by Emma Davies
Rose gripped the book with withered hands. ‘I used to be dancer, you know,’ she replied.
Lia smiled. ‘I know you did, Mum. I tell you what, why don’t you have your cup of tea now before it gets cold, and then we can start if you like.’
The blue eyes turned towards her. ‘Oh, bless you, you are a dear. How did you know I was thirsty?’ She handed Lia back the book and picked up the mug, draining the contents in one go. ‘Just how I like it,’ she said.
‘I’m going to pop to the kitchen for a minute, Mum, but I’ll be right back. Wait here for me, okay?’ She laid the book in her mum’s lap. With any luck, she might be able to snatch a few more minutes and finish her sandwich or, if her mum dropped off to sleep as she sometimes did after her tea, Lia might have a chance to do the washing-up instead of leaving it until later.
She was almost at the kitchen when the doorbell rang. She checked her watch, but it was a bit too early for Gwen’s last visit of the day. It was tempting not to open the door at all, but Lia had tried that once before and the caller had simply rung again and again, upsetting her mum in the process. It was better that she dealt with it.
The front door had a tendency to stick. Especially if, like today, it had rained, making the wood warp even more so Lia had to yank hard to get it open. Jasper nearly fell off the doorstep in surprise.
He was unrecognisable in his suit and tie. Lia’s first thought was that he had come to sell her something. But on closer inspection, after she had recovered from the initial surprise of seeing him, she registered that his tie was loosened and the suit rather rumpled. Then she noticed the flowers hanging limply by his side. What on earth was he doing here? And how the hell had he found out where she lived? She reached for her hair, desperately trying to remember if she had brushed it. Words were completely beyond her.
An agonising few seconds passed as both of them stared at each other, until eventually Jasper raised the bunch of flowers towards her. ‘They’re roses,’ he said. ‘Not red… I thought that would be too… but these are a nice pink.’
Lia had a sudden vision of Jasper’s secretary on the phone to the florist, but she batted it away. ‘Yes, pink,’ she agreed, dumbfounded.
‘They’re meant to say sorry,’ he continued. ‘I’m meant to say sorry,’ he corrected himself, ‘for the other night.’
Lia looked him up and down, his cheeks almost the same colour as the flowers. She should invite him in, she thought, but her mother… how could she explain? She couldn’t, it wouldn’t be fair.
‘I should put them in some water,’ she said. ‘Thank you.’ One ear was already turned towards the living room, listening out for her mum. Jasper was hovering. ‘Would you like to come in?’ she asked, heart sinking, willing him to say no.
Jasper looked at her and then at his feet, as if coaxing them over the threshold. He looked up with a sudden smile. ‘Yes,’ was all he said.
Stepping into the hallway, he looked around slowly despite Lia’s best efforts to usher him away from the dowdy hallway. It didn’t help that the only part of the house that was remotely presentable to guests was her bedroom – she certainly was not about to let Jasper in there.
‘Come down to the kitchen,’ she said. ‘I can make us a drink, if you’d like.’ Her stomach gave another lurch. That was the last thing she wanted to do but somehow the words had just slipped out of her mouth. With any luck he would refuse.
‘That would be lovely, thank you,’ he replied. ‘You must say if I’ve come at a bad time,’ he added, looking at her intently. ‘Hattie mentioned that you care for your mum…’
Lia stared at him. ‘Hattie?’ What on earth had Hattie to do with anything? She was about to question him further when her mother’s voice called out from the living room.
‘Frank, is that you? Frank?’
Lia sighed and gave Jasper an apologetic smile. ‘I’m sorry, I should go…’ She indicated the open doorway with her hand, expecting to see him at least nodding in understanding as he prepared to wait for her. Instead, to her horror, he took a step to one side as if making to move past her. She mirrored his movement, blocking his path.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said again. ‘She’s not too good today. Some days she’s more with it than others and—’
‘Who’s Frank?’
Lia’s heart began to beat even faster. She didn’t have time for explanations. If she didn’t manage to distract her mum soon, the situation would escalate and she would have a devil of a job trying to calm her down. She realised her mother must be reacting to the sound of Jasper’s voice; so few men, so few strangers, had been inside this house in the past few years. She held out a hand towards him.
‘Please, could you just let me go and talk to her for a minute? Wait here.’
Her mum’s voice sounded again, even louder this time. ‘Frank, where are you?’
Lia’s head swivelled between Jasper and the open doorway. Her mum would appear any second now and then, whether he wanted to or not, Jasper would be drawn into their lives and there would be nothing Lia could do to stop it.
‘Who’s Frank?’ asked Jasper again, more urgently this time.
‘My dad,’ she all but hissed. ‘But he left us when I was four. The Frank she remembers could be from any time in the past. Please, just wait here.’
‘Will she remember this?’
‘What?’ Lia replied, getting more and more frustrated. ‘Why does that matter?’
Jasper laid his hand gently on her arm. ‘If I pretend to be Frank, will it matter? Will she remember later on, is what I mean. Will it hurt her?’
Lia’s head was filling up with information she didn’t have the capacity or time to process. She just wished he would stop talking so that she could go and deal with her mum, in her own way, just like she always did. She gave him a pleading look. Why couldn’t he see how difficult she was finding this? ‘No, but I don’t want—’
‘And your mum’s name?’
‘Rose, but I—’
Jasper’s gaze suddenly shifted from her face to somewhere over her right shoulder, and she felt her heart plummet. A shuffle from behind her confirmed her fears. Her mum was up.
‘You’re late!’ came the accusation.
Jasper’s face lifted into a smile as he stepped past her.
‘Rose, my darling,’ he said. ‘I’m so sorry. The traffic was dreadful.’
Lia whirled around just in time to see Jasper kiss her mother’s cheek. What on earth was he doing?
‘But I’m home now, so never mind.’
‘Well your dinner’s ruined. Half past six, I said.’
‘I know,’ Jasper crooned. ‘I’m sorry.’ He took her arm. ‘Why don’t you come and sit down and you can tell me all about your day. Has Lia been all right?’
Rose’s face softened. ‘We made daisy chains,’ she said. ‘It’s been such a beautiful day. And then after lunch we were even able to get her little tea set out and have a picnic for her dolls on the lawn.’
‘I wish I could have been here,’ replied Jasper.
Mutely, Lia followed them both into the living room. She stared at Jasper’s back, utterly bemused. The radio was still playing softly in the background; a programme of songs from the musicals.
‘And wouldn’t you know it, they’re playing our favourite, Rose; listen. I always did love this song.’
He lifted her arm as if to swing her round – and to Lia’s amazement her mother turned, taking Jasper’s other hand and pulling him towards her. For a split second Jasper looked like he had bitten off more than he could chew, but as Lia watched, his face relaxed again and he slid an arm around her mum’s waist, moving his feet into the position that he had been taught only recently. He took a tentative step forward and Rose followed his lead, moving into a gentle waltz that circled them slowly around the room. Lia couldn’t remember the last time she had seen her mum dance.
After a moment Rose audibly sighed and lowered her head against Jasper’s shoulder, her eyes c
losed as she swayed in time to the music. Jasper slowed his steps, lowering his arm so that both their hands folded in against his chest. He closed his eyes, dropping his chin against the top of her head.
Lia wiped her fingers under her eyes, chasing away the tears that suddenly sprung up from nowhere. She had never seen anything so beautiful, and she didn’t want to miss a second of it. For all that Jasper was dressed in a suit and tie and was forty-odd years younger than her mum, somehow, he had slipped into her world and they looked every inch like her mum and dad would have done all those years ago.
The closing strains of the violins faded out as the song came to end and Lia held her breath as the radio DJ began to talk once more. Jasper made no move to pull away.
A few more seconds ticked by until Rose herself lifted her head. ‘Oh Frank, you always did know how to show a girl a good time.’
Jasper smiled. ‘Anything for my beautiful Rose,’ he whispered. He gently straightened up, taking Rose’s hand and leading her over to the chair by the fireside. ‘Shall I get us a drink?’ he asked, as he slowly lowered Lia’s mum into the chair. ‘A glass of sherry perhaps, or some tea?’
‘A glass of sherry would be wonderful,’ she replied, her eyes already closing.
Jasper held her hand a little longer before laying it softly in her lap. He stood looking down at her and Lia couldn’t quite see the expression on his face, but she could tell that he needed a moment before he turned and faced her again. To be honest she was grateful too; she hadn’t a clue what she was going to say to him.
Eventually he straightened up and began to back away slowly as if fearing the floorboards might creak and disturb her. When he drew level with Lia he lifted his head slightly, flicking the smallest of looks at her before dropping his head once again and moving past her to the doorway. He seemed suddenly very awkward and for the second time within a matter of minutes Lia found herself staring at his back.
She followed him from the room to find him standing in the hallway in much the same spot that he had occupied earlier. The flowers she still held were growing heavy in her hand as she stumbled over what to say.
‘Thank you—’
‘I’m sorry—’
Their words collided as they both opened their mouths to speak again and then closed them.
Lia grinned first; her cheeks she knew were still wet with tears. ‘I’ll put the kettle on,’ she said.
The tension in the dim hallway suddenly popped like a bursting balloon and Jasper looked up at her properly for the first time, a wide smile stretching the freckles on his cheeks. His hand moved to touch his forehead and he peeped through his fingers. ‘I really didn’t intend…’
‘No, it was wonderful…’
They stared at one another again, before Lia blushed bright red. ‘Really,’ she said, ‘I want to thank you. I’ve never seen Mum like that – not for years.’
Jasper’s head dropped again. ‘It just seemed like the best thing to do… under the circumstances. But I probably shouldn’t have… It could have gone horribly wrong, and I…’
‘But it didn’t… and you tried, at least… Most people just look like they want to run away.’
‘The thought did cross my mind, but you looked so… and it was…’ He smiled again and looked up at her through thick eyelashes. ‘I’m not explaining myself very well, am I?’
Lia laughed. ‘No, but neither am I. Come on, I need that cup of tea. Perhaps that will help.’
‘We’re British so I should jolly well hope so.’
If Jasper had appeared unfazed by both the state of her house and an impromptu dance session with her mother, he was just as accepting of the state of her kitchen, which was cluttered, untidy and still held the remains of her half-eaten sandwich. He came to stand behind her.
‘I can make the tea,’ he said, ‘if you want to put the flowers into water.’
For the second time that night Lia smiled at him gratefully. ‘The cups are in there,’ she said, motioning to the cupboard above the kettle. ‘I’ll just get a vase.’
By the time she had undone the packaging and placed the blooms in water, Jasper had already set down two mugs on the table.
‘Was that your supper?’ he asked with a look at her plate.
Lia pulled a face. ‘Ruined, like yours,’ she said with a wry smile, ‘but I’ll get something later, don’t worry.’
‘Ah yes. I wonder what I was having?’ he replied with a grin that suddenly slid off his face. ‘I should probably explain why I’m here,’ he added, ‘before you think I’m mad. You probably already think I’m very rude.’
Lia looked at his face for a moment. The traces of embarrassment were still showing in his eyes. ‘I’m just grateful,’ she said. ‘Whether you’re a madman or not, I’ve never seen my mum respond to anyone like that before. I did wonder what on earth you were doing to start with but, all things considered, I’d say it turned out very well.’
Jasper pulled his mug a little closer. ‘That’s very kind,’ he said. ‘Although, when you hear why I came over you still might change your mind.’ He gave a slight glance back towards the kitchen door. ‘Are we all right to talk for a minute? I realise now, of course, how stupid it was to come unannounced.’
Lia glanced at her watch. ‘Mum’s carer will be here soon to settle her for the night, but she’s likely to doze for a bit. I should spit it out if I were you, before that changes.’ She cocked her head to one side. ‘Or before I do decide you’re a madman.’
Jasper gave a quick nod. ‘Well, the first thing to say of course is that I haven’t been stalking you – but I have been talking about you. With Hattie, when we went for that drink the other night?’
‘Go on.’
‘And she probably shouldn’t have, but she gave me your address. We’d had a bit to drink by then,’ he added, ‘and we were getting on really well. I’d somehow managed to persuade her that I’m actually quite a nice chap.’
Lia laughed. ‘Some friend she is…’
‘I think she thought at first that I, well… you know, was trying to chat her up.’
‘Why weren’t you?’ asked Lia. ‘She’s gorgeous.’
Jasper thought about her words for a moment. ‘Yes, I suppose she is,’ he replied. ‘I’m really not very good at that sort of thing.’
Lia tried to hide her smile. Well, that made two of them.
‘And I confess I did have an ulterior motive, which when I explained it to Hattie made perfect sense – except that now I’m not so sure. I don’t want to give you the wrong idea.’
‘And what idea would that be?’ Lia couldn’t help herself. She knew it was cruel to tease him, but for some reason she suddenly felt in a ridiculously good mood. ‘Jasper,’ she said with a smile, ‘despite the fact that you brought me flowers, and flirted outrageously with my mother, I’m under no illusion that your visit here tonight was for romantic purposes. And please don’t make a show of trying to deny it, otherwise you’ll only be digging yourself an even bigger hole, and this time I shall let you fall in. Perhaps now might be the time to explain why you’re really here?’
Lia had never seen a man look quite so pathetically grateful, but then Jasper had one of those faces, just like hers, that could never hide what he was feeling. Even his freckles seemed to be in on the act.
‘I rather think I deserve to be left in the hole, actually,’ he said. ‘For days in the burning sun with nothing but a dry crust. I really couldn’t have been any ruder if I’d tried, and there’s absolutely no reason why I wouldn’t be here with romantic intentions, except…’
‘Except you’re not,’ finished Lia.
Jasper groaned. ‘I’m not exactly making this easy for myself, am I?’
‘Jasper, I’m only teasing…’ She paused for a moment, sucking in her cheeks. ‘I probably shouldn’t be saying this, but to be absolutely honest I wouldn’t know what to do with you even if you were here to ask me out…’ She risked a peep at him, but his gaze was levelled at
the table. ‘I look after my mum twenty-four-seven. I don’t get out much, and I don’t have the time or the inclination for… relationships… or whatever you want to call them. I think it might make things easier for us both if I just come right out and say it, to save any confusion or misunderstanding.’ Jasper was still looking at the table. ‘Although I am very grateful for your help tonight,’ she added, trying to soften the effect of her words.
She shuffled in her seat, knowing that it wasn’t just the wooden chair that was making her feel uncomfortable. For goodness’ sake, she might as well just hang a sign around her neck proclaiming to the world what a sad old spinster she was. It was all very well being shy and inexperienced when it came to members of the opposite sex, but she had managed to sound both ridiculous and pompous in one fell swoop.
Jasper cleared his throat, his olive eyes making only the briefest of contact with hers. ‘Good,’ he said. ‘I mean, you’re welcome, and really I agree. Much better to be honest about these things from the start.’ He nodded emphatically, eyes still focused about two inches from the table top. ‘So… I’ll just ask you then, shall I? About the thing I came here for?’
Lia looked up, slightly alarmed to feel a pang of disappointment ripple through her. She nodded her assent.
‘It’s a bit of a long story, so I’ll try to be as brief as possible, but I need a girlfriend. Not a real one, just one who can dance. And I need her in about eight weeks. I was rather hoping that you might be able to help me out.’
Chapter Eighteen
‘There you go, Callum – I told you there’d be plenty. Go on, help yourself to more while you still can.’
Callum took the dish of roast potatoes from Lucy and smiled. He already had three on his plate, but she could see he’d happily eat several more. He’d looked anxious, bordering on terrified, when he’d first arrived, but was beginning to relax a little as Lucy knew he would. Her family had a knack for making people feel at ease, and a big get-together for a roast was about as relaxed as it got.
She had invited him yesterday evening, quite out of the blue, as she’d been preparing to lock up the library. It wasn’t until she had bustled past Callum for about the fourth time with a chair under each arm that he had jumped up, insisting that he should help.