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“I think she was having an affair with a married man. Not that she’s ever said so, but it’s the conclusion I drew.”
“That’s why she closed the shop and left the island?” Flynn asked. “To be with him?”
“I think he’d told her he’d move here. He had kids…” She closed her eyes briefly. “One kid, at least. I think they visited her here once or twice. As far as I can tell, he promised Maria they’d live happily ever after… but I guess he ended up staying with his wife.” She looked sadly at Lily. “I think when she left the islands it was to be with him. I remember her writing to me and saying that things hadn’t worked out as she’d thought they would, but she couldn’t bring herself to come back to St. Mary’s.”
Lily’s mind raced as new theories developed at lightning speed. One idea in particular lodged itself in her brain.
“The man she was seeing… was his child a boy or a girl? And how old?”
“Maria never actually talked about them, but I remember walking past the shop one evening… Maria was standing out the front, staring at the beach. The weather was terrible – wet and windy, so the beach was deserted but there was a man, flying a kite with his kid. It was quite a striking scene since there was only the two of them on the beach… and there was something haunting about the look on Maria’s face as she watched them.”
“Did you ask her about them?”
“Yes. She said he was an old friend. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but in the weeks after, it became clear she was having problems. I put two and two together, but I couldn’t tell you if I reached the right conclusion.”
“The kid,” Lily said, her breath catching in her throat. “Was it a boy or a girl?”
“I don’t know. It was twenty years ago, and they were far away so I didn’t get a good look.”
“How old do you think they were? A young child, or a teenager?”
“Young. Three or four. Maybe five.” Her eyebrows pulled together. “Why do you want to know?”
Lily shook her head, not daring to voice her thoughts. “Just wondering.”
“Don’t be taking anything I say as fact,” Glynis said quickly. “Like I say, Maria is very closed off. I don’t think she really opens up to anyone.”
“That must make her difficult to be friends with,” Flynn said gently.
Glynis nodded. “I’m the only person she stayed in touch with when she left. And that was only because I made most of the effort. Eventually she met someone else and was married for a decade, but from what I gather it wasn’t an overly happy marriage.”
Lily drummed her fingers against her coffee cup. “Why do you think she came back here after all this time?”
“She said she needed a change of scenery. And that she needed to make some decisions about the shop. I think she was contemplating selling it until you came along.”
“I still don’t understand why she wanted me to open it,” Lily mused.
“I couldn’t tell you. All I know is that Mr Greaves got in touch to say someone was interested in the shop, and she said it seemed like a sign.”
Lily nodded. It was what Maria had said to her, too – just good timing. But Lily was struggling to believe that.
“I don’t like talking about her behind her back,” Glynis said. “That’s all I know and I can’t see how it’s helpful. I am sorry that I acted deceitfully in not telling you about Maria, especially as I knew you were looking for the owner, but I honestly didn’thave any ill intent. I was hoping that with time, I could persuade Maria to reveal herself to you.”
“I understand,” Lily said. “It’s okay.”
Glynis smiled and stood. “You know I’m very fond of you and I hate thinking there’s any bad feeling between us.”
“Concerned about losing your ice cream fix?” Lily said lightly, wanting to leave any tension behind them.
Glynis chuckled. “Absolutely.”
Lily walked her to the door, then went to the window and looked out at the beach and the calm sea beyond. Closing her eyes, she imagined it on an overcast day with the wind strong enough to fly a kite.
It hit her in a rush – the salty air in her nostrils and the feeling of the plastic kite handle digging into her palm. The gusts were so strong she was scared she would lose her grip on the kite, or be blown away with it.
It wasn’t the only thing that scared her, either. Fear rooted itself deep in her stomach, and she felt it everywhere.
“Lily!”