Page 73

‘Neither do I,’ Evelyn agreed.

‘And if he really did walk out with that . . .’ Liv hesitated, knowing Angela’s views on swearing ‘. . . harpy, without a word of explanation . . . and move her into my old cottage — of all the cheek! — then he needs to come on his freaking knees before Angela gives him so much as the time of day again!’

‘I did tell him it was fine, and that he should go.’ Angela tried to complain, not totally sure why she was defending him. ‘And you did move out of the cottage.’

‘Humph. I still feel sorry for my little fairy cottage. Besides, even if you did tell him to leave, did you really want him to?’ Liv’s question was gentle, but it still hurt.

‘No. I wanted him to tell her to stuff the H-E-double-hockey-sticks back off to wherever she’s been.’

‘But if she’s pregnant with his baby . . .’

‘Oh, she’s pregnant.’ Try as she might, Angela couldn’t get the image of that bump out of her mind. Why was it that she could easily forget important things — like to pick up more milk — on a regular basis, but couldn’t get rid of that image, no matter how hard she tried. Even her brain was betraying her.

‘Well, then he has a responsibility to her. And to that baby,’ Evelyn reasoned.

‘He has a responsibility to Angela too,’ Liv argued. ‘And waiting two days to call her, especially when he’s not been turning up for his community service, makes him a heel . . . and a lot of far worse things that Ange will tell me off for saying!’

‘I really am lucky to have you two as friends.’

‘We’re lucky to have you, too. Even if you do end up palming your rescues off on us both!’ Liv laughed.

‘Can I help it if you fell in love with Sparks?’

‘No she can’t.’ Evelyn joined in the giggling. ‘But you could maybe stop showing our girls all your cutest babies. Summer announced she wants ferret kits for Christmas. But that it can’t be just one, because they have to be kept in groups. So, thanks to you, she wants a bundle of ferret babies and has written to Santa to tell him that.’

‘Does she even believe in Santa anymore?’

‘I honestly don’t know,’ Evelyn admitted. ‘I mean, she’s nearly eleven, so most children her age wouldn’t, but she’s not really most children, is she?’

‘That’s true enough. Most children don’t have Santa turn up in August to help save their life . . .’ Angela nodded.

‘And I don’t want to do or say anything that might break the magic.’ Evelyn drained the rest of her wine.

‘And this is Broclington,’ Liv added thoughtfully. ‘A lot of the time the “normal” rules don’t seem to apply here. Sometimes, with some of the things — some of the coincidences — I’ve seen happen, well . . .’

‘What do you mean?’ Angela looked at her friend, who was studying her also empty glass.

‘Well, I’m not sure I’d want to admit this too publicly . . . given that I’m a doctor and woman of science, and I’ve probably had too much to drink . . .’

‘But . . . ?’ Evelyn prodded her.

‘But do you ever think our girls might be right? About the fairies, and wishing well?’ Liv blurted out.

‘And the wishing tree.’ Angela grinned.

‘Yeah. That’s pretty magical.’

‘Sometimes.’ Evelyn smiled. ‘I’d certainly like to. And I think if there is anywhere in the world that magic like that really does still exist, it’s probably here.’ She reached for the wine bottle. ‘More wine?’

‘Definitely.’ Angela held out her glass, pondering her friend’s response. ‘So, if you believe in magic, do you believe in fate too?’

‘I believe things happen for a reason,’ Evelyn replied. ‘If my marriage hadn’t ended, I probably wouldn’t have come back to Broclington. So I wouldn’t have met Jake, and Summer and I wouldn’t have been here when she got sick again and . . .’ She swallowed hard.

‘. . . and it if hadn’t been for Jake, she probably wouldn’t have ended up on a trial in America that cured her cancer,’ Liv finished quietly.

‘Exactly.’ Evelyn smiled. ‘So as bad as my marriage break-up was, it put me in the exact place me and my daughter needed to be, at the right time. So if that’s what fate is, then yes, I really do believe in it. And am grateful for it.’

‘And if it was fate that left me needing a new home and job, right when the surgery needed a locum, then I’m pretty grateful to it too,’ Liv added.