Be Careful What You Wish For

by Vivien Brown

  ‘If it wasn’t for you, I would not be standing in this beautiful garden, surrounded by new friends, with a wonderful new London life to look forward to. And I wouldn’t have met Simon. Don’t beat yourself up about things that were never your fault, Madi. How could you possibly have known what was going to happen? And, in the end, only good has come out of the whole thing.’

  ‘Are you sure you won’t move in with me while you’re doing your course?’

  ‘For three whole years? A month, we said. There’s no way I am going to impose on you for any longer, and besides … I hear there’s a flat going spare.’

  ‘Here?’

  ‘Emily Parker’s. Suzy’s made it a condition of the sale that I get it for the first year, if I want it. Special rent. She says it’s her family mess that led to me being hurt and she wants to make amends. A year suits me fine. After that, who knows? I might move into student halls, or find someone I’d like to share with …’

  ‘I think you probably already have.’ Madi’s gaze turned towards Simon, who had moved away to chat to someone about doing some building work in their mother’s house in Ealing.

  ‘Early days, Madi. I’m not going to rush it, not after the whole Joe thing, but I’m hopeful. I really am.’

  ‘I’m glad. And thank you for inviting me down to Shelling for the weekend. I’m so looking forward to seeing everyone again.’

  ‘We’re glad of the lift back. Simon’s bringing so much stuff I would have dreaded lugging it all home on the train. And they say it’s us women who can’t go away without packing everything but the kitchen sink!’

  Chapter 44

  MADI

  On Saturday afternoon, Madi pulled the car into the kerb outside Prue’s cottage. How different it looked now in the summer sunshine, the dead daffodils replaced by vibrant red dahlias that matched the colour of the front door, and the old wooden gate that had creaked and dragged against the path now replaced by a new one, also painted in bright shiny pillar-box red.

  ‘Glad to be home?’ Madi asked, turning in her seat to talk to Prue and Simon, huddled cosily side by side in the back seat.

  ‘Always.’

  ‘Won’t you miss it when you move to London?’

  ‘Maybe, but it will always be here to come back to, won’t it? I’ve decided I’m going to let Sian and Ralph live here while I’m gone. They were lucky his dad let them stay with him once they got engaged, but they need their privacy, their own space, and there’s been nowhere suitable without them having to drive miles in and out of town. My cottage is so near to the surgery, and I feel I owe them …’

  ‘You’ll charge them rent though?’

  ‘Yes, but not too much. And they’ll take on all the bills. The rent will top up my student loan and help me pay my way in London, Mum will happily give me a room to sleep in when I’m home in the holidays, and they can all fight over Flo. She can stay here or move to Mum’s, or live between both homes if she chooses. They all love her just as much as I do. No, selling the place was never really an option. Not when it was my gran’s …’

  ‘It looks really quaint.’

  ‘Oh, Simon, have you not been here before?’ Madi said, opening the door and swinging her legs out of the car.

  ‘No, first time. The cottage, the village … and meeting Prue’s parents on their home territory. It’s all a bit scary, to tell you the truth.’

  ‘It will be fine, believe me.’ She stood up and stretched, the two of them following her out of the car. ‘Shelling could not be a more welcoming …’

  Before she had even finished her sentence, the door of the neighbouring house flew open and a small chestnut-brown dog came running down the path, its ears bouncing up and down like little furry flaps.

  ‘Madi, you’re back!’ Tom, hurrying out of his gate just a pace or two behind the dog, opened his arms and engulfed her in them, almost pulling her off her feet.

  ‘Hello, Tom.’ She pulled back, taking in his familiar face and excited eyes, before kissing him warmly on the cheek. ‘And who is this little beauty?’

  ‘This,’ Tom said, reaching down to pick up the little dog and nuzzle its neck, ‘is Flush. She is four months old, an absolute bundle of energy, and she’s keeping me very much on my toes.’

  ‘She’s adorable.’ Madi held out her hand to be licked, which Flush did with great enthusiasm.

  ‘You’ve made a friend there, Madi,’ Prue said, opening her gate as Simon took their bags from the car and carried them to the step. ‘Flo’s not been quite so keen. In fact, she’s kept well out of her way since she arrived, but she’ll get used to her. I mean, who couldn’t fall in love with a furry little angel face like that? Even a cat would have trouble resisting.’

  ‘I see she has you in the palm of her hand, Tom.’

  ‘Or paw!’ Tom said, moving towards Madi’s car and insisting on carrying what was left of the luggage.

  ‘Oh, no, not into Prue’s! I’ll be staying with Faith and Stuart while I’m here.’

  ‘Of course. We’ll leave your stuff where it is then and I’ll come up there with you later to help carry. But, for now, come on into my place and have a cuppa. All of you, obviously. You’ve had a long journey. Everything’s ready, and it will be so much easier for you, until you’ve unpacked and settled in.’

  ‘I’ve only been in London since Thursday, Mr Bishop!’ Prue said. ‘There’s milk still in the fridge, and it’s July, so I don’t need to light the fire to warm the place up!’

  ‘Even so …’

  ‘No, you go,’ Prue said, grinning at Madi. ‘Honestly. Don’t worry about us. I’d like to show Simon the cottage before I take him along to Mum and Dad’s, and I’m sure you two have a lot of catching up to do. We’ll see you later, Madi. And thanks for the lift.’

  Madi stood on the pavement until Prue’s front door closed behind them.

  ‘Aah,’ she said, smiling. ‘I bet they’ve been dying for some time alone together.’

  ‘Oops, sorry, I didn’t get the hint. I’m sure you’re right though. They won’t want two old fogeys like us cramping their style.’

  ‘Not so much of the old. Now, I’m sure I heard you mention tea.’

  ‘And I have custard creams and Jaffa Cakes. Take your pick, or push the boat out and have both.’

  ‘Oh, Tom, you know me so well!’

  ‘I like to think so. And thank you, Madi, for putting the idea of getting a dog into my head.’

  ‘I thought it was Barbara who did that?’

  ‘Well, yes, she did, when things were different, when we had planned our future together. But you were right. Life doesn’t stand still. Plans don’t have to stop just because things change. It’s good to have someone to look after again, someone to share my life with, someone to love.’

  ‘Even if it is just a dog?’

  ‘Just a dog? Don’t let her hear you say that!’ Tom tried to cover the dog’s ears with his hands but they didn’t stay still long enough. ‘You’re looking well, by the way. And not wearing the wig any more?’

  ‘No need.’ Madi put her hand to her hair. ‘It’s a little greyer than it was, but I intend to do something about that when I’ve decided on a colour. Purple maybe, or a nice shade of blue …’

  ‘Heaven forbid!’

  Madi laughed. ‘Only joking. It’s a lot shorter than I’m used to, but it will grow. The important thing is that it’s the real deal. All my own, every last strand of it. And since the Emily Parker business, I know I wasn’t actually losing my memory, or my mind, so I’m starting to feel like my old self again. I’ve got a job lined up too. I’ve been turning work down but I’m ready now. It’s time. Just a small part, with rehearsals starting next month, but it will get me back out there again, where I belong. And I haven’t forgotten my promise to get you a ticket, and a backstage tour.’

  ‘Thank you, and I’m glad things are working out for you. I may not have known the old you but I’m looking forward to getting to know her now! Let’s start by h
aving a chat over that tea, shall we, Grandma!’

  Madi swiped at his arm. ‘Cheeky! Not for a few months yet, I’m not. And it all happened so quickly, the IVF treatment, only their second go at it, and the miracle of it working, that I’ve hardly had time to get used to the idea.’

  ‘A good feeling though? Hair, and work, and having your son back in your life? And a new little arrival to look forward to?’

  Madi followed Tom up the path, Flush licking at his ear. ‘Oh, yes. The best feeling in the world.’

  ‘So, where exactly are you taking me?’

  Tom held the passenger door open and ushered her towards his car, Flush jumping about excitedly from behind a wire barrier set up in the back.

  Madi had slept amazingly well in one of Faith’s cosily decorated spare rooms, surrounded by flowery fabrics and enveloped in a thick duck down duvet and fat feather pillows. She was still feeling heavy from eating one of the village pub’s famous pie dinners last night, where she had met up again with Patty and lots of the other villagers keen to remake her acquaintance and talk about the ‘awful incident’ they’d read about in the papers. And then, at around ten o’clock this morning, finally emerging from her room, she had been presented with a huge farmhouse-style egg and bacon breakfast. Now she still felt full to the brim, despite the fact she had eaten it more than three hours earlier.

  ‘Please tell me we’re not going somewhere for lunch? I couldn’t manage a mouthful.’

  ‘Not lunch, no.’

  ‘Then where?’

  ‘Never you mind. It’s a surprise. Now, come on. Your carriage awaits.’

  The car sped along the narrow tree-lined country lanes she remembered so well. They all looked surprisingly similar and her sense of direction had left her somewhere at the end of the village street. She had no idea at all where they were headed.

  ‘So, how are the plans to rebuild the village hall? And you never did tell me what came of the enquiry.’

  ‘Wheels turn slowly, Madi. You must know that. The fire was declared an accident. The insurance is paying out, but it will be a while until we have a usable hall again.’

  ‘Such a shame. Especially for all those kids who were so keen to put on a show. How is young Donny, by the way? Still ringing the bells?’

  ‘Ha! No, it seems he has something more interesting to do in the evenings these days.’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘You remember little Chantelle, one of the singers in the girl group? It would appear he’s sweet on her. Has been for a while. In fact, I rather suspect that was why he was still hanging around on the night of the fire instead of scooting straight off home. A bit of courting behind the bike sheds, if you know what I mean!’

  ‘Well, it was obvious they liked each other.’

  ‘Was it?’

  ‘When it comes to romance, you men never seem to see what’s right in front of your eyes! The blushes were a dead giveaway. Anyway, the hall didn’t have any bike sheds, did it?’

  ‘Metaphorically speaking, Madi. A bit of innocent teenage hanky-panky was going on, that’s all I meant. Or I hope it’s innocent, seeing as they’re barely fourteen. You must remember what it felt like though? All the sneaking about, and the hand-holding, and kissing the back of your own hand for practice. We all did it, didn’t we, back in the day? Young love, it’s like no other, eh?’

  Madi laughed. ‘If you say so, Tom.’

  As Tom pulled in through a set of iron gates and squeezed the car into the last available parking space, Madi realised where they were.

  ‘We’re visiting Barbara?’

  ‘I thought she’d like to see you. And that you might like to see her again? I talk to her about you quite a lot, and she does remember. Sometimes …’

  The three of them clambered out and Tom clipped a lead onto Flush’s collar.

  ‘They won’t mind her coming in?’

  ‘Oh, no. Pets are very therapeutic, you know. All the residents love her. They queue up for a pat and a cuddle, and some of them slip her little treats from their pockets when they think I’m not looking. Flush loves it all, being made such a fuss of, and making friends. But Barbara knows she’ll get the most attention. Flush is our dog, after all.’

  Madi smiled at that. Barbara might not be able to live at home any more but Tom made sure she was included in everything. It was still their house, their dog …

  ‘Come on, let’s get inside, shall we? They’ll hopefully have cleared away the remains of Sunday lunch by now. They eat early, but regularly, just like in hospitals. You sure you don’t fancy a bit of cold beef and a yorkie? There’s bound to be some left in the kitchen.’

  ‘You must be joking. Nothing for me until at least six o’clock.’

  ‘Not even a slice of Olive’s fruit cake?’

  ‘Definitely not a slice of Olive’s fruit cake! Oh …’ Madi stopped in her tracks.

  ‘Surprise!’ A chorus of voices rose up as Tom and Madi entered the lounge. Madi looked around. The soft high-backed chairs had been rearranged into a long row, with lots of extra smaller stacking-style chairs lined up in front, and people of all ages were sitting in them, all heads turned her way. Was that Prue and Simon in the corner? And Patty, with Sian and her husband-to-be, the vet? And there were Faith and Stuart, whom she had seen only an hour or two ago. What was going on?

  The more she looked, the more familiar faces she saw, laced in between the unfamiliar ones she realised must be the residents of the care home. And the whole area in front of the big floor-to-ceiling windows had been cleared to resemble …

  ‘A stage?’

  ‘May I show you to your seat, Madam?’ Tom produced a small torch from his jacket and was pretending to shine it along the front row as he eased her into the centre of it and gently pushed her down into a chair. Flush leapt eagerly into the lap of a woman sitting to her right, who she could see now was Barbara. ‘And here is your programme.’ Tom handed her a small booklet before settling into the seat to her left. The lights slowly dimmed and she registered for the first time that all the curtains around the room were closed. Flush gave a contented little sigh and lowered her head against her mistress’s shoulder, and silence fell.

  ‘And now that our guest of honour is here,’ said a voice she recognised as young Donny’s, booming through a speaker somewhere close by, ‘let the show begin!’

  ‘You didn’t think I’d let the little matter of a fire stop me, did you?’ Tom whispered into her ear as Chantelle and her girl band stepped nervously into the spotlight. ‘You would never have forgiven me if I’d just given up. The show must go on, as you actors like to say.’

  And so must life, Madi thought, settling back into her chair and trying to peer at her programme through a sudden, unexpected blur of tears. Whatever it throws at you, life goes on. And sometimes, if you’re really lucky, it can still find ways to surprise you.

  THE END

  Don’t miss No Sister of Mine, an enthralling novel of searing domestic suspense and family secrets about two sisters, both emerging into womanhood, who couldn’t be more different …

  Get your copy here!

  And be sure to follow Vivien Brown on Twitter @VivBrownAuthor and check out her website vivienbrownauthor.wordpress.com for all the updates on her latest work.

  Acknowledgements

  This book is set in 2020, in the months immediately following 29th February, known as ‘Leap Day’, when women get their once-every-four-years chance to propose. When I was writing it, none of us had any idea of the imminent coronavirus crisis that was looming or the huge changes it would make to our everyday lives. So, the real 2020 ended up looking a lot different from the one played out in these pages. But it’s fiction, and that means we are allowed a little make-believe!

  Writing about a marriage proposal couldn’t fail but bring back memories of the day that Paul and I spent in Hampshire in April 2014, first wandering around Birdworld looking at parrots and penguins, and then taking an evening ride on the Real Ale st
eam train on the Watercress Line, with Paul strangely keen to get on board quickly at Alton and secure us an empty carriage. Before we had even set off down the track, I found out why! He produced a ring he’d had hidden away in his pocket all day, and had just proposed and slipped the ring onto my finger when another couple decided to join us in the carriage. It didn’t feel right to share our special moment with total strangers, so we acted as normally as we could, made idle chit-chat, drank a few beers and said nothing about it, waiting until the first stop at Alresford to get out and find a spot where he could do it privately and ‘properly’, down on one knee on the station forecourt! Sadly, Prue’s Leap Day proposal didn’t turn out so well, but I hope you enjoyed the ending I chose to give her instead. All’s well that ends well, as they say, and let’s hope this very unusual 2020 turns out well too, with all our family, friends, and everyone we know and love coming out of it safely at the other end. A big thank you to all of mine, just for being around, even if it’s had to be at a two metre distance!

  A sadly neglected and little-used shared garden area features in this book, and I realise now just how many blocks of flats, especially in city areas, have similarly inadequate outside space, or none at all, so I am very grateful in these worrying times to have a garden of my own to relax in, complete with lumpy lawn, flowers, trees and the occasional squirrel. While our jobbing gardener has been unable to visit as frequently as usual, I have found out just how much work goes into keeping it neat and weed-free. So, a big thank you to him and to all those people who help to keep our lives ticking over but rarely get acknowledged – from the binmen to the hairdressers to the postmen and delivery drivers, and to the many actors (just like Madi) and behind-the-scenes crew whose livelihoods will have been so badly affected by the closure of theatres and the halting of filming. It sometimes takes a crisis to realise how important a role they all play.

  This summer I have really missed my pub lunches with writer friends, garden barbecues, trips out to concerts and theme parks, regular strolls round the clothes shops and, most importantly of all, spending time with my grandchildren, but thank heavens for my two cats, Pixie and Dixie, who I have been allowed to cuddle as much as I like, and to a never-ending supply of wonderful e-books which have done so much to keep me entertained and distract my thoughts away from reality and into the fictional happy-ever-after world I love best.