The Lost Sister by Kathleen McGurl (i can read book club .TXT) 📕

men, she mentally corrected herself. Well, there would be no time for any flirtations or shipboard romances once they had picked up their patients.

‘Which of them did you like the best?’ Lily was asking her.

Emma considered. ‘Frank, I think. He seems so … open and genuine.’

‘How does he compare with your Martin?’

Emma sat down heavily. Over the years since the Titanic she’d confided in Lily about her first love, feeling the need to talk to someone about him. Lily’s quiet sympathy had helped her come to terms with his loss. ‘Oh, I don’t know. I can’t compare one person I hardly know, with someone who died over four years ago. I’d have to spend more time with Frank.’

‘Do you think … you might? I mean, when all this is over …’

Emma felt herself blushing. She’d never so much as looked at another man since Martin. It seemed disloyal to his memory. But eventually, she supposed, it would be time to move on, and perhaps step out with someone else. After the war was over, as Lily suggested. But with Frank? ‘I don’t know, Lily. Honestly, we’ve only just met. Maybe Frank doesn’t like me in that way at all. Or maybe he likes you more.’

‘Me?’ Now it was Lily’s turn to blush, Emma was pleased to see.

‘Why not? You’re beautiful.’

‘Ah, get away! I am not. You’re the pretty one.’

‘Ruby was the pretty one,’ Emma said quietly, and Lily nodded.

‘She was, indeed.’ She raised a glass of water she had on her bedside cabinet. ‘To darling Rubes, forever in our hearts.’

‘To Rubes,’ Emma said, raising her own glass of water. And to Martin, she thought, and to all those who perished on the Titanic. May such a tragedy never strike again. ‘I wish,’ she whispered, ‘I’d never persuaded Ruby to take a job at sea. Then she’d …’

‘Don’t think like that,’ Lily said firmly. ‘We go forward from where we are. There’s never any point wishing things had happened differently.’

Emma smiled at her sister’s wisdom. ‘You are right, Lils. Thank you.’

A few days later they were docking at Naples, taking on coal and fresh water just as Frank had said. Emma stood on deck and gazed out at the jumble of rooftops backed by the cut-off cone of Mount Vesuvius. Another country, another place with a long and glorious history. Storms kept them in port longer than planned. There was no chance to go onshore but she was happy to have had this tiny glimpse of Italy, and promised herself that one day she would return. There were more glimpses to come – when the weather improved at last, they steamed down the coast of Italy and through the Straits of Messina, before heading out into the open sea again. Soon they’d be picking up their passengers, doing what they’d come out here to do, and Emma was looking forward to knowing that she was doing some real good in the world.

Chapter 25

Harriet

Two days later, after a second viewing of the bungalow with Sally (Jerome being left with Charlie as it was the weekend), Harriet put an offer on it, for a little under the asking price. It was accepted immediately. Suddenly it all felt very real.

‘Well done, Mum,’ Sally said, after Harriet had made the phone call to the estate agent following the second viewing. ‘So pleased you are getting yourself sorted out. I wish I could help more, but the bungalow you picked with Sheila is perfect.’

‘It is lovely, isn’t it?’

Sally nodded, and Harriet was horrified to see there were tears in her eyes. ‘Sorry, Mum. I’m just a bit sad, I suppose, that I wasn’t able to come and see it with you the first time, and you had to take Sheila instead. I feel like I’m letting you down. I should be a better daughter.’

‘You are being a wonderful daughter,’ Harriet said, giving Sally a hug. ‘You’ve done so much for me. And honestly, I’ll manage this move perfectly well on my own if I need to. I love having you to help but you have more important things to worry about.’

Sally sniffed and wiped her eyes. ‘Well, I have some time now, so is there anything I can help with?’

‘A few boxes to go to the charity shop,’ Harriet said. She could have taken them herself, but had held them back for precisely this moment – so that Sally could feel she was doing something useful.

‘I’ll take them when I leave,’ Sally said. ‘And now you know where you’re moving to and how much space you will have, you can start deciding on what furniture to keep and what to get rid of.’

‘Yes. I thought I’d go round and put Post-it notes of different colours on items.’

‘Good plan,’ Sally said.

Harriet smiled. Of course it was a good plan – it had been Sally’s suggestion originally.

Sally needed to leave – she didn’t want to stay away from Jerome too long. And Harriet had loads to be getting on with. She helped load the boxes for charity into Sally’s car, waved her off, and then went to fetch a pack of Post-it notes to make a start on her furniture decisions. Just then a bleep from her phone alerted her to an incoming email, and she decided to check that first.

It was from Matthew, replying to the letter she’d sent him. A long email that deserved her full attention. She made herself a quick cup of tea, and opened her laptop so she could read it on a larger screen.

It was long, chatty, full of news and reminiscences of their shared childhood, full of regret that they hadn’t seen each other for so many years. Matthew thanked her for getting in touch, said that yes (obviously!) he did use email and would love to use it to be in more regular contact with her. He said too, that he was planning a trip southwards in a couple of months, and would love to spend some time