Page 44 of Moonlight Kisses at Willow Tree Hall

She lifted her chin a little. ‘I was going to run away, remember? With you.’

The silence grew as his smile faded. ‘I remember,’ he finally said.

‘And who’s to say that I haven’t lived?’ she told him.

‘True.’

His brown eyes bore into hers until she could bear it no longer.

‘Well, as you’ve realised, I’ve got a job to do, so if you’ll excuse me.’ She tried and failed to give him a smile. ‘Goodnight.’

She marched away, leaving him standing alone in the entrance hall as she went upstairs. She heard the front door close behind him as he left.

The staff quarters had been renovated over the summer, Annie had told her. ‘Not that we were expecting any staff. More room for extra guests.’

Consequently, as Lily climbed from the first floor up the small staircase to the eaves of the roof, she wasn’t in some dark and dingy space. It was light and airy, with the old housekeeper’s room decorated as luxuriously as the rest of the house.

But Lily couldn’t sleep, despite the comfortable bed and beautiful wallpaper. In the peace of the house as everyone slept, she tossed and turned, wondering how on earth she was going to tell her family.

She rose early after dawn, feeling terrible with a raging headache. She crept out of the house, where all was still quiet, and drove home. She knew her grandad would be awake and she was desperate to talk to her family.

The worry tore into her as she pulled up outside the cottage. They barely survived on their heavily subsidised rent. And that was only kept low thanks to the Harris family. Where would they go? How on earth could they afford anywhere else?

She quietly crept into the house, but there was no need. Her grandfather and mum were already at the kitchen table.

‘Morning,’ said Bert, looking up from his tea in surprise.

‘What are you doing here?’ asked her mum. ‘You haven’t given up on that job already, have you? I’ll never live it down with Rose and her friends if you have.’

‘No, it’s not that.’ Lily glanced at the staircase, but there was no sound of movement upstairs. ‘Is Dad not up yet?’

‘No,’ said Celia. ‘I’ve got an early shift and your grandad’s always up at this time.’

Lily nodded. ‘Good. Well, it’s not good, actually. I’ve got something to tell you both.’

‘You’re pregnant!’ said her mum, her eyes wide. ‘By that awful ex-boyfriend of yours! Mark! I never liked him.’

‘Mum! No! It’s not that.’ Lily rolled her eyes. ‘It’s to do with the village.’

Slowly, she told them what had happened the previous evening and what Jack had announced. At the end, there was a shocked silence before her mother drained her mug of tea.

‘Well, I don’t see why you had to rush over here to worry us. It’ll all get sorted. Politicians! Don’t trust them an inch.’ But her voice was a little tremulous as she spoke. She looked across at her father-in-law. ‘What do you say, Bert?’

‘I say it’s all a fuss over nothing,’ he said, with a firm nod of his head. ‘Nobody’s going to build a bloody great road through this village. Right. I need to sow some more onions. I’ll have a lift back to the Hall, if you’re offering.’

Lily was aghast and looked from her mum to her grandad. ‘Is that it?’

Bert shrugged. ‘There’s no point worrying over nothing.’ He gave her mum a nod. ‘I’ll see you later, after work.’

And that was the end of the conversation, as far as her family were concerned. Lily knew she should trust their brave words, but deep inside she was fearful for the future.

18

After breakfast at home, Lily drove her grandad back to Willow Tree Hall. She said goodbye and watched as he walked slowly around the house towards his walled garden. She wondered whether his normal gruff exterior was just a front for how he really felt about the threat to the village.

She found herself shivering. September was just around the corner and the sun was lower that morning. Everything felt just a little bit colder.

Just as she was walking across the driveway towards the kitchen door, Rose flung open the front door as she went past.