Page 76 of An Island in the Sun

‘What? You mean pay for his education?’

Cordelia pursed her lips.

‘He was just a child when you sent him away.’ Tabitha couldn’t bite her tongue any longer. ‘What did you expect would happen? You put the whole thing in motion because it suited you. Then you go and accuse him of stealing.’

Cordelia snapped her head round, her demeanour changing from anger to shock. ‘He told you about that?’

‘He’s talked to me a lot.’ The dogs had settled down in their usual spots, but Tabitha noticed Fudge’s eye kept twitching open as their voices rose. She was sure Rufus would be able to hear them too, and was probably relieved to be well out of the way. Even if she ended up regretting speaking her mind, she wanted to stand up for Raff. ‘Why would you believe the cleaner over your own son?’

They were standing at opposite ends of the coffee table, squaring up to each other like they were in a boxing ring.

‘He was troubled. There was a lot going on with him back then. He’d got in with a bad crowd, was doing drugs. He may have been living in London but we found out stuff. He spent quite a bit of time with Rufus’s parents in Surrey; Raff at least talked to his grandma. And on the occasions he was back here, it was obvious what he was in to.’

‘Yet you didn’t talk to him.’

‘It all blew up – there was no chance to. He stormed out; called us all manner of things under the sun. And, of course, when the truth came out about our cleaner having been caught stealing from other clients, the damage was done.’

‘So you knew it wasn’t him yet you’ve continued to let him believe that you think he stole from you? That’s low,’ Tabitha said. ‘You need to put him straight.’

‘I don’t need to do anything. You have no right to… to…’ Cordelia faltered, shook her head and breathed deeply. She looked as if she was on the verge of tears and Tabitha steeled herself for the inevitable torrent of abuse she was sure was about to come her way, because she’d overstepped.

The heightened emotions of the past few days, from the absolute joy of being with Raff to the sudden reality of him running away and leaving her to deal with his parents, was all too much. ‘I’m sorry,’ Tabitha spluttered, knowing she needed to put an end to this and walk away. Raff’s problems weren’t hers to fight, however much she felt for him. ‘I don’t think I should stay here tonight. You need time to yourselves and I’ve most definitely outstayed my welcome.’

Cordelia didn’t argue; she didn’t say anything. Her perfectly made up face looked older; her bubbly spark from their initial meeting two and a half weeks earlier had evaporated. Her eyes were red and tired, and the fight had seemingly gone out of her.

Tabitha escaped to the guest room, which was empty except for her luggage. The sheets had been washed, the bed was made, all evidence of Raff erased. Tabitha packed her washbag and the clothes she’d left out, heaved her rucksack onto her back, her guitar over her shoulder and thumped her way down the stairs with the suitcase.

Cordelia was standing on the villa’s threshold, gazing out at the shadowed garden. She turned as Tabitha dragged the suitcase across the tiles.

‘Where will you go?’ The coolness in her voice remained, yet her face had softened a little. ‘Do you need to call a taxi?’

Tabitha shook her head. ‘I’ll see if Julie can put me up for the night.’

‘Julie?’

‘She’s been really good to us.’

‘Us?’ The sternness returned in Cordelia’s frown and clenched jaw. Tabitha instantly knew she’d made a mistake in mentioning her. ‘Sheknew Raff was here?’

‘Only by chance; none of this is her fault…’

But Cordelia was already pacing to the front door.

Shit.

Fudge jumped down from the sofa, padding after Cordelia. Tabitha left her luggage in the middle of the room and shut the bifold doors to ensure the dogs stayed in.

By the time Tabitha had made it out of the front door, Cordelia was almost out of sight. Tabitha closed the gate behind her and ran to catch up with Cordelia storming along the lane towards Julie and Anton’s house.

‘Julie has done nothing wrong.’ Tabitha tried to catch her breath as she kept pace with Cordelia, ashamed and horrified that she’d managed to get Julie into trouble.

‘She’s always interfered,’ Cordelia snapped, not slowing in the slightest despite wearing heeled sandals. ‘She’s always looked down on me when it comes to my parenting. She’s taken Raff in like he’s some kind of stray animal that needs looking after. How can she understand my position when she doesn’t even have children of her own?’

‘Perhaps there’s a reason for that…’ Tabitha trailed off. It wasn’t her place to tell Cordelia about Julie’s struggles.

Tabitha thought of Raff, on a plane somewhere over the Atlantic, escaping this whole messy situation; she wanted to hate him for leaving her to confront his parents on her own and yet, every time she thought about him, her heart ached.

Cordelia reached the house and battered her fist on the front door. ‘Julie!’

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