Chapter 51
Lily barely took in the glorious view out of the car window. In a way, it made her feel even worse.
All along the lane there were early daffodils pushing up.
Spring was just about to burst into life in the countryside.
And she would miss it, she reminded herself.
She would be back in the urban sprawl. Away from the amazing colours and change that every day brought being so close to nature.
Away from Hannah changing her seasonal flavours to spring-themed cakes covered with edible flowers.
Away from Dotty with her sharp intellect.
Away from Faye with her soft hugs. Away from Frankie with her fierce wit.
And away from Walter with his stubborn shell under which lay a heart of gold.
And, worst of all, away from Ben.
Everything to do with Ben was tied up with the outside world.
Drifting across the water in the boat with the endless sky twinkling with stars above them.
Laughing as they sank into the middle of the freezing cold lake that first time.
Enjoying their walks through the forest on hard ground underfoot when the frosts came.
Cuddling up in front of a roaring log fire afterwards.
Now she would miss summer with its long evenings full of dreamy skies. The different sounds of the new seasons. She would miss all of it. But most of all, she would miss Ben.
It felt as if she had left her heart behind at Maple Tree Lodge. Outwardly she looked the same, but on the inside, everything had changed. She had changed. She trusted people now. Let them into her heart and soul. She had friends, warmth, laughter and support.
It was everything that she had ever wanted, her secret dream.
To belong somewhere. She belonged at Maple Tree Lodge.
She belonged with the Jackson family. Her biggest dream hadn’t been about having her own business.
That wasn’t what she had dreamed of growing up.
Back then it had been about security. A permanent home.
A life in one place. A place where she could finally belong forever.
Somewhere along the way it had gotten mixed up with business.
In her career and an ambition that had never been hers to begin with.
But when she had designed the interiors of the hotel, it had given her more satisfaction than any other job.
Not just because she had been given carte blanche.
But because it meant something to her. Not someone else’s home or office. It was her home. Hers. And Ben’s too.
All those years of living alone. All that loneliness and longing. And she had finally found it. At Maple Tree Lodge she had finally gotten everything that she had ever wanted. For the last five months, she had been surrounded by love, so much love from her friends, from everyone.
Most especially Ben. She trusted him. She believed him. She loved him.
Lily suddenly sat upright in her seat. So why on earth would she throw away anything that precious on something as unimportant as work? Work wasn’t the be all and end all, was it? That wasn’t her dream. Her dream was back at the hotel, a life spent with Ben.
She glanced at the back seat where Ben and Walter’s doll’s house was alongside her own. It was like the hotel in almost every detail. But why have the miniature version when she could have the real thing every day? For the rest of her life?
She finally focused on the world outside of the taxi and realised that it was the wrong view entirely.
‘Stop the car!’ she blurted out. ‘Del! Stop this car right now!’
Del jumped in his seat and slammed on the breaks, almost veering the car into a gate at the edge of the field.
‘Wassup?’ he said, his eyes wild and fearful. ‘What’s the matter? What have I run over?’
‘Nothing! Turn the car around!’ she told him.
‘Why?’ asked Del, looking confused. ‘You forget something important?’
‘Yes,’ said Lily, with a small almost hysterical laugh. ‘I forgot that I was already home! Take me back to the hotel, Del. I want to go home.’
Del’s face creased into a delighted grin. ‘Yes, ma’am!’ he replied, before slamming the car into gear and executing a speedy three-point turn.
The return journey seemed to take far longer for Lily than it had when she had left. She drummed her fingers impatiently on her leg, anxious to get back to Ben and apologise. She just hoped he would believe her.
Del seemed equally anxious and drove at breakneck speed along the narrow country lanes to reach their destination.
Finally, he took a sharp left at the sign for Maple Tree Lodge and they were bouncing down the track, still at an accelerated pace.
Lily was so busy looking through the trees, desperate to catch that first view of the hotel, that she didn’t see the car coming the other way until it was almost too late.
Del didn’t appear to have seen it either and had yet to slow down, she realised in horror.
‘Watch out!’ she shouted.
Del finally saw the car and slammed on the brakes.
However, Ben’s car, which had been heading towards them, had to swerve to avoid Del’s taxi and Lily watched in slow motion as Ben veered the car off the track and went straight into the muddy pond.