Moving On (2011)

by Jacobs, Anna

  ‘Is something wrong?’ Mrs Sarcen asked.

  Molly backed to one side, out of sight, and admitted, ‘I don’t want to meet those people in the office. They’re friends of my ex-husband and I don’t want him to know where I am.’

  Mrs Sarcen looked at her sympathetically. ‘Abusive, was he?’

  ‘Not physically.’

  ‘Why don’t you nip down to your caravan and we’ll say we’re waiting for you to find us some information? I’ll come and get you when they’ve gone.’

  ‘I shouldn’t. And it’ll mean you hanging about waiting for them to go.’

  Mr Sarcen patted her shoulder. ‘We’ve got plenty of time and you’ve been very patient with us today. If people can’t help one another, they’re poor sorts.’

  Molly glanced towards the office again and heard Ginny Mercer’s strident voice saying, ‘I think we’ve got all the brochures. Let’s go and look at the houses now, Ralph.’

  With a quick ‘Thank you!’ she dashed down to her caravan and hid. It might be cowardly, but the last thing she wanted was Craig finding out she was here.

  It was a full half hour before Ralph and Ginny finished looking round the houses. At one point they came close to her caravan because he insisted on looking over the plots that were not yet built on. He even walked along streets, which at this stage consisted only of pretty signs and plot numbers on small posts.

  ‘This development is a good idea, especially if we buy a house in France when I retire. I’ve played at the golf course here a few times and it’s one of my favourites.’

  ‘I’m not at all sure about this, Ralph. I don’t think I want to live overseas and leave all my friends.’

  ‘Well, we don’t have to go to France, it was just a thought for a holiday home. We could buy one of the houses here instead. I can’t think of anywhere nicer to come for little holidays or weekends. We’ll soon make friends if I play golf here.’

  ‘But I don’t play golf. What will I do here?’

  ‘You don’t have to come every time.’

  Their voices faded into the distance as they walked back to the car parking area. Molly could imagine that sour expression Ginny always wore when something didn’t please her, but Ralph was very much in charge of such decisions – as Craig had been.

  When their car had driven away, she went cautiously outside and Mr Sarcen waved to her from the sales office, grinning broadly. She couldn’t neglect such charming customers, so hurried across to join them.

  It took her only a few minutes to provide them with cups of coffee and supply them with relevant house plans, then she answered more questions about prices and building schedules.

  ‘We mustn’t keep you any longer,’ Mr Sarcen said. ‘Thank you for being so patient with us. We’re definitely interested and we’ll get back to you about which of those two plots of land we prefer.’

  Molly stood at the door waving as they drove away. They were just the sort of people Euan wanted to attract, unlike Ginny, who wouldn’t be an asset to any community and was only tolerated because of whose wife she was. Oh, please! Let the Mercers not buy here!

  Phew! What a close shave she’d had today!

  As they drove away from the leisure village, Ralph said, ‘We’ll go and have a cup of coffee at the hotel and get a feel for the amenities here. I’d like to have another look at those brochures before we go, in case there’s anything else I need to check.’

  ‘Good idea. I’m parched. Strange that they didn’t have someone on duty. A poor way of running things, that.’

  ‘They’re only just starting up.’

  After they’d finished their coffee, he said, ‘I think I’ll just run down to the village again. I want to check that plot of land at the end of Honeysuckle Close. I rather like the outlook. I notice there was one house already built there. I wish we could have got that end block.’

  ‘You’re really keen?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes. I’m very keen.’

  ‘Oh.’

  He drove down and they arrived in the car park just as Molly was taking another couple into one of the houses.

  Ginny grabbed his arm. ‘Isn’t that Molly Taylor, or whatever she’s calling herself these days?’

  He squinted across. ‘Looks like her. Do you want to go and say hello?’

  ‘Heavens, no! Can’t stand the woman. I wonder what she’s doing here.’

  ‘Selling houses, it looks like.’

  Ginny grimaced. ‘Heaven help her employers, then. No wonder there was no one to attend to us today, if she’s the one on duty. Craig Taylor is well rid of her, if you ask me.’

  ‘His new wife is certainly an asset socially, and a very attractive woman.’

  As they drove past the hotel, Ginny said, ‘I need to use the ladies.’

  He stopped. ‘I’ll wait for you here.’

  Inside the hotel, she went to reception. ‘I wonder if you can help me. I think I just saw an old friend down at the leisure village. Her name’s Molly.’

  ‘Oh yes. Molly Peel. She’s working there.’

  ‘I’ll have to catch up with her. Thanks for your help.’

  She walked out, not saying a word to Ralph. She’d guess Molly must have seen them when they first arrived and hidden somewhere, perhaps in that ugly little caravan.

  A smile crept across her face as she wondered if Craig knew where his wife was.

  Rachel hadn’t seen her father for ages, so rang him after she got back from work.

  ‘Princess! How are things going?’

  ‘Oh. All right, I suppose.’

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘It’s such hard work, cooking and washing and all that stuff.’

  ‘You would marry a poor man. You should have waited and let me find you someone with a bit of money.’

  She didn’t answer, didn’t want to discuss that. He meant an older man and that was gross. ‘Brian came round last night. He sounds to be living in squalor.’

  ‘Not good with money, our Brian. I’m sure he’ll learn a lot from this experience. Has he seen your mother?’

  ‘No. He’s a bit worried about her, actually.’

  ‘Aren’t we all? I still can’t believe she rented out that house, rather than selling to me.’

  ‘It was mean, wasn’t it? But it’s Mrs Benton’s son who’s renting it. Brian remembered where he’d seen him.’

  ‘Is it now! Military fellow, rather stiff-necked?’

  ‘That’s the one.’

  ‘Well, well. Look darling, got to go now. Faces to see, places to visit. We must have you round to dinner soon. I’ll get Tasha to give you a ring. Things have been frantic lately.’

  She sighed as she put the phone down. She missed seeing her father. Tasha seemed to keep him busy elsewhere and didn’t often invite her round. And Jamie didn’t like Tasha.

  It was all very complicated and she wished she had married a rich man – a young, rich man as attractive as Jamie. Then she wouldn’t have to go out to work and come home to the problem of thinking of things to eat. She hadn’t realized how much Jamie ate or that he’d insist on a cooked meal every single night, instead of just grabbing a sandwich or going out for a meal.

  He wanted to save money to buy a house, but you needed so much. She’d been hoping Daddy would front up with the deposit, but when she’d hinted, he’d said he wished he could, but he had a mortgage of his own to pay off again, thanks to her selfish mother.

  It was all too hard and her mother should think of others for a change.

  She’d thought it’d be fun to be married, but it wasn’t.

  At five o’clock Molly rang Euan on his mobile phone to check how things were going.

  ‘Really well, thanks to your intervention.’

  ‘Do you need any more help there?’

  There was silence, then he said, ‘You’ve already done far too much.’

  ‘I’d be happy to go on helping, but this’ll be in my own time as a friend, so I won’t want paying.’ />
  ‘I can’t resist the offer. You are a treasure! And yes, please.’

  Smiling at the compliment, the treasure locked up the office, went to change into jeans and drove out to the little village where Euan lived. She was tired, but he desperately needed help, and she owed him a lot for giving her this job.

  Stuart’s father died early the following day, simply gasped and stopped breathing as his wife was sitting with him.

  She stared at him in shock. The look of death was unmistakable but still; she checked for breathing with a mirror. As she’d expected, there was no breath misting up the surface. ‘Oh, Denis! I’m going to miss you so much, my darling.’

  He’d pleaded with her not to go in for any heroic resuscitation, so she didn’t hurry to call for help. He’d wanted to slip away quietly and had been granted his wish, thank goodness.

  She closed his eyes, stroked a lock of silver hair back from his forehead and sat down again beside him, wanting just a little more time with him. She’d thought she was prepared for this, but were you ever?

  After a few minutes she picked up the phone. ‘Stuart . . . It’s your father. He’s . . .’ She couldn’t force the words out.

  ‘I’ll be right over, Mum.’

  She went to meet her son at the front door and fell into his arms, weeping. ‘He’s dead! He just . . . died. Between one breath and the next.’ She let her son hug her, let herself cling to his strength for a few minutes, then pulled herself together. ‘Sorry.’

  ‘What for? Being human? Weeping for the loss of the man you love.’ He held her for a while longer, then set her back from him gently. ‘I’d better go and look at him. Do you want to call the doctor or shall I?’

  ‘I’ll do that.’ She phoned and stumbled through an explanation to the receptionist, then spoke to the doctor, whose voice grew hushed and gentle as he realized what had happened.

  When she went back to the bedroom, Stuart was standing looking down at his father. ‘He hasn’t looked so peaceful for a long time, has he? He must have been in a lot of pain.’

  ‘Yes, he was. He was very brave about that, but I could always tell when he was hurting.’

  ‘I’ll do what’s necessary when the doctor arrives, Mum. How about you go and make us a cup of tea?’

  ‘Thank you. I don’t want to see Denis again. I know it’s cowardly but that – it isn’t him, somehow. He’s changed already. There’s no expression left on his face now. My Denis was always fired up about something, if it was only the headlines in the newspaper.’

  ‘He used to get fired up about what I was doing, too. We didn’t always get on well, considering we were father and son, did we?’

  ‘You’re too much alike, I think. Both dominant men.’ She touched her son’s arm. ‘I’m so glad you’re nearby.’

  ‘I’ll just nip back and tell Wendy, then I’ll have that cup of tea.’

  Children were a huge comfort. As she made the pot of tea, her mind skipped from one idea to another, anything to avoid thinking of Denis.

  Molly’s son Brian had apparently come round to see her, wanting his mother’s contact details. She did hope that meant he was going to reconcile with Molly. A woman shouldn’t be estranged from her children . . .

  Jane didn’t intend to move from this house afterwards. It was her home. She was staying put . . .

  She was so glad Denis had been spared helpless dependence . . .

  She wished Stuart could stay on next door. It’d be such a help to have him nearby now she was on her own. But she wouldn’t tell him that, of course. She didn’t want to chain him down; could stand on her own feet if she had to. Mostly . . .

  Ah, here he was. She turned to greet him. ‘I’ll give you the big mug. You always did drink a gallon of tea in the mornings.’

  He patted her shoulder. ‘And you always did cope with whatever happened, even when you were upset.’

  She nodded, held the tears at bay and concentrated on what she would have to do on that sad, sad day.

  Euan watched Molly park her car and come into his grandmother’s house. She looked alert and happy.

  ‘Have you had a good day?’

  ‘Really good. I think I’ve sold a house for you, and to such nice people.’

  ‘That’s marvellous. You do realize you get a hefty commission for each sale.’

  ‘Yes, but most of all, I’m happy to have succeeded.’ She held out the carrier bag. ‘I got us some takeaway. It’s Chinese food from a fish and chip shop, so I don’t know how good it’ll be.’

  He grabbed her and gave her a hug. ‘How did you guess I’d be ravenous?’

  ‘Maybe because I am too. Craig always used to say I ate too much and should try to eat less to lose weight.’

  ‘The man sounds a fool. You’re a perfect weight.’

  ‘I’m a bit overweight by today’s standards.’

  ‘You’re just right for a normal woman. Who wants to make love to a stick insect?’ Their glances caught and he suddenly thought to hell with it. He pulled her into his arms, not giving her the chance to resist him, kissing her as he’d wanted to do all week. She was soft and feminine, not at all fat. Her ex must be a lunatic.

  At first she tried to pull away, then suddenly he felt her start to return his kiss and the warmth of their coming-together wrapped round them like a soft, invisible blanket.

  ‘Don’t say you didn’t enjoy that,’ he said as they both came up for air.

  ‘How can I? I joined in wholeheartedly.’ She looked down at the carrier bag, which she’d dropped on the floor. ‘Oh dear, I hope it’s not spilled. We’d better eat it while it’s hot.’

  ‘The follow-up is only postponed,’ he said, trying not to show how aroused he was.

  She looked at him, then gave a tiny nod and a half-smile.

  The food was good and they both cleared their plates.

  ‘More?’ He offered her the container.

  ‘No. You finish it.’

  ‘All right. And you must tell me how much I owe you for this.’

  ‘Nothing.’

  ‘But I—’

  ‘Nothing. I’m not a pauper, Euan, and we are, I hope friends now.’

  ‘Then thank you.’ He finished the rest off.

  They worked all evening and at one point Molly found herself telling him about her close encounter with one of Craig’s colleagues.

  ‘Did you really have to hide from them? It seems . . . a bit unnecessary.’

  She looked at him sadly. ‘It’s not. Craig is absolutely ruthless when he wants something. He’s already stopped me selling my house. Worst of all, he took away my self-confidence and came between me and my children for years. If he finds out where I am, he’ll probably hire some people to set fire to the caravan. He’s absolutely determined to force me to sell that house to him.’

  ‘High-flyers in business don’t usually take risks by breaking the law like that.’

  ‘He’ll find a way. He boasts that he never lets people get the better of him without paying them back, and he thinks I got the better of him in the divorce settlement.’

  ‘Won’t his new wife stop him?’

  ‘Who knows? She seems just like him. Mrs Perfect. Slender, not a hair out of place, dresses like a model. All gloss, and you wonder if there’s anything behind it.’

  She looked down at herself. ‘You can’t go wrong with jeans and a top, but you should have seen how awful I looked at the wedding. I don’t have much dress sense, I’m afraid.’

  After a short silence, he smiled wryly. ‘I noticed.’

  She could feel herself blushing. ‘Is my appearance that bad?’

  ‘No. It’s just . . . you don’t make the most of yourself. Your office clothes are—’

  She finished for him. ‘Dowdy. And even when Craig got me good clothes, I didn’t wear them with style.’

  ‘We’ll get Avril on to it. She’ll know what to do.’

  Molly looked at him doubtfully, not knowing what to say to that. He’d said ‘we�
�� again. He said it so easily. Was it charm, or was he simply acknowledging the growing connection between them?

  ‘Now what’s going through your head?’ he asked softly.

  ‘I feel uncertain – about everything.’

  ‘And that includes me. Let me tell you something: I was happily married to Karen. I know what makes a good relationship and I think it might be possible between us. There’s a certain sort of warmth, hard to put into words, as if things are . . . right. I really like you as a person and I fancy you as a woman, too.’ He grinned at her, then added, ‘Dowdy clothes and all. I’m willing to wait until you’ve regained enough confidence to let yourself relax with me, then we can both see what happens.’

  ‘You may get tired of waiting. I’m not very confident about anything.’

  ‘No, I won’t get tired. A treasure like you is worth waiting for. But I also won’t push you into anything. You must walk into a relationship with me freely and happily. Now, if you’ll help me finish this room, I’ll get up early in the morning and dive in again.’

  ‘We shall get up early.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  They worked till ten o’clock, then Molly yawned and said, ‘I’ve had enough. I’m going home and you should go to bed as well. You can set the alarm for really early. You’ll work more efficiently if you get some sleep.’

  ‘All right. But I’ll walk you out to your car first, and you must check that there’s no one around before you get out of it at the caravan. Promise me?’

  ‘I promise.’

  She drove home and was out of the car and standing at the caravan door before she realized she should have checked for people lurking. She looked round, feeling vulnerable, and fumbled with her key, dropping it on the ground. How stupid!

  Her heart began to pound as she scrabbled under the edge of the caravan for it.

  At last she got the door open and locked it quickly behind her, with a loud sigh of relief. After using the bathroom, she couldn’t resist lying on the bed for a moment or two, so tired all she wanted to do was close her eyes.

  She woke once during the night feeling cold, so pulled the covers over herself and went back to sleep.