by Lisa Hill
‘Excuse me, love; where do you want this divan?’
Everyone turned to see two removal men, puce in the face, holding half of the base of a double bed.
‘Oh, that’s going in the largest room, I’ll show you.’ Rebecca dropped the curtains onto the arm of one of her sofas, which had been haphazardly dropped at an angle on the distressed floor boards in the living room and rushed past the men in the hall and up the stairs.
James looked quizzically at his mother. ‘You were saying.’
‘She entertained your father in that flat,’ Pamela said, out of the corner of her mouth. ‘I think she felt a little awkward about inviting you there.’
‘Using the word entertain makes her sound like a prostitute.’
‘I DID NOT—’
‘Keep your voice down.’ James leaned in. ‘Has she said anything to you, then?’ He was at a loss as to when the two of them had been together long enough to divulge such intimate secrets.
Pamela touched the side of her nose. ‘Women’s intuition. Jack and I moved into the other main bedroom, with en suite, at the Old Rectory when he moved in; I didn’t want to share the same bed with him as I had with your father.’
James rubbed his hand over his stubble. So, he was right. ‘We haven’t—’
‘Darling,’ Pamela said, holding her hand up. ‘The woman has been intimate with my soon-to-be-ex-husband; I don’t need the ins-and-outs of your relationship with her too. Best to draw the line somewhere.’
‘Consider me suitably chastised, Mum.’
‘Oh, James, don’t be like that. I’m pleased you’ve finally got it together; I always thought Rebecca would end up being my daughter-in-law; my money was on her marrying Drew in the beginning.’
‘Why?’ James felt a sudden stab of jealously.
‘Oh, stop it, and help me move this furniture into something resembling a living room.’ She picked up a footstool and waited for him to take the other end.
He took the corner. ‘How have you so easily got over your hatred for her, then?’
‘Who, Rebecca?’ Pamela asked, moving across the room.
James was getting impatient and was about to say who else when he realised he needed his mother’s guidance here – for the first time since he was about fourteen – so it probably didn’t help to continue being flippant to her.
‘Yes,’ he said, gently pushing the sofa as Pamela dropped her end so it wouldn’t mark the oak floorboards.
‘I can’t say I can put my finger on it myself. But before all of that,’ she waggled her hand and all the bangles on her wrist jangled, ‘business with your father, she had been like a daughter to me. I get on with Lottie well enough now, but for many years we were quite distant. Rebecca was always in and out of our lives, what with the business.’ She looked at James with her bright blue eyes wide and slightly dewy. ‘I realised that we have both been the victim of your father and,’ her voice wobbled slightly, ‘I can either let that tear us apart or bring us together. Plus,’ she said, taking a few tentative steps towards James and putting her arms around his waist, ‘your father caused enough separation in our lives, I won’t let him do it again.’
James wrapped his arms around his little mum, as her chest rested on his head. ‘I won’t let him do that again Mum, I promise,’ he said, sounding more confident than he felt.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Drew waved to the children as they joined the group already out practising on the cricket pitch, on the field at the village hall, turned on his heel and rushed back towards his car. Lottie had left him in charge of everything this morning and he’d had to get the kids fed, dressed and off to cricket club before heading into the office. Luckily Emily had a key to HG1 as he was running late and…
Ring! went the phone in his suit jacket pocket. He pulled it out to find it was Lottie. ‘Hi,’ he said, sounding short. Oops, she’d be shitty with him now.
‘You need to get to the stores, now.’
Knew it.
‘Lottie, I’ve got to get to the office; one of us needs to be there to oversee the staff today and—’
‘I’ve got a shop full of customers and in precisely three seconds your dad is going to walk through the door.’
‘I’ll be there in five,’ Drew said, locking the car remotely as he slipped his phone back into his jacket pocket, striding across the village hall car park, out through the gates, swiftly checking for cars as he crossed the high street and followed the distinctive outline of Edward’s tall frame through the shop door.
The shop bell jingled as he swung the door open. A silent sea of faces stared at him, already attuned, by the looks of things, to Edward’s presence. At the centre of them, behind the counter, Lottie stood glowering, like she might pick a box of eggs up from the counter and throw it in Edward’s direction at any second.
‘Morning, Lottie,’ Edward crooned, in that suave voice he had always used when he wanted something. ‘I’m looking for my wife; know where I might find her?’
‘That’ll be one-pound-eighty, please, Phillipa,’ Lottie said, returning her attention to serving the Morris’ as if the last twenty seconds hadn’t happened.
‘Come to put a hard hat on and start digging up that field at the back of our house?’ Adrian Morris said loudly, fixing Edward with a defiant stare.
Drew stood gripped to the spot, totally mute. It was as if he’d died and was watching this scene play out through some ethereal vision, like they did in films. His eye was caught by a filthy look from Lottie and he was suddenly overcome with that horrible feeling he had last year when she threw him out, and he had to fight to win her back but was immobilised by fear of what Edward might do to him. Then he remembered he was running his own business and his father really had no hold over him anymore. He liked his life now; he wanted it to stay that way and he was damned if Edward’s presence back in Yorkshire was going to change any of that.
‘Dad,’ he hissed out the side of his mouth.
Edward, caught off guard, turned and seemed almost surprised to see him standing there. ‘Oh, hello, Drew, I didn’t hear you come in.’
Drew frowned. Was it him or was there a certain something lacking in his father’s appearance? That usual enigmatic persona seemed to be missing. Either that or he was in need of a holiday; he didn’t look anywhere near as perma-tanned as usual.
‘What are you doing here?’ Drew hissed.
Edward smiled. There it was; that Cheshire Cat grin. He might not be looking his normal self – perhaps not having had a wife to feed and care for him for the past year – but that cat-who’d-caught-the-cream expression said it all; he was up to something.
‘Where would you like me to start?’
Over Edward’s shoulder, Lottie was frantically waving and mouthing for Drew to get Edward out of the shop, presumably before Jack appeared.
Drew swallowed hard. ‘Fancy a coffee?’
Edward looked down towards the tearooms.
Lottie frantically waved her disapproval.
‘Back at ours?’ Drew hurriedly added.
Edward looked back at Lottie who quickly dropped her miming act. ‘It’s okay, Lottie; I know where I’m not welcome.’ Lottie just rolled her eyes and shook her head, whilst taking a basket from the next shopper.
‘Come on,’ Drew said, opening the door. ‘My car’s parked over at the village hall, we can drive separately and—’ Drew faltered. Following Edward out onto the sunny high street, humming with traffic, he spotted the removal men, further up the high street, moving Rebecca’s things into Betty’s cottage. Shit.
‘What?’ Edward said, hovering by his car.
‘On second thoughts, it’s such a lovely day; why don’t we go and watch the kids at cricket practise? Cam’s bowling has come on so much he’s got a trial for the county, for the under tens team.’
‘Has he?’ Edward, for once, sounded genuinely interested in something concerning his grandchildren. ‘Okay, but I really could do with a coffee.’
‘Tell you what,’ Drew said, guiding his father across the road between a lull in the traffic, ‘I’ll get Lottie to bring a couple of takeaway cups over to us.’ He didn’t dare risk going back in the stores and leaving his father anywhere in the village, alone.
‘Great, I’ll have a flat white then, please.’
‘Okay,’ Drew wandered alongside Edward through the village hall car park, texting as he went.
‘I expect Lottie will spit in mine,’ Edward said, as they reached the playing field and he shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand, looking out over where the children were bowling and batting in the nets.
‘She’ll come around,’ Drew said, not believing what he was saying for one second. ‘Er…’ he wasn’t quite sure how to ask the next question, but at the forefront of his mind was the thought that he mustn’t let Edward drive a wedge between him and Lottie again. Or Jack and his mum for that matter. Or Rebecca and James.
Oh, cripes.
‘What am I doing here?’ Edward asked, sitting down on one of the benches under the shade of the overhanging village hall roof.
‘I was actually going to ask how long you are intending on being here?’ Drew asked, taking off his suit jacket and rolling up his sleeves, worrying about where Edward was intending to stay if this unannounced visit was for more than a few hours.
Edward looked out over across the cricket pitch and Drew watched his gaze settle on the Old Rectory.
‘I take it you’ve just come to visit?’ Drew asked, hating the silence.
‘I’m afraid, Drew, it’s a little bit more complicated than that,’ Edward said, turning to look at Drew.
Drew looked into his father’s usually sparkling, blue eyes which seemed rather dull today. Perhaps he had seen the error of his ways and realised he loved Mum after all? Thing was, Drew actually preferred Jack as a father figure; both men told it as it was, but Jack was better at sugar-coating things.
‘Are you having troubles with the development, then? James doesn’t talk about it much.’ Now Drew came to think about it, Edward hadn’t made one quip about Drew’s new business; his break-away from Hardwickes. Which was very out of character.
Edward shook his head and smiled. It wasn’t one of his normal smiles, it didn’t quite meet his eyes.
Drew frowned. ‘Please don’t tell me you’ve come to get Mum back? Or Rebecca for that matter. They’ve both moved on; they’re happy. You can’t just walk back in—’
‘I’ve got cancer, Drew.’ Edward let out a little chuckle and shook his head, looking down at his hands resting in his lap.
Silence. Drew didn’t quite know what to say. He knew what he should say but his mind was racing with all the implications this might have, not just on him, but on everyone.
‘I’m sorry,’ he finally managed.
‘Prostate.’ Edward added, still looking down at his clasped hands.
‘Is it…’ Drew trailed off, not wanting to contemplate his father’s future.
‘Terminal?’ Edward said, looking up. His eyes narrowed. ‘Not sure. I’ve had an operation to remove the cancer and undergone some radiotherapy, but—’
‘Hang on, does James know about this?’
‘No-one knows, you’re the first person I’ve told.’
Drew frowned. ‘But surely he would have noticed you being so unwell?’
Edward let out a hollow laugh. ‘Like father like son, that one; wrapped up in his own world.’
Drew pursed his lips together but said nothing. James was as perceptive as Edward too, there was no way he wouldn’t have noticed something was up, especially if Edward had had an operation.
‘I told him I’d gone on holiday while I was in hospital,’ Edward added, evidently reading Drew’s mind. ‘I thought I was getting better but it’s bad news I’m afraid; the cancer’s spread to my bones.’
An icy feeling began to filter through Drew’s body, even if he had been baking up until now in the morning sun.
‘Are you sure?’ Drew wasn’t sure if he was asking the question out of disbelief or because he didn’t trust Edward not to use the situation to his advantage.
What a wicked son he was for even thinking that.
‘Yes,’ Edward said, solemnly. ‘They can’t eradicate the cancer from my bones; it’s just a matter of time.’
‘How long?’
Edward shrugged. ‘Six to twelve months, possibly a bit more.’ He looked up at Drew and for the first time in his life Drew could actually see fear reflected in his father’s eyes. ‘The doctor told me to get my affairs in order, so here I am.’
‘Fuck,’ Drew whispered.
Edward took Drew’s hand and squeezed it, something Drew couldn’t remember his father doing, even when he was a child.
‘Thank you for your concern,’ said Edward.
Drew said nothing. Instead he squeezed Edward’s hand back, feeling guilty that his concern for Pamela and Jack far outweighed the concern he had for his dying father.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
‘Dad, I’ve got something to tell you,’ Lottie said, appearing in the tearooms.
Jack rolled his eyes. ‘What did I say about leaving that till unattended?’
‘It’s fine, I’ve stuck a “back in five minutes” sign on the door.’
‘Yer what?’ Johnnie would have a fit if he knew all of this was going on, on his first full day away from the stores.
‘Everything alright?’ Audrey asked, on her way past to the kitchen with a tray of used crockery.
‘Lottie’s taken it upon herself to shut up shop for five minutes. Sounds like she’s got grave news to embark upon us. Have we run out of pound coins?’
Jack and Audrey dissolved into fits of laughter.
‘Edward’s here.’
That took the wind out of his sails and the smile from his face. He frowned. ‘What?’
‘Sorry, I thought it was best to tell you.’
Jack looked over Lottie’s shoulder. ‘Where?’
She shrugged. ‘Don’t know, I got Drew to intercept him.’
His shoulders slumped. ‘Bugger.’ He wasn’t a fan of swearing but this called for it.
‘Well, if you can cover me, Jack, I’ve got up a few things I’d like to say to that little upstart; you mark my words, he’ll be on his way back to Oxford with his tail between his legs when I’ve finished with him.’ Audrey’s voice was venomous and yet fearfully wobbly all in one go.
Lottie rolled her eyes. ‘He’s not a five-year-old, Audrey. While we’d all like to join the queue to give him a piece of our minds, this is Edward we’re talking about; he won’t listen.’
‘Oh, probably not, but it wouldn’t half make me feel better. I’d better take these in the kitchen.’ She raised her hands up to indicate the tray and looked directly at Jack. ‘Don’t do anything foolish,’ she warned, before heading off.
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Jack asked.
‘Brawling in the street, I guess.’
‘Wasn’t my style at fifteen, pretty sure it wouldn’t be at sixty-nine and—’
‘Coooeee!’ Pamela’s voice called down the shop. ‘Anyone one in? Why’ve you put that sign up, Lottie?’
‘Didn’t think to lock the door then, eh?’
‘Why don’t you concentrate on your own problems?’ Lottie hissed.
He shot Lottie a warning look to say, don’t mention this to Pam. She was right though; fussing over whether Lottie had left the till unattended was just prevarication from thinking about the real problem, which was the fact that Edward was back.
And Jack still hadn’t bought Pamela an engagement ring.
Or got down on one knee.
‘Ah, Pam, everything okay?’ Jack asked, suddenly worrying that Pamela might already know Edward was in Clunderton. Although, if she did, she was behaving mightily cheerily.
Jack fixed his eyes on Lottie, searching for her help but, for once, she looked as fearful as he felt.
‘Fine, than
k you. Lottie, do you think Johnnie would be impressed to find you’ve shut the shop on a busy Saturday morning?’
‘I think he’d be more impressed if he knew you were carrying out the duties you’d offered to do.’ Lottie said, with a certain air of belligerence in her voice.
‘Jack offered to look after the stores, not me; I told him, I will help when I can.’
‘Is that why you’re here then?’
‘No, I’ve come to get some refreshments for the workers. Where’s Mummy? She can make some takeaway coffees for me, can’t she?’
Lottie chuckled. ‘It still seems alien to me, you calling Audrey, mummy. Anyway, yes, she can, and I’d better get the shop open again. Dad, are you okay?’
Jack’s head had been racing the entire time, considering whether he told Pamela the news Lottie had just imparted. What if Drew managed to send Edward away again?
Jack Sellwood, just how naïve can you be?
‘Hmmm? Fine thanks, best get on.’ He stepped forward and planted a kiss on Pamela’s forehead. ‘I’ll nip in the kitchen and ask your mum to come serve you now, Pam.’
Pamela kissed Jack on the lips, before smiling. ‘Thank you darling, glad it’s all going smoothly.’
‘Yes, and tonight, we must discuss going out to choose your engagement ring,’ he said, before following Lottie back up through the tearooms to the shop.
He heard Pamela clasp her hands together. ‘Oh, Jack, I was beginning to think you’d forgotten!’ she called after him.
‘What are you playing at?’ Lottie hissed, out of the corner of her mouth.
‘For once Lottie, I really don’t know,’ he said, panic rising in his chest.
***
Rebecca handed over an envelope of cash to the removal men, closed the front door and let the cool darkness of the cottage’s narrow hallway wash over her. Outside, vehicles in the high street rumbled past, leaving a comforting feeling that she wasn’t entirely alone. Village life, country life, was going to be a lot different to the town and cities she had grown up and lived in, but she was ready for this; she was going to embrace the change. She had finally given into her feelings and found that she was totally in love with James – not that she had admitted that to him yet – but there was just one more, teeny hurdle to overcome.