Page 42 of Summer at the Cornish Garden Café

‘Have you spoken to the midwife?’

Marnie shook her head. ‘It’s been an awful weekend of worrying about Thomas and I think it’s just the stress. I’m supposed to avoid stress…’ She gave a wry laugh. ‘Hard when my baby brother is going through a crisis.’

‘Poor you and poor Thomas. I’ll go to him and see if I can help.’

‘Lena, he thinks you sold him out.’ Marnie leant her elbow on the table then her head on her hand.

‘I swear I didn’t.’ Lena’s heart ached at the thought that Thomas and his family could think she’d betrayed him. ‘Why would I do that?’

Marnie placed a hand on her shoulder. ‘I don’t think you did. I didn’t believe it would have been you, anyway. But Thomas really struggles to trust anyone and because you are a journalist, he thought it must have been you.’

‘I’m devastated.’ Lena’s eyes filled with tears. ‘He must think I’m a monster.’

‘No, love, he just thinks he is.’

Lena gasped and nodded. ‘Oh Thomas… my poor sweetheart.’

‘You two need to talk. I’m sure you can work it out.’ Marnie’s eyes grew wide as saucers and her lips went pale.

‘Marnie? What is it? I’ll go and get that water for you.’ Lena stood up and looked around but they were the only people in that part of the gardens.

‘Don’t leave me!’ Marnie grabbed her hand and moaned. ‘Oh no… It’s too soon.’

Lena looked down and saw fluid running down Marnie’s leg and fear gripped her like icy hands. She pulled her phone from her pocket and found Ellie’s number.

‘Come quickly! Out the front!’ she said into her phone then she ended the call and crouched in front of Marnie again. ‘It’s OK, Marnie. Everything will be OK. Help is on the way.’

As Ellie and Pearl hurried out of the café and took over, Lena sat next to Marnie on the bench and phoned Thomas, praying that he’d answer this time.

24

THOMAS

Thomas unlocked his front door and went inside. He unclipped Fifi’s lead and removed her harness and she went to the kitchen for a drink of water. He’d just dropped his nieces off at school and come home. Leanne had told him not to worry about going to the sanctuary today as he was too worried about Marnie and the baby.

He sank onto a chair in the kitchen and sighed. What an awful time it had been. Marnie was stable and the baby was too, which was all that mattered right now. Marnie had been leaking amniotic fluid and because she was only thirty-two weeks pregnant, she’d been admitted to hospital where she was being monitored. The medical team had given her antibiotics to prevent infection and steroids to develop the baby’s lungs. She was being monitored and would be on bed rest until the doctors had a better idea of how things would progress. The hospital was the best place for her right now but he knew his sister and how much she’d hate being there and away from Wendy and Winnie. Thomas was staying with the girls at Marnie and Bligh’s home, and Bligh was at the hospital with his wife.

Thank goodness Lena had been with Marnie at the café. If it had happened when Marnie was walking up there or if she’d been alone in the gardens and unable to call for help, it could have been very different.

He shook his head. There was no point thinking about what could have happened and he should have learnt that with what had happened to him.

Lena…

Her beautiful face filled his mind along with a wave of sadness. He’d seen her at the hospital because she’d gone in the ambulance with Marnie. They’d spoken briefly in the waiting room but it had not been the right time or place to talk about themselves.

A gentle knock at his door made him look up. Perhaps Bligh had come back to get something. But why would he come here and not go straight to his?

Thomas went to the front door and opened it.

‘Thomas,’ Lena said. ‘How are things?’

He’d messaged her through the night to keep her updated whenever Bligh had messaged him. It had meant a lot that she cared so much about Marnie. She’d even offered to watch the girls, but Thomas couldn’t stay at the hospital too. Bligh had asked him to watch Winnie and Wendy for them at their own home because they wanted to keep things as normal as possible. Their parents were going to travel back from the Lake District but had things to arrange before they could leave their home and pets.

‘Pretty much the same but Bligh said the doctors said the outlook is good. As long as Marnie rests.’ He crouched down. ‘Hello, Harvey.’ He reached out and stroked the small dog and got a lick in return. ‘Do you want to come inside?’

‘Please. If that’s OK?’

He led the way through to the kitchen where Fifi was snoring in her bed, oblivious to the fact that they had visitors. It had been a busy time for her too, spending the night at Marnie’s and then walking the twins to school. Harvey climbed into bed with Fifi and made a fuss of her then they snuggled up together.

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