‘I’ll speak to you next weekend,’ I told Jonathan, slamming the passenger door before he had a chance to say anything else.

I retrieved my things and the second I closed the boot he shot off. Dolly waved as he sped by and I walked up to meet her. My heart felt like a lead weight in my chest and my wrist was aching so much I had to swap my overnight bag to my other hand. I had no idea what I was going to tell her, but I knew it wouldn’t be the truth. Not for now anyway.

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

‘I wasn’t expecting you so soon,’ Dolly called when I was in earshot. ‘Where’s Jonathan off to in such a hurry?’

I didn’t answer. I didn’t much want the whole of Wynbridge, even if it was only the dearly departed, hearing me shouting along the road, not that I had any intention of hollering out the truth.

‘I hope he isn’t expecting a dinner,’ Dolly frowned. ‘I put that chicken in the freezer because I thought it was just going to be me.’

‘No,’ I said, joining her at the graveside. ‘You don’t have to worry about that. Jonathan has had to go again.’

She looked at me, her eyes shrewdly taking in my face.

‘What’s happened?’ she demanded.

I knew there was little point in saying nothing had happened. Dolly had some magical sixth sense where I was concerned and besides, she hadn’t expected me back anywhere near this early. I had told her I’d be back in time for school on Monday.

‘He had a phone call,’ I said. ‘He has to sort something at work.’

There was a certain irony that I was spinning out the same lie that she had used to explain why I had left the town so quickly after my last visit.

‘On a Sunday?’

‘I know,’ I shrugged. ‘I’m gutted. Some mix-up with a big contract or something.’

Dolly didn’t say anything.

‘But at least I’m not going to miss the third advent candle and I’ll have had a decent night sleep ahead of the last week in school,’ I said brightly.

Still nothing.

‘These are pretty,’ I said, indicating the flowers she had been arranging. ‘Will they last in this weather?’

Dolly finally released me from her all-seeing stare and I let out a long breath, relieved that she had let me off the hook. I simply couldn’t tell her what had really happened. She would be devastated if she knew about either my bruised wrist or what Mum had sent in response to my card. It was best I got it all straight in my own mind before I inflicted it on hers.