by Katie Fforde
Skye and Joe were in the kitchen, obviously waiting for Alec and Caro. They were holding hands.
‘Oh, hello!’ said Caro, unable to keep the surprise out of her voice. It was a bit of a shock but a pleasure to see they were still together, although meeting them in the kitchen was unexpected.
‘We’ve come to ask a favour,’ said Joe, relaxed and very happy. ‘Could we go and stay on the barge for a few days?’
‘Of course,’ said Caro. ‘Help yourselves. Joe, you know where the sheets are kept.’
‘What about Rowan?’ asked Alec.
‘Rowan and Aaron are staying here,’ said Skye, very slightly defensive. ‘They’re going to help with the wedding.’
‘And I’m going to show Skye London, so she doesn’t go on thinking of it as the armpit of hell.’
Caro laughed gently. ‘Well, that’s a good idea. London is great, really.’
‘It is,’ said Joe. ‘And while it’s really beautiful here, I’m not sure it could ever be home for me, I don’t think.’
Alec opened his mouth and then shut it again. Caro was willing to bet he was about to say something about it being a bit soon for them to be thinking about where they wanted to live. Instead he turned to Caro. ‘Could you live up here? Or would you miss London?’
‘There’d be times I’d miss it, I’m sure, but being able to visit from time to time would be enough. I don’t think I need to live there.’
Lennie, who had a lot on her mind, interrupted. ‘Are you two joining us for breakfast?’ she said to Skye and Joe. ‘There’s porridge.’
‘We’ve had breakfast, thank you,’ said Joe, his smile making Lennie relax a little. ‘We won’t keep you. We just wanted to ask Caro about going to the barge for a while after the wedding.’
Caro was lowering her spoon into the large grey mass that was her breakfast when it occurred to her to wonder how long ‘a while’ meant, in this instance.
‘So,’ said Lennie, putting down the teapot. ‘Caro? Can you help me get the spare room ready for David and Scarlet?’
Caro understood why Lennie was so panicky. ‘Of course I can help!’
‘Heather is doing a cold lunch,’ Lennie went on. ‘Fish from the smokery, salad—’
‘Goat’s cheese and beetroot,’ added Heather. ‘In case they don’t like smoked salmon. I want them to feel comfortable.’
Heather was obviously also anxious about the visitation so Caro hurried to reassure both women. ‘I know David and Scarlet are stars but they’re very easy. They’ve stayed with me on my barge. And while it’s my home, and lovely, it is fairly scruffy.’
‘So is this house, Caro,’ said Heather crisply. ‘Now, do you want a bit of haggis with eggs and bacon or has the porridge filled you up?’
Caro was glad that Heather was there to see Scarlet run into the house as if it was the only place she wanted to be. Heather was extra anxious because Lennie was with the solicitors with Alec and she felt responsible.
Scarlet embraced Caro, hugging her tightly, and then also embraced Heather, who was a bit surprised, being a more reserved person. David followed her into the house a bit more slowly.
‘I hope you guys are as pleased to see us as we are obviously pleased to see you.’ Caro was pleased to see that his warm, self-deprecating smile and American accent were having a calming effect on Heather.
‘We certainly are!’ said Heather. ‘Now, would you like to make yourselves comfortable before lunch?’
‘I could show you to your room,’ said Caro, ‘unless Heather wants to?’
‘Oh, Caro, you do it, please,’ said Scarlet, giving her a meaningful look. ‘I want to talk to you!’
Scarlet hardly looked at the bedroom that Heather and Lennie had taken such trouble with; she just wanted to know how things were with Alec.
‘So?’ she said. ‘Did you wear the dress?’
Caro couldn’t help giggling – she felt like a teenager. ‘Yes! It was lovely. Everyone admired it because it’s “veentage Laur-ah Ashlee”,’ she said in a bad French accent.
‘And did Alec like it?’
‘What you really want to know is, did we sleep together?’
‘Yes!’ said Scarlet.
‘We did!’ said Caro and Scarlet clapped her hands like the Disney princess she so obviously was not.
‘So you’re an item?’ Scarlet went on.
‘We are. We’re sharing the little cottage – although we’ve only been back for one night.’
‘Oh, that’s so great! And what about the perfume? Did you make it? Is it the same as mine?’
‘I’ll let Alec tell you about that,’ said Caro. ‘He’s longing to and he’ll back early this afternoon. Now, have you got everything you need?’
Caro looked round the room, which she had seen earlier. There was water on both bedside tables, lavender oil, tissues and bedside lights. On the dressing table was a magnifying mirror with a very good light, more tissues, some lovely locally made hand cream, and some home-made Scottish tablet. (Heather’s mother had provided that.)
‘It’s all amazing!’ said Scarlet. ‘Where’s the en suite?’
‘I’m afraid there isn’t one,’ said Caro, ‘but there is a bathroom very near that is dedicated for your use. Let me show you.’
The bathroom was full of fine-milled Scottish soap, some shower gel made by the person who made the hand cream and lots of towels, new and fluffy but pre-washed. Heather had excelled herself.
‘This is lovely!’ said Scarlet, ignoring all the special touches and going straight to the window. ‘Look at that view!’
‘Well, you can lie in the bath and look at it if you want to,’ said Caro, ‘but not now because Heather is waiting to give you lunch.’
Ewan had sworn on his mother’s life that the hot water wouldn’t run out and so Caro felt safe making this promise.
‘Perfect!’ said Scarlet. ‘I’ll be down in five minutes.’
But the part of lunch that Scarlet was going to enjoy most, given she couldn’t have her perfume yet, was Rowan and Aaron’s imminent arrival. Caro sighed with pleasure. It should be a very jolly reunion.
Chapter Twenty-One
Scarlet reached the hall at the same time as Rowan and Aaron came in through the front door. There was a lot of squealing, jumping up and down and hugging. Caro looked on, delighted but also feeling a bit old. She exchanged glances with Heather and they smiled.
‘I’m glad it’s a cold lunch,’ said Heather, ‘otherwise it would be ruined.’
‘I think they’re pleased to see each other,’ said David.
‘So will you be my bridesmaid?’ asked Scarlet. ‘And you, Caro?’
Laughing, Caro shook her head. ‘No, thank you. I’ll be your surrogate mother – whatever I can do for you, I will do – but be in a line-up with you two beauties? No thank you.’
‘I like a woman who knows her own mind,’ said David, possibly anticipating a lot of protest from Scarlet. ‘Caro has been so kind already, honey. Let’s not make her do anything she would obviously hate.’
‘Thank you, David,’ said Caro, giving him a warm smile. ‘Now let’s eat. Alec and Lennie will be back soon and then we can smell the perfume.’
At the beginning of the meal Caro worried about finding a suitable bridesmaid’s dress for Rowan and then realised it was probably something Scarlet would arrange. She would ask her. But as the cheese appeared she began to worry about the perfume. Supposing Scarlet either didn’t recognise it, or hated it? All that work for nothing. And although they hadn’t discussed it, she knew that Alec was depending on being paid for the perfume to pay for the land. Although the wedding would cover part of it, it wouldn’t be enough on its own. The kickback that Frazer had taken was the theft that kept on thieving, she felt. If it was only buying back the land it would have been fairly easy, given that they hadn’t spent much of the money. But that bit extra could possibly take all the money that David might give Alec.
At last they heard car tyres
on gravel and realised that Alec and Lennie were back. Caro yearned to rush out and fling herself at Alec but resisted. She had to at least appear to be sensible, however much she wanted to behave like Scarlet and Rowan had when they saw each other again.
Alec and Lennie slotted into the places made ready for them at the table. Alec’s was next to Caro’s. ‘All well?’ murmured Caro.
‘Think so. All over bar the money now.’ He put his hand briefly on hers and her heart leapt.
‘So, Alec! My perfume? You made it?’ Scarlet waited only long enough for Alec and Lennie to swallow two mouthfuls of smoked salmon before her excitement got the better of her.
‘Yup, we did,’ Alec replied. ‘Caro was very much part of it.’
Scarlet sent Caro a look of satisfaction coupled with smugness and a touch of innuendo. ‘But when can we smell it!’ she said with a smile that made this seem less like a demand.
‘When Alec and Lennie have finished their lunch,’ said David. ‘Never try to do business with a man with indigestion. It’s one of my rules.’
Luckily for Scarlet (and Caro, although her desperate need to know about the perfume was better concealed), Alec ingested a smoked salmon sandwich at the speed of light, gulped down some water and said, ‘Right. Let’s do this. Meet me in the library in five minutes.’
The three of them, Scarlet, David and Caro, went into the library. Caro was worried that the smell of musty books might affect the smell of the perfume but Alec seemed to have no such qualms. There was a small table with a white cloth spread on it. There were two little flasks and a pot of paper wands. Caro knew there was also a beautiful glass swan – a copy of the original bottle that was the container for Serena Swan’s perfume. But which, if either, of the perfumes would go in it had yet to be decided.
‘Oh God, I’m so nervous!’ said Scarlet. ‘Supposing I hate them both?’
‘Then I won’t have done my job properly,’ said Alec calmly.
‘Well, honey, let’s try,’ said David. ‘And put everyone out of their misery.’
Caro could hardly breathe. She so wanted it to be right – for Scarlet, for Alec, for herself. This could be the moment that made Alec’s career as a perfumier. There might have been people in France who wanted to employ him, and others who wanted to go into business with him, but he’d have to get this right first.
‘OK, Scarlet,’ said Alec, having dipped a wand in the first flask and waved it in the air for a couple of seconds. ‘Try this.’
Scarlet closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. ‘Oh, that’s beautiful. I love it!’
‘Now try this.’ Alec passed her another wand.
‘That’s gorgeous too,’ said Scarlet when she’d smelt it.
‘So which one is most like your original perfume?’ asked Caro, unable to keep silent any longer, although she was pleased she didn’t think they were both the same.
‘I’ll have to go away and sniff it,’ said Scarlet. ‘Can you give me a few moments?’
Alec and Caro exchanged glances. Both had their pride at stake.
Scarlet took her bottle with only a few drops in it to the corner of the room and sniffed hard. Then she came back to the table. ‘It’s this one.’ She put her hand on one of the flasks. ‘This is the one I’ve known all my life.’
‘Which is it, Alec?’ asked Caro, wishing she’d arranged to know which one was which before Scarlet came near them.
His eyes met hers. ‘It’s your version,’ he said. ‘You remembered it correctly. Congratulations!’
She studied him intently. Did he mind? Did he mind her being able to remember the smell of Scarlet’s so accurately?
‘It’s really not a problem for me,’ he said quietly. ‘We just want the perfume to be right.’
‘Sorry, what are you talking about?’ asked Scarlet.
‘The perfume we recreated from the recipe, which was supposedly the one Serena Swan had, isn’t exactly the same as the one you’ve got,’ said Caro. ‘Although it must have been wonderful, in its original Lalique swan-shaped bottle.’
Scarlet nodded. ‘My grandmother told me about that bottle. I wish I could have one for my version.’
‘Your wish is my command,’ said Alec with a smile and a flourish, producing a very charming replica. ‘It’s not made by Lalique but it’s a good likeness of the original. My French colleague had it made for you.’
Scarlet suddenly became tearful. ‘That’s amazing! I can’t thank you guys enough!’ She ran to Alec and hugged him hard, and then she hugged Caro.
‘Caro remembered the smell of your example,’ said Alec, ‘which is very similar but not quite the same as the one kept by the grandson of the original maker, M. Dolinière. Caro has an excellent nose and knew the one she was smelling in France wasn’t quite the same as yours.’
Caro wrinkled her very good nose. ‘It’s never let me down.’
‘It would have been easier if we’d had your bottle to take with us when we made the fragrance,’ Alec went on, ‘but we did understand you not wanting to be parted from it.’
‘Well,’ said David, who obviously thought the finer points of the perfume had been discussed enough. ‘We need to talk about money. Let’s go somewhere else to do that. This is a present for Scarlet, after all.’
‘Come into the study,’ said Alec.
Aware she was being desperately British, Caro couldn’t help feeling embarrassed at the thought of the financial part of the whole perfume adventure. To distract herself she said to Scarlet, ‘Have you seen over the whole house? We must decide which rooms to concentrate on for the wedding.’
‘I have seen it, but I can’t remember which rooms Lennie felt would be best. She wanted to redecorate the entire house, but I like it just as it is.’
‘You are lovely, Scarlet,’ said Caro. ‘Just lovely.
The two women were just pondering over a bit of architrave that had broken off – probably years ago – and wondering if it was rustic charm or unattractive deterioration when they heard David’s voice.
‘Scarlet? Caro? We’re done!’
Scarlet ran out into the hall and flung herself at David. ‘I am so, so lucky to have you in my life! Any man could buy me expensive presents but you’re the only one I know who’d have realised how important this is to me. I love you!’
‘And I love you too,’ said David, looking down at his fiancée as if there was no one else in the whole world. ‘And I’m so grateful that you’ve given me an opportunity to show you just how much I love you. This gift really expresses my feelings for you in a way that diamonds never could.’
Caro had to wipe away a tear; she felt she’d watched a private, very touching, wedding ceremony.
Alec cleared his throat. ‘Caro? Would you come with me to visit Murdo? He’d love to see you.’
‘I’ll get a jacket,’ she said.
In the car on the way Alec said, ‘David has been incredibly generous. He said he’d researched how much a personally made perfume can cost and based his offer to me on that. I didn’t argue! With what we’ll get for the wedding, it’s enough to pay back the difference between what we got for the land and what the buyer paid for it. I really want to tell Dad. I think he’s been worrying about it.’
‘That’s amazing, Alec! Really, David and Scarlet have been terrific.’
‘David told me how wonderful Scarlet thinks you are. He told me that Scarlet’s mother really doesn’t do anything a mother should and you’re filling that role.’
‘Not really. I’ve only treated her like any other young woman.’
‘I think that’s the point; no one else in her life does, really.’
Caro gave a satisfied sigh. ‘Well, that’s nice.’ It was an understatement but given how emotional she’d felt earlier she thought it best not to elaborate.
‘Do you miss Posy?’ asked Alec.
Caro was startled. ‘That’s rather out of the blue, isn’t it? Why do you ask?’
‘I just thought you might be missing her.
You’re here, being a mother to Scarlet and not to your own daughter.’
Caro considered. ‘You never stop being a mother, even if your child is thousands of miles away.’
‘So you are missing her?’
‘A bit, yes. But Scarlet is quite a good substitute. And Rowan. I love young women. I think they’re …’ She searched for a word. ‘Life-enhancing!’
Alec laughed softly. ‘I love that you’re not jealous of them. Skye has always had a problem with other women – even Rowan, I think. She has to be the most beautiful person and she hates anyone who threatens that.’
Caro’s laugh was properly amused. ‘That’s the difference between me and Skye – she’s beautiful and I’m not!’
Alec glanced at her before steering the car round a bend. ‘That’s a matter of opinion.’
For the rest of the journey Caro thought about her daughter. She did miss her. They hadn’t Skyped as often she’d have liked – life had been so weird and topsy-turvy lately. And she hadn’t mentioned Alec in a romantic way. Telling your daughter you have a significant other wasn’t something to do via email. You needed to be face-to-face. And it might come as a bit of a shock. Maybe she should write a proper letter. Or maybe she’d just see how things went. There was no point in involving Posy if Alec was going back to France and didn’t invite her to go with him. She could tell her when Posy was back home and they could share a bottle of wine and possibly a few tears.
Murdo was very pleased to see them both. He was sitting in a chair doing a crossword and he tossed it aside the moment they appeared. ‘Can’t do nine down. Driving me mad.’
Caro picked up the paper. ‘It’s “wasp”,’ she said after a few moments’ thought.