Cancelled! Lizzie held the phone away and stared at the receiver, she'd heard wrong, surely, 'What did you say?' she asked.
'I've changed the name on the ticket, you're not coming with me, Marion is; sorry, one day we'll talk it over with a cuppa!'
'But you have all my spending money, now what do you suggest I do,' she blurted out between sobs.
Lizzie dropped the phone and slumped into a chair – her case was packed, she'd been waiting for him to pick her up for the fabulous fortnight in Egypt – she'd given him £300 of her savings to help with spending money as he'd paid for the holiday and she'd taken two weeks off from her job in the city.
After a rather sad life bringing up three children alone but with the support of a few friends at the local singles group, meeting men who always walked away, she had finally retrained and found a good career in London, the children had left home. One of her friends, Marion, had settled down with a lovely man – Andy was kind, caring and wealthy and the two women kept in touch, during one call, Marion told her she'd found someone else and was leaving her lovely home in Kent to set up home in Scotland with this new man.
Eventually Andy moved to a cottage and invited Lizzie to come visit him, she was surprised but pleased to see that he'd got over the hurt and moved on. He cooked a delicious meal, they drank wine and he invited her to stay, offering her the bed and he would sleep downstairs – she lay looking at the ceiling and wondering how to behave, she realised how attracted she was to this lovely man but didn't want to risk being hurt again, so thrilled that he was being a perfect gentleman she slept soundly in the gorgeous room with its frilly bedspread and Sanderson print curtains, antique dressing table and wardrobe, little Coalport ladies adorning the windowsill. They breakfasted in the garden next morning and she drove home feeling joyous, singing to Rod Stewart, Elton John and Cliff Richard at the top of her voice.
The couple remained friends for over a year and gradually fell in love, although Lizzie had a niggling worry when he took phone calls outside whilst she was visiting, but dismissed her fears as they enjoyed theatre trips, picnics and strolls along the seafront at weekends, staying in each other's homes. Once she asked who was phoning and he told her it was Marion! She was unhappy in her new relationship and had asked Andy to take her back! She'd even threatened suicide but he'd refused her and told her he loved Lizzie. That night Lizzie hardly slept, she'd lost her heart and her family were all expecting an engagement soon, she felt sick and afraid, when Ed left her she'd vowed never to 'fall in love' ever again, now she had let her guard down and the ground seemed to be slipping from under her again.
Next day Andy had dragged her into a travel agent and booked a fortnight in Egypt, telling her it was to prove he loved her – although she protested she was secretly overjoyed and banished her fears, looking forward to going abroad for the first time since her honeymoon twenty years before.
So she shook her premonition off and started to pack, she'd bought a lots of new summer clothes and as she packed the suntan lotion began to feel more optimistic.
Saturday arrived and Andy was due to pick her up at 5pm to drive to the airport – the hour came and went, she worried and tried to call him but decided he must be held up en-route, then at 6.30pm the phone rang – perplexed now she raced to pick it up and heard Andy's voice sounding gruff and strange, 'Sorry, it's off – I cancelled your ticket and put Marion on instead, she's coming with me!' After her enquiry as to what she should do with no spending money and two weeks off work he put the phone down. Stunned she tried to gather her thoughts when the phone rang again – she pounced on it expecting Andy to say 'sorry, joke, be there soon'.
But it was her daughter, calling, 'Hi mum just to wish you great hols.' Brokenly Lizzie just replied 'Not going, he's taking Marion!'
'No mum – I can't believe that!'
'What,' Lisa shrieked, 'You're joking mum, he can't do that!' She muttered to her boyfriend, 'What can we do?' 'Oh mum, we're at the hospital for Danny's gran, will you be ok?'
Lizzie replied she'd be ok and poured a large glass of wine, half an hour later her sister arrived and she sobbed and grieved all night drinking wine, until the shock wore off.
She returned to work, where her colleagues were supportive, taking her out for lunch and making great efforts to cheer her up. Into what should have been her second week's holiday she sat eating lunch watching the TV screen in the wine bar, a bomb had exploded at a hotel in Egypt!
The list of dead and injured British tourists began to run down the screen, Andy and Marion among them.