Chapter 30
30
It was later that evening and Libby was tucked up in her bed, still trying to take in what had happened.
Apparently she had fallen asleep, but rather than only napping for a short time as planned, she had been told that she had been asleep for almost two hours. Which was plenty long enough for the cocoa beans in the oven to not only burn but catch alight.
‘So is the school burnt down?’ she asked, her voice still a croak from all the smoke.
Somehow she had slept through the smoke filling the old school until a moment before Ethan had suddenly rushed in and carried her outside. According to the local doctor who had already checked her out, that blast of fresh air had been the reason that she wasn’t in hospital that night.
Katy shook her head. ‘No, thankfully, it’s just smoke damage. The building is still intact. The only fire was in the oven.’
Ryan had rung Katy for support as soon as they knew that the place wasn’t on fire. She had stayed with Libby whilst the doctor had completed his checks, as well as helping her take a shower to wash away all the soot and grime.
Now Libby was in her pyjamas and squeaky clean, at least on her skin. Her throat and lungs would take a little while before they recovered.
She had a terrible thought. ‘What about the chocolate?’ she asked.
Katy sighed. ‘Ryan took a look in there after the smoke had cleared. Unfortunately, anything out on the work surfaces in the kitchen is ruined, but luckily there wasn’t a fire or it could have been much worse.’
Libby gasped, which brought on a further bout of coughing. She had made such a mess of things.
‘But the pantry wall is inches thick and pretty air-tight,’ carried on Katy. ‘So it seems as if the truffles that you’ve made already are safe. You’ll have to check them, but fingers crossed, it looks okay.’
It was a small consolation considering she’d almost ruined Ethan’s kitchen, thought Libby with a grimace.
‘Don’t worry about anything for now,’ carried on Katy, watching her closely. ‘Remember what the doctor said.’ She sighed heavily. ‘You were so lucky that it’s just the effects from the smoke inhalation for you to deal with. Now there’s cough drops there on the side, next to the water, to help soothe your throat. For now, you just need to rest.’
‘But…’ began Libby, her mind thinking through everything that wouldn’t happen if she had enforced rest.
‘No buts,’ said Katy, standing up. ‘Just try to get some sleep tonight. Everything else can be sorted out tomorrow.’ She hesitated. ‘Your dad wants to see you, but he said Ethan could visit you first.’
‘Ethan’s here?’ Libby was shocked. ‘In my house?’
‘He wanted to know what the doctor said. But he also wants to speak with you briefly.’ Katy leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. ‘I’m so glad you’re okay,’ she said, tears filling her eyes. ‘Harriet and Flora send their love too. As well as everyone else in the village.’
‘Everyone?’ Libby’s red eyes clicked wide.
Katy nodded. ‘No secrets in Cranfield,’ she said with a soft smile. ‘Get some rest.’
As she went outside, Libby closed her eyes briefly. They felt gritty and sore, but Katy had rustled up some eye drops from somewhere which would help.
Hearing the creak of the floorboard, she looked up from her prone position in the bed and there was Ethan. He still looked sooty and grubby but, most of all, he looked extremely tired.
‘You look worse than I do,’ she croaked.
He appeared to try to smile at her joke but failed. Instead, he sighed and shook his head. ‘Libs,’ he began, with a groan.
‘I’m so sorry,’ she said. ‘You were already worried about your grandad and now this! I hope I haven’t completely ruined your lovely house.’
‘To hell with the house!’ snapped Ethan, before sinking down on the bed. ‘I don’t care about that! I care about you! When I think what might have happened if Ryan hadn’t seen the smoke…’ He ran a hand through his hair which was more black than blonde and a shower of sooty dust landed on the duvet cover. He tried to brush it off but ended up making it worse.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ she told him, reaching out to take his hand in hers. ‘I’m okay.’
He looked down at her hand, so pink compared to his, and squeezed it. ‘You so nearly weren’t okay though. I should have checked the batteries on that fire alarm. It’s my fault.’
‘It’s not,’ she told him. ‘Anyway, I’m alright. So shut up.’
‘Well, I’m not going to shut up,’ he told her. ‘I told you that you needed to ask for help.’
‘I don’t need any help,’ she said automatically.
This at least raised a small smile from him. ‘Sweetheart, you nearly burnt my house down,’ he reminded her.
She looked so sheepish suddenly that he burst out laughing.
‘Okay. So I have my faults,’ she told him.
He raised his eyebrows. ‘Am I allowed to list them?’ he drawled.
‘No. Not tonight.’ She sighed. ‘But yeah, maybe I can finally admit that I need help.’
‘Do you know what your problem is?’ he asked.
‘I’m sure you’re about to tell me,’ she said.
He shook his head and finally looked into her eyes. ‘You keep telling me that you’re fine. And don’t say that you are because tonight has proven spectacularly that you most definitely are not managing, are you?’
The tears welled up and made her eyes even more sore, but she didn’t care. ‘Nobody else can make the chocolate and we need the money, okay?’ she said, feeling the tears roll down her cheeks.
Ethan groaned. ‘Don’t cry,’ he said, reaching out to stroke the tears away from her cheek. ‘I hate it when you cry. Listen, it’ll be okay. We’ll think of something.’
She sniffed. ‘We will?’
‘Absolutely.’ He gave her a soft smile. ‘I think between us we can cause everyone enough trouble, don’t you?’
‘It’s been a while,’ she reminded him.
He nodded. ‘Yes, it has.’ He leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. ‘Your dad wants to see you now.’ He stood up from the bed and looked down at her. He went to say something else but shook his head instead, at himself. ‘Get some sleep,’ he told her.
Then he turned around and walked out of the bedroom. Libby closed her eyes, comforted by Ethan’s visit and how much closer they were becoming after so many years apart.