The House that Florence Left (Portuguese Paradise #4)

Chapter 14

Bella woke early the following morning and lingered in bed for a while listening to the storks chatting outside, enjoying the clicks of their beaks and swishing of their wings. Rolling over, she examined the pinpricks of light dotting the floor, deciding they looked like diamonds glowing in the early-morning sun, then mentally went through her day. Department Zoom meeting at nine thirty, then individual chats with project leaders, then planning, after which she tried to remember the contents of her fridge so she could work out what she needed to buy at the supermarket that evening.

But none of it worked. The questions she was trying not to think about still managed to force their way to the forefront of her mind. Why had Hugo been so rude to her yesterday? And, just as importantly, why was she so upset?

You could go and ask him , answered her inner voice reasonably. And as for the second question, that is obvious.

Deciding to ignore that, she went downstairs, fed the cats, made herself a cup of tea and opened the door. The morning glow flooded in, so she stepped outside, feeling as if she was in a bath of sunlight. Sitting down, she looked at the tangled red bougainvillea that was beginning to thrive in the window boxes and some orange and white flowers she couldn’t identify that seemed to have bloomed overnight. The storks continued to bustle, and the sea roared calmly in the distance.

Glancing up at the gaps the fallen tiles had left, she decided to ring the man in the shop in Silves she’d ordered the new ones from to check their progress. Then she got up, pushing everything out of her mind except for her workday ahead.

* * *

‘It has taken a bit of getting used to.’ Bella adjusted the screen so she could see everyone. ‘It is so quiet here.’

‘Yes, very different from central London, I should think,’ Bella’s new head of department, Jules, said. ‘But it must be lovely not to have car horns and all that traffic noise.’

‘During the day, yes. But as I told everyone at our last meeting, at night I’ve resorted to a rainforest soundtrack on Alexa to mask the silence.’ Bella laughed at her own joke again.

‘Shouldn’t you have one with police sirens on it and drunks shouting for kebabs?’ Lil giggled.

‘I don’t think they do one of those. Perhaps there’s an opening for an entrepreneurial type — ambient city noise.’

The cats walked inside and ambled over to her.

‘Well.’ Jules uploaded a document. ‘Here are the stats for the last quarter. As you can see, they are very healthy, but we still need to increase our output.’

‘Right.’

The cats jumped onto the table and sat down either side of the computer, purring loudly.

‘What’s that? I can hear some interference?’ one of Bella’s colleagues said.

‘Oh, I think it’s the cats.’ Bella moved the screen so they could all see them.

Everyone emitted a collective ‘ahhh’.

‘I thought you were only there for six months maximum?’ Jules took her glasses off and cleaned them. ‘Cats seem a bit permanent.’

‘No. They used to belong to my aunt, and when I moved in, so did they. They’ll go back to my neighbours when I leave.’

Lil sighed. ‘Sooooo cute.’

‘Shall we get on? Cats and dogs are just a part of hybrid working these days. Lola here—’ Jules picked up a rabbit and put it on the table ‘—is a house-trained rabbit. The kids love her. She poos everywhere and chews through wires.’ She smoothed the rabbit’s ears. ‘She really is a pest. But we all love her.’ The rabbit jumped off the table. ‘Right. As I was saying, can I hear clicking?’

‘Is it interference on the computer?’ Bella’s colleagues started to press buttons and fiddle with their headphones.

‘I think it’s the storks.’ Bella went to the door to check. One of them was standing in the garden with a twig in its mouth, while the other was on the nest chattering and clicking.

She closed the door and sat at the computer again. ‘Sorry about that. They are a bit noisy today.’

‘Did you say storks?’ Jules asked, eyes wide.

‘Yes. They live on the roof of the outbuilding.’

‘How wonderful.’ One of her colleagues clapped her hands gleefully.

‘Aren’t they a bit messy?’ asked someone else.

‘Um... I suppose so. No more than any other birds. There are a lot around here... bit of a birdwatcher’s paradise. I found a large group in my garden not so long ago.’

‘What, storks?’ asked her friend.

‘No, birdwatchers.’

‘Right.’ Her boss cleared her throat. ‘Let’s get on. Hopefully there won’t be any more interruptions.’

‘I’ve closed the front door now. I only leave it open in case Deidre wanders over.’ Bella wished she hadn’t said anything, wondering where her businesslike brain had gone. She always kept her input to a minimum so she could get on with her work as soon as possible, and certainly never, ever indulged in informal chit-chat.

‘Oh, it’s nice you’ve made some friends already,’ Lil said.

‘Ha, well, Deidre’s a dog who lives next door.’ Bella was about to explain why Deidre was prone to make unexpected visits but managed to stop herself. ‘It’s a long story,’ she muttered. ‘So, how are we going to increase our output? Are some of our tasks being reassigned?’ She moved a pad in front of her and picked up a pen to make sure she looked like she was fully engaged.

‘We have reorganised some of the workload as you have temporarily rearranged your working week to three days,’ Jules explained, uploading another document. ‘This is where we are now — as per the email sent out two weeks ago. So, I’m looking for ideas on how to streamline some of our work and operations—’

A dog started barking outside very loudly. Bella attempted to ignore it. Everyone looked up and tried to work out where it was coming from. Bella knew. It was Deidre. She smiled serenely, hoping the dog would get bored and lie down outside until the meeting finished and she could let her in.

Deidre continued to bark. Then she began to whine, and the cats meowed. Bella got up and let the dog in, then sat down. ‘Sorry about that.’ She cleared her throat and ignored the dog running around excitedly, her paws pattering noisily on the tiles. ‘She’ll calm down in a minute.’

‘The joys of working from home,’ someone said and everyone murmured in agreement.

The storks started up their clattering noise again. Bella resisted the urge to put her head in her hands. This is not who I am , she thought. I am not chaos. I am not —

‘Deidre! Deidre! There you are!’ Elena almost galloped into the house. ‘Oh, Bella — she ran off.’

‘This is Elena.’ Bella’s voice sounded slightly strained.

Deidre wagged her tail and darted around, avoiding Elena’s attempts to catch her.

‘Deidre, come back!’

The six faces on the Zoom call displayed various expressions ranging from laughing out loud to mild irritation.

‘I’m on a work call, Elena.’ Bella stood up. ‘I’ll be back in a second. I’ve got some treats in the kitchen.’

‘I can only apologise,’ she heard Elena say. ‘I rescued Bella’s neighbour from a ditch nearby a few weeks ago, then hurt his back when I got him into my car. So I have been trying to make amends since then.’

Bella opened a cupboard and picked out some dog treats.

‘Ah, yes, Bella mentioned something about that,’ Lil was saying.

‘I’ve never had any pets and I thought it would be helpful to offer to take his dog for walks when he wasn’t up to it. Bella has been helping out too. And—’ Elena’s voice lowered ‘—if I’m honest, I’m trying to impress him. I’m a very well-established accountant with my own business, and he is an old hippie who’s lived on his own for a long time, but I confess that I am rather smitten.’

Bella tried not to picture her boss’s face as she hurried back into the room and put a treat on the floor in front of the dog.

‘Here we are, Elena.’ Bella picked up the lead and handed it over.

‘Oh, thank you. And sorry, Bella.’ She waved at the screen. ‘Sorry, everyone, to disturb your meeting. Bye. Come on, Deidre, let’s get you back to Will.’

Bella sat down as she walked out and closed the door behind her.

‘That’s a very busy place for somewhere that’s supposed to be so quiet.’ Lil laughed.

‘Do you get many interruptions like that?’ Jules asked.

Bella shook her head. ‘No. Absolutely not. The house is at the end of a track off a narrow lane.’

‘Good. Good news.’ Jules uploaded another document. ‘Now, let’s get on with our ideas, shall we?’

Bella’s stomach churned. Mustn’t undo all these years of hard work with all of — this. Her inner voice sounded slightly stressed. Whatever this is.

At the end of the meeting, Lil said, ‘Hey, Bella, can you stay on for a moment when everyone’s signed off? I’ve got a question about some stats I need to run by you.’

‘No problem.’ Bella watched the faces of her colleagues leave the meeting, then smiled at Lil.

‘So, things seem interesting over there.’

Bella laughed thinly. ‘A bit more than I was expecting, to be honest.’

‘How’s the hunky neighbour?’

‘Not sure.’ Bella didn’t want to say any more.

‘What about the lovely finance man? Jorge?’

Bella’s mind flew back to their coffee, remembering how he’d been talking to her and staring directly into her eyes. ‘Um, very helpful.’ She glanced at the clock. ‘So, what is it that you want to run by me?’

‘Why have you decided to temporarily relocate to Portugal? I didn’t think about it when you went as it was done in such a hurry but...’ She shook her head. ‘You could have taken a holiday, visited, worked out what’s best, paid someone to sort it out for you, and popped over when needed.’

‘I needed to see it so I can be sure I’m getting the right price when I sell.’

‘I don’t think you need to be there for six months to do that. You’ve made your life difficult with work, and it’s for less money because you’ve gone part-time.’

‘I have to make it better.’ Bella couldn’t quite formulate the words to explain why she’d decided to disrupt her life like this. Possibly because she didn’t really know.

‘You could pay someone to do that. I mean, how much information do you need to make the decision?’

Bella rifled through her mind, trying to pinpoint the reason that had pushed her to Portugal so quickly. ‘Someone else asked me that too.’

‘Well? I’m your friend. Your work set-up is clearly not quite right at the moment there.’

Yin or Yang nuzzled Bella’s hand. ‘It seems so silly... so irrational... but the letter arrived from the solicitor on the same date my dad had his car accident. It was years before. He was only forty. Everything changed for him on that date. For my mum. For me.’

‘Oh, Bella. How old were you?’

‘I was nine. I was eight when we came here. That was such a magical holiday. And it was sort of our only holiday.’

‘Your dad does work though? And your mum?’

Bella didn’t want to talk about it, but somehow the words poured out and she couldn’t stop them. ‘He was a PE teacher. Then suddenly he couldn’t walk properly. Lost that. So, now he marks exams. And writes sports reports for newspapers and websites. But his mobility is getting worse, and then there’s the depression. And my mum is his carer and works when she can, and I want their life to be better than that.’

‘So you support them, don’t you?’

‘Yes. As much as I can financially.’

‘Oh, Bella.’ Lil reached her hand towards her camera. ‘I wish I could give you a hug.’

‘They need the house to be adapted so he can live downstairs now. They love that house. My mum loves the garden. If I sell this, it could pay for the adaptation. If I rent it out, I could provide them with a regular income.’

‘But that doesn’t explain why you’re over there now?’

‘But you know — in the will it said I had to make it better. This place — I don’t know — it just triggered me, because I’ve been trying to make things better for my mum and dad since I was nine. And Gino had gone. Gosh!’ Bella took a breath, then found herself smiling at Lil. ‘I hadn’t really thought about it, which is unlike me, Miss “I must have information!” This seems to be entirely based on instinct. Oh.’ Bella widened her eyes.

‘Indeed.’ Lil smiled again. ‘I’m as surprised as you are!’ A buzzer went in the background. ‘I’ve got another meeting, got to go.’

‘Me too. Thanks, Lil.’

‘What for?’

‘For making me think.’

* * *

Bella decided to lose herself in the holiday crowds in the centre of Lagos that evening. Her day at work and the trip to the supermarket hadn’t filled up enough of her day or her thoughts to stop the chatter that was crowding in on her.

Why did you come and stay? Why did you upend your life and your job? What were you thinking?

For once, obviously nothing.

You are usually on top of everything. You can’t blame a date on a solicitor’s letter for almost catapulting yourself over here.

I wouldn’t use the word catapult.

A man in a bowler hat and a bow-tie was riding a unicycle and juggling in the square, making the children squeal and their parents laugh. Bella lingered for a while, trying to concentrate on what he was doing so she couldn’t think.

It is a bit more complicated with the house than I expected , she told herself. Didn’t expect the land it’s on to be so popular. Didn’t expect it all to be so lovely. Didn’t expect to feel so very responsible for doing the right thing for Great-Aunt Flo.

‘Oh,’ she said out loud. ‘If I hadn’t have come over it would have been so much easier.’

A woman standing next to her laughed. ‘It’s worth the trip though, isn’t it? It may be easier not to make the effort but look what you get when you’re here.’ She gave her child a coin. ‘There you are. Wait till he’s finished with the juggling and give him this.’

‘Yes, food for thought.’ Bella nodded, then drifted off. She wandered along the avenida towards the fort, the distant lights of Meia Praia and Alvor twinkling around the bay. A man stood by the river fishing as a boat crowded with people coasted past on its way back to the marina, blasting out ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go Go’ to wild cheers and singing from its passengers. Bella watched them, waiting for the music to get quieter as they got further away, then walked onto the town beach, taking her sandals off and wiggling her toes in the cool, soothing sand. The moon cast a triangle of light onto the black sea, and she walked towards it, allowing the water to lap gently over her ankles, concentrating on its quiet rhythm as if she was counting, the chatter in her head slowly drifting away.

She padded back up to the path, put on her sandals, and made her way back to the noise and bustle of the town. She bought herself a chocolate-chip ice cream and meandered along a side street, pausing at a jewellery stall selling silver rings and bracelets, then turned and walked past a man singing ‘Nessun Dorma’, finding herself in the square in front of the lime-green building again. Sitting on a wall, she finished her ice cream, gazing absent-mindedly at the passers-by.

Under one of the jacaranda trees on the opposite side, Bella noticed a man and a woman having an animated discussion. Standing up, she checked her bag for her car keys, then looked at the couple again. It was Hugo and the woman who had been at the café. He was shaking his head as she walked away towards a side street. Hugo watched the woman go, looked at the floor and walked off in the opposite direction.

Bella wasn’t sure what she had seen, but Hugo didn’t seem very happy. She decided to follow him from a distance to check that he was all right, skirting around the crowds so she wouldn’t lose sight of him.

As he disappeared along a crowded, narrow street, Bella tried to keep up but her progress was slowed by the café tables dotting the pavement and the people happily ambling past, chatting, or pausing in front of shop windows. Someone began to play ‘La Vie en Rose’ on an accordion and a group of diners roared with laughter at a joke a waiter had made.

She caught sight of Hugo’s red T-shirt as he disappeared around another corner. He moved quickly, frustrating Bella as she weaved around the tide of people she felt were walking towards her. She hurried onto the road Hugo had turned onto. He was leaning against his car, staring at a shop window.

Bella waited for a moment, then walked up to him tentatively. ‘Hi.’ She waved. ‘What a surprise. Fancy seeing you here.’ She glanced into the window. It was full of pots and pans. ‘Are you researching new kitchen equipment?’

He looked at her blankly, then seemed to come to. ‘Kitchen equipment?’

Bella nodded at the window. ‘You seemed to be very interested in the contents of that shop.’

‘Oh.’ He shook his head and attempted a smile. ‘No. I was trying to clear my head.’

‘Can I help?’ Bella decided not to mention she’d been following him. Especially because of that night. That evening. That near-miss when he’d helped her clear the outbuilding. She tried to suppress what she knew was a tiny trickle of jealousy.

‘You know when someone from your past that you loved — really loved — that all-consuming love that you thought would never end?’ Hugo seemed to be addressing the shop window.

Bella took a small step back. Don’t be jealous , she told herself. You’re only passing through.

‘But one day you realise that they’ve stopped loving you. And they don’t even like you. And one of the reasons you know is because they take the things that make you who you are and twist them into bad things.’

The accordion player began to play ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’, the notes drifting quietly along the darkened street.

‘My ex asked to meet me for a drink. I haven’t heard from her for over a year. She turned up at the café earlier asking questions about my house and my land again, so I decided we needed to talk about it, just to clear the air. And then she...’ He turned away from the window and looked at Bella. ‘She accused me of sitting on land that could be used for housing for local people. I want to grow food. I use it usefully. She said I was selfish. But I’m not!’ He shook his head. ‘And I know she’s working for a company that builds expensive villas. I know who she works for.’

Bella moved forward and touched his hand. ‘I’m sorry, that doesn’t feel fair.’

‘No. She met me to try to persuade me to sell. Again. And when I said no, again, she twisted everything. Again. I think she enjoyed it.’

‘You must still care about her?’ The words came out of Bella’s mouth before she could stop them.

‘No. No!’ he almost shouted. ‘I couldn’t, could I? I shouldn’t...’ He leaned back against his car. ‘I was thinking back on my way here. When we met she wasn’t like this. It was after eighteen months or so she started to try to persuade me to sell. And I wouldn’t. And after a while she left and got a job working for a development company, but, well, that’s immaterial. Now I wonder if it was me or my house she wanted all along.’

‘Maybe you’re thinking that because you’re angry? Maybe she just changed.’ Bella was clutching at straws. He was upset, and it was upsetting her. Which was making her confused.

He didn’t say anything, then seemed to try to make himself move. ‘I’ve had too much to drink. I can’t drive home.’

‘I’ve brought my car. I’ll take you. Is it OK to leave your car here?’

He sighed, his body almost hunched. ‘Yes. And that’s kind... are you sure? I’m embarrassed I’ve drunk too much.’

‘Of course I’m sure.’ Bella put her bright-and-friendly-yet-assertive voice on. ‘I’m planning on a morning coffee at the café. Can’t have the owner stuck in town and unhappy. And hungover.’

‘Oh, yes,’ he muttered. ‘I’ve got an early delivery. No rest for the wicked.’ He looked up at Bella and tried to laugh. ‘Because that’s what I am — wicked — for not selling my land that I use to grow things on and want also to use to educate — to her.’

‘My car is on the avenida.’ Bella began to walk. ‘Let’s get you home. I’m sure you’ll feel better when you’re there.’

They walked silently through the busy streets to Bella’s car and got in.

Hugo turned to her. ‘Thank you.’ His voice was shaky. ‘Is it OK if I close my eyes? I feel... I feel... not too well.’

Bella touched his arm. ‘Whatever’s best. I’ll give you a nudge when we get you home.’

She pulled out into the traffic and began to drive away from the lights and people, and onto the quiet road behind Meia Praia. Hugo seemed to be asleep, and she thought about what he had said about his ex.

‘My ex, Gino, said he loved me because I was so ambitious and strong and committed to my career.’ Saying the words out loud felt better than the phrases rattling around in her head with nowhere to go, and she couldn’t stop. ‘He said we were the same in that way. And he was right — I loved the fact he was so driven and forward-thinking and had a plan. We both had a plan... but now I know my plan was just trying to keep things the same really.’

She glanced over. Hugo’s breathing was steady and calm.

‘Then we decided to try for a baby. And it didn’t happen. And he left me. By text. He said I was working too hard and if I had done things differently then I would have got pregnant just like that.’ She stopped talking for a moment. Hugo’s eyes were still closed.

‘I know now he was frustrated and projecting it on to me. Didn’t help then though.’

‘And. And—’ she took a breath ‘—the massive irony of this is that I’d just done a pregnancy test. I didn’t tell him as I didn’t want to get his hopes up just in case. Guess what — I was pregnant...’

She wiped the tears that were running down her face.

‘I decided not to tell him until I had to. I knew when he sent that text I never wanted to see him again unless it was absolutely necessary. And six weeks later I wasn’t pregnant anymore. I lost the baby. I know it happens. It happens more than you think until it happens to you. That early in a first pregnancy.’

She stopped the car at the gate to Hugo’s house. ‘So, because I couldn’t do what he wanted me to, he turned everything about me that he’d loved into something he hated.’

Bella looked at Hugo again and touched him gently on the shoulder. ‘We are home. Can you open the gate? Hugo? Hugo...’

He opened his eyes slowly. ‘Home?’ He took a key fob out of his pocket and pointed it at the gate. They watched as it opened slowly. Then Bella drove him up to the house and made sure he got inside.

* * *

The alarm went off at 7.15 a.m. the following morning so Bella could keep up to date with her work before the working day officially began, reasoning that once she was in the flow of her temporarily part-time role, she wouldn’t start early, she would just finish late as usual.

Her mind drifted back to last night. To Hugo. To his vulnerability, his sadness. And she wondered why confiding in a person who was fast asleep and couldn’t hear had been so freeing.

She switched off the ambient rainforest track and listened to the storks outside. Yin and Yang padded into the room and jumped onto the bed, purring and chirping. A donkey brayed outside.

‘Mateus sounds close today.’ She looked at the cats, who were too busy pawing the bedcover to care, reasoning it must be the breeze carrying the noise.

The donkey brayed again. Bella stretched out of bed and walked downstairs. The cats followed, pattering behind her, brushing against her ankles while she filled the kettle. After spooning their food into their bowls, she made a cup of tea and took it to the front door so she could drink it on the patio.

Mateus was standing on the doorstep. He snorted loudly. Bella stared for a moment.

‘Hello?’ She looked around to see if Hugo was there. ‘This a nice surprise.’

The donkey brayed, then turned away.

‘Are you trying to tell me something?’

The donkey snorted again.

For a moment, Bella felt like she was in one of those television programmes where animals try to communicate with humans.

‘Hugo?’ she shouted, walking out into the garden. ‘Are you there?’

Mateus began to bray repeatedly. Bella felt uneasy so rushed back inside, got dressed quickly, and patted the donkey. ‘Did you come via the road? No, you didn’t, did you?’

She walked across the vegetable patch, then through the grove, the donkey following her, the scent of oranges heavy in the air, then stopped when she got to the fence. ‘You couldn’t have climbed over, could you?’

Mateus trotted over to the corner, then through a tiny gap in the bushes. ‘Oh, ah, good.’ Bella followed and hurried to the house, her heart pounding.

She knocked on the door, the donkey standing placidly behind her. ‘It’s fine. I’m sure it’s fine. I think.’ She lowered her voice. ‘It may be a hangover after last night.’

‘Hugo? Hugo?’ Bella knocked again and shook her head apologetically at the donkey. ‘He’s not usually like this, is he? I mean, I got the impression he’s very reliable.’

The donkey snorted.

‘Is that a yes or a no? That ex of his really must have hurt him.’ Bella felt a little flutter in her chest. ‘Oh.’ She put her hand on it, considering a visit to the doctor as it had started to happen a lot.

She knocked on the door again. ‘Your donkey escaped,’ she called. ‘He turned up at my house. I’m worried.’

Something crashed to the floor inside.

‘Oh no.’ Hugo’s voice was low and a little cracked.

‘What’s going on? Hugo. Hugo?’ Bella pushed the door in case it was unlocked. It was.

Hugo was sitting on the floor, leaning against the sofa. The shattered remnants of a broken glass were scattered in front of him. ‘I rolled off the sofa and knocked it over.’ His voice was quiet, his hair matted on his head and his T-shirt stained from, Bella decided, whatever he’d been drinking after she’d left the previous night.

‘I thought you were turning in after I dropped you off?’ she asked, opening the shutters and then the windows. ‘Needs a bit of freshening up in here.’

‘Mateus.’ Hugo tried to get up. ‘Why are you in the house?’

The donkey was standing behind Bella, as if it was trying to look stern.

‘I found him on my patio first thing this morning. He’d got out of the gate at the end of your drive I think. It was unlocked when I arrived.’

Hugo put his hand on his forehand and rubbed it. ‘I thought I’d locked it. I — Oh, I’m sorry. Thank you for bringing him back. He used to go over to your aunt’s sometimes when he was hungry and I was a bit late feeding him.’

‘Would you like a cup of tea?’ Bella didn’t know what else to do so utilised her mother’s generic remedy.

‘I don’t have tea in the house. I’m Portuguese.’

‘Coffee then.’

Hugo put his hand over his mouth. ‘No.’ He shook his head.

‘Water then.’ Bella walked into the kitchen and poured him a glass, then rooted around for some bread.

‘Here.’ She handed them both to him. ‘Little and often.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘I’ve got to prepare for a work meeting later. Will you be OK?’

Hugo nodded and took a sip of the water. He looked up at her, his chocolate-brown eyes baleful and vulnerable.

There was that flutter in her chest again.

‘Are you working at the restaurant today?’ She decided being practical would stop whatever surge of pity she was feeling, as what Hugo was experiencing was entirely self-inflicted.

‘Ahhh.’ He closed his eyes. ‘What’s the time?’

‘7.45 a.m.’ Bella’s voice was louder than she meant it to be.

‘I’ve got a delivery at 8.15. Julian’s not in till nine thirty.’ He tried to get up but sank back towards the sofa.

‘How long will it take?’ The words leaped out of Bella’s mouth before she had time to think.

‘Fifteen minutes.’ He tried to get up again.

‘I’ll do it. Do you have the keys?’

He looked up at her, his eyes wide with gratitude. ‘Thank you. I will message him but he rolls out of bed only half an hour before the shift. He has a key. I’ll try my manager, but she lives forty minutes away.’

‘You’ll have to open late. I can’t do that. I’ve no time and I’ve no clue.’

‘I am grateful that you can meet the delivery guy. Just tell the driver to put everything in the kitchen and Julian can put it all away. And me. Once I have recovered.’ He rubbed his forehead again. ‘And given myself a stern talking to.’

Bella picked up his phone from the table and handed it to him. ‘I’ve got to run.’

‘The keys are hanging by the door. And the security code is on a card there on the table. I keep it there in case someone needs it. I’ve got a few. Just take it.’

‘OK.’ Bella edged past the donkey. ‘I think you owe Mateus an apology and thanks. He was clearly worried about you.’ She sighed. ‘I can’t believe I just said that.’

‘Thank you, Mateus.’ Hugo sounded genuinely grateful.

Bella laughed. ‘Right. I’ll message when I’ve done it.’ She turned around and wiggled her finger at him. ‘And you owe me. I’m having to rearrange my schedule. And I’ve no idea what I’m doing.’

‘Thank you.’ Hugo put his hand on his chest earnestly.

Bella tried to look angry but couldn’t manage it and hurried towards the door.

‘Bella,’ Hugo called after her. ‘I’m sorry you had that experience with your ex. I’m sorry about the baby.’

She froze, unable to turn around and look at him.

‘I... I thought you were asleep.’ Her voice was quiet.

‘Not quite.’

‘What you said, about taking the things you are and turning them against you... it just triggered me. It’s nothing.’

‘It’s not nothing, Bella.’

She still couldn’t turn round.

‘I hope you had the right support after it happened. All of it... the miscarriage. The break-up.’

‘I didn’t tell anyone about the miscarriage. I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t want to worry anyone. I didn’t want to upset my parents.’

‘Oh, Bella.’

She felt the need to run. And so she did.

* * *

Bella put her Portuguese language app on and stuck her headphones in, attempting to drown out the noise in her head. She decided to pretend the conversation hadn’t happened. It was easier. Gino was the past. It was just something to do with Flo’s house and the memories and the storks. That was all. Something that had to be felt and cleared. And that’s what was happening now. She forced herself not to think of Hugo and his words. ‘Oh, Bella.’

Diving back into work mode she mentally planned the day, rearranging her tasks for before work actually began so she could get some control, and pretending that repeating the Portuguese phrases in her headphones would be useful just in case the delivery man didn’t speak English. At least the words she had mastered would be beautifully pronounced even if they weren’t the right ones, she decided, her brain slowly calming as she dragged herself back to her comfort zone. Which was pushing her emotions away.

A few people were walking along the beach, moving through the glistening swathes of moisture left by the tide on the sand, the sun illuminating the white crests of the waves as they broke gently on the shore. Bella allowed herself to watch for a moment, trying to commit it to memory, for those dark winter days when she would look out of the window of her flat over the grey London skyline.

The sound of a truck moving closer made her turn around, and she took the keys out of her bag, punched in the code and opened the front door, hurrying back into the kitchens to find the back door.

Taking her headphones out, she took a few deep breaths to compose herself then went outside, smiling, as the truck parked and the driver got out.

‘ Bom dia! ’ she said brightly.

‘ Tudo bem? ’

Bella rifled through her Portuguese language files in her mind until she realised that ‘ Tudo bem ’ was a good enough reply.

The man scratched his beard and smiled. ‘Is English better for you?’

‘Oh yes, please. I’m just doing this as a favour at the last minute, so I haven’t had time to rehearse the right words.’

‘Ah, well.’ The man opened the back of the truck. ‘At least you tried. Thank you. Obrigado. ’ He unloaded crates of beer. ‘In the kitchen as usual?’

‘Yes, please.’ Bella held the door open as he brought the crates in then gave her a receipt to sign.

‘Where’s Hugo?’ he asked as he was leaving. ‘He’s usually here on a Thursday.’

‘Urgent appointment. He’ll be along soon.’ Bella waved at him and let the door slowly close behind him. ‘ Obrigada. Até logo ,’ she said, feeling pleased with her command of the Portuguese language, then put the receipt on a worktop, locked the kitchen door and went out into the café, checking her watch. ‘Better get a wiggle on,’ she muttered.

Outside she bumped into Ignacio and Duarte.

‘ Olá , Bella!’ Ignacio beamed. ‘Hugo sent a rather garbled message just now asking for some assistance, and as we had just finished our morning beach yoga, I thought I’d check in to see how things are.’

‘It’s all OK. I’ve just taken in the delivery. So, I’m off.’

‘Good, good.’ Duarte glanced around. ‘As I’m here, I wouldn’t mind a coffee.’

‘But it’s closed.’ Bella was locking the door.

‘Hugo won’t mind. I’ll leave the money next to the till.’

‘Um, but...’ One of Bella’s feet was trying to walk down the steps, while the other was rooted to the spot. ‘I’ve got the key, and I don’t think I should just leave it with you. He trusted me with it, and it doesn’t feel right.’

‘Of course.’ Ignacio took her hand. ‘I completely understand. So, we’ll make you a coffee too. I used to work with my brother in our restaurant.’

‘I have to get back for work.’ Bella looked at the sea shining in the distance, then thought of the day ahead, alone in the Nest with her thoughts. She checked her watch.

‘Just a fifteen-minute pause before your workday.’ Duarte smiled at her. ‘You are in Portugal. And look.’ He waved his hand expansively at the view. ‘This will set you up nicely.’

‘I’ve got forty-five minutes, I suppose.’ She sighed. ‘Why not.’

‘Excellent, good. Good!’ Ignacio clapped his hands. ‘This will be fun. I haven’t made a coffee in a café for about two years or so.’

Duarte followed him in. ‘Can you show me? I’d like to have a go. Add it to my list.’ He turned to Bella. ‘We had a strenuous yoga session this morning. I am trying to improve my core strength in order to increase the length of time I am able to stand completely still when I am performing my living statue routine. Ignacio is early days, statue-wise but he is really getting into it. But, of course, as a yoga instructor he has a core of steel.’ Duarte looked like he was going to thump Ignacio in the stomach to demonstrate, but Ignacio stepped out of the way and walked to the counter.

Duarte was about to follow him over but hesitated and looked at Bella. ‘Sit down and relax.’ He patted one of the sofas inside that faced the sea. ‘You have done a good deed already today and this is your reward.’

Bella gave in and sank down. She checked her watch again, calculating that a brisk fifteen-minute walk back home would get her in front of her computer in plenty of time.

‘I think you are someone who starts work early and finishes late?’

‘Isn’t everyone?’

‘For a while, a lot of people are. But allow yourself to start on time today. You deserve to be more than just work, work, work. Now — what would you like to drink? Ignacio can make you yours. My first attempt may take a while.’

‘A gal?o , please.’

‘For you, my dear, it is our pleasure. Now, rest.’

Bella nodded and leaned back as the coffee machine steamed into life and the two men bickered about who was going to do what. She watched a cargo boat chug slowly eastwards across the sea and imagined what it was carrying. Spices, car parts, furniture, toys, or maybe guitars.

‘Here you are.’ Ignacio placed the glass on the table in front of her. ‘I must get back to make sure Duarte doesn’t break anything.’

Bella took her first sip of the coffee as Deidre ran in through the door that no one had remembered to close and barked. ‘Hello, my darling.’ Bella stroked her ears. ‘Where’s Will? Or is it Elena walking you today?’

‘You’re open early!’ Will was limping up the steps.

‘We’re not actually open.’ Bella ushered him in. ‘It’s a long story but Hugo’s not here yet.’

‘Oh my — is Ignacio revisiting his barista roots?’ He put his stick down and sat next to Bella.

‘I think he’s enjoying himself.’ Bella took another sip of the drink.

‘Ah, Will.’ Duarte waved at him. ‘Can I practise on you? What would you like?’

‘I’ll make it easy. A bica .’ He turned back to Bella. ‘A black coffee,’ he explained. ‘Like an espresso.’

‘I’ll remember that.’ Bella noticed some walkers standing on the boardwalk nearby pointing at the café, so stood up. ‘Better close the door in case we get customers.’ Deidre noticed their dog and bounded outside, past the dog, then onto the beach.

‘Oh. I’ve got to get her to the vets at nine thirty. If she’s in one of those moods, I won’t get her back till she’s been running around for hours. And dogs aren’t allowed on the beach at this time.’ Will tried to pull himself to his feet.

‘I’ll get her.’ Bella patted his arm.

‘Thank you.’ He handed her the lead. ‘Good luck!’

Bella hurried out onto the decking and shut the door behind her, checking the closed sign was clearly visible, then trotted after Deidre, who was now almost cantering towards the sea.

‘Deidre!’ she called. ‘Deidre!’

The dog carried on running. Bella carried on trotting.

‘Looks like you need a lasso!’ shouted a surfer from the shallows.

‘Have you got one?’

‘Not on me.’ He laughed as she finally got the dog’s attention.

‘Deidre!’ she squealed. ‘Come on, lovely.’ The dog padded over to her, her tail wagging. ‘I don’t need any more exercise after that.’

Bella put the lead on her and walked her back towards the café. ‘You got further than I was expecting,’ she muttered, glancing at her watch. ‘I’m going to be late.’

She hurried up the steps, opened the door, gently pushed Deidre inside, and shouted, ‘Can you stay here till Julian arrives with the keys? Got to run. I’m late.’ Then she ran back up the road towards the house.

* * *

By the time she managed to switch on the computer and connect to the internet, she’d developed a stitch.

‘Ah, Bella. Better late than never.’ Jules the boss wasn’t smiling.

‘I’ve had a slight emergency. I can only apologise.’

‘Oh no, what happened?’ Lil asked. ‘Your face is bright red.’

‘Long story involving a donkey and a dog.’

‘The dog that joined the meeting the other week?’ Jules carried on going through some paperwork.

‘Yes,’ Bella replied slowly. ‘But she’s not here. She’s in a café at the moment. Not having a drink. Well, she might be. Someone may have given her some water. But not coffee. She’s not on her own.’

She noticed Jules checking her phone. ‘I’ve got another meeting in half an hour, so can we get on? We’re late enough as it is.’

Bella checked her watch. ‘I’m only three minutes late.’

Her boss ignored her. ‘So, just a few words before we begin, given we’ve got that deadline tomorrow afternoon.’

Bella sighed inwardly. I’ve got to make this work , she thought . Can’t go back after this with a reputation for unreliability after all the years I’ve worked so hard.

A strand of her unbrushed hair fell over her eyes. She pushed it behind her ear, hoping her image was so small on the screen that no one would notice, and, working out when she could have a quick break for a shower, she tried to concentrate on what her colleagues were saying.