Page 14 of Happy Days Ahead in the Cornish Village

‘Sorry, I have actually. I’ve thought about it since the moment I shut the door on my marital home, but I’m no clearer what I want to do. What I do know, though, is I want to find somewhere to settle. Somewhere to put proper roots down.’

‘How about here?’

Megan scrunched up her nose. ‘There’s too many memories here.’

Sally nodded slowly. ‘I guess so.’

‘I want to have a completely fresh start. I wanted to come here and volunteer, find my bearings, so to speak, and it just felt like the right thing to do. I know I can’t make up for the way Lyle treated you all, but I hope I can make a slight difference, however small.’

‘You don’t need to make up for anything. And I know Flora’s spoken to you about that before. You really don’t. If anything, we owe you. If it hadn’t been for you revealing his plans, then the home would no longer be here. You don’t owe us anything.’

‘Still, it feels right.’

It did. When she’d left Lyle the first place she’d thought of running to had been West Par. Well, not quite the first. She’d initially spent a couple of months in her and Lyle’s holiday home on the Norfolk coast, but somehow it hadn’t felt right. When they’d been together, she’d spent a lot of time there on her own anyway and as hard as she’d tried she’d just not been able to relax, she’d always felt as though he might walk through the front door without a moment’s notice. No, coming here she at least could tell herself she was beginning her new life away from him. She didn’t need to look over her shoulder, or worry that he’d walk through the door of the bed and breakfast at any given time. West Par would be the last place he’d think she was.

As they walked across the beach, Splash and Ocean’s leads taut as they played in the sea, Sally linked her arm through Megan’s and pulled her close. ‘Well, I’m glad you came. And I know for one thing, Flora’s relieved she doesn’t have to try to sort the finances out!’

Megan laughed. ‘Glad to be of assistance.’

6

Perching on the edge of the bed, Megan balanced her plate of scrambled eggs, toast and grilled tomatoes on her knee and pulled her phone from the pocket of her jeans. She shovelled a forkful of egg into her mouth before hitting the Call button to ring her solicitor.

As she listened to the rhythmic tone of the call waiting to be answered, she looked out of the window. It wasn’t the prettiest view, and if she strained her eyes, she could see into the top floor of the bank opposite, the staff members sitting on uncomfortable-looking plastic chairs pretending to listen to whatever was being discussed in today’s morning briefing, but it was fine. She didn’t need ocean views or the sight of mountains or hills. This was just right. Besides, in some small way, being able to see other people going about their daily lives made hers feel a little less lonely.

‘Morning, Perkin’s Solicitors, Evan speaking. How may I help you today?’ Evan’s authoritative voice boomed down the line, a comforting mixture of confidence and friendliness.

‘Hi, Evan, it’s Megan. Megan Trussel. I’m ringing to see if there’s been any movement on the divorce petition, please?’

‘Megan! Hi. Yes, there certainly has! It’s all written and being delivered today.’

Megan nodded. Lyle was going to find out she’d filed for divorce. Today. He’d find out today.

‘Okay, thank you.’

‘Can I help you with anything else?’

‘No, no. I don’t think so. I think that’s it. Thank you.’

‘No problem! Have a great day.’

Standing up, Megan placed her breakfast on the little desk below the television and stood at the window.

She looked down at the pedestrianised street below. Mums pushing buggies and dads carrying young children rushed down the street, checking their watches every so often, determined not to be late for the school drop-off. A man carrying a briefcase meandered slowly, stopping every so often and peering into shop windows. Had he left too early for work and was trying to kill time, or was he trying to savour the last few minutes of freedom before being shackled to a desk he’d rather not be sitting at?

Lyle was going to get the divorce papers today. He was going to know she wanted to divorce him. The final axe to their marriage served. She gripped hold of the windowsill. This is what she wanted. This is what she’d wanted for the last few years. To be free to start her life over. And yet, now it was happening, now she’d taken that step to end things formally, she couldn’t help but feel a little pang of regret.

Stepping back, she lowered herself down onto the bed and sank into the plush duvet. This would be the first day of the rest of her life. Yes, that’s how she needed to look at it. She should be excited. The world was her oyster.

She could feel a single tear sliding down the skin of her cheek and she reached up, using the back of her hand to rub it away. She wasn’t going to cry. She’d done all the crying she needed to when she’d discovered what Lyle had been up to with Wagging Tails. She’d cried herself to sleep every night that week at the realisation that Lyle was never again going to be the man she’d married. Now was the time to celebrate.

She lowered her head to her hands and stared into the darkness of her cupped palms. It was time to celebrate; she knew that, but surely it was normal to spend time grieving for what could have been?

A sharp tapping on the door to her room broke the silence. Pulling it open, she smiled as the young girl who took care of all the housekeeping shuffled from foot to foot.

‘Shall I come back later?’ She indicated the bucket of cleaning products by her feet.

‘No, it’s okay, thanks, Lisa. I’d better get off, anyway.’

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