It felt good to be back to something near to her old self. She would never feel the same again. She knew that for sure. She would never be able to not worry about something else, something worse happening to either of her girls, but she was glad to be somewhat back in control of both her emotions, energy levels and her life.
She got to the far end of the beach where there was less sand and more pebbles and therefore a lot fewer people, and she looked down and studied where she was going to sit. Not near any teenagers, or toddlers, or anyone or anything that would interrupt her quiet time. Her time to contemplate the next part of her life. The thing that had been cooking in her mind for the last few weeks. She slipped off her sandals, walked down the steps and crossed the sandy pebbles. Once she’d found a spot in between an old lady on a deckchair in a Panama hat, a woman in a tiny bikini with a pram with a cover over it and a couple tucked up beside a bright blue windbreaker, she put her basket down on the beach.
Juliette pulled her pale blue and white striped towel out of her basket, laid it on the beach and dug the matching sun umbrella all the way into the sandy pebbles, and making sure it was secure sat down on the towel and looked out to sea. She pulled her book out of her bag, opened it up, and sat quietly reading in bliss with the sea lapping in and out, the sun every now and then dipping behind the clouds.
An hour or so later, another layer of sun cream and having had enough of her book, she took out the small floral lunch bag in her basket, laid a tea towel on top of her beach towel, took the tiny polka dot plastic chopping board from her bag, and placed a wedge of brie and a baguette on the board.
She sat there methodically cutting off a slice of the brie and spreading it onto the bread thinking about Luke.
He’d been off-colour for a few days. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she’d not seen him like it before. It had started when they’d met when they were walking along looking at the jellyfish the day after the storm. He’d not been at all happy about Jack being back on the scene. His attitude had been odd. She didn’t know what the word for it was, but as she sat there eating the bread and cheese it came to her. Tetchy. He’d been tetchy about the Jack thing.
She mulled it over more. Wondering what it was about and how Luke was in the whole of this Jack being back on the scene thing, and it came to her. She suddenly realised that she hadn’t really consulted Luke about whether or not he would mind if she met Jack. Perhaps she should have asked him? She’d thought at the time though that really Luke was so laid back he wouldn’t care that much. But maybe Luke wasn’t quite as laid back as he liked everyone to think. Including her.
She’d also thought in the back of her mind that she could do precisely whatever she wanted. She didn't have to ask Luke’s permission for anything - she certainly wasn’t going down that route in a relationship ever again.
But maybe that wasn’t the right way to behave? Maybe that’s what Luke had wanted? Had he wanted to be involved in the decision? Had she made him feel unappreciated? Had she made him feel unloved?
There was the look that had crossed his face when Maggie had been talking about Jack. She wasn’t sure what it was, but the more she thought about it the more she knew - Jack’s arrival on the scene had amalgamated a lot of things that Luke had mentioned over the months since he’d moved in. Sitting on the beach Juliette had realised that maybe Luke was sad - sad that he wouldn’t be getting married, sad that he wouldn’t be having a baby, sad that he wouldn’t ever, if he stayed with Juliette, have a child of his own.
Juliette wiped the cheese knife on the tea towel and put the board back in her basket. Maybe she’d have to do something to change that.
Chapter 58
Luke leant up against the bar and took a sip of his pint.
‘So, he turns up at the funeral, gets in touch with Bella and now is back in her life?’ James queried from the other side of the bar as he held up a glass underneath an optic.
‘Yeah, and he’s been to Pretty Beach now too. Supposedly wanted to see the area where Bella had grown up.’
‘Oh, I didn’t know that bit. Wow, so he was here in Pretty Beach!’
‘Yeah, the weekend of the storm and the jellyfish. When you opened up for us that morning and we had the coffee. He came for lunch that day.’
‘Right. You didn’t mention it?’
‘No. I guess I didn’t.’
‘He’s in her life permanently now, then?’
‘Looks like it. Apparently he’s been to stay with Bella in Oxford now, too.’
‘Cor, must be tough on Sparkles having to swallow that,’ James mused.
‘Yes, it is. Especially as he is acting as if he is the best thing since sliced bread.’
‘Left her when they were eighteen, that’s right, isn’t it?’
‘Yeah. Wasn’t even there for the birth. Never wanted to know anything - until now. And her parents disowned her, too.’
‘Ouch. What a complete idiot.’
‘I know.’ Luke nodded and sipped his pint. ‘From what I’ve gathered if it wasn’t for Daisy in those early days there might be a very different story to how Bella turned out. How it all turned out, in fact.’
‘She always was a trooper that one. Very popular at school too,’ James said a fond look on his face.
‘James! Do you have a soft spot for our Daisy?’
‘Not at all mate,’ James coughed and started wiping the tops of the beer taps. ‘Just saying...’
‘Sounds like it to me,’ Luke said with a wink.
‘No way, mate. So, you’re telling me that Juliette had to deal with that when she was a teenager and then she married old Jezza? Not the two best experiences, then,’ James said leaning onto the bar with his chin on his hand.
‘Correct. She’s had quite the ride as far as relationships go, from what I can make out.’
‘It’s good for you though. The only way is up after those two. You can do no wrong, mate. Though you pulled the secret wife in the cupboard trick in the early days. That was some feat to come back from that,’ James said laughing.
Luke nodded and looked over towards the window. He turned back to James. ‘You know what? It’s been on my mind for ages. I’m going to bite the bullet. I’m going to ask her to marry me. You saying all that has made it crystal clear to me. She has had a tough old ride with those two. I know she said she’d never get married again, but I’m going to buy a huge in your face diamond and ask her anyway.’
Chapter 59
Juliette drove slowly down the street of tiny little pastel-coloured terraced houses and looked for a space. Eventually, right down at the end, she just about managed to squeeze her car into a minuscule spot. She patted herself on the back for her excellent parking skills and tapped on the steering wheel. It felt good to be back to work. Good to be back in the community.
She took out her list of appointments for the day. It was not short. Back in at the deep end, she supposed, was a good thing. She scanned all the way down the list - at least most of them were in Pretty Beach itself with only one in Pretty Beach Old Town and two on the new estate up on the hill.
She turned off the radio and the ignition, checked her lanyard, and pulled the rear-view mirror down towards her so that she could check her appearance. Hair was up and presentable, face was still perky and not going to scare anyone as she walked in. She smiled at her own little joke to herself. It had been a really long time since she’d joked, whether to herself or to someone else. She really was on the mend.
As she got out of the car and took her midwifery bag out of the boot, a mum with a toddler and a pram walked past and said hello, and an old lady with an even older dog who was moving along the pavement at a snail's pace asked her for the time.
Juliette walked along the pavement, smiling at the hanging baskets here and there, and looked for the address of her first appointment. Her phone started ringing in her pocket.
‘Good morning. What’s this my cordial morning call to make sure I made it into work on
time?’ Juliette kidded.
‘Wow. You sound livelier! I knew it would be good for you to get back into the community. Get back to what you love,’ Daisy replied.
‘You were right. I needed that time off, though. Time to step back a bit.’
‘You did, Sparkles. But I for one, am very glad you are back.’
‘Me too. There was no way though I could have done this job the way I was feeling. I was so lethargic. I have a full day today and I mean I will hardly be able to go to the loo full day.’
‘Well, at least you’ll be occupied.’
‘I won’t be able to think about anything else, least of all the state of my beautiful daughter’s toes or the fact that her father has appeared from out of the blue and is in my face.’
‘I suppose that’s a good thing,’ Daisy said, sighing.
‘Enough of me anyway. What are you up to today?’ Juliette asked as she pulled her cardigan on over her uniform.
‘You’re actually not going to believe it, Sparkles.’
‘Oh no. What? Whenever you say that it reminds me of the Matt days. When he’d ask you on some clandestine date when he hadn’t spoken to you for weeks and when you said I wasn't going to believe it, I really didn’t.’ Juliette laughed.
‘I’ve told you a million times, Matt is dead and buried to me.’
‘Good. I’m getting that tattooed on the inside of your left arm.’
‘I have the pleasure of debuting someone on my channel today. Well not quite today, we are filming today, and it will be broadcast soon.’
‘Who? Xian? Have you finally persuaded Xian to spill the beans on her special drink recipe?’
‘Ha! Fat chance of that, although I’m still working on it. One day I will persuade her. No, not Xian, but tada the one and only Syd Sprinton. He’s coming to do a pickling episode - I proposed it to him and he said yes. He’s going to be fabulous.’
‘Gold. Your followers are going to adore him. He’s like the real version of those gardening shows on television that used to be on Friday night.’
‘I know. He’s a complete natural too. We did a little test run the other day when I popped up to see his allotment.’
‘Ooh, I can’t wait to see it, Daisy. So, what’s the plan?’
‘Well, it feels as though I have pounds and pounds of produce that has grown overnight in the veggie garden and it’s positively groaning with things ready to pick. There is a huge glut of tomatoes and courgettes and all sorts. So, we are going to start with that.’
‘Right, so what he’s going to show you how he does it?’
‘Yep, pickled whole cherry tomatoes, cucumber pickles and I think I have convinced him to part with his Pretty Beach Locals Only chutney.’
‘Ha, you’re kidding me! You’ll have the Pretty Beach squad car at your door if you put that anywhere online! You will be lynched. The mob will be round to cart you off.’
‘That did cross my mind,’ Daisy replied laughing.
‘Yeah, if I was you, I’d be giving that a little tweak and calling it something else.’
‘I do believe you are correct.’
‘I mostly find that I am most of the time,’ Juliette joked as she approached the tiny little terrace house for her visit.
Juliette could hear Daisy pottering around in the kitchen and then the low rumbling groan of the funicular railway.
‘That reminds me - did you get the surprise railway trip booked in? Did they have a space?’ Daisy asked.
‘They did and they've got champagne and fairy lights at the ready just for us.’
‘Hmm, what are you up to, Sparkles? You’re scheming something. I can tell.’
‘You’ll just have to wait and see, Miss Daisy. You’ll just have to wait and see.’
Chapter 60
Juliette had one last community visit to make. She opened up her tablet and cast her eye all the way down to the end of the list. A postnatal visit on Strawberry Hill. She put her car into drive and wound her way from the new estate all the way down through Pretty Beach, along the laneway, past the Boat House and headed over towards the Old Town. She sighed happily as she drove along in the slow traffic. She loved Mermaids where she’d ended up, but she adored the Old Town too. Not that she would have had any hope in buying a house there; it was well and truly out of her price bracket.
She turned up the old High Street, decided that she simply did not have enough time for a quick, cheeky visit to the Pretty Beach Hospice shop, and drove on up the cobbled road under the bunting flapping in the breeze.
She passed the beautiful old five-storey villas with the steep steps out the front, including Strawberry Hill House, and five or so houses up from that the large one on the end owned by her friend Lottie. The house loomed over her as she drove up the lane past the double yellow lines and looked for a space. She found a space and took her phone out and sent Lottie a text.
I have a visit right up the end of the lane and I’ll be driving back down in about thirty minutes time. Are you in for a cup of tea?
She watched as the little dots flashed as Lottie replied.
Fabulous! It seems like forever since we’ve caught up. Pop in. I’m out the back gardening. Text me if I don’t hear the bell or come around the back.
Half an hour later, Juliette walked all the way back down Strawberry Hill Lane to save herself the bother of having to find somewhere else to park. As she walked down she looked up at the huge, old Victorian villas, and it reminded her of the time when she’d first met Lottie when Bella was little. They’d instantly clicked and when Juliette had Maggie, Lottie would walk over to Pretty Beach Gardens with a huge basket of goodies from her garden, home baked cakes and one pot meals, and pop them under Juliette’s pram and Juliette would look at Lottie and shake her head and wonder just how she did it all.
Juliette took her cardigan off and put it over her arm, and as she strolled down the hill came to the first of the villas. She now had two friends not too far from each other now that Sallie would soon be moving into Strawberry Hill House.
Lottie’s house was on the end of the row of just-about detached Victorian villas with a large corner plot. The same as Strawberry Hill House further down Lottie’s house was surrounded by black railings, a steep set of steps led up to a huge double front door and an old magnolia tree dominated the front garden.
Juliette was surprised to see the house looking, as Lottie had already told her, a bit on the tatty side. Money had been tight for Lottie for a long time since her husband had passed away and with three boys and Lottie’s busy schedule, the upkeep of the house had proved to be quite the burden.
Juliette walked up the steps and rang on the doorbell. Nothing. She walked back down the steps, pulled open the tall black gate, walked back a few metres up the hill and around the house. As she strolled along she looked into the garden at the side. Every single space was filled with flowers and shrubs. Further down alongside were raised beds overflowing with produce - vegetables, herbs, and fruits.
Juliette peered in through the railings. The house might be a bit tatty with peeling white paint on the windowsills, but the garden was immaculate. Not a weed in sight. She squinted and looked all the way along - not a single weed or speck of anything, just beautifully mulched beds with an abundance of plants.
Juliette walked all the way around and the plants, vegetables, fruits, flowers, and herbs continued to greet her at every turn. She walked down to the back gate and called out, ‘Yoohoo!’ She could hear Lottie coming to the gate.
Lottie pulled open the gate. ‘Hi, wow you’re looking much better. Well done you.’
‘Thank you, I’m feeling it. I needed to get back to work properly.’
‘Come on then, let’s go down to the kitchen for some tea.’
Juliette followed Lottie all the way through the garden which she didn’t quite know how but seemed to get better with every step.
‘How do you keep this place going?’ Juliette said looking round in wonder. ‘It’s i
mmaculate.’
‘I don’t have much time off from it. It really is as simple as that. I spend every waking hour here. Since the business took off it’s even busier than before.’
Juliette nodded and followed behind Lottie. How did this tiny, wisp of a thing manage all this, Juliette thought to herself. And it defied belief that Lottie had birthed the three strapping, over six foot boys who seemed to be getting bigger by the day. Lottie was like a human in miniature. Everything about her was tiny. Apart from what she had up top. There was nothing tiny about her mind.
Juliette walked into the kitchen, the familiar kitchen where they’d had multiple cups of tea on playdates, where she’d fed Maggie when she was a baby, and where she’d sat pouring her heart out when she had finally made the decision that she was going to leave Jeremy.
Lottie skipped over and put an old-fashioned kettle onto a huge old cream Aga. A Sheila Maid hung above it with impossibly tiny underwear drying and bundles of dried herbs hung from a shelf above.
‘Sorry about the mess. I’ve hardly been inside today.’
Juliette looked around at the creamy-white, hand-painted kitchen units and the butcher’s block worktop running all the way around the top. Everything was in its place as far as she could see. Hanging from hooks underneath every surface was Lottie’s vast collection of white jugs. There were jugs and pitchers of every size, shade of white and shape that you could think of. All mostly bought second-hand and all exceedingly carefully chosen by Lottie.
On the wall in front of Juliette, a long, wide open shelving unit held vintage plates and colour coordinated vintage china was precisely displayed. An old unit with tiny drawers underneath showcased meticulously lined up cookery books from all over the world.
A vintage plate rack held old French plates in different pastel patterns and a magnetic knife rack ran all the way along underneath with a collection of knives from all over the world. A shelf edged with beautiful old lace held tiny coffee cups from Italy.
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