Page 10

Tara and Amelia walked out of The New Meridian Hotel, a nicer place, but still not the right one. They trundled across the car park.

‘This is ridiculous,’ Amelia muttered, barely audible. ‘I’ve blundered. I always blunder. If I could have just held on tighter to the envelope, this wouldn’t be happening.’

‘You didn’t blunder,’ Tara said. ‘You got robbed.’

‘It wouldn’t have happened to my grandmother. She’d have smacked that man with her cane and sent him on his way,’ Amelia told her.

‘I’m not so sure about that,’ Tara told her.

‘She wasn’t scared of anything!’ Amelia insisted.

‘Now that, I definitely don’t believe,’ Tara said.

‘You didn’t know her.’

‘There is not one person on earth who is scared of nothing. I don’t care where they come from,’ Tara told Amelia.

Amelia looked unconvinced. Clearly, her grandmother had made quite the myth out of herself, Tara thought. She stepped in front of Amelia. ‘It’s just a hotel. Chill.’

Amelia looked at her. ‘I’m quite warm, thank you.’

Tara let that one go.

They reached the car, and Tara helped Amelia in carefully before jumping in the driver’s side.

She turned to say something to Amelia and saw that she was staring at her lap, holding onto her auburn braid, playing with it tensely. ‘Harriet was right.’

Tara tried not to look too interested. ‘Who’s Harriet?’ Tara asked, keeping her tone light.

Amelia didn’t respond immediately. ‘She’s... someone who knows me too well,’ Amelia said, her voice distant, almost bitter.

Whatever the nature of their relationship, it was tied to failure in Amelia’s mind. The emotional reaction might be a good in, a way to something juicy.

Better than Deirdre and her swear list, anyway. Tara had moved a bit too quickly there. She needed to play it softer now. Gentle.

‘Her opinion sounds important to you,’ Tara said.

‘It’s important to everyone,’ Amelia responded.

‘Oh?’

‘She’s an Elder. Like my grandmother.’

‘I thought your grandmother ran the island,’ Tara said.

‘What made you think that?’ Amelia said.

‘Just the way you talked about her.’

Amelia shook her head. ‘She and Harriet were both elders. But my grandmother was the person people came to first.’

‘I bet Harriet didn’t like that,’ Tara said.

Amelia smiled. ‘No. No, she didn’t.’

‘And she expected you to fail?’ Tara asked as gently as she knew how.

‘Yes. Everyone does,’ Amelia said, the smile fading.

‘What do you mean?’ Tara asked.

‘I’m sure this won’t surprise you, but I’m a bit of a… I’m not very respected on Solhaven. People think I’m clumsy, a fool. I’ve proven that today.’

Despite everything that had happened, Tara didn’t think that sounded right. If she’d been dropped into a completely different culture the way Amelia had, she felt pretty sure she wouldn’t have handled it any better.

‘Did Harriet ever come here?’ Tara asked her.

‘No,’ Amelia replied.

Tara, though not a touchy type, found herself putting a gentle hand on Amelia’s shoulder. ‘Then it sounds like Harriet was talking out of her arse.’

Amelia didn’t respond immediately. But Tara could see the tightness in her posture begin to loosen, just a little

‘Perhaps,’ Amelia said softly.

Tara thought this seemed like the perfect time to squeeze her like an orange, get the real juice. But she couldn’t quite seem to bring herself to do it. Not now.

‘Listen,’ Tara said. It’s getting late, and you’re clearly exhausted. You’re welcome to crash on my sectional tonight.’

Amelia looked blank.

‘Sleep on my sofa,’ Tara amended quickly. ‘It’s not much, but it’s a place to get your head down.’

Amelia looked surprised by the offer. ‘OK. Thank you, Tara.’ She suddenly frowned. ‘Wait, don’t you need to check with your husband first?’

‘My what?’ Tara exclaimed.

‘You have one, don’t you?’ Amelia said. ‘I didn’t see him earlier, but I thought perhaps he was out?’

‘No. No husband,’ Tara said, trying not to laugh at the idea.

Amelia nodded, pulling a fresh roll out of one cardigan pocket and a piece of cheese out of the other.

She placed them on her lap and produced a small knife out of her skirt pocket. She started to assemble a sandwich. Tara watched, slightly surprised.

‘Would you like some?’ Amelia asked.

Tara smiled and started the car. ‘I’m good, thanks. You enjoy.’

‘Alright, then.’ Amelia then produced an apple from god knew where. It was a full-on picnic.

Tara pulled out of the car park. She let it be quiet on the way back, only the sound of a crunching apple breaking the silence. There was nothing more to get out of the woman today. She’d been through too much.