‘Well…’ said Brenda, looking uneasy.
‘Great,’ carried on Kate. ‘So you were devastated I should think by the level of destruction in your home?’
‘Actually, we were one of the lucky ones,’ Brenda told her. ‘It was only ankle-deep in our home. Next door had it far worse.’
‘And who do you think should take the blame?’ asked Kate. ‘The council for not providing more flood defences? The farmers for ripping up their hedges?’
‘It was just one of those things,’ said Brenda, glancing around her as if looking for an escape. ‘I really must go.’
‘And what are the chances of your property flooding again?’ carried on Kate. ‘Will you ever be able to get insurance again? And what about if you ever want to sell it?’
Brenda looked upset. ‘I hadn’t really thought about it.’
‘I read that property prices can plummet once you’ve been flooded,’ Kate told her. ‘Do you think you’re in negative equity now? And have the bank been kind or unhelpful, would you say?’
Brenda cleared her throat. ‘Plummet?’ she repeated.
‘Oh yes, by at least half, they say,’ said Kate. ‘Had you plans to move? Would you say that your life will never be the same?’
Amber watched as Brenda’s eyes filled with tears and was so angry that she finally found her voice.
‘That’s enough!’ said Amber. ‘Can’t you see you’re upsetting her?’
‘I’m a journalist,’ said Kate, giving her a sneering once-over. ‘I have to ask the difficult questions.’
‘Not in my shop, you don’t,’ Amber told her. ‘I think you should leave.’
Kate looked surprised. ‘Your shop?’ she said.
‘I’m standing behind the till, aren’t I?’ Amber replied, filled with anger. ‘So I get to choose who stays and who gets thrown out of here. You do not get to upset anyone in here. And by the way, you can drop the sneering attitude about me working here. Because I’ve decided that I’m good at designing. That’s why I was headhunted for in New York. And, yes, I might only work in this shop, but I like it. In fact, I love it. I love Cranbridge. And I love Josh too!’
There was a sudden silence filled only with Amber’s deep breaths as she struggled to keep control.
She flinched as Kate suddenly laughed and opened her mouth to speak. Amber prepared herself for the mocking cruelty that she had been so used to.
But it never came.
Kate gave a start as her arm was suddenly held by Tom, who had appeared nearby.
‘I heard everything,’ he said, his voice for once cold and hard. ‘Including your harassment of these nice ladies. Go back to the office, pack up your things and don’t come back. You’re sacked.’
Kate snatched her arm away from his hold. ‘I’ve had a job offer anyway,’ she told him. ‘London. Far away from this grotty little village and your miserable little paper.’
Then she swept out of the door without looking back.
‘I didn’t mean to cause any trouble,’ said Brenda, who had remained silent throughout the whole confrontation.
‘You didn’t,’ Tom said, anxious to reassure her. ‘I’m sorry if she upset you.’
‘Thank you,’ said Brenda, turning to giving Amber a watery smile as well. ‘And thanks to you too. There’s so much that I can’t face at the moment.’
‘That’s OK,’ said Amber. ‘Please don’t be upset. Enjoy the fair.’
‘Thanks. I will.’
After Brenda had left, Amber was finally able to let her smile slip. She sank shakily down onto the stool behind the counter.
Well, she had actually done it. She had faced up to Kate at last. She wouldn’t allow herself to be bullied any more. She was a strong, independent woman. Just look at what she and Josh had managed to achieve together. And that was what it was all about, she realised. Being together.
She suddenly stood up and looked at Tom in shock.
‘Go,’ said Tom softly.
Amber nodded at him and rushed towards the front door, where she nearly ran down Belle who was about to come in.
‘I hope you’re still on for that drink tonight,’ said Belle.
‘I need you to keep an eye on the shop!’ said Amber, brushing past her.
‘Hey! What’s going on?’ asked Belle.
‘I need to see a man about a tractor!’ shouted Amber over her shoulder as she hurtled down the steps and out onto the lane.
45
Amber’s immediate problem with trying to find Josh was that Riverside Lane was packed with people.
She looked across the crowd but couldn’t see him at all.
But she did suddenly see Cathy, looking suntanned and smiling as she walked up to Amber with Grandma Tilly alongside.
‘Hello!’ she said, sweeping Amber into one of her bear hugs.
Amber was momentarily caught off guard as she let herself be enveloped into her godmother’s warm embrace.
‘Hello,’ she managed to croak back, suddenly finding the emotion of the past couple of weeks catching up with her.
Cathy finally stepped back and held her at arm’s-length. ‘Hey! Whatever’s the matter?’
‘Nothing,’ said Amber, brushing away a tear as she smiled at her. ‘I’m just pleased to see you.’
‘Well, if you’re pleased to see me, then I can’t imagine what your next reaction will be,’ said Cathy, pointing over her shoulder.
Amber spun around and was amazed to discover her parents standing directly behind her.
‘Mum!’ she cried out in shock. ‘Dad! What are you doing here?’
‘Darling, we’ve missed you so much,’ said her mum, rushing forward to hug her.
Amber stood in shock as they both embraced her.
‘But I’m flying out to join you tomorrow,’ Amber told them, once she had recovered her voice.
‘I know,’ said her dad, looking guilty. ‘I did tell your mother that we ought to have warned you.’
‘We just thought it would be a nice surprise,’ said her mum.
‘I don’t understand,’ said Amber, feeling very confused. Surprise was an understatement, she thought.
‘Our little adventure didn’t quite work out for us,’ said her dad.
‘Why am I not surprised?’ murmured Amber.
Her mum sighed. ‘The truth is, darling, that we missed our home too much. It turns out that whilst New Zealand is a lovely, wonderful country, it’s just not here. Your father missed his garden. I missed my Cathy. Once she arrived to stay with us, we realised all that we’d given up.’
Amber tried to take it all in. ‘So you’re moving back to England?’
‘That’s the surprise,’ Cathy told her. ‘They’re moving to the village to live.’
‘Sometimes dreams aren’t quite what you imagine, are they?’ said her dad.
‘No,’ said Amber. ‘They’re really not.’
‘Isn’t it marvellous?’ said Cathy. ‘We haven’t told Josh yet. Do you know where he is? I’d love to see him.’