by M A Comley
He smirked again, leaned in and said in a menacing tone, “Where would be the fun in that?” Then he strode away from her, leaving her seething.
She gulped down the rest of her drink and walked into the hallway and out the front door. The cool evening breeze whipped her hair around her face and chilled her a touch. Warm hands grasped the tops of her arms, and she leaned her head back.
“It’s cold out here, come inside.”
She swivelled to find Matthew smiling down at her. “I’d rather be at your place, tucked up in a nice warm bed.”
“Me, too. Only a few hours to go until we can achieve that tempting ambition.”
“That’s a pity. How did it go with your mother?”
“She was fine. She’s asked if you’ll join her in the morning to go over things.”
“If I must,” she replied, cringing.
“Will you do it for me if I show you a good time tonight, in bed?”
“Oh God, you sure know how to wear a girl down. All right, I’ll do it for you, providing she doesn’t start being heavy-handed with me about the arrangements.”
“She’s promised me she will be on her best behaviour.”
Lucy spent the rest of the evening in a lighter mood and she found herself actually looking forward to the scheduled meeting with his mother the following day. They retired to the gatehouse at around eleven. His mother pecked her on the cheek and reminded her to be punctual the following morning.
Lucy assured Cynthia she would show up at ten-thirty. Everything seemed fine between her and Matthew again. She hated falling out with him, especially as he meant the absolute world to her.
He brought her breakfast of scrambled eggs on toast and bacon at nine, giving her enough time to get ready to meet his mother at the house. She thought her stomach would be tied up in knots as she walked through the grounds at ten-fifteen, but it wasn’t.
The house was in sight now, and her mind was elsewhere, thinking up different ways of saying, ‘No, I think we should do things this way’, when a gunshot splintered the area close to her. The noise startled her so much she let out a scream and placed a hand over her frantically beating heart.
Before she had a chance to recover, another shot sounded. This time, it was louder and appeared to be closer. It was quickly followed by a third shot. She upped her pace to a trot, rushed through the main entrance and slammed her back against the door, panting. She stayed in the same position for a few minutes to capture her breath.
“Lucy? Whatever is the matter?” Cynthia asked, coming into the hallway from the drawing room.
“Someone was shooting out there, it scared me. I’ll be fine in a moment or two.”
“I’ll send for some coffee. Why don’t you come through and have a seat?”
Her legs just about had the strength to carry her into the drawing room. She almost backed out again at what she saw on display. The dominating feature was a flipchart at the head of a long table. Sitting on the table were an array of folders and albums the size of wallpaper sample books you get in a DIY store. Oh heck! What have I let myself in for here?
“Isn’t it amazing? I’ve collected so many samples over the years in readiness for one of our sons’ wedding. You’re the lucky recipient of all this.”
“It truly is, and overwhelming at the same time.”
Cynthia hooked her arm through Lucy’s and guided her closer to the display. “Take a proper look. There’s a pad and pen at the end. I want you to pick out what takes your fancy. It’ll be fun to see if we agree or not once you’ve finished.”
“You expect me to do all this today? I thought we were just going to have a brief chat about things. I’m not sure I’m ready for all this, Cynthia.”
“Whyever not? All you have to do is swiftly sift through the books. You can do that, can’t you? It’s not beyond you to spend thirty minutes of your precious time devoted to such a task, is it?” Cynthia stated.
Lucy faced her and frowned. Cynthia’s tone was one that warned her not to retaliate, at least, that was how she read it. “Excuse me? You’re expecting me to decide every aspect of my wedding within thirty minutes—that is what you implied, isn’t it?”
Cynthia tutted and wagged her finger. “No, I think you misunderstood me a little. We’ll get the basics down today and then work out the nitty-gritty later on.”
“Okay, by basics, what exactly does that involve?”
“You know, the flowers, dresses, then we’ll go on to what type of food we want to put on for the main meal and the evening reception.”
“I see. To me, that’s everything then.”
Cynthia waved her hand in front of her. “Nonsense, there’s far more to a wedding than that, my dear. That’s why I suggested leaving everything to me.”
“I didn’t want that. I’d like some say in it.”
“And so you shall. Start at the top there. Grab the paper and pen and jot down anything that takes your fancy.”
Another shot sounded outside, and Lucy cringed.
“Ignore that, it’s just Jake getting in some practice with his father. We have a new hunt gathering next weekend.”
“Hunting what?”
“There’s always woodpigeon around at this time of year.”
Lucy shuddered. “The less said about that, the better.”
“Ah yes, Matt mentioned you were a little touchy about hunting.”
“Touchy? I’d say more than that, I despise it.”
“Oh dear. My advice would be to get used to it as all the boys in the family take part, including Matt.”
“We’ve spoken about it. I’d prefer not to get involved in any way, and Matthew is okay with my decision.”
“As you wish. That remains to be seen once Matt inherits this place. You’ll be expected to play hostess to the hunt.”
“Or I could employ someone to do it for me.” Lucy smiled tautly.
She watched Cynthia’s breasts rise and fall in annoyance a few times.
“Tell me more about your background,” Cynthia asked.
“Er…what in particular do you want to know about?” she tried to avoid the inevitable for a few seconds longer.
“Your upbringing. What school you went to, any awards you achieved, things like that, dear.”
“I attended a general higher-education school where I obtained eight GCSEs, all grade B or above.”
“What about university?”
“I didn’t go. My parents didn’t have the money to waste on sending me to further education facilities. I was okay with that. I started my first job at the age of sixteen and proved my worth right away. It was a thrill handing over two-thirds of my wages to my mother for keep.”
“Two-thirds? And no further education, and yet you’re a manager now. It doesn’t seem possible.”
“My father used to have a pop at people who chose to go on to university.”
“Oh, do tell. What did he say about them?”
“High intelligence most of them, but very little common sense. In my experience, that’s true, too.”
“Oh, is it now? Well, I dispute that. My sons are both highly intelligent, and they also possess a lot of common sense, so that’s poured water on your father’s theory.”
Lucy grinned. “There are always exceptions to the rules, I guess.”
“There are. What work did you do before starting at the travel agency?”
“This and that,” she replied evasively.
“Let’s get on then, shall we? We can chat more later.”
“If you insist.”
“Oh wait, I have a very important question to ask.”
“I’m all ears,” Lucy said.
“Your family members—how many will there be at the wedding?”
“That’s simple, sadly none. There’s no one left. I’m the last of the…Brents.”
“No one? Come now, I can’t believe there isn’t a distant relative somewhere out there.”
“Take my word for it, there i
sn’t.”
“Oh well, that’ll ease the costs a little,” Cynthia murmured.
“Talking of costs, I know traditionally it should be down to the bride’s family to foot the bill…”
“There’s no need for you to concern yourself about that, it’s all in hand. I know money is tight for you at the moment.”
“It is, extremely tight. If this was up to me, Matthew and I would elope and get it over and done with.”
Cynthia staggered back a few paces. “Goodness me, you nearly gave me a heart attack.”
“Why? It would make sense and save a lot of money in the process.”
“Hush, I won’t have that said in this house again, do you hear me? Hopefully, Matt will only get married the once. We’ll push the boat out for him, and you, of course.”
“All I’m saying is that you needn’t go to the added expense. None of this really matters to me.”
“May I ask why?” Cynthia tilted her head and frowned.
“Money, I think it’s a waste. One day in the life of a couple, and what? Some people, not you, of course, but some families end up burdened with debt. Why?”
“We’re never going to agree on the whys and the wherefores, Lucy. Take it for what it is and enjoy it. There are plenty of girls out there who would willingly change places with you.”
“I don’t doubt that. What about your wedding? Did you have a grand affair?”
“I did. In this very house. Arnold and I were married within the gardens. I wouldn’t have dreamt to having it held anywhere else.”
“Any regrets over the years?”
“Regrets? Of marrying Arnold?”
Lucy nodded.
“No, never, he’s the love of my life. He’s given me two wonderful sons to be proud of. I see it as my job to carry on the tradition and help to find suitable wives for them.”
“Do you think I’m suitable?”
“Honestly? I have my doubts at this point, but that’s only because I hardly know you. The trust will come once I find out more about you, I’m sure.”
“Why do you distrust me?”
“Who said anything about distrusting you?”
“I can see it in your eyes,” Lucy said, not pulling her punches.
“Is there a reason I shouldn’t trust you, Lucy?”
“No, I can’t think of one.” Which is a lie. I could think of plenty. The main one being what happened five years ago!
“I know you have a secret.” Cynthia’s words came as a sucker punch to Lucy’s stomach.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard. You might play the innocent, doe-eyed woman to Matt, but I can read the signs a mile off. Women have a sixth sense, in case you haven’t realised.”
“Is this why Matthew has never been married? Because of your interference and accusations that are totally off the mark?”
“No, the right girl has never drifted into his life before.”
“And has she now? Or aren’t you willing to go that far?”
Cynthia sighed. “I haven’t quite made up my mind on that one yet.”
Lucy swept her hand across the books on the table. “And yet you’ve gone out of your way to put all this together for us.”
“Any mother would do the same for her child.”
“Most mothers’ heart would be in it. Yours clearly isn’t, is it, Cynthia?”
“You think you know me. You don’t, young lady. You have no idea how dangerous I can be.”
“Is that some kind of threat?” Lucy challenged.
“Not in the slightest. We’ve gone totally off subject here.”
“I don’t think we have, not really. It’s clear how much you’re willing to do to remain in your son’s good books.”
“Nonsense. I’m doing this because of the love I have for my son.” She lowered her voice and issued yet another warning. “If you hurt my son, like any of the others before you did…”
“Please, don’t stop there.” Lucy pointed at her. “You’re not brave enough to say the words, but I have enough common sense to know what this is all about, Cynthia.”
“Go on, do tell.”
“You think I’m a bloody gold digger.”
“And now you’re going to tell me I’ve got it all wrong, aren’t you?”
“Yes, totally. However, I don’t expect you to believe me. I love Matthew, none of this matters to me. If he had a tenner in his pocket, that would suit me down to the ground. It’s him I want, not any of this. If you want to go into battle for his love, then who am I to stop you? I pity you if that’s the case. What is it you’re truly scared of? Another woman stealing his heart or just a poor woman, like me?”
“You haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about, and for what it’s worth, I object to you speaking to me like this.”
“Enough for you to want to tell Matthew about this little contretemps?”
Cynthia bowed her head in shame. “No.”
“Well, I can assure you, I will. Because at the end of the day, Cynthia, I think too much of Matthew to hide the truth from him.” She bit down on her tongue, and the taste of iron seeped into her mouth.
Cynthia’s head rose, and their gazes met.
“I know you’re hiding something. All this is your way of disguising the truth. I’m going to dig deep into your past and uncover what you’re keen on hiding and, when I do, I’m going to expose you as the fraud I know you are.”
“And I’m going to repeat myself in telling you that nothing could be further from the truth. I love Matthew, and he loves me. I’d be wary of interfering if I were you, in case it backfires on you and he decides he prefers my company to that of his mother’s for the rest of his life. Be warned, Cynthia.”
“Your threats mean nothing. Jake is of the same opinion. And yes, we’ve discussed you and your motives at length, don’t worry.”
“Why am I not surprised to learn that? I’ll tell you what, I’ll go back to the gatehouse now and return with Matthew. We’ll all sit down, and you can explain all these accusations to him. See what he makes of it all, because I don’t have to put up with this bullshit, Cynthia. You may have driven a bunch of his previous girlfriends away, but your attitude doesn’t scare me.”
“So you’ve already said. You’ve set me a challenge there, Lucy. Go, bring Matt back, if that’s what you want. We’ll see who’s standing by his side at the end of the confrontation.”
“I can do that, or we can try and sort this out between us. Either way is fine by me.”
“I can’t do this now, you’ve spoilt the mood. I was thrilled when Matt popped the question and at the thought of preparing the wedding for you, but I have to say you’ve done your very best to destroy any enthusiasm I might have had.”
Lucy hitched up a shoulder. “You can try and play the wounded soldier with me, but it truly makes no odds. I can go back now and explain things to Matthew, or we can sit down in a civilised manner and discuss the arrangements calmly. I have never said I didn’t appreciate what you were doing for us. All I was getting at is that I have a mind of my own and would dearly love to use it. If you object, then I can’t see a way around this, can you?”
Cynthia’s eyes welled up. Lucy sensed that was more out of frustration than anything else.
“Okay, let’s try again.”
After their pact was set in stone and each of them recognised the strength of the other, they took a seat and went through the wedding plans like the adults they were. As it was, the choices Cynthia had made turned out to be very much to Lucy’s liking. After an hour, they wrapped things up. Both ladies rose from their seats, and Cynthia leaned forward to peck Lucy on the cheek.
“I’m glad we came to a suitable understanding.”
Lucy nodded. She should have had the sense to have left it there but she refused to. “It’s amazing what we can achieve together. We could be a force of nature instead of warring enemies, if only you made an effort to accept me, Cynthia.”
“We’ll see.
We might have accomplished something this morning, however, we have a long way to go yet before I accept you as part of this family.”
“Eh? After what we’ve selected together, how do you work that one out?”
“I’ve done all that for my son’s sake, not yours.”
Lucy heaved out a sigh. “I had a feeling you were going to be stuck in your ways and dig your heels in, I just didn’t realise how much. In one respect, I admire your tenacity but, on the other hand, I feel sorry for you and your boys, because let’s face it, no woman is ever going to live up to your exacting standards in this life, is she?”
“I think someone will, eventually. I still have grave doubts about you and the secrets you’re keeping from us all, including Matt. If you break his heart, I will come after you.”
“Yadda, yadda, Muma bear. There’s no fear of me hurting Matthew, ever, not unless an outside influence plays a dirty hand or two. I’ve dealt with fiercer people than you in my past, so forgive me if I don’t put much weight behind the threats you’ve issued today.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“You tell me. Dig deep enough and I have no doubt you’ll learn the truth, or maybe you won’t,” she added cryptically. She smiled, left the room and made her way back to the gatehouse. She should have felt triumphant, but Cynthia’s warning churned in her head during her speedy walk back.
14
Over the next few weeks, her life as she knew it was conducted in a blur. Matthew was scarcely around, buried in work up in Scotland and only coming home at the weekends. She accepted it for what it was. It gave her the chance to get her own business, because that’s how she regarded the agency now, up and running. Kathy, her new girl Friday, turned out to be the dream choice. They got on so well that the business seemed to turn around instantly, despite Brexit. People were voting with their pockets, booking holidays months in advance, hoping against hope that the economy would remain buoyant.
With every holiday booked, Lucy insisted that clients should take out travel insurance as a precaution.
Keith called in to see them halfway through the second week. He was suitably impressed by how busy they were and told Lucy that he was delighted she’d chosen Kathy as an assistant and that his wife’s legacy was thriving. He also brought with him the sombre news that the coroner was releasing the body, and Shirley’s funeral was due to take place on the thirtieth of May. And as a mark of respect, he asked Lucy to close the agency and to attend.