it.
Molly looked at her with concern. ‘Are you sure you’re all right?’
Anna sighed and looked down. ‘I know moving here is the right thing. It’s just the thought of starting over and meeting new people can seem a bit daunting I suppose. I’ve always lived in a city with Mum and Dad close by and I suppose I miss them more than I could have thought possible.’ She lifted her hands then let them drop in her lap.
Molly reached over and squeezed her arm. ‘It’s going to take time.’
Anna stared into her glass before taking a deep breath. ‘You’re right.’ She sat up straight, giving herself a shake. ‘And as you say, coming here is a new start. Will we have one more before we go? This is your first night here and we better make the most of it. I’ll make them large.’
Molly watched Anna make her way to the bar. She knew the alcohol had lowered her defences but it was still odd to see Anna, usually so strong and confident, sounding despondent.
She could only imagine how difficult it must be for Anna and wished she could find words to give her comfort. At least she knew she could be here for her and vowed there and then to do as much as possible to help in any way she could. It also showed her that her decision not to unload any of her own woes had been the right thing to do. Anna and Stuart had quite enough to deal with.
Anna appeared brighter as she brought their drinks over and proposed a toast.
‘Here’s to summer,’ she said lifting her glass. ‘I’m so glad you came.’
‘As long as I’m not in the way.’
Anna shook her head. ‘But I will admit, I do have an ulterior motive. I was hoping you’d help me look for houses – you know what Stuart’s like. Ask him anything you want about medieval kings but he’s not so hot on the merits of south-facing gardens.’
Molly giggled. ‘Of course, I’d love to help you.’
‘I’ve already seen an estate agent and got a viewing lined up.’
‘That’s exciting.’
‘It’ll be good to get the furniture out of storage and get settled.’ Anna drained her glass, her gaze homing in on a group of men sitting across from them. ‘Just think of all the nice men out there you could meet now.’
Molly shook her head. ‘Not interested.’
‘A few dates wouldn’t do any harm though, would it?’
Even hearing the word ‘date’ made Molly feel slightly hysterical. Was that something she was going to have to do in the future? The idea was quite appalling.
‘You need to get back out there,’ Anna announced, nodding her head.
Molly wasn’t sure about much recently – the foundations of her life had shifted – but one thing she did know unequivocally was that she was not interested in relationships, meeting someone, having a fling or anything else man-related.
She grimaced even thinking about it – she was so not ready at all for that. Far too soon and scary.
Another large glass later and, feeling quite pleased with themselves, Molly and Anna started to walk back to the house. Molly had consumed just the right amount of alcohol to put a positive spin on things. Her marriage wasn’t a waste of precious years, she would find love again and somehow a career – or at least a job she loved – would miraculously appear. Yes, her life was looking much brighter through a soft-focus alcohol haze.
Anna hiccupped. ‘I’m so happy you came.’
‘I think you said that already.’
‘Did I? Well, I am.’
‘Stuart might not be so happy when he sees the state we’re in. He’ll think I’m a bad influence.’ They giggled, linking arms as they stepped out onto the road.
Molly let out a yelp of surprise as car brakes sounded followed by an angry beep behind them. They jumped back on the pavement, Molly catching the striking blue eyes of the driver as he passed by with a shake of his head.
‘Well, that was rude,’ she said indignantly, managing to totally ignore the fact they had walked onto the road without looking. And laughing, they headed back to the house.
Molly opened one eye and groaned. She lay still while her body processed the miseries of her hangover; nausea, pounding head and a dry mouth. Slowly she opened the other eye to see a room full of unfamiliar shapes and shadows and it took her mind a moment to piece together where she was and the reason for her current fragile state.
She had enjoyed last night and it had been good to relax and chat with Anna but getting drunk on her first night probably hadn’t been the best idea. She remained motionless, listening for any sounds but thankfully the house was blissfully quiet. She wasn’t sure she could cope with noise right now.
Very slowly she sat up and looked around. Her bedroom was one of five in the house and situated at the back of the guest house. When she’d arrived yesterday, Luke had insisted on giving her a tour of the house. Stuart and Anna’s room was at the front of the house, a beautiful coastal themed room with duck-egg-blue walls and views of the sea. Another of the bedrooms was painted in pale green with a tartan armchair and a painting of the Cairngorms hanging over the fireplace.
Molly’s room was unashamedly feminine with decorative floral wallpaper and cream embroidered bedding. A ceramic lamp and a pot filled with sprigs of purple heather sat on a traditional wooden dressing table in front of the window.
It certainly had to be the prettiest room to have a hangover in, she thought ruefully. Gently peeling back the covers she swung her legs over the side of the bed, eyeing her bag still full of her clothes sitting in the corner of the room. There hadn’t really been time to unpack yesterday so that was a job for later. She narrowed her eyes against the daylight as she drew the curtains open. By the looks of the weather she had been right to treat herself to some new summer clothes.
When Molly had decided to sort through her summer wardrobe a few weeks ago, she had become painfully aware all the clothes had been chosen because she knew they would meet with Colin’s approval.
For the last couple of years, Colin had been very specific about the holidays they had taken. He had taken to lording it up in five-star resorts, lounging at the pool all day and dining in the best restaurants. Molly hadn’t always enjoyed that type of holiday – there were cities and places she dreamed of exploring – but she respected that Colin worked hard and needed his rest and relaxation. Priding himself on his skin being able to turn a particular shade of brown, the focus of the entire day had been rotating his sunbed to follow the sun and the only thing Colin wanted to explore after a hard day’s tanning was the bar’s cocktail list. Molly’s summer clothes, therefore, were suitable for either lounging at the pool during the day or dining in restaurants where the dress code dictated she squeeze herself into formal evening wear.
Gathering up all those clothes, she had folded them neatly into bags and taken them to the charity shop and then taken herself to the shops.
With only herself to please now, she’d indulged in a spree of floaty, casual and feminine clothes – ditsy skirts and flowery dresses, brightly coloured vest tops and shorts, flat sandals – a world away from the restrictive clothes she had poured herself into. She’d also taken the precaution of packing a few jackets and jumpers; this was Scotland, after all.
Feeling mildly better after a hot shower in the en-suite bathroom, she dressed in skinny jeans, a stripy blue and white T-shirt and her comfortable trainers. As she made her way downstairs, a message pinged on her phone explaining why the house was deserted. Stuart’s message said that he and Anna had taken the children off for the day to a nearby country park and that they’d bring home fish and chips for dinner.