Read Ivy Lane: Winter: for Free Online Page B

well, it’s been the happiest few days I’ve had for a very long time, Tilly, and I really mean that.’
    Liz and Nigel? Actually, now that I thought about it, they made a lovely couple . . .
    ‘My ex-husband, he . . .’ She stared at me for a moment, seeming to weigh up whether I was confidante material or not.
    I squeezed her hand encouragingly. ‘Go on.’
    Liz tucked her hand under my elbow and led me to the comparative privacy of the far corner of the room.
    ‘I’m no oil painting, I know,’ she murmured, ‘but he used to make jokes about me in front of his friends, about how plain I was and how it was a good job I could cook, because I was useless at everything else. In the end, he left me for a younger woman.’ She smiled at me but there was no mistaking the pain in her eyes.
    ‘I’m sorry.’ I was touched that she had chosen to confide in me and cross at the same time that she had lived her life under this shadow for so long.
    ‘Don’t be. He gave me back my freedom. Well, my own space at least. I’m afraid years of his put-downs made me want to hide away. But spending time with Nigel,’ her eyes misted over, ‘what a lovely man. Such a gentleman. I’ve felt valued for the first time in years and years.’
    ‘And now you feel ready to love again?’ I said softly.
    ‘Me?’ she squeaked. ‘Oh goodness me, no!’ Liz’s fingers fluttered up to her neck, which had gone slightly blotchy all of a sudden. ‘That part of my life is over now. I mean who would . . .? It’s not as if I’d be a catch for anyone.’ She sighed and my heart broke for her; she would be a catch, I was sure if it.
    ‘Anyway,’ she continued, ‘I’d best get cracking.’ And with one final wistful glance at Nigel, she ducked her head and darted from the room.
    I popped into the kitchen to fetch a glass of water, thirsty after my impromptu nap, and found Brenda and Christine still in there washing up.
    ‘Isn’t that your bag, Tilly,’ asked Christine, nodding her head to a large shopping bag on the floor.
    ‘Sorry, Christine, it is, I’ll move it out of your way and I do apologize for not helping clear up.’
    She waved me away with a hand covered in soap suds. ‘You’ve done enough today. Go home and have a rest.’
    I smiled and sighed. ‘Thank you. I am shattered, I must admit.’
    I scooped up the bag and wandered back into the main room. Just as I was saying my goodbyes, Hayley appeared at the pavilion door and bounded over to me, her arm wrapped round a tall cake tin.
    ‘Have I missed the competition?’ she asked, giving me a one-armed hug as she looked round the room. ‘I have, haven’t I?’
    I glanced at her cake tin and my heart sank. It was so kind of her to come and support me and knowing her baking skills, her cake would probably have been a winner. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, Hayley, we’re just clearing up. Well, everyone else is; I slept through most of the work.’
    Hayley grinned and shrugged one shoulder. ‘Never mind. The reason I’m late is because . . . drum roll please . . . I passed my driving test this morning!’
    ‘Yay!’ I flung my arms round her and kissed her cheek. ‘That’s fantastic! You are such a dark horse, I only saw you a couple of weeks ago and you didn’t mention a thing, I didn’t even know you were learning to drive.’
    She blushed and lowered her eyes, bouncing the toe of her Converses against the floor. ‘Didn’t know how you’d feel, worrying about another nutter on the roads.’
    ‘Oh Hayley,’ I whispered, swallowing a lump in my throat. ‘I’m really proud of you.’
    She coughed and held out her cake tin. ‘Anyway, have a look at this. I don’t normally do fancy stuff, but I saw this on Pinterest and thought I’d have a go myself.’
    She pulled the lid off the tin and I peered inside. There sat a large, exquisitely decorated cake, covered in pastel fondant icing.
    ‘That is fabulous!’ I said, meaning it.
    Hayley shrugged modestly. ‘It’s a