Penny took a sip, smiling at the fond memories she had of this drink and this place. She stared into the flames, wondering what she should say about what had happened in the past or whether to say anything at all. Maybe it was best just to let it go, move on and look to the future.

‘I’m sorry,’ Kathleen said and Penny turned to face her. ‘I am so sorry for what happened. I wanted to come and see you after the baby died, but… I don’t know… I thought maybe I should leave you alone for a few days. You had your family around you and I just thought you’d need a bit of space. I planned to come and see you at the weekend but then Chris left you and I found out…’ She trailed off.

‘That he had been sleeping with Jade the entire time I was pregnant?’

‘Yes. I didn’t know. I swear I didn’t know until after the baby had died but when I found out I was so angry at him. Everybody was. But then what happened after, the lies he told about you, I have never been so ashamed of him before.’

Penny swallowed down the pain of that, returning her attention to the hot chocolate.

‘People will believe what they want to believe and most of the town saw the lies for what they were, but as you know, there were some that believed them,’ Kathleen said. ‘I couldn’t look at him for months, barely said a word to him. I was so embarrassed by him. God, he was hated by so many people for what he had done, but that hatred spread to me too. The looks I’d get, the comments. Even some of my friends turned against me as if it was my fault he had slept with Jade, abandoned you and told all those lies. He left the town shortly after, as you know, but I was left with all those looks and comments for months afterwards. I saw you quite a few times around the town but I was never brave enough to come and say anything. I was too ashamed to come and see you personally and eight years have passed and you’ve never been back in the pub since.’

‘Do you blame me?’

‘No, of course not. I just hoped that you didn’t hate me for what happened but, as time went on, I guessed that you did.’

‘I don’t hate you. I hated Chris for a long while, but I never hated you. Because I never saw you again, I just presumed that you believed the lies he told you and that you wouldn’t want a crazy, psychotic person in the pub.’

‘Oh love, I wish I had come to see you, maybe we could have put this to bed years ago.’

Penny nodded, sadly and took another sip of the comforting hot chocolate. They had both been victims of Chris’s actions.

‘You know he’s married now, and has a baby boy. Eric, he’s five months old and Chris absolutely adores him. I guess that must be really hard for you, after seeing how badly he reacted to your baby.’

‘Actually it isn’t. It was hard at the time when I saw the baby clothes and toys you had bought for him, but I hope Chris is a better person now. It was a long time ago and he was young, we both were. If he loves his little boy, as you say he does, I’m genuinely happy for him.’

‘He’s grown up to be a marvellous young man, and a fantastic dad. He’s actually someone I can be proud of. I hope you can forgive him one day.’

‘I don’t hate him any more and I wish him well, though forgiveness might take a little longer.’

Kathleen nodded with understanding. ‘And what about you? I hear you’re seeing Henry Travis.’

Penny sighed. Nothing was secret in this town.

‘He seems like a decent man.’

‘He really is.’

‘And I know it’s early days but do you think you might have your own family one day?’

‘Family comes in different guises. He has a daughter who I adore. Maybe it would be enough to just be part of their family.’

Kathleen nodded. ‘Sometimes the family you pick for yourself is miles better than the one you were given.’

Penny smiled as she looked into the flames. She just had to hope that Henry and Daisy would pick her too.

It was a while later when Penny pulled back up outside her house. She had chatted to Kathleen for a few hours and, although she wouldn’t be popping into the pub every week, she knew she would be always be very welcome in there from now on.

She let herself into her kitchen and smiled when she saw Jill and Daisy chatting over lunch.

‘Hey.’ Penny dropped a fond kiss on Jill’s head.

‘Hello, lovely,’ Jill said. ‘I made you some lunch and then I found this little waif next door, practically starving to death, so I had to feed her up too, I hope you don’t mind.’

‘Of course not. Can’t have her wasting away.’

Daisy grinned at her as she polished off the last of her sandwich. Penny sat down next to her and gave her a friendly nudge. Daisy nudged her back.

‘I saw you going into The Pilchard earlier, everything OK?’ Jill asked, casually, trying not to let anything slip to nosy ears.

‘It is now,’ Penny said, lifting the cover off her plate and tucking into her own sandwich.

Jill smiled with understanding and watched her carefully over her mug of tea. ‘You look different,’ Jill said eventually, ‘and I can’t place what it is.’

‘I had a haircut the other day,’ Penny suggested, though with her hair tied back in its usual ponytail, it was unlikely to be that.

‘No, it’s not that. You look… contented and really happy.’

‘I am happy.’ She tilted her head to the side subtly, hopefully indicating to Jill that the reason she was happy really shouldn’t be talked about in front of Daisy.

Jill picked up on it straight away and stood up to go to the kettle. ‘Did you want a cup of tea?’

‘Yes please.’

‘She is happy, she has a hot date tonight,’ Daisy said. ‘With a sexy Italian of all people.’

Jill turned round. ‘Oh and who might that be?’

‘Fabio,’ Daisy said, delighted that she had gossip to share. ‘He’s an ice carver, just like Penny and very talented.’

She flicked a few buttons on her phone and turned it round to show Jill. Penny laughed as Jill watched the very bizarre proposal video. Daisy was getting enormous pleasure out of this piece of gossip and Penny was loath to burst her bubble and tell her the truth. She had politely and very firmly told Fabio that she wouldn’t be going out with him when he popped round the day before, nor would she be marrying him and having his babies any time in the future. But while Daisy was fixated on this new, exciting bit of news, it might make things easier for her and Henry to secretly be together.

‘Look, you, before you show Jill any more embarrassing videos or photos of me, why don’t you go and get changed into something warmer than your pyjamas and then we can do a bit of carving this afternoon.’

This was the only incentive that Daisy needed. She leapt off the bench with a quick thank you for Jill and then she darted upstairs to get changed.

Penny got up and shut the connecting door and returned to her sandwich.

‘Am I to presume that the reason you are practically glowing has something to do with her father and not some Italian stallion?’ Jill said, passing her a mug of tea.

‘You would presume correctly. We’re seeing each other, it’s very early days and we don’t want to tell Daisy yet in case she gets upset by it, so we’re just going to see how it goes over the next week or so.’

Jill’s smile filled her whole face. ‘And how is it going?’

Penny blushed and picked up her mug to hide behind it. Jill’s face softened.

‘You’ve fallen in love with him.’

‘I think I might have.’

Jill squealed just as Daisy burst back into the room. ‘What did I miss?’

‘Penny was just telling me about young Fabio.’

Penny cringed a bit, this lie was going to trip her up, she just knew it.

‘Come on, you, we’ve got some carving to be done.’ Penny stood up. ‘Will you be here later?’

‘No lovely, I’m getting off now, but I’ll probably see you Monday.’

Penny kissed her goodbye and ushered Daisy into the cool room, hoping that the subject of Fabio would be dropped.