After lunch, Marcus goes home but asks me if I’ll go round to his this evening. We are spending an awful lot of time together. But of course it’s not awful, it’s good, and so I say yes, of course I’ll see him later.
This afternoon I’m going to see Leonie. Pete is off on one of his bike races again. Seems like biking is as bad or as good as golf, depending on your viewpoint. It can keep men occupied for entire days, which definitely has to be a good thing.
‘It’s great to see you!’ says Leo, looking far more like her old self. Her face has lost its tired, worried look, and she’s had her hair cut so it hangs in layers just past her shoulders. ‘I’ve got loads to tell you about. Since the New Year, it seems like everything’s gone a bit mad…’
‘Has Pete gone back to flying?’ I ask, because I know he was due to start this month.
‘He did. Three weeks ago.’ Leonie looks more serious.
‘And?’ I prompt. ‘How did it go?’
‘Not that good.’ She sighs. ‘Actually, calamitous, in the sense that Pete came to the realisation that he doesn’t want to do it anymore. He says the job is to blame - at least in part - for his depression.’
‘So what now?’ I ask, alarmed. ‘I mean, he can’t just do nothing Leo. I know you work, but he has to do something…’
‘He is…’ she says, starting to smile. ‘He’s been really lucky and negotiated some part time work flying for the next two months, after which he’s leaving. For good. He’s starting, well, started actually, an internet business sourcing and selling unusual bike parts. I know it sounds weird, but believe it or not, it’s already taking off.’
‘Golly,’ I say, most impressed. ‘There must be something in the water. I saw Arian just before Christmas, and he too was talking about finding something else to do.’
But Leo’s jumping up and down now. ‘Oh! Didn’t I say? They’re doing this together! Arian’s flying part time too and Sylvie, you know, Karina’s Mum, has an empty barn they can use for stock! So they’re both ploughing in some funds and racing ahead with it! It’s very exciting!’
No doubt it is. And also very weird, because however much I’d love to, I just cannot get shot of Arian. And now that Leo and Pete know Karina, and Sylvie too, it would seem my old life and my new one are to be thoroughly entangled for some time to come. So much for moving on.
Oh my giddy aunt. Here’s Pete, all hot and sweaty, carrying a pointy cycling helmet and wearing incredibly tight lycra. And particularly tight shorts that bulge in all the wrong places. I avert my eyes, and catch a waft of armpit and generally sweaty man. There’s no avoiding the fact that Pete most definitely niffs.
‘Hi Lou,’ he says cheerfully, as he kisses Leo anyway. ‘I’ll just go and have a shower. You look well,’ he says, sounding just like the old Pete again.
‘Thanks Pete. Um, so do you,’ I say doubtfully.
‘Anyway, what were you going to tell me?’ asks Leo. ‘Quickly, before Pete comes back down.’
‘Marcus,’ I say smugly. ‘We’ve been spending a lot of time together. Like most days, actually. And most nights.’
Leo looks at me anxiously, probably wondering what specimen of manhood I’ve hooked up with this time. She hasn’t met Marcus.
‘Is it love?’ she asks quietly. ‘I do hope so, only you look so sparkly and happy, and I couldn’t bear for someone to break your heart again.’
‘I think it is,’ I say carefully. ‘At least, he says he loves me.’
And then she grins and her eyes go all misty. ‘About time,’ she says.
Marcus is exceptionally affectionate this evening. We have soup and toast in front of a blazing fire, our feet up on the coffee table as we watch TV. Then we have a very early night, because actually we’re quite tired so it’s a very sensible thing to do. And then, later, as we’re lying there sleepily he says, ‘I’m beginning to get rather used to this…’ and promptly falls asleep.
I lie there awake a bit longer after that, thinking about what he just said - because the truth is, I am too.
39
Emma is moving in with Ben! She’s beaming from ear to ear and asking around to see who’d like her old sofa and it’s all unbelievably exciting! She told me at work this morning, but has been rushing around ever since, so I made her promise under threat of death to come round to mine this evening.
‘Oh Lou, it’s fantastic…’ she says, positively glowing. ‘We went riding on Sunday, and we rode over to the Stony Plough at Frampton.’
The Stony Plough is a tiny little pub in the middle of nowhere, even more out of the back of beyond than Lower Shagford, with no car park, just an old-fashioned paddock to put your horses in.
‘Anyway,’ Emma continues excitedly. ‘When we went in, there was hardly anyone else there. You know what it’s like. We sat at one of those rickety old tables, and then Ben said he’d just love it if I’d move in to his and we could just spend all our time off together like this, and what did I think…’
‘So what did you say?’ I ask, knowing only too well Emma’s thoughts about marriage and commitment.
‘Well,’ she says, her eyes shining as she looks at me. ‘The best thing is he hasn’t mentioned marriage - at least, not yet, thank goodness - and he’s just so relaxed about it all. There’s no pressure, I just love being with him.’
I sort of get it actually. And being smug unmarrieds is the perfect arrangement for Emma. And who knows, in time I’m sure Ben will make an honest woman of her if that’s what they decide they want. So all in all, it is very exciting.
Then I tell her how Marcus and I are spending nearly all our evenings together and how wrong I was about him being arrogant.
She’s not even slightly surprised. ‘I knew you fancied him, way back.’
‘You couldn’t. Because I didn’t, Em. I didn’t even like him. Not to start with.’
‘Yeah, right,’ says my friend most annoyingly.
Our gossip divulged, Emma and I head over to the pub, where Marcus is already there with Ben, who has a bottle of champagne and pours us both a glass, before saying that he and Emma are actually indebted to me, and that if it wasn’t for me, it would most probably be a very different story. Gosh. I feel quite strange. I mean Emma’s my friend, so why on earth wouldn’t I want to help her?
‘What was that about?’ asks Marcus, when eventually we have a chance to talk.
‘Well,’ I say carefully, because there’s not really any need for Marcus to know about all that horoscope malarkey. ‘Let’s just say that Emma had a personal problem for a while. Only a little teeny one, but I helped her to sort it out, that’s all.’
‘Oh,’ he says, looking at me. ‘Just wondered, that’s all.’
The miracle has finally happened and Beamish has allowed Zac to order a super-whizzy computer. How he got Beamish to agree, I’ll never know, but the main thing is that he has. And when it gets here, Zac will be responsible for setting it up and teaching thickos like me how to use it.
Marcus is thriving in his new role as joint senior partner and I must say, it suits him down to the ground. He doesn’t mind all the meetings and dealing with complicated paperwork or any of the stuff that Miles loathed, while Miles is as happy as Miles ever can be, just being a regular, everyday vet wholeheartedly devoted to his beloved patients.
Will’s back too, larger than life and twice as handsome. His first morning back, he marches in and sweeps me up in his arms and swings me round, before giving me a resounding kiss on the cheek. Oh, and is that Paris I’ve spotted, illegally speeding down the drive in one of her mother’s cars?
‘Will!’ I shriek, but not too loudly because it’s rather nice being swept off your feet by a gorgeous American.
‘Hey, Louisa!’ he says loudly. ‘How’s the old place managed without me?’
I fill him in about Marcus’s promotion and Miles willingly being un-promoted, and about Emma moving in with Ben, which produces an expectedly enthusiastic response from him.
�
�And have you seen Karina at all?’ he asks more quietly, frowning.
‘I have, Will,’ I say gently. ‘Actually, you probably ought to know. Arian’s proposed.’
‘Beats me what she sees in him,’ he says sadly. ‘After what he did to you too. The guy just doesn’t deserve her.’
‘Cheer up, Will,’ I say. ‘With a wedding coming up, I bet you anything there is romance around the corner just waiting for you.’
‘Yeah, well…in the meanwhile I guess I better do some work,’ he says, peering into the diary. ‘How’s it going, mate?’ he calls to Zac, who mumbles back his usual ‘kay.’
‘You’ve got Daisy Mitchell first,’ I say, ‘who comes with a health warning. Ben used to go out with her and she has her horses shot when she’s bored with them.’
Which makes him wince and rightly so.
‘Then you’ve got a new client. Billie Lincoln. Don’t know her at all, but she keeps dressage horses and one of them’s slightly unsound. Here’s the address.’
Will heads out just as Miles comes in, looking very long faced for a man who’s about to go off on a skiing holiday. What on earth’s the matter with him?
‘Hey, Miles – what’s up?’
It’s probably another horse he’s worrying about. Oh no - my field is full. At least for now.
‘Er, you know Rachel quite well don’t you?’ he says miserably.
‘Of course I do,’ I say. ‘Why?’
‘Think I’ve blown it,’ he says, looking utterly morose. ‘I just can’t go away on this skiing holiday she’s got planned. I don’t know… I keep thinking, what if there’s a crisis and I’m needed here, or one of my clients gets sick?’
Oh honestly. Miles is ridiculously obsessive about his clients.
‘For God’s sake Miles, I’m afraid you are being ridiculous,’ I say firmly. ‘What could possibly happen that Marcus, Emma and Will couldn’t cope with?’
‘That’s exactly what Rachel said,’ he says, even more despondently. ‘Then she said that I was married to my job and it was pointless us continuing our relationship.’ He looks as though he’s going to cry.
‘None of us are indispensable,’ I say to him gently. ‘It’s not healthy to let your job rule your life like this. You’re a great vet Miles, but aren’t there other things you want too? Like seeing the world – or a family maybe?’
He sighs. ‘I suppose I’ve never been fussed. My job’s always been enough for me. It’s just that I thought Rachel understood and was okay with it…’
Oh God. He’s done it again. Poor Miles, but this really is ridiculous. He needs help.
‘I think you should talk to someone, Miles,’ I suggest. ‘This isn’t normal. I’ll get you the name of someone and make you an appointment - if you’d like me to.’
Miles raises shocked eyes to stare at me. ‘You think I’m mad, don’t you?’ His eyes look terrified.
‘A little bit, yes,’ I say honestly. ‘And would it honestly hurt to go and talk to someone who might be able to help you feel a lot happier? Think about it…’
Hmmm… Louisa Mulholland, personal counsellor, Louisa Mulholland, wedding planner…. Never mind the day job at the nerve centre of the practice, as Beamish puts it. Life is going through one of those slightly uncontrollable phases again with all the stuff that’s landing on my doorstep. And that evening, sure enough, Rachel pitches up there too.
‘I’ve given up with Miles,’ she says resignedly. ‘Did he tell you? I’ve tried so hard to get him out of his rut, but he refuses to budge, and he’s dragging me down with him. It’s a pity, because I think we could have had something really special. I really liked him…’ A tear trickles down her cheek.
‘Trouble is Rachel, leopards don’t change their spots,’ I say sadly. ‘Maybe you’re better off without him.’
But it’s a waste of a perfectly good skiing holiday…
‘Sorry,’ she says. ‘I didn’t mean to dump this on you, Lou.’
‘Don’t worry,’ I say. ‘And I’m sure things will work out for the best.’
And I’ve a funny feeling they probably Will.
Even though she’s puffy faced and not at all in the mood, I drag Rachel over to the pub where we treat ourselves to the expensive version of the fish and chips, which is yummy. And then we’re joined by Marcus and Will, who rally round and makes a fuss of Rachel. She’s much brighter when we leave.
‘Didn’t quite work out then?’ asks Marcus as I stand at the bar waiting to pay.
‘Erm, no, not really,’ I say.
‘Miles still married to the job?’
‘You could say,’ I agree.
‘Fancy coming back to mine, gorgeous?’ he whispers seductively in my ear and I giggle.
‘I’d love to, but I think tonight, Rachel needs me rather more than you do…’ I say regretfully.
‘Don’t be too sure about that,’ he says darkly, kissing me on my neck.
Oh. I know where I want to go – but I haven’t forgotten how it feels either, when the man of your dreams turns out not to be.
40
In the end, I talk to Pete about Miles’s problems and he offers to have a bit of a chat with him.
‘Are you sure he’ll be okay with that, Lou? Only I don’t think I’d have been too keen on any interfering, however well-meaning.’
‘To be honest Pete, he’s in such a bad way I think he’ll just be grateful. Tell you what, I’ll invite you both over to mine. It might make things easier.’
And believe it or not, it sort of works. After Pete has told Miles all of what he’s been through over the last few months, Miles is regarding him with more interest and eventually agrees to go and see Pete’s therapist, which is a better outcome than even I had imagined.
Then we all go to the pub and I introduce Pete to Marcus. It’s very weird, because Pete and Leonie are part of my old-life-with-Arian and yet here’s Pete slap bang in the middle of my new-life-with-Marcus. Of course they get on really well and talk about bloke things like men do. Including cycling.
So I leave them to it and track down Emma, who has far more interesting things to talk about and we decide I’m going to throw a dinner party, which will be a sure-fire success for one very good reason: Emma’s promised to help me with the cooking. Marcus is coming, of course, and Ben, Pete and Leonie. Then I decide to invite Will, because I’m very fond of Will in a big-brother sort of way, and then I feel sorry for Rachel because of the whole business with Miles.
So, all in all, with a few ulterior motives thrown in, like Leo meeting Marcus, and bringing together two lonely hearts, it should be jolly good fun.
Saturday afternoon finds too many cooks in the kitchen, with my slavering dog lurking under the table, and with Emma’s eagle eye on things, it’s coming along just fine. We’ve dreamed up this fabulous menu, starting with Provencal fish soup, which smells absolutely divine, all fishy and garlicky, and I simply have to keep tasting it. Just to make sure it’s okay. Then it’s venison casserole, followed by vanilla cheesecake and an array of scrumptious cheeses. In fact, much to Elmer’s joy, my kitchen looks every bit as exciting as the inside of a deli shop. Oh, and there’s lots and lots of wine, and we thought we’d have a tiny little snifter of champagne now - just to help us with the cooking, you understand.
Marcus is first to arrive and finds the carnage in the kitchen quite amusing.
‘Er, Lou, would you like me to help clear up while you get changed?’ he suggests, a twinkle in his eye.
Emma and Rachel are already in my bedroom turning themselves into glamour pusses, but I’m still fiddling around with place settings in my grubby, horsy jeans with that dragged-through-a-hedge backwards hair-do that Marcus must be getting used to by now.
‘S’fine!’ I sashay over and plant a kiss on his lips. ‘Is something wrong?’
‘I think you might prefer to,’ he says firmly, steering me towards the mirror at the bottom of the stairs.
Oops. He’s quite right. Never mind the hair
. I am truly a sight, with grease and cheesecake mixture spattered all over my top half and any remaining make up smudged under my eyes.
This was not the impression I wanted to make at all, so I fly upstairs and turf Emma out of the bathroom. She’s been in there ages and if she does any more glamorising, I might as well crawl under a rock in the garden. Between her and Rachel who’s as perfect and dainty as ever, it’s like they’re the Cinderellas and I’m the ugly sister.
But actually, once I’ve tamed my unruly hair, repaired my makeup, and put on this flirty little number with my sexiest high-heeled boots, I feel quite good, even next to these two and Marcus whistles appreciatively when I go back downstairs.
It’s a bit of a rowdy evening. Leo announces to all of us that she loves Marcus, Will slags off Arian and absolutely no-one tries to stop him. Fortunately no-one is driving as they’ve all decided to splash out on taxis. I thank my lucky stars for mopey Miles, who’s volunteered to be on call. He’s much happier in a stable or field than socialising with the rest of us.
The food goes down a treat, as does far too much alcohol. I sit Rachel next to Will, watching developments out of the corner of my eye, most discretely.
It’s about one in the morning when everyone finally goes. Except Marcus, naturally. Even in her pissed state, Emma has most efficiently sorted most of the kitchen which is possibly why Ben asked her to move in with him.
‘Nightcap?’ offers Marcus tipsily, a half drunk bottle of brandy in his hand.
‘’Kay,’ I agree.
‘I really like your friends,’ says Marcus, as we collapse onto my sofa. ‘It was a great evening. I haven’t been to a dinner party like that in years.’
‘It’s because of Emma, you know,’ I say. ‘I can’t really cook like that. She truly is superwoman in the kitchen.’
‘You’re doing it again, Lou,’ says Marcus mock-sternly. ‘Selling yourself short. I thought you’d agreed you wouldn’t.’
The Impossible Search for the Perfect Man Page 23