What Eden Did Next

by Sheila O'Flanagan

Genres: Women's Fiction; Romance; Contemporary Romance

Synopsis

Eden's ready for a new start, putting the past behind her. But others have their own ideas of what's best for her . . .

The all-absorbing, life-affirming new novel from the bestselling author of THREE WEDDINGS AND A PROPOSAL and THE MISSING WIFE.

'Do I rejoice when a new Sheila O'Flanagan book hits the shelves? I do' Roisin Meaney

Five years after the death of her firefighter husband, Eden knows better than anyone that life can change in an instant. Now, instead of the future she had planned with Andy, she has Lila - the daughter he never got the chance to meet. And instead of Andy, she has his family.

Then Eden meets someone. Someone she knew before Andy, before Lila, before the tragedy. Someone who reminds her of how she used to be. But Andy's mother has other plans. And Eden is facing an impossible choice. One that could tear a family apart . . .

Honest and emotionally gripping, What Eden Did Next is an irresistible, sometimes heart-breaking, ultimately joyful, novel of love, loss - and finding your own way to happiness.

(P) 2022 Headline Publishing Group Ltd

Release date: April 28, 2022

Publisher: Headline

Print pages: 432

Sample

Darling You,

I went to the beach before sunrise this morning and stood at the water’s edge, allowing the softest of waves to break gently over my feet while I wriggled my toes deeper into the cool, damp sand. When a whisper of breeze kissed the back of my neck, I took a deep breath and stretched my arms as high as I could over my head before exhaling slowly and lowering my arms again.

It was a perfect moment.

And then, as the sun peeked over the horizon, I felt the ache of your absence and I wished you were at my side.

I wanted you to be here, scooping me into your arms and carrying me back to the house as you’d done so many times in the past. I wanted us to be having breakfast together in the garden, or even better, forgetting about breakfast and hurrying to the bedroom instead, locking the door behind us then tumbling onto the bed, laughing at our shamelessness. I wanted to see you smiling at me, to hear you whisper my name. I wanted to feel the touch of your lips on mine. I wanted to hold you and to be held by you.

I wanted us to be together again, living the life we’d dreamed of.

It was a simple dream.

It should have been possible.

And then, it wasn’t.

Lila and I stayed in the house last night, but tonight we’ll all be in the new hotel a little further up the coast. It opened last year and you wouldn’t believe how upmarket and glamorous it is, with its chandeliers and fountains, marble floors and landscaped gardens.

It’s a long way from how things used to be on this stretch of the Wexford coast, when the tourists arrived in battered caravans pulled by asthmatic cars, or rented ancient mobile homes in farmers’ fields. Now it’s all about the posh hotels and even posher summer houses. To be honest, I’m not sure we could ever have afforded a place of our own here. Sean and Valerie were smart to buy Dunleary when they did. It’s an oasis of old-world charm among all the chic new builds.

Anyway, the glam hotel was the perfect setting for Amanda’s wedding, which was fittingly glamorous too, as well as great fun. I’m writing this in—

The sharp rap on the bedroom door startled Eden so much that she almost knocked over the open bottle of washable blue ink on the desk in front of her. Conscious that the term ‘washable’ referred to the colour of the ink and not the ease of cleaning it up, she lunged for the bottle before it could tip its contents onto the floor, then exhaled in relief as she caught it and screwed the lid tightly closed. The tips of her fingers were now a delicate shade of blue, but the hotel’s beautiful cream carpet remained an ink-free zone.

The rap sounded again.

‘Just a second!’ She wiped her hands on a tissue, then slid the sheet of paper she’d been writing on beneath the hotel services folder on the desk. She placed the pen beside the folder and opened the door.

The woman standing in the corridor outside was wearing a blue silk dress that almost matched the ink. It exactly matched the blue of her eyes.

‘Are you OK?’ she asked Eden. ‘You disappeared without a word.’

‘Of course I’m OK.’ Eden beckoned her sister-in-law into the room. ‘I was just taking a bit of time out. Relaxing.’

Michelle glanced at the undisturbed counterpane on the bed, then at Eden’s still inky fingers, and raised an eyebrow.

‘Not sleeping.’ Eden rubbed her fingers with a fresh tissue, but it didn’t make any difference. ‘When the children were taken off to watch cartoons, I used the opportunity to chill out for a while. It’s been a long day.’

‘And an emotional one.’

‘In a nice way,’ said Eden as she walked into the bathroom to wash away the worst of the stains. When she returned, Michelle was sitting in the comfortable armchair, her legs curled up beneath her. Eden perched on the edge of the bed and readjusted the floral clips in her artfully messy updo. ‘I’m so glad Amanda asked me to write the invitations and the place cards. Can you believe she really did get hitched? And so quickly after meeting someone?’

‘It was a surprise,’ Michelle agreed. ‘For all of her sneering at women falling into the “marriage trap”, my little sister changed her tune pretty sharpish when Bruno came on the scene.’

‘She didn’t really call it a marriage trap, did she?’ asked Eden.

‘Loads of times,’ confirmed Michelle. ‘When I married Gene, it was all “you’re throwing your life away” stuff from her.’

‘Oh, well, she was much younger then,’ said Eden. ‘People change.’

‘Not you.’ Michelle’s voice was warm. ‘You’re the same person you always were.’

‘I’m not sure about that.’

‘You are,’ said Michelle. ‘You’ve always been the best, Eden.’

‘And you’ve been drinking too much champagne.’

‘Quite possibly.’ She grinned. ‘But if you can’t knock back the champers on a day like today, when can you? Come on. Let’s join in the fun downstairs.’

Eden glanced at her watch. ‘I was planning on coming back down, you know. I set an alert for when the cartoons ended. There was no need to check up on me, honestly.’

‘I guess . . . Well, I know you’re fine, I really do. But when I saw you weren’t there . . .’

Eden’s mobile buzzed and she looked at Michelle as she silenced it. ‘The alert. Just like I said.’ She dropped the phone into her bag, then slipped her feet into her sequinned shoes.

‘I have proper shoe envy looking at those.’ Michelle stood up and smoothed down her dress.

‘I got them in the sales,’ Eden said. ‘Forty per cent off.’

‘A bargain.’

‘I would’ve paid full price,’ she admitted. ‘I love sequins. They always make me feel as though I’ve made a proper effort. And it’s been so long since I’ve dressed up; making a proper effort is a real joy.’

‘In that case, let’s be joyful with the rest of them,’ said Michelle as she opened the bedroom door.

Eden followed her, making sure it was firmly closed behind them.

The wedding party was taking place in a series of connected gazebos in the extensive gardens that overlooked the sea. The gardens had been a brave choice, because nobody could be sure that, even in May, it wouldn’t be so cold that industrial heaters would be needed to keep the guests warm. But fate had been kind to Amanda and Bruno, and the balmy day had been ideally suited to an outdoor wedding.

‘Nearly as good as Portugal,’ he’d said in his after-dinner speech, to a bit of good-natured heckling from his own family, who had flown from Lisbon for the event. ‘I’m very happy to be marrying Amanda and very lucky to know that she’ll be in my life forever.’

Eden’s throat had constricted at his words, but she’d kept her eyes firmly on him as she applauded with the rest of the guests.

Now, as she and Michelle walked along the flagstone path towards the party, she fixed a smile on her face. She would’ve been smiling anyway, but it was important to show everyone how happy she was today.

‘Mama.’ Lila left a cluster of young children and ran towards her. ‘We saw Princess Fiona and we had ice cream.’

‘How lucky are you!’ Eden scooped her four-year-old daughter into her arms. ‘Are you having fun?’

‘Yes.’ Lila sounded deeply satisfied. ‘I love Princess Fiona.’

‘She’s a very good princess,’ said Eden.

‘Am I a princess?’

‘You’re my princess. Look at you with your lovely dress and your new shoes.’

‘I want a . . .’ Lila was stumped by the word, so she gestured to her head.

‘A hat?’ asked Eden.

‘No!’ Lila gave her a look of disgust. ‘A . . . a . . . princess hat!’

‘A tiara?’

‘Yes!’

‘Next time we go to a wedding,’ promised Eden. ‘D’you want to play with your cousins again?’

‘No.’ Lila buried her head in Eden’s shoulder. ‘I want to be with you.’

‘OK.’

Eden carried her to the round table she’d been sitting at earlier. Tony and Angelina were still there, Angelina’s feet propped on Tony’s legs while he massaged her toes. It had been considerate of Amanda to include them, Eden thought. They were more Eden’s friends than hers.

‘I’m suffering for my beauty,’ Angelina said as she sat up straight and put on her shoes again. ‘Nobody should think that four-inch heels are a good idea.’

‘They’re not.’ Eden grinned. ‘They pull your muscles and joints out of alignment and cause back, neck and shoulder pain, as well as excessive knee torque.’

‘Stop,’ said Angelina. ‘That’s something I don’t need to know.’

‘Sorry.’

‘My mum knows stuff,’ said Lila.

‘She certainly does.’

‘And you’ve grown into a big girl, Lila,’ said Tony.

‘I’m a princess.’ Lila gave him a satisfied look from green-flecked eyes that matched her mother’s.

‘A smug little madam, more like,’ said Eden.

‘He’d be so proud of her,’ said Tony.

‘Yes, he would.’

‘I can’t believe it’s been over four years . . .’ His voice trailed off.

Eden said nothing.

‘Come on, Lila!’ Angelina held out her arms. ‘Sit on my lap for a while. Give your mum a break.’

‘She doesn’t need a break,’ protested Lila.

‘But I’d like you to sit with me,’ said Angelina. ‘I don’t have a little girl like you to look after me like your mum does. So I’d like to borrow you.’

‘Oh, OK.’ Lila scrambled from Eden’s lap and clambered onto Angelina’s instead.

‘You two should dance,’ said Angelina. ‘Go on.’

‘Well?’ Tony looked at Eden.

‘Come on so.’ Eden took his hand and followed him to the centre of the floor. ‘We were always good for a dance.’

People made some space for them. Tony put his arm around her.

Eden smiled and leaned her head on his chest for a moment before allowing him to lead her around the ballroom floor.

Angelina watched as her husband and Eden glided past. Her arm tightened around Lila, who’d closed her eyes and almost immediately fallen asleep. She could see traces of Eden in Lila’s face – her high forehead and wide eyes, and the tiny dimple at the corner of her mouth. Lila was pretty in a way that Eden wasn’t. But Eden was, and had always been, striking.

Angelina remembered the first time they’d met: the day Tony’s best mate, Andy, had brought his new girlfriend to a barbecue on the beach. His saviour, he’d called her, only half joking, because Eden was the nurse who’d tended him when he’d arrived at A&E, his nose bloodied and his eye bruised after a tackle on the rugby pitch that had gone wrong. (Or right, he said afterwards. Brian Sewell had known what he was doing. If he hadn’t crashed into him, Andy would surely have scored a try.)

Eden had laughed when he said this, and pushed her Celtic-red curls out of her eyes. She had a rich, throaty laugh that was both infectious and filthy.

‘At least he’s not perfect now,’ she’d told Angelina. ‘I’m betting he thought he was before.’

Which wasn’t entirely untrue, because Andy Farrelly was a very attractive man. Angelina had fancied him herself for a while. But then she’d started dating Tony, who was on the same firefighting crew as him, while Andy had fallen head over heels with Eden. They’d become close friends, regularly meeting up, double-dating and spending occasional weekends away together. Angelina still considered Eden to be a close friend, although she didn’t see her as often these days, because she and Tony had left Dublin a few years previously. It had taken Angelina some time to tell Eden of their plans, because she worried that her friend might feel in some way betrayed by their move to Enniscorthy, a mere thirty-minute drive from the hotel where the wedding was taking place. But Eden had smiled, wished them every happiness and said that she’d see them as often as possible.

Their meetings since then had been more virtual than real-life. Eden rarely had time for the almost two-hour journey to Tony and Angelina’s new home, and Tony was reluctant to return to Dublin unless absolutely essential. It was a shame, Angelina thought, but it wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was just the way things had turned out.

Her eyes continued to follow Tony and Eden around the dance floor. Eden was laughing, her eyes full of merriment as she nodded in reply to something he’d said. Her once luxuriantly red hair was now a shining unicorn grey. The appearance of grey hairs had been sudden during her pregnancy, and she’d allowed them to flourish, telling Angelina that a bit of grey was the least of her worries. A few months after Lila was born, she’d gone to her local hairdresser and had the grey enhanced so that rose-gold highlights now mixed with the silver strands. Together with the tiny pastel flowers and clips she’d woven through it, and the pale lilac and pink dress she was wearing, she looked like a kind of woodland sprite. Well, sprite was going too far, Angelina admitted, although with the weight Eden had lost and never properly regained in the last few years, she looked delicate and otherworldly. So it wasn’t entirely surprising for Angelina to realise that she herself wasn’t the only person watching her. Almost all of the single men, and possibly some of the married ones too, were looking at Eden as she danced with Tony.

The music stopped and they returned to the table.

‘Oh, bless.’ Eden looked at her daughter. ‘She’s finally given in to it.’

‘It’s been a long day,’ said Angelina.

‘It has. But a lovely one. Thanks for that, Tony.’ Eden looked at her friend’s husband. ‘Now it’s time for you to dance with your wife while I put this one to bed.’

‘You’ll come down again afterwards?’ said Angelina. ‘There’s a baby monitoring service, isn’t there?’

‘I might,’ said Eden. ‘I’m a bit tired myself, to be honest. I haven’t been out this late in ages.’

‘It’s not late,’ said Tony.

‘It is for me.’ She smiled.

‘Hopefully we’ll see you later,’ Angelina said, ‘but if not, sleep well.’

‘Thanks.’ Eden gathered Lila into her arms and carried her back into the hotel. As she waited for the lift, she saw her mother-in-law and waved at her.

‘Oh, the pet,’ murmured Valerie as she came over. ‘She’s all in.’

‘Totally,’ said Eden.

‘Are you coming back down?’ Valerie echoed Angelina’s question.

‘I’m not sure,’ said Eden.

‘Well, if not, I’ll see you in the morning,’ said Valerie. ‘I’ve a few things to tidy up at Dunleary, and then we’re heading back to Dublin. Do you want to drop over for a cup of tea before you go yourself?’

‘I’ll see how things are,’ said Eden. ‘Thanks, Valerie. It was a lovely day.’

She stepped into the lift and pressed the button for the second floor, aware that Valerie was standing there watching her until the doors slid closed.

When she got to her room, Eden undressed Lila, who was too sleepy to even know what was happening. She laid her gently on the second bed, then covered her with a sheet. She took off her own shoes and flexed her toes before sitting at the desk again. Then she called room service and ordered a pot of hot chocolate. It arrived fifteen minutes later: a tall silver jug accompanied by two butter cookies set beside a delicate china mug.

She poured the hot chocolate, and picked up the paper she’d been writing on earlier. She took a sip from the mug, read what she’d written so far and made a face. Honestly, she thought, he doesn’t need to hear all that guff about sunrises and sand and jumping into bed together. He just wants to know how the wedding went.

She crumpled the page and dropped it into the bin. Then she took a fresh sheet of paper and used her favourite Nikko G pen to write Darling You in the same elegant, swirling font as before. After that, she put away the calligraphy pen, made sure that the bottle of ink was tightly closed, and chose an ordinary felt-tip to continue in her normal, rounded handwriting.

We’re back in the room after Amanda’s wedding. Did you ever think you’d see those two words together? Amanda’s wedding? And yet she was happy and radiant today, and she’s clearly madly in love with Bruno. I’m sure she’ll settle down in Lisbon no problem.

The ceremony was lovely. It was in the hotel gardens and they did a great job with the pergolas and gazebos and everything to make it look stunning. And of course those fabulous views down to the sea were the perfect backdrop for the most romantic afternoon ever.

You already know I did the invitations and the place cards, and thankfully they looked great. I have to confess, I was really stressed because I wanted it to be absolutely perfect. And even if I sound a bit Boasty McBoastface, I honestly don’t think a professional calligrapher would’ve done any better.

I did wonder if they asked me so’s I’d feel more involved. Everyone insists I’m part of the family, but they always go the extra mile so that I feel it too.

The only downside to a great day was that I kept imagining people were looking at me and thinking of us on our wedding day. Which was daft, because all eyes were on the bride, not me. And the bride was beautiful and happy. I was happy for her too. I can be happy for people who are happy themselves. Other things might be hard, but that’s not.

Lila had a great time. Amanda wanted her to be a ring-bearer, but she’s a bit young for that and you know what she’s like, because I’ve told you a million times – the face of a cherub and the soul of an imp. I wouldn’t have trusted her not to run away with the ring. Or swallow it. Or something. Can you imagine!!!!

Tony asked me to dance – at least, Angelina made him dance with me – and all I could think about was the last time you and I danced together and how lovely it was. It was at your mum’s sixtieth. Do you remember? Tony’s still a great dancer. He’s completely over his injury, though he doesn’t play rugby any more. Too old for it, he says.

Everyone is so wonderful to me that I feel guilty for thinking it can be a bit overwhelming sometimes. Your mum and dad are amazing. They always look out for me. The others have Lila over for sleepovers with her cousins whenever they can. Michelle is forever texting me. She talks about you a lot, which is nice. I don’t like it when people avoid using your name. Amanda isn’t around much, but she keeps in touch through social media, and, of course, it was really thoughtful to ask me to do the calligraphy work.

Lila is sleeping now and I’m going to go to bed. It’s been a tiring day. But a good one.

It would be even better if you were here.

But you are.

In my heart.

Forever yours,

Eden xx

Elizabeth was sitting at her bedroom window sipping a cup of tea when the red car slowed down in front of her house. As she put on her glasses to see it more clearly, the car turned into the driveway of number 4. The ‘Sale Agreed’ sign had been taken down from the garden directly opposite Elizabeth’s a few weeks earlier, but so far nobody on Sycamore Grove seemed to know anything about the new buyer.

Which was a little bit unusual, because Sycamore Grove, a small development of thirteen houses, had a vibrant Neighbourhood Watch WhatsApp group where everyone always seemed to know what was going on. Elizabeth herself wasn’t interested in posting, but whenever she heard the chime that indicated a new message, she read it eagerly. The group had been originally set up by Krystle Keneally at number 11, and early alerts had focused on reminding people to close their windows at night and keep an eye out for suspicious activity. But these days the conversations were far more wide-ranging, and a simple reminder about sweeping up fallen leaves or not parking on the grass could morph into a discussion about tree bark as a herbal remedy, or wild conspiracy theories about GPS trackers. The threads were often littered with personal anecdotes and experiences, and Elizabeth, who at seventy-five came from a generation that preferred to keep their private lives private, was always surprised at how much information her neighbours were happy to share. Over the last few weeks, she’d learned that Fiadh Foley at number 3 had split up with her boyfriend; that Jacintha and Jack at number 10 were expecting their second child; and that Lauren and Jake Healey at number 6 had been left a holiday apartment by Jake’s parents and his brother was furious at his own bequest of the family Volvo.

Despite being uncomfortable with all the over-sharing, Elizabeth was hooked on the gossipy posts that allowed her to know what was going on behind closed doors. But when she herself had become the centre of attention a couple of weeks earlier, she’d been overwhelmed, and touched by the kindness of her neighbours, who’d rallied around to help. Her only group post had been to thank them for their concern.

Everyone knew Elizabeth, as she’d been the first person to move into the road when the houses were first built, ten years earlier. There’d been a variety of homes to choose from, but she’d been downsizing, so went for a smaller, two-bedroomed house. Unsurprisingly, the larger properties were occupied by families, while the others were owned or rented by young couples or single people. Elizabeth was the only person over the age of fifty on the road, but she got on well with almost everyone, especially Anita and Rick, who lived next door and who regularly dropped in to see how she was. Anita worked in a high-end chocolate maker’s and often brought home rejected sweets, sharing them with Elizabeth because, she said, as well as it being neighbourly, it stopped her and Rick from consuming far too many themselves.

Until they’d sold their house six months earlier, Elizabeth had also been friendly with the Ramseys at number 4, and she was curious about their successors. The new owners had been the subject of much speculation on the WhatsApp group, but despite their best efforts, nobody had been able to find out anything about them.

So she watched with interest as a young woman dressed in a grey marl T-shirt and faded denims got out of the red car and opened the front door. She was tall and slender, and wore her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail that reached halfway down her back. Given that Elizabeth’s eyesight wasn’t as good as it had been, along with the fact that the older she got, the harder she found it to estimate people’s ages, she couldn’t decide if the woman was likely to have bought the house for herself alone, if she might be moving in with a partner, or if she had family who were on the way to join her. Not that seeing her clearly would have given any indication of which scenario was most likely, but it bugged Elizabeth that she couldn’t even hazard a guess.

The new neighbour was very eager to move in, she thought as she glanced at the big alarm clock beside her bed, showing that it was five minutes past eight. It was a pity she couldn’t go across the road and welcome her. But hopefully she’d get the chance to say hello sooner rather than later.

Eden was getting Lila’s things together when she heard the rattle of the letter box. She left the kitchen for the hallway and picked up the mail. A quick glance confirmed that it was mainly junk, which she put in the recycling bin without even opening. But she took the blue handwritten envelope with the red heart sticker on the back upstairs with her, where she opened the door to the small bedroom that had become the dumping ground for clutter. Stepping around a black bin bag full of clothes, she took an oblong lacquered box from the top shelf of the wardrobe. The old ebony box with a painted maple tree on the lid that had once belonged to her grandmother was almost filled with blue envelopes, tucked one behind the other in a tight row. Eden added the latest, unopened, to the rest, squeezing it in so that it fitted.

‘Time to go, Lila,’ she called as she replaced the box.

‘I can’t find Teddy.’ The little girl appeared at the bedroom door, an anxious expression on her face. ‘He’s gone.’

‘He can’t be gone,’ said Eden.

‘He is.’ Lila’s lower lip wobbled. ‘He’s . . . he’s missing!’

‘But didn’t he go to bed with you?’ asked Eden.

‘I don’t know.’

‘Of course he did.’ Eden lifted her daughter into her arms while thinking that she wouldn’t be able to do this for much longer. Lila had put on a growing spurt a few weeks ago. She was losing her toddler chubbiness and becoming long-limbed and gangly. And she weighed a lot more too. ‘Let’s call him,’ suggested Eden once they were standing in Lila’s bedroom. ‘I’m sure he’s here somewhere.’

‘Teddy!’ yelled Lila at the top of her voice. ‘Where are you?’

Eden winced as she hunkered down and pulled out the pink-painted drawers beneath Lila’s bed. There was no sign of the teddy she had slept with every night since moving into her own room. Eden had bought it for her so that she’d have something special to cuddle. Sometimes she wished she’d bought a teddy bear for herself too.

She checked the bed, feeling beneath the sheets and the pillow as Lila’s shouts grew louder and louder; then, finally, in the gap between the mattress and the headboard she encountered something soft and squishy.

‘Here you are!’ she cried triumphantly as she prised the teddy from his hiding space. ‘How on earth did he get there?’

Lila beamed and hugged him close to her.

‘Now that we’re all ready, we’d better go,’ said Eden. ‘Granny will be waiting for us.’

She set the house alarm and locked the door behind her. As soon as Lila was strapped into the rear of the mint-green Fiat, Eden got into the driver’s seat, eased onto the main road and turned towards her mother-in-law’s house.

Even though it was before 8.30 in the morning, Valerie was already in the garden, pulling weeds.

‘They seem to have sprung up overnight,’ she explained. ‘When I saw them, I couldn’t ignore them.’

‘Can I pick them, Granny?’ asked Lila.

‘Of course, sweetheart. Only the ones with the yellow flowers!’ she warned as Lila scampered across the lawn. Then she turned to Eden. ‘How are you? Recovered from the weekend, I hope?’

‘I’m not so hopeless that I need a few days to recover from a big day out,’ Eden told her. ‘Besides, I didn’t drink that much. All the same, it was nice to have Monday and Tuesday off.’

Valerie’s eyes narrowed as she pushed her fingers through her thick wavy hair. ‘You really don’t have to put yourself through this, Eden,’ she said. ‘You don’t need to work full-time, and you could get something easier—’

‘I’m not working full-time,’ Eden corrected her. ‘But I do need the money. Besides, what I’m doing is a lot easier than nursing. The hours are way more flexible and . . .’ She stopped and looked at Valerie. ‘Is it inconvenient for you?’ she asked. ‘This client is only temporary, and I’ll be able to change my hours again when the job is finished. But if you want, I can say it’s too awkward now and ask to change to mornings only. Or afternoons. Whatever suits you.’

‘Not at all,’ said Valerie. ‘I like having Lila, you know that. It’s important for me to spend time with her. She’s part of my family.’

‘Yes, but if you’d rather I—’

‘That’s not it.’ Valerie interrupted her. ‘I don’t want you to overdo it, Eden. It’s important you stay well, for Lila’s sake as much as your own.’

‘I worked a hell of a lot harder in A&E.’

‘Michelle said you went to your room at the wedding.’

‘For a break,’ said Eden. ‘While the children were watching cartoons. That’s all. You’re lovely,’ she added. ‘Every single one of you. But I’m fine, Valerie. It’s been nearly five years. I’ve learned to cope.’

‘It might be that long since it happened, but there’s been so much since then. The hearing, the findings . . . it’s been a lot.’ Valerie pulled Eden into a hug. ‘You know how much we love you, don’t you? You and Lila?’

‘Of course I do.’

‘And I’m here for you any time,’ said Valerie.

‘I know. Aren’t you being specially great right now?’

‘I’ll always . . .’ Valerie cut herself off, then squeezed Eden’s shoulder. ‘Don’t mind me. I take it all on sometimes. You take care. Have a good day.’

‘You too,’ said Eden. ‘Bye, Lila!’

‘Bye, Mum.’ Lila didn’t look up from the plant she was hauling out of the flower bed. Eden laughed to herself as she heard her mother-in-law shriek. There might have been yellow blossoms on them, but Valerie’s prized begonias certainly weren’t weeds.

It was fifteen minutes later when she pulled into the driveway of the house on Sycamore Grove. She rang the bell, then unlocked the door and stepped inside.

‘Hi, Elizabeth!’ she called. ‘Sorry I’m late.’

‘That’s OK,’ said Elizabeth as Eden walked into her bedroom. ‘It’s only five minutes.’

‘I know. But I like being on time.’ Eden gave her an apologetic look. ‘Lila couldn’t find her teddy this morning and it took a while to unearth him. Fortunately he reappeared before she threw a complete strop.’

‘That’s how they are at that age,’ said Elizabeth. ‘My Lisa was a holy terror at four.’

Eden nearly said that Lisa was still a holy terror at fifty-four, but she didn’t. Lisa Brennan was Elizabeth’s eldest daughter. A barrister, married with three children, she was the one who’d employed Eden to help take care of her mother aft