Hope Blooms in Tuppenny Bridge (Tuppenny Bridge #5)

Chapter 11

ELEVEN

Daisy hadn’t meant to tell Bethany what had happened between her and Noah, but when it came to it, she needed someone to confide in, and there was no one she trusted more.

They were having a girly night at Daisy’s flat, binge watching Bridgerton , eating pizza, and making their way through a bottle of wine, and Daisy kept sneaking glances at her friend, longing to tell her the big news.

Ever since she’d got home after that fateful meet-up in Little Whitsun, she’d hardly slept a wink as her mind replayed what had happened. She’d woken up the following morning, her stomach in knots as she wondered if Noah had changed his mind or regretted what he’d said to her.

She knew he wouldn’t risk coming into the café, so wasn’t expecting to have any sort of assurance from him that day, but in the event, he’d called her before she’d even set off to work, his voice little more than a murmur as if he was making sure Isobel didn’t overhear. It jarred with Daisy, she couldn’t deny it, but nor could she deny that she was relieved and excited to hear from him. He’d clearly wanted to check how she was feeling in the cold light of day.

‘If you’ve any regrets just say so now. I’ll understand.’

‘I haven’t,’ she’d assured him. ‘What I said to you yesterday—I meant every word. I’ll wait, Noah, but for now we’re friends. Just friends. And that’s okay.’

‘Oh, Daisy…’ He’d fallen silent for a long moment, then he’d said, ‘I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you, but I’m so grateful we met that day in Camacker.’

She’d genuinely meant what she’d told him, but it was hard not to wonder where they went from here, and as her chaotic thoughts chased each other around her exhausted brain she knew she needed to talk over the situation with her friend, or she’d go mad.

‘I can’t believe it,’ Bethany gasped. ‘He kissed you? Oh blimey, this calls for another bottle. What was I thinking, only bringing one?’

‘There’s another in the fridge,’ Daisy said, her stomach swishing with nerves as she tried to gauge how her friend really felt about the situation. ‘I knew we’d need it.’

‘Good call.’

Bethany headed into the kitchen, returning moments later with the bottle. ‘Right, don’t say when because I’ll just ignore you.’

Glasses topped up, they leaned back on the sofa, Bridgerton on pause, and stared at each other.

‘So, you’ve been sneaking off to meet up all this time?’

‘Don’t say it like that. It really wasn’t like that. The first time we met up was a fluke. We’d both gone to see the wildflowers, that’s all.’

‘But after that?’

‘Well, yes, but it was purely as friends. He seemed… lonely.’

‘Oh, Daisy!’

‘It’s true! And anyway, he’s good company. We get on really well, and we have lots in common.’

‘Like?’

‘Like how much we both love hiking, and being out in the Dales, and white chocolate and caramel cake.’ She couldn’t hide her smile. ‘And singing along to the car radio.’

Bethany’s eyes widened. ‘Oh, wow. You sound smitten. Far be it from me to pour cold water on your romantic fantasies but, are you sure about this, Daisy?’

Daisy folded her arms. Was this where Bethany tried to talk her out of it? Where she tried her best to persuade Daisy that she was making a huge mistake?

‘We genuinely care about each other,’ she said, almost daring Bethany to challenge her. ‘He’s such a nice man, he really is. A gentleman. We just clicked. We talk for hours, and we have such a good time together.’

‘A good time? Maybe for now, but it’s not going to be much fun for you long term, is it?’ Bethany swirled the wine in her glass. ‘He has a wife, however much you’d like to pretend otherwise. Is he going to leave her?’

‘Not for the foreseeable future,’ Daisy admitted. ‘There are complications. He doesn’t want to hurt her.’

‘Bit late for that,’ Bethany said grimly. ‘Especially when you think about the rumours. Because the rumours are growing, you know. People are talking.’

‘Rumours!’ Daisy tutted in disgust. ‘Idle gossip. Anyone who really knew Noah would dismiss them out of hand.’

‘And how well do you know Noah?’ Bethany asked. ‘Sorry to play devil’s advocate, but you haven’t been here long. How can you be sure? For all you know he could be stringing you along, playing with your feelings.’

‘He cares about me,’ Daisy said stubbornly.

‘So he says.’

‘He’s not what you think he is,’ Daisy said. ‘Really he isn’t.’

‘What, married?’ Bethany gave her a pointed look.

‘I meant?—’

‘I know what you meant. It was a joke. Although it’s not funny, is it?’ Bethany sighed. ‘I know how much you like him,’ she said, ‘and if you say he cares about you, too, I believe you. But at some point, the two of you are going to have to decide what happens next, because if you don’t, you’re going to spend the rest of your lives sneaking off to meet up away from Tuppenny Bridge, feeling wretched and miserable and full of guilt. That’s no life for you. Either of you.’

‘It’s not up to me, though, is it?’ Daisy said. ‘This has to be Noah’s decision. He’s the one with the wife, after all.’

‘And he’s not being fair to either of you,’ Bethany said bluntly. ‘Look, I’m willing to believe that whatever’s happened to Isobel, the rumours are just that, with no basis in fact. I’ll buy that Noah’s not hurting her, physically at least. But if she knew about you and him, it would definitely hurt her emotionally. I should know. Been there, done that.’

‘We’re not having an affair,’ Daisy reminded her. ‘Nothing’s happened. Well, we’ve kissed, but that’s it. We wouldn’t. He wouldn’t. We’re keeping it at friendship for now and?—’

‘Do you seriously believe that just because you haven’t had sex this isn’t an affair?’ Bethany shook her head. ‘In a way, that makes it worse. I remember when Ted and Helena confessed that they were together. They went to such pains to assure me that it had been ages before they got physical. That they’d just spent a lot of time talking to each other, making each other laugh. They honestly thought that made it better! It didn’t. It hurt me so much more. Sex is sex. It can be utterly meaningless. But when a couple wants to be together because they love each other’s company… Oh my God, that really hurts! You and Noah being such good friends, enjoying being together even without the physical side, don’t you realise, you could break Isobel’s heart? You don’t have to be sleeping with him, Daisy. Trust me.’

‘I know.’ Daisy stared into her glass.

Bethany sighed. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to rain on your parade. I’m just worried about you. All of you. Especially you. I remember when you told me about how you got so involved with that farmer chap, Eliot.’

Daisy’s head shot up. ‘That was different!’

‘Was it? He was married, wasn’t he?’

‘But Eliot never said he loved me. That was all in my head!’

‘Noah’s said he loves you?’

Daisy’s face burned. ‘Well, no. Not in so many words. But we like each other a lot.’ She shook her head. ‘Oh, I can’t explain! Look, I know I messed up with Eliot, believe me. But this truly isn’t like that. Eliot was a friend and I let my imagination run away with me, wanting far more than he could ever give. He didn’t see me in that way. Not at all. But Noah…’

‘How much can he give you, though, Daisy? If he’s not prepared to leave Isobel, where does that leave you?’

‘It’s way too early to talk about him leaving Isobel,’ Daisy protested. ‘I wouldn’t expect him to. I wouldn’t ask!’

‘So, like with Eliot, you want more from him than he can give?’

There was silence.

‘You’re always telling me what a decent, honourable man Noah is,’ Bethany reminded her. ‘Always defending him. Always seeing the best in him. But is this being decent? Is it honourable to lead you on when he has a wife at home? And look, I know we have no idea of the true facts, but you can’t deny there’s something odd going on between him and Isobel. Enough to make people start to wonder if he really is as honourable as you’d like to believe.’

‘Not that again,’ Daisy said. ‘I told you, he wouldn’t hurt her! He wouldn’t hurt anyone.’

‘And I say again, how well do you really know him? Oh, Daisy, I’m sorry!’ Bethany put down her glass and wrapped her arms around her friend. ‘I’m not saying this to upset you, really I’m not. I’m just worried sick about you, that’s all. I don’t want you to get hurt. Not after everything you’ve already been through. Just when you’ve made a new start and you’re finally getting your life together.’

Daisy’s glass joined Bethany’s on the coffee table, and she took her friend’s hands in hers, meeting her gaze with quiet determination.

‘You said to me that if someone shows you who they are, believe them,’ she said. ‘Well, Noah has shown me who he is. I understand that you don’t really know him, and I know it’s easy to listen to gossip, putting two and two together to make five. But you do know me. Can you just trust me when I tell you that my every instinct is telling me that he’s a good man? He’s everything I keep telling you. I would bet my life that he’s not someone who would hit his wife.’

Bethany’s eyes revealed how deeply troubled she felt. ‘Thing is, Daisy, you might actually be betting your life. If you’re wrong…’

‘I’m not wrong.’ Daisy blinked away tears. ‘Noah’s not that person. I don’t know what’s going on, and I don’t know how this is going to play out, but I do know he needs me, and we care about each other. The rumours about him are unfounded, and one day we’ll prove it.’

Bethany shook her head, then smiled, her own eyes glassy with unshed tears. ‘He’s really got under your skin, hasn’t he? But you’re right. I did tell you to believe someone when they showed you who they are. Once upon a time I didn’t listen to my instincts, and I lost my brother, gave far too much time to people who didn’t deserve it, and almost lost Clive. So, I can’t tell you to ignore your own instincts. If you truly believe he’s the man you think he is—well, all I can do is support you and wish you luck.’

‘Thank you,’ Daisy whispered.

It meant the world to her that Bethany was willing to back her, even if she clearly had reservations.

She had the feeling that she was going to need her friend’s support. She trusted Noah, and she knew he cared for her and needed her. But where this was going she had no idea. They’d started something and it couldn’t be stopped. This was going to play out and they’d just have to go with it and see where they ended up.

It was far too late to walk away now.