The Runaway Woman. Josephine Cox

realise the blame is not on your shoulders. That’s too cruel.’

      ‘She doesn’t blame me for the accident itself,’ Dave explained, ‘she blames me for persuading Molly to meet up with my old schoolmates. I hadn’t seen them in years and then I had a call from Stuart. He said they were staying overnight in town, before heading off in the morning for Scotland. I was thrilled, but Molly didn’t really want to go out that evening. In the end she got herself ready because she felt guilty.’

      He took a moment to compose himself. ‘If only I hadn’t persuaded Molly to come and meet them, we would never have been on that stretch of road, on that particular night, and Molly would still be here with us.’ His voice dropped to a whisper. ‘When that madman careered into us, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.’

      ‘Not your fault, though! Cassie will see that in good time. Give her the space she needs, and I’m sure she’ll come round.’

      ‘I’m not sure, Nance.’ Dave had lost hope on that score. ‘It’s been months now. After the funeral, she walked away from me, and turned to Molly’s sister, Ellie. Ellie now tells me that Cassie has confided that she can’t ever again face living in her own home. I think I should sell up, if that’s what she truly wants. But we need to talk about it. I believe we might be able to get through this together.’

      ‘Be patient, Dave.’ Nancy squeezed his fist. ‘Just keep in contact with Cassie, and respect her wishes. If you can do that, I know it won’t be long before you and Cassie are stronger than ever.’

      ‘Nance?’

      ‘Yes?’

      ‘Thank you.’

      ‘What for?’

      ‘For listening.’

      ‘Don’t be silly! Isn’t that what big sisters are for?’

      Changing the subject, she began flicking through the pages of the menu. ‘I’m hungry.’

      As she bent her head low to peruse the menu, Dave noticed how she narrowed her eyes, struggling to read the small print.

      ‘Nance!’

      ‘What?’

      ‘Let me see.’

      Irritated, she thrust the menu across the table. ‘Go on then! Read it out, will you? Why on earth they make the print so small I really can’t imagine!’

      ‘Hmm! And I can’t imagine why you don’t bury your pride and see an optician.’

      ‘It’s nothing to do with pride,’ she argued. ‘The reason why I don’t go to the optician is because there is absolutely nothing wrong with my eyesight … thank you!’

      ‘OK, have it your way.’ After he read the menu out, she made her choice and Dave returned to the bar with the order. Glancing back, he couldn’t help but smile as Nancy bent her head low to read the ‘What’s On’ sheet that was on the table.

      It was a sharp reminder of how Nancy and his wife, Molly, used to play the quiz here on Saturday nights.

      In that moment of nostalgia, he remembered with gratitude the wonderful woman he had loved … and still loved, even now, though she was not here with him.

      While having been blessed in one way, he felt cruelly cheated in another. For twenty wonderful years he had known great love and companionship, and now the love of his life was gone, and Cassie, their only child, was too distressed to come home. He prayed every night for her to return soon. He missed her terribly. But, as Nancy had pointed out, he should remember that he was not the only one to lose someone precious. And so he would try to be patient, and pray that Cassie would eventually come home to him of her own free will. And when that happened he would welcome his darling girl with open arms.

      Without Cassie and her mother, the house seemed cold and empty. In the daytime, he had his work, but the loneliness stayed with him. After work, when he got home and closed the door behind him, that was the worst time of all.

      Left alone in an empty house that had once been filled with joy and laughter, he felt utterly lost.

      ‘Hey! What took you so long?’ Nancy had grown impatient when he had seemed to linger at the bar. ‘Chatting to the barman, were you?’ she asked.

      ‘Not really. He was too busy serving customers.’

      ‘Good for him! Making money is what it’s all about.’ She clapped her hands together. ‘Oh, Dave! I can’t wait to get my hotel up and running.’

      While Nancy chatted on excitedly about her new venture on the south coast, he stole a moment to glance out the window, his gaze instinctively drawn to the bus shelter.

      He wondered about the woman they had seen hiding there in the shadows. He found it hard to put her out of his mind. There was something about her, he thought: the sad look in her eyes, the desperate manner in which she hurried away …

      Oh, and that small, hesitant little wave as she went.

      Even now, he had no real idea why he had invited her to join them. It was completely out of his nature to be so bold.

      Somehow, though, in that quiet, homely stranger, he had sensed a kindred spirit.