The Wildwater Women by Ellie Wood

Author:Ellie Wood [Wood, Ellie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Published: 2022-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

12

Abby had been up since the sun first started to peep over the fell. As soon as she woke that Sunday morning, she felt a thrill of excitement zip down her spine. She was looking forward to her excursion to Crummockwater with the kind of enthusiasm that might be expected if she were off on an extravagant holiday. She shoved off her duvet and stretched her arms up towards the ceiling as though she were reaching for the sky itself, eager to welcome the day. The idea that a trip to a place only an hour away could fill her with such fizzing anticipation made her smile to herself as she pulled back the curtains and let the faint light of dawn filter in through the window.

She set off to drop Rowan at Maria’s house while it was still early, and walking through the town while the rest of its residents were dozing lazily, revelling in a weekend lie-in, felt like they were the first ones to be let into a theme park just as the doors were flung open. The atmosphere was hushed and still, and a bubble of elation began to burble up inside Abby, as though she had fast-track tickets to the world in all its autumnal glory. Wansfell was crowned in a low mist, and dewdrops hung from grass lawns like priceless gemstones. Birds serenaded them in surround-sound, like she and Rowan had front-row seats at a private performance of nature’s finest orchestra.

Her daughter scampered up the path to Fairfield View and stood on tiptoe to ring the bell. Maria answered the door wearing an over-sized polo-necked jumper and a huge grin.

‘GRANDMA!’ Rowan squealed, throwing her arms round Maria’s waist, and Abby’s heart squeezed as she watched the two of them greet each other with such exuberance no one would guess they’d only parted the previous day, when she’d come to pick Rowan up the morning after the dinner party.

‘Morning, Maria!’ Abby said with a smile. ‘Thanks again for having her.’

‘Oh, it’s a pleasure.’ Maria laughed as Rowan disappeared off down the hall, muttering the lyrics to a song she’d either learned at school or made up, as she searched for something of interest: a foodstuff or furnishing she wouldn’t find at home. ‘It’s a treat to have her for the day.’ The corners of her eyes crinkled.

‘She might be a bit full of energy, without school to wear her out for you first,’ said Abby with a smile.

‘Oh, we’ll be fine!’ Maria looked over her shoulder at Rowan bounding about behind her. She turned to face Abby again, her forehead wrinkling into a thought-wrought frown. ‘If ever you want … a whole weekend to yourself …’ she started, her slippers shifting position on the carpet like she was trying to avoid treading on an awkward subject. ‘All you have to do is say …’

‘Oh, I’m not going to make a habit of this, don’t worry!’ replied Abby, tucking some stray strands of hair behind her ear.

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