Page 44 of Happy Days Ahead in the Cornish Village

‘Oh, okay, thanks. I’m still working my way through the receipts and invoices and documenting the expenditure.’

‘Good, good. I didn’t mean about the books, though. I meant how are things going with you, lovely? You’ve been through a fair bit recently and it can’t be easy having left your home and everyone you know to come down here and live in a B and B.’

Megan squirmed in her chair. ‘It’s okay, thanks.’

‘Are you sure? You’re holding up, okay? It’s a huge transition.’

Megan looked down at her drink. Tiny bubbles of milky coffee floated on the top. She gently swirled the mug around, watching them disappear as they dispersed.

‘It’s not been easy, but then staying in the house with Lyle, after knowing what he’s capable of, wasn’t either. I don’t regret making the decision to move out.’ Even if she would be spending her first night sleeping in her car, it would be easier than living with him.

‘No, I can imagine that wasn’t easy. I can imagine it wasn’t a very nice atmosphere in that house.’ Flora took a sip of her drink.

Megan shuddered. ‘It’s strange. I know I was with him for so long, but now, being on my own, life is so much easier. I haven’t got to second guess what he means when he says something, always wondering if he’s telling me the truth or not. Even before I discovered what he was up to with this place, I mean. It seems he’s been lying to me for such a long time, and I hadn’t even realised he was doing it.’

Flora nodded quietly.

‘It’s a relief our marriage is over now.’ Megan smiled sadly. She’d never get back the years she’d dedicated to him, but she was glad she’d now seen him for who he really was.

‘Well, as long as you’re holding up okay.’ Flora patted Megan’s hand.

‘Yes, I am, thanks.’

Or she had been. It had almost felt like an extended holiday of sorts living at the bed and breakfast. Now, though, she knew things were going to be different, but she’d cope. If she could walk away from Lyle after the years they’d spent together and brave coming down here not knowing what welcome she’d receive then she knew she’d be okay sleeping in her car for a few nights, or weeks, or however long it took her to find a job.

‘I know I’ve said it before, but I’m always here if you need an ear. We all are. We’ve all been through our share of difficult times, and we understand.’

‘Thank you, that means a lot.’ Megan smiled. ‘And I know I’ve said it before too, but thank you again for accepting me and letting me volunteer here.’

‘Oh, lovely, it was never you who wasn’t welcome here.’

‘I know, but thanks.’ Megan took another sip of her drink before standing up. ‘I’ll see you in the morning.’

‘Yep, see you. Have a good night.’

‘Okay, thank you anyway.’ Megan clutched her mobile closer to her ear and stared out of the windscreen as a van pulled into the lay-by in front of her. ‘But you’ll let me know if anything else comes up? Anything which doesn’t require experience?’

‘You’re on the list.’ The voice at the other end of the phone sounded irritated. Probably eager to get her off the line so they could go home.

‘Thank you.’ Ending the call, she placed her mobile down on the dashboard. Thanks for nothing. And what had they meant by ‘the list’? Did that mean they had a lot of people looking for a job or was ‘the list’ code word for ‘the bin’?

Picking up the scrap of paper she’d jotted the numbers down on, she crossed off the last number. That was it. No more. She sighed. She’d contacted all the potential employers who had advertised for jobs in the Trestow Telegraph, but that didn’t mean there weren’t other businesses out there looking for new employees. There were probably loads. It was the height of the tourist season, after all. There must be companies looking to recruit temporary staff at least.

Yes, she just needed to take a look. If she’d had the energy, she’d have looked online now but after all of the rejections she just couldn’t bring herself to. Besides, it was getting late, most places would be closed or closing. She’d find something. She would.

Despite what she was trying to tell herself, she couldn’t ignore that little niggle inside her mind, telling her that all summer vacancies would have already been filled, telling her that with university students back home and the colleges having broken up for summer any temporary spikes in the need for employees will have already been accounted for. If she acknowledged that niggle, that nagging doubt, what then? How was she supposed to survive on no money?

And who could she turn to? Not her parents, that was for sure. They’d hated Lyle when she’d introduced them and when she’d announced their engagement they’d all but disowned her, told her they wouldn’t be picking up the pieces when the marriage fell apart. She pinched the bridge of her nose. What had they seen in him then that she hadn’t? What had everyone else seen in him that she hadn’t?

Andy, Sally’s partner, had trusted him, though. He’d trusted him enough to go into business with him. She shook her head. Andy hadn’t known him for as long as she had. And their shared friends – or should she say Lyle’s friends – had been the same as him, ambitious without a conscience. Maybe she had been the only one gullible enough to see him for who she wanted him to be.

No, that wasn’t true. He had been nice, he had been kind, but maybe only to her. Maybe he had acted differently towards others, towards her parents, whilst putting on a show for her? That would explain why they’d been so against her marrying him. And that would explain how easily he’d turned against her when she’d scuppered his plans to demolish Wagging Tails.

There was nothing she could do now. She couldn’t change the past.

Shaking her head, she tore open a bag of crisps before pushing the rest of the multipack across the passenger seat. She looked down into the packet. When had portions become so meagre? This wasn’t going to fill her up, but now she’d used the last of her change on the crisps and a bottle of water it would have to do. She’d need the other five in the pack for her upcoming meals.

She crunched down on the first one. If Lyle had even given her a little notice before he’d cut any ties to the money, then she’d have got some cash out, but there’d been nothing to suggest his plans. No signs, no mumblings from him. Although he had been fixated on having seen her and Jay together when he’d turned up the other day. Maybe she should have guessed.

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