Page 63 of Happy Days Ahead in the Cornish Village

Megan shrugged. ‘I didn’t last night. Jay somehow guessed what I was doing and insisted I stay over at his.’

‘That horrible, horrible man.’ Flora pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. ‘Lyle, of course, not Jay. He’s one of the good ones. Why on earth didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you ask for help?’

Megan could feel the sting of tears behind her eyes. ‘I… I don’t want to be a burden to anyone. I should be able to do this myself. I should be able to cope by myself, provide for myself. Everyone else does.’

‘Everyone else doesn’t have a Lyle in the background pulling the strings, do they?’ Flora patted Megan’s hand. ‘Everyone needs help at some point.’

‘No, they don’t. Look at Jay. He’s coping after his divorce. Ginny had a bad experience with her ex and she’s just fine.’ Megan wiped her eyes, pressing against her eyelids, willing the tears to stop.

‘Jay’s ex-wife moved out, leaving him to live in the marital home, I believe. And Ginny. Well, has she told you how she got this job? She rang me from Trestow train station after she’d left her ex, Jason. She saw a poster I’d popped up asking for volunteers and arrived here with only the clothes on her back. I gave her a room and eventually a job.’

‘Really? You did?’

‘I did.’ Flora shook her head. ‘So, you see, everyone needs a little bit of support every so often. And I’ll tell you what we’re going to do, you’re going to come and stay over at the cottage with Poppy and me and I’ll see if I can give you a little for all the work you’re doing with the books.’

Megan held up her hands. ‘No, I’m not taking any money from the charity.’

‘You wouldn’t be taking money, lovely. You’d be working for it, and besides, it’ll be out of my own money, not the charity’s.’

‘Definitely not.’ Megan shook her head. ‘Thank you, but I really won’t be taking any money from you.’ She had to learn how to stand on her own two feet. And she most definitely would not be taking any handouts.

Flora nodded slowly. ‘Okay, well, in that case, you come and stay, and we’ll pop some cards up in the local shops, see if anywhere has any job vacancies. I know it’s unlikely in West Par but one of the village residents might just be able to pass your name on to their boss in Trestow or wherever they work and let you know about any upcoming work.’

‘I don’t know.’ Megan turned her cold mug on the tabletop so the picture was facing her; a yellow teddy, the huge smile cracked from being washed so often.

‘I’ll help you search for jobs online, too. You’ll be earning in no time.’ Flora raised her eyebrows at her. ‘And I won’t take no for an answer to you staying at the cottage. No one from my team sleeps in a car.’

Megan sighed. ‘Are you sure?’

‘As sure as I know that we could both do with another cuppa.’ Standing up, Flora picked up her and Megan’s mugs and turned to the kettle. ‘Everything passes and this will too.’

Megan looked down at her hands. Would it? The future looked pretty bleak from where she was sitting, and it could get worse if Lyle wanted it to. She wasn’t quite sure what he was capable of.

With her tote bag hanging from her shoulder, Megan gripped her other bags in her hand and rang the doorbell to Flora’s cottage. She smiled as she heard the scurrying and excited barking from the other side of the door. She could tell which bark was Cindy’s and which must be Dougal’s, Poppy’s little dog.

As soon as the front door opened, Cindy bolted out, standing on her hind legs and leaning her front paws on Megan’s stomach while little Dougal circled her legs, reminding her of an old friend’s cat.

‘Hi, come on in, welcome to the madhouse.’ Poppy grinned. ‘Aunt Flora’s just burning dinner.’

Just on cue, the fire alarm sounded from the back of the cottage and Poppy grimaced.

Megan laughed and stepped inside. ‘Are you sure you don’t mind me invading your space?’

‘Of course not! The more the merrier.’ Poppy held out her hands for some of Megan’s bags. ‘I’ll take those. I’ll show you to your bedroom in a bit, but first, we’d best check Aunt Flora isn’t actually burning down the house.’

Megan copied Poppy in piling her bags at the foot of the stairs before following her through the living room to the kitchen at the back of the cottage. Sure enough, Flora was in there, wafting a tea towel towards the alarm on the ceiling. Eventually, the piercing beep-beep of the alarm slowed and stopped.

‘Sorry about that, lovelies.’ Flora now waved the tea towel in the air, dispersing the smoke. ‘I hope you’re not a fussy eater, Megan.’

‘Nope, I’ll eat anything.’ Megan smiled and looked across to the oven where two pizzas and a garlic baguette stood lightly singed.

‘I wouldn’t say that if I were you,’ Poppy stage-whispered, holding her hand in front of her mouth.

‘Oi.’ Flora flung the tea towel at Poppy, who caught it deftly and glanced at the pizzas. ‘Takeout it is then.’

‘Now you’re talking.’ Poppy laughed.

‘Why don’t you show Megan her room whilst I order?’ Flora said, taking the tea towel back from Poppy.

---