because you’re no longer together, you mean?’
‘We never were, not really. Not for long.’ Jennie sighed. ‘But he wants us to be.’
‘And you don’t?’
Jennie shook her head. ‘Drew doesn’t.’
‘Drew? What the hell does it have to do with Drew?’
Jennie gave a hollow laugh. ‘Everything. He’s my self-appointed moral guardian, didn’t you know?’
‘Sounds familiar,’ gritted Shelley. ‘Drew knows best. Or thinks he does.’
‘Exactly,’ sighed his sister, briefly forgetting sibling loyalty. ‘And basically he disapproves of Jamie because Jamie can’t provide for me in the way that Drew thinks he should.’
‘You may think this is none of my business—’ Shelley took a last mouthful of tea and stood up ‘—but Drew is the world’s biggest control freak—he always has been. And it’s your life, not his. We only get one bite at the cherry—so don’t let him make you live it in a way which makes you unhappy!’
‘If only it were as simple as that!’
‘Everything is as simple as you make it,’ said Shelley fiercely. ‘Believe me. If you want Jamie then you’ve got to fight for him.’ The way she should have fought for Drew. She’d thought that for a long time afterwards until she had realised that those kind of reflections would get her precisely nowhere. She glanced at her watch. ‘It’s time I was going. lf the Westward won’t take me—’
‘Then come back!’ said Jennie impulsively. ‘I mean it.’
‘I know you do. And thanks. Thanks for the tea, too.’
‘But I’ll see you again, won’t I?’ said Jennie. ‘Once your house is habitable enough to move in. You aren’t just going to take off somewhere again, are you?’
‘Who knows?’ said Shelley truthfully. She didn’t know how living back in Milmouth would affect her. Seeing Drew some days—maybe most days. Especially if he was involved with someone…
‘Does Drew have a girlfriend?’ she asked Jennie suddenly, then wished she could have bitten the question back. ‘I’m sorry. It isn’t fair of me to ask you.’
‘No, it isn’t,’ Jennie agreed. ‘Though it’s understandable. He doesn’t talk about his personal life to me! Though I guess if there was something really serious going on I’d know about it.’
‘But I suppose he’s been out with other women since I’ve been away?’
Jennie looked at her in exasperation. ‘It’s been three years, Shelley—of course he has! Why, he still gets mail from some of the women he met when he was travelling—and you know how long ago that was!’
‘You won’t tell him that I wanted to know? He might take it the wrong way.’ Or the right way.
Jennie shook her head. ‘I can’t promise not to tell him, not if he asks. He’s my brother and I love him. And you hurt him, you know.’
‘Yes, I know,’ said Shelley. ‘I’m the one who has to live with what I did.’ But in the end she suspected she had hurt herself far more… ‘Goodbye, Jennie,’ she smiled.
But once outside there was no need to keep up the pretence and the smile fell away as she slid into her car, not switching on the engine until she had composed herself. Then she found herself revving up like a racing driver, until she remembered where she was, and she drove almost sedately up the winding cliff road towards the Westward Hotel.