A Summer to Remember (The Sunrise Coast Series Book 9)

Chapter 1

Lorna closed the front door after her last music lesson. She’d stood at the front door of her Oxford home, watching her young student, Olive, walk down the short front garden path towards her mum, who was waiting in her car. She’d given a little wave before retreating inside and closing the door. Olive would not be returning as a student; she was not interested in continuing her lessons. She reminded Lorna of her own daughter at that age.

Lorna smiled. Like Olive, she was also taking a break from lessons, although not indefinitely. She’d decided that she was taking a sabbatical from teaching. She’d organised the break both from her job teaching music in a high school and from her private tutoring commitments. The only person who didn’t know yet was her husband.

Lorna stood for a moment, still smiling, thinking about her plans. She would be turning forty soon, at the end of October. Although she had intended to spend the long summer holiday doing something special to celebrate prior to her birthday, that plan had been put on hold. Her daughter, Briony, had graduated, and Lorna had found herself hanging on, putting her only child first, as always, waiting to attend Briony’s graduation. Briony had achieved a first-class honours degree in biology and was on her way to achieve her dream of becoming a marine biologist, even though Lorna had tried to discourage her at every turn.

Lorna wished that Briony hadn’t had such a fascination with the sea and marine life. Her smile slipped. She felt so guilty about not encouraging her daughter’s passion. It was all because of what had happened in her own past, which her daughter knew absolutely nothing about – and never would. She’d made sure of that by cutting off all contact with Briony’s maternal grandmother.

After putting her own plans on hold to focus on Briony’s graduation, she’d then hung on to see her daughter off on a trip of a lifetime in the autumn; she got a coveted place on a research trip to the Galapagos Islands.

Lorna was so proud of her. She knew it would be a wrench for her, leaving her boyfriend, Freddie, behind to go on her trip, but as Lorna had said to her, Sometimes in a relationship you just have to put yourself first for a change.

Lorna was doing that now. Her thoughts turned to Andrew. After meeting him at university, starting a family while they were still undergraduate students, and then spending twenty-two years with him, she felt it was about time she put herself first for a change.

Her daughter had finally flown the nest. On her return from the trip, she’d be moving in with Freddie. He had mentioned their plans to her, but it had been the first she’d heard of it. She was surprised that Briony hadn’t told her.

Her daughter had lived at home during her undergraduate studies but had moved into the small one-bedroomed apartment on the top floor of the house. It had originally belonged to Lorna’s father, Edwin – he’d converted the attic many years earlier for himself. The location of the house had always been convenient; it was within walking distance of Oxford University, where he lectured, but he hadn’t needed a family home anymore. Back when Lorna graduated, she’d known he was hoping that she and Andrew would live in the house and raise a family there. That was why he had gifted them the house, even though he was still living there in the attic. It was unconventional, still living with a parent under the same roof, but Andrew had no problem moving in with Lorna and her father in her lovely childhood home.

Edwin had also been a wonderful grandfather, and babysitter, for Briony up until she was nine, when he’d left his position at Oxford University – rather abruptly, Lorna had thought at the time – and had just upped sticks and moved to America, where he’d got a position in the history department at Stanford University. They’d head-hunted him, which hadn’t surprised Lorna. What had surprised her, though, had been his decision to go.

And so, nine years later, when Briony had started university, she’d moved upstairs to the apartment.

Lorna cast her eyes heavenward as she walked down the hallway. Now the apartment was Angel’s home. Angel was Briony’s best friend from university, and she had graduated the same year. Briony had offered the attic room to Angel, which had enabled her to remain in Oxford and take up a research assistant post at the university while she studied for a doctorate.

Angel’s job wasn’t well paid, and Briony knew her parents never charged a great deal when renting out the attic. They’d taken in lodgers in the past at below-market rents after Edwin had left for America. Mostly they were visiting lecturers or overseas postgraduate students. Lorna guessed that her daughter had thought they might do that again, when she left, so she’d offered Angel first dibs on the apartment.

Lorna had become accustomed to only having family in the house, the way it had been when her father had lived upstairs. Although each lodger who had rented the attic had become good friends, almost like family, Lorna had known for a while that once her daughter left, she wouldn’t feel as though she wanted another lodger. However, she had also known that the house would feel empty as soon as Briony walked out of the door with her suitcases. She hadn’t been looking forward to empty nest syndrome. It would have been just her and Andrew if Angel hadn’t moved straight in when Briony had left a week earlier.

Lorna sighed. Her situation wasn’t like that of other couples who were parents, who perhaps looked forward to a time reminiscent of their youth, before they’d started a family, when it had just been the two of them. For her, there had always been the three of them – apart from the months when she was pregnant, early on in their relationship.

And whose fault was that?thought Lorna. Briony had never been a mistake – that was not how Lorna had ever thought of her only child – but she had been an accident. Who would choose to spend what was meant to be the best time of their lives at university – going to parties and enjoying themselves – raising a child instead?

Andrew had made sacrifices too, but he’d never complained. At eighteen, he’d stepped up to his responsibilities. Soon after Briony was born, in their first year of university, they’d married.

Perhaps that was another reason that Briony had thought it would be a good idea if someone else moved into the attic. She knew her parents would feel her absence tremendously. She had told them that they should go back to renting out the top floor; they were used to having people around. And Angel wasn’t exactly a stranger. She was Briony’s best friend, and a friend of the family too.

Angel’s background was quite different to Briony’s. She was an up-north girl from Toxteth, Liverpool, with four siblings, whilst Briony was an only child. But they’d met on their course, and although their career aspirations were quite different – Angel wanted to be a medical researcher and discover a cure for cancer, which had taken her beloved grandmother when she was ten – they’d become inseparable. Their closeness made it all the more confounding that, when Lorna had asked Angel if she’d heard from Briony since she’d left on her trip a week earlier, Angel had said no.

Lorna stood, staring up the stairs. Angel had been upset when Briony had left, which was understandable; her best friend’s life was moving on. Lorna hoped that her daughter stayed in touch with Angel and her other friends while she was away. Briony had said it might be difficult to text or WhatsApp, but when she had time, and there was internet available, she’d send emails.

So far, an email hadn’t materialised, although she was only seven days into her eight-week trip. Perhaps Briony had managed to contact Angel today? Lorna thought she’d nip upstairs and ask.

Angel was the most talkative, outgoing, fun-loving person anyone could hope to meet. Although it hadn’t been Lorna’s intention to get another lodger, she’d been more than happy for Angel to stay, imagining she’d join them for dinner, and they’d have long conversations about her work at Oxford University, where both Lorna and her husband had studied too.

But surprisingly, this had not happened. Since she’d moved in on the day Briony had left for her trip, Angel had not joined them for dinner once. She was often out, and when she was indoors, she barely said hello before whipping upstairs and locking her door.

It was all very strange – so strange, in fact, that Lorna had decided she’d just come right out with it and ask Angel if she wasn’t happy there. They hadn’t drawn up a contract or rental agreement, although Lorna would do that, if that was what Angel wanted. Perhaps that was the problem. Maybe she didn’t feel secure.

Lorna hoped that Angel would join them for dinner that evening; she intended to tell her that she’d draw up a contract for however long Angel wanted – at the same below-market rent, of course, for the entire duration. She wanted Angel to feel relaxed staying in her house, and treat it as if it were her own home.

‘Dinner’s nearly ready!’ Lorna heard Andrew call out in a sing-song voice from the kitchen.

Lorna strode down the hall and poked her head around the door. ‘I’m just going to nip upstairs and ask Angel if she’d like to join us for dinner.’

‘Good luck with that.’

Lorna frowned at him. ‘Yeah, I know. I just can’t help feeling that something is up. I’d like to get to the bottom of it.’

‘Perhaps it’s just boyfriend trouble. Not a lot you can do about that, I’m afraid.’

‘She hasn’t got a boyfriend.’

‘Girlfriend then?’

Lorna looked at him. Perhaps that was the problem. If she’d met someone, perhaps she wasn’t sure whether she could bring them home or whether they could stay overnight. That was silly. Lorna had assumed that Angel knew she could treat the apartment as if it were her own home, where she was free to do as she pleased. She had her own front door key.

On her way up the stairs, Lorna wondered whether she should have made the situation clear. She hadn’t needed to with the other lodgers. Obviously, they would prefer that Angel didn’t hold parties and invite all and sundry home. But she couldn’t imagine Angel would do that. She enjoyed going out and clubbing, but she wasn’t the type to roll up drunk after a night out. Lorna knew that for a fact because of the number of times Angel had stayed over with Briony after a night out. They might have had a few drinks, and been a bit loud, and quite giggly, but they certainly weren’t embarrassingly drunk when they got home.

Lorna intended to put her at ease about everything, and then perhaps she’d join them for dinner. Lorna couldn’t wait to find out any details Angel could tell her about Briony’s trip.

She took the second flight of stairs that led straight up to the attic door. Lorna was about to knock when she overheard Angel talking. She must be on the phone, thought Lorna. She lingered outside her door. Is she on the phone to Briony? Lorna desperately wanted to know.

She heard Angel say, ‘Thanks for letting me know that she’s arrived safely, Freddie.’

Lorna put her ear closer to the door, feeling ever so guilty for listening in on Angel’s private conversation. If it wasn’t for the fact that Angel must be talking about her daughter, she’d have walked back down the stairs as soon as she realised Angel was on the phone.

‘No, I haven’t heard from her.’

Lorna nodded to herself. She guessed it made sense that Briony had contacted Freddie first.

‘Yeah, all right, it’s true – we have had a falling-out.’

Lorna raised her eyebrows. That might explain why she was avoiding them; maybe the falling-out had made her feel awkward around them. Lorna was a bit surprised to hear it, though. Briony and Angel never fell out.

‘Well, there’s a first time for everything, Freddie.’

Lorna thought that Freddie must have just said exactly what she was thinking. By the tone of her response, Angel didn’t sound happy about it. Lorna wasn’t surprised. They were best friends, after all. She hoped their argument had nothing to do with Angel staying there. She couldn’t imagine that was the case – after all, it had been Briony’s idea.

‘No, I don’t want to talk about it, if you don’t mind.’

Angel did sound upset. That was probably another reason she was avoiding them, and retreating to her attic room when she returned after work. What a shame that she and Briony had fallen out just before Briony’s trip. They would be thousands of miles apart for several weeks, and there would be little opportunity to patch things up.

‘No, I don’t want you to come round.’

There was a pause. Lorna wished she knew what Freddie was saying.

Angel said, ‘No, I’m sure Briony’s parents are fine with me having friends round. They’re so kind and caring, really laid back. Considering I am living in someone’s home, although it is perfectly self-contained, I couldn’t have asked for a nicer couple to live with. Briony’s parents are lovely people.’

Lorna smiled at that. At least it answered her questions and concerns about how Angel really felt about living there.

Her smile faded. She knew that Angel wouldn’t feel the same way if she discovered her standing right outside her door, listening into her private conversation.

‘We’ll meet up, Freddie, I promise. I just wish Briony had—’

Lorna noticed she’d stopped dead. Whatever she was going to say, or wanted to say, she abruptly changed her mind.

‘Look, I’ve got to go now. I’ve got a mountain of reading to do this evening … No, I’m not brushing you off.’

It sounded like it to Lorna. She heard Angel say, ‘Is Briony all right, though? Is … everything going okay?’

Lorna pressed her ear to the door, holding her breath, hoping her daughter was all right. As the days had ticked by, and had turned into a whole week without any word, it had been bothering her more and more, and was starting to give her sleepless nights.

Andrew kept reminding her that their daughter was an adult now, off in her own life, and they couldn’t expect her to check in with her parents all the time. Lorna had been annoyed with that comment; she didn’t want her to check in with them all the time. Once would have been nice, though.

‘Oh, good. I’m glad to hear everything’s fine.’

Lorna heard Angel’s reply and let out an audible sigh of relief. She clamped her hand over her mouth, praying Angel hadn’t heard.

‘Yeah, I was surprised she’d changed her mind too, but you know, things happen.’

Lorna stared at the door. What an odd thing to say, she thought. Changed her mind about what? She shook her head, thinking it was probably something of no consequence. Maybe it was something they’d arranged to do, the three of them, before she went away on her trip. She had thought that Briony was going out for a meal with Freddie before she left, but that hadn’t happened. Perhaps Angel was talking about that.

‘Well, I’d better go.’

Lorna looked at the door and thought the same thing. If she knocked and asked Angel to join them for dinner now, Angel might wonder how long she’d been standing outside her door and whether she’d been eavesdropping on her conversation.

Lorna turned around, hoping she didn’t step on a creaky floorboard. So far, so good, she thought as she started down the stairs. That was the trouble with old Victorian houses; everything seemed to creak. As Lorna made her way down the stairs, she chose her footing carefully.

She knew every inch of the house, every creak of a floorboard. She should do – she’d grown up there. Her parents had split up when she was eighteen. She’d stayed there in the family home, with her father, and had studied music at Oxford University, in one of the most prestigious music schools in the country. She was glad she’d brought up her own daughter there too.

She thought of Briony again as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Although her daughter had had the odd weekend away with Freddie, and had taken family trips to see her grandfather, Edwin, in America during summer holidays, she’d never been abroad, away from friends and family, for any length of time.

Lorna paused at the bottom of the stairs and smiled. Of course Briony would get in touch with her friends first. Lorna imagined she’d be in contact with her family soon enough. Her daughter’s trip had galvanised Lorna into thinking how much she wanted a change, an adventure, of her own. She was planning a life-changing trip herself with her husband for her fortieth – he just didn’t know it yet.

She smiled. She still couldn’t quite believe that her daughter was thousands of miles away in the Galapagos Islands. She’d had to look it up on a world map to see exactly where it was. It still didn’t feel real, and she imagined it wouldn’t until she’d heard from Briony.