The Garden by the Sea by Amanda James

Author:Amanda James [James, Amanda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780008505004
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Chapter Fourteen

The elements are against Janet as she sets off for the café and baker’s shop in Treyarnon. She’s seen two crows flying backwards, racing each other and the stiff breeze, while her best navy and pink scarf is doing its best to blindfold her. At least she’s got her new stout walking boots on. Nevertheless, Janet doesn’t want to get them messed up, so she kicks a pebble out of her path and side-steps a muddy puddle. As she stomps along, she thinks again about her promise to Milly, made under duress the other day. Janet’s determined to honour it, but the idea of apologising to Lowena and that crazy air-head Zelah sticks in her craw. She can’t quite get her head round the fact that Zelah had made matters so much worse afterwards, telling Lowena everything that happened and then filling Milly in on it all.

Janet swallows a knot of emotion as she recalls her old friend’s declaration that their friendship would not resume until she had apologised. Milly’s words had reflected her cold, distant stance. Janet stared vacantly at the road in front of her but in her mind’s eye she could see an image of Milly and hear her hurtful words echoing in her ears.

‘I saw the very worst of you at Lowena’s party, Janet.’

Milly had emphasised the word very and narrowed her beady brown eyes at Janet in the hardest stare, until she’d had no choice but to look away. Those eyes had made her feel like a naughty child. An unwanted child that everyone tolerated and never invited to birthday parties. Janet had considered telling Milly to bugger off and who needed her friendship anyway? Only for a second though, because unfortunately, Milly is the only friend she has. She could make more, of course, but she can’t be bothered.

Janet harrumphs and kicks another pebble. Since when did giving people an honest opinion amount to being the very worst in a person? Aren’t individuals allowed to have a point of view these days? It’s all that political correctness malarkey. You have to consider everyone’s feelings before you even open your mouth, in case you might offend them. God forbid that someone might be offended. How could they possibly carry on with the rest of their lives? Janet snorts. People today are too mollycoddled. In her day if you were offended, you’d say so, and give as good as you got. Folks need to toughen up a bit. Stop being snowdrops or whatever it is. No. Snowflakes, she thinks. She would have to google it to see what it actually meant. But basically, lots of people these days are a lot of bloody wimps.

The inside of the café smells like coffee, pastry and cinnamon and despite having breakfasted less than an hour ago, Janet’s stomach craves an apple turnover with double cream and a pot of Earl Grey. As she closes the door behind her, a gust of wind assists the scarf in its blindfolding

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