Page 109 of A Secret Escape

“Oh—” Avery looked thrown “—of course. She’s a special girl. A credit to you.” Her gaze skidded to Richard, as if to check what he was making of all this.

“She loved the performance ofA Midsummer Night’s Dream. It made her day. And it also made her determined not to give up drama, so I’m grateful to you for that.”

Avery sat down at the table. “She enjoyed it. I saw her mouthing the words. And we talked about it a little bit afterward. She told me about her friend and how difficult it has been.”

Milly delved into her bag and pulled out two tickets to Zoe’s play. “It’s an outdoor performance, so we’re hoping the weather holds, but I do hope you’ll both come. There will be a group of us there cheering her on. I think it would be lovely for Zoe if you were both there too. United front and all that. Family.”

Avery glanced at Richard, who looked nervous.

“When you say a group of you, will that include your mother?”

“Yes.” Milly smiled. “But I’m sure you’re not afraid of my mother, are you, Richard?”

“She’s a formidable woman,” he muttered. “Are you sure she won’t try and kill me in public?”

“We’re watching a performance ofA Midsummer Night’s Dream,notMacbeth,” Milly said. “There will be no murders, and I’m sure you’ll be fine. Things change, Richard. Relationships change. It’s part of life. My mother knows that.”

And now she knew it too, and not only because her blossoming relationship with Brendan had given her a glimpse of a future she hadn’t envisaged for herself.

At some point she’d finally realized that she wasn’t to blame for Richard leaving, any more than she was to blame for her father leaving. People were complicated, and often unpredictable, and sometimes what they wanted changed, and you couldn’t control that. Sometimes you needed to accept the way things were instead of wishing for something different or trying to turn the clock back.

“I do hope you’ll come.” She stood up, keen to get back to her life now that this final job was done. “I think it will be a special evening.”

Chapter29Milly

Are you sure I can’t kill him? Not just for what he did to you, but also for what he did to Nicole. There are foxgloves over there in that pretty border. I could grind them down and drop them into his wine. How much would you need, I wonder?” Nanna Peg clutched her handbag as they stood together and watched as Richard walked toward them along the path. Avery was next to him, wearing a floor-length summer dress in a pale shade of blue. “She looks very plain and washed-out next to you, Milly. You look gorgeous.”

Milly decided that inviting the whole family might have been a mistake. Much as she adored Nanna Peg and appreciated her steadfast support, she was already seeing the potential for many embarrassing moments. And on top of that stress, she felt sick with nerves for Zoe. She’d worked so hard on the part, and Milly knew how disappointed she’d be if it didn’t go well.

Still, it was a comfort to know that Nicole was with her backstage, and Nicole would be far more use in this situation than Milly would have been.

She knew nothing about first-night nerves.

“The dress was a gift from Nicole.” Milly glanced down at herself, wondering if she was slightly overdressed. “I wasn’t sure.”

“It’s stunning. Fuchsia pink is perfect with your coloring.” Nanna Peg narrowed her eyes. “You look a little like a foxglove yourself. Maybe it’s a metaphor. You could be the death of—”

“It’s not a metaphor,” Milly said quickly. “It’s just a dress.”

“I don’t know about foxgloves, but I hope Avery doesn’t drop the strawberries on that blue dress. Wearing something so pale to an outdoor performance in a garden might be a mistake,” Connie muttered, but Milly noticed something other than the dress.

She saw that Avery was gripping Richard’s hand and casting wary glances around her.

“She’s nervous. It must have taken a lot of courage to come,” Milly said, “and I’d like you both to be friendly. This is how our family looks now. Different. Maybe a little messy. But it’s still our family.”

Nanna Peg stuck her jaw out. “I’m not sure that—”

“You’re going to do it for my sake, Nanna Peg.” Milly leaned in and kissed her grandmother on the cheek. “And for the sake of your great-granddaughter. We are going to move on. We are all evolved people here.”

“Are we?” Nanna Peg blinked. “I suppose I can pretend to be evolved. As long as she doesn’t try and turn me into a vegetarian. I have limits.” She sniffed. “It will be easier to stomach now that you’re seeing that extremely hot young guy yourself.”

“Nanna Peg!” Milly felt her face turn pink. Why had she thought a family gathering would be a good idea? She must have been crazy.

“What? He has strong shoulders. I love a man with strong shoulders. It means he can—”

“Mum,” Connie intervened, “you’re embarrassing Milly.”

“What’s wrong with that? What is a grandmother for? Also the fact that she is embarrassed proves that I’m right. And now I want all the details.”

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