Finding Home by Kate Field (read book .txt) 📗

came over and studied her face. ‘How did that happen? This man – Gordon, did you say? – did he take advantage of you?’

‘No!’ Mim was appalled. Gordon had taken nothing and given her everything. ‘He was the dearest, kindest man I’ve ever met. He saved me. That hotel was the closest thing to a home I’ve known, and I was glad to give every penny and every minute I had to keep it going.’

And now the tears that she’d bottled up for so long poured out of her. She hadn’t cried when Gordon died because she’d had to carry on and put on a front for the guests. She hadn’t cried when she’d locked the door of the hotel for the last time because she wouldn’t give his daughter the satisfaction of seeing her pain. But now her grief wouldn’t be silenced and when Bea gathered her in her arms, Mim sobbed until she was exhausted.

Chapter Thirteen

Bea didn’t waste any time in proving how useful it was for Mim to have a phone. The day after Mim’s birthday, she sent her a text, booking Mim to take her and Bill to Exeter airport the following week.

‘It’s a last-minute break for our wedding anniversary,’ Bea explained, when Mim called in at Vennhallow to find out the details. ‘Thirty-nine years. Can you believe I’ve put up with the old devil for so long?’ She squeezed Bill’s hand, with obvious devotion. ‘We weren’t going to bother, but it hasn’t been the easiest year and at least we don’t have to worry about what Lia will get up to, now you and Corin are here to look after her.’

‘Me? I don’t know what I can do about Lia,’ Mim said. She didn’t mind doing the airport run, but babysitting a twenty-five-year-old seemed unnecessary. She couldn’t imagine anyone stopping Lia once she set her mind on something.

‘Hmm, it will be tricky with you in the caravan,’ Bill said, stroking his moustache. ‘I’ve had an idea. Why don’t you stay here at the house while we’re away? You two girls could keep each other company. That’s more like it, eh?’

Mim gave him a suspicious look. He wasn’t going to win an Oscar for his acting skills.

‘Are you still trying to persuade me to move in here?’ she asked. ‘I really am happy in the caravan. It’s not as bad as you all think. And now the weather is improving, it’s hardly cold at all,’ she added, before Bea could use that argument against her again.

‘Of course you want to stay in the caravan,’ Bea said. ‘It’s your space.’ She sighed. ‘But it would put our mind at rest if you could move in with Lia just while we’re away. It would give Bill one less thing to worry about.’

How could Mim refuse when Bea pulled the health card? And really, it would be as good as a holiday for her to be staying in that gorgeous spare room again.

So, after driving them to the airport the following week, Mim moved her things into Vennhallow.

Any illusion that she was in charge of looking after Lia vanished within an hour. Lia had plans and Mim had no choice but to go along with them. During the day, they continued to work on the caravans, and it was exciting to see the coloured paint being applied to the first one. Bobby showed them what to do, and they all took a turn at spraying the top coat until the old caravan was transformed into a glossy, shell-pink home. In the evening, Lia cooked surprisingly delicious meals, and then they settled down to some pampering. Mim had never experienced anything like it. Her face was scrubbed, polished, and stretched with a mask, her hair was given a deep conditioning treatment, and Lia painted her nails – against Mim’s better judgement, having seen what a mess she had made with the spray paint. Mim had never had the money for indulgences like this and loved every minute of it.

Wednesday would be Mim’s final free evening at the house with Lia before she had to return to work at the Boat. Lia announced that they were having a pyjama party, which was a new concept to Mim but apparently involved the pair of them lying on the sofa wearing pyjamas and watching a film. Wine and chocolate were also mentioned. What was there to dislike about that? Lia lit the fire – to Mim’s horror, as she was terrified the house would burn down on her watch – and brought Mim a fluffy cardigan and slipper boots to compensate for her thin pyjamas. Then they snuggled into the sofa, wrapped in blankets, and watched the film Lia had chosen.

The romantic story wasn’t Mim’s cup of tea, but by the time an hour had passed, and she’d drunk a couple of glasses, she was warming to the story, so it was irritating when the door opened and Corin walked in, followed by Dickens. Lia shrieked and slopped wine all over her blanket.

‘You are such an idiot!’ she said, jumping up and tripping over the blanket, so she landed on her knees on the floor. ‘I thought I was literally going to die of a massive heart attack. What are you doing here? I locked the door. Or I think I did.’

‘You did.’ Corin held out his hand and yanked her back onto her feet. ‘But it doesn’t tend to stop someone who also has a key.’

‘You had no right—’ Lia stopped, and Mim noticed for the first time that Bobby was standing behind Corin. Lia smoothed down her hair. ‘You could have rung the bell.’

‘We did. There was no answer. You were obviously too engrossed in whatever’s going on here.’

‘It’s a pyjama party,’ Mim said, deciding that Lia could do with some support. ‘Isn’t it obvious? You’ve not made much effort, have you?’

Corin was wearing his usual outfit of old jeans and a jumper. He looked Mim up and down,