Mum in the Middle

by Jane Wenham-Jones

  Agggghhhh. Too late it struck me I should have ignored the call and pretended my mobile had been stolen by a lunatic. David’s tones were deep and smooth.

  ‘Oh dear, I seem to have upset you. Please don’t be annoyed, Tess. I was going to call in but–’

  ‘You weren’t out buying flour were you?’

  ‘What?’ His voice was immediately sharp.

  ‘I saw you pull up outside last night.’

  ‘I was going to pop in.’

  ‘But you didn’t, did you?’

  ‘You had your arms around someone else.’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ I mustered as much scorn as I could manage. ‘I was saying goodbye to a friend.’

  ‘Well, I didn’t want to disturb you.’ David said coolly. ‘I was only passing anyway.’

  ‘You seem to do that a lot!’

  ‘What are you talking about?’

  ‘This morning there’s eggs and crap all over my house.’

  ‘You don’t think I did it?’ He sounded incredulous.

  ‘No, of course not. But Jinni does! Things always seem to happen when you or Ingrid have been around.’ I felt immediately guilty. Ingrid had been kind to my mother and to me. I felt my voice break. ‘I’m sorry. I’m just upset.’

  ‘My mother wouldn’t dream of damaging anything,’ said David icily.

  ‘No, I know she wouldn’t. I–’

  ‘Are you going to be at home?’

  ‘Yes. Why do you–’

  But he’d already ended the call.

  When the bell rang, I flung the door open, half afraid, half thrilled.

  ‘Hello!’ I said loudly.

  ‘Oh, Tess,’ Gabriel stepped straight in and gave me a hug. Over his shoulder Pete, camera slung over his shoulder, was surveying the front of my house.

  Gabriel scanned my face anxiously. ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘It’s a bloody pain but I’ll get some hot water in a minute …’ I glanced at the clock, hoping he wouldn’t stay long.

  ‘I’ll do that, when we’ve got some pictures,’ Gabriel said immediately. ‘So you didn’t see anyone?’

  ‘I’d gone to bed, hadn’t I? I went before you left …’

  ‘I thought maybe out of the window – someone running away?’

  ‘No, nothing, I didn’t even realise till Jinni–’ I stopped, still sick at the thought.

  ‘I don’t want photos in the paper.’ I said. ‘It’s horrible being targeted like this–’

  Gabriel shook his head, looking concerned. ‘It’s a campaign against incomers and development. It’s not personal.’

  ‘That’s not the way Jinni sees it.’

  ‘I’ll talk to her. Did she see anything?’ I shook my head. He put out a hand and took mine. ‘Please don’t be upset. I will come straight back and help you clean it off.’

  ‘Don’t you have to be at work?’

  I certainly did. Jinni and Gabriel were already outside with buckets and brushes when I emerged from the shower, grateful but anxious, wondering how to squash in an extra hot beverages point and a photocopier above the store in Dover.

  I stepped over Tilly’s damp towel, hurrying as I heard the landline ringing below, knowing it would be Paul gearing up for a coronary. As I reached the top of the stairs I jumped as a door opened behind me.

  ‘Jesus, Ben!’ I clutched at my chest as my son stood sleepily on the landing, in boxers and t-shirt. ‘I’d forgotten you were here.’

  Ben gave me a lop-sided smile. ‘That’s nice – overlooking your favourite offspring.’

  ‘No university?’

  ‘I’ve got a reading week.’

  ‘Oh!’

  He opened the shower-room door. ‘So I thought I’d hang out here. The other guys have gone home.’

  ‘Lovely!’

  I averted my eyes from the crockery piled up in the kitchen and took my laptop into the dining room.

  As soon as I sat down the phone rang again. ‘Sorreeee!’ I screeched. ‘My hand was literally on it as it stopped.’

  ‘Hmmm,’ said my sister disapprovingly. ‘At least you’re there now. We need to talk about mother,’ she swept on. ‘I know your answer to everything is to stick your head in the sand, but we should be thinking one step ahead …’

  I felt the familiar rage and frustration rise in my throat as Alice, safely ensconced behind her desk in Boston, began to outline my duties.

  ‘Hang on!’ I interrupted, when it became clear she wasn’t going to draw breath any time soon. ‘She’s nowhere near needing a care home and I really cannot have this conversation now. I’ve got work to do and–’ I added, as the doorbell rang and someone began to knock at the same time ‘–I’ve got a crisis to deal with.’

  ‘It’s open!’ I yelled over my shoulder.

  ‘Do you have to shout in my ear?’ my sister snapped.

  ‘Yes, I do,’ I shrieked. ‘I’m waiting for the plumber so he can fix the loo before it starts flooding the whole of downstairs and someone’s pelted the front of my house – which I’d only just had painted to cover the fucking graffiti–’ I heard my voice break again ‘–with eggs!’

  ‘Heavens,’ she said. ‘You’ve only been there five minutes. Made enemies already?’

  ‘I don’t see how I can have,’ I said to Malcolm, as I blinked back tears from the sense of childlike impotence and injustice my sister never fails to inspire.

  ‘I don’t know anybody.’

  ‘Well, you do,’ he said calmly. ‘But why any of them would want to do this, we’re not yet sure.’ He patted me reassuringly on the arm. ‘But I shall make it my business to find out!’ he went on. ‘And if you like, I shall attempt to cheer you by cooking my famous prune and sausage casserole.’ He pulled my shopping list towards him and wrote on the bottom of it. ‘There’s the postcode. I expect you’ve got one of those sat-nav things, nobody can use a simple map any more. House is called Sunny Dove. If you end up in a ditch you’ve gone too far.’

  ‘Sunny Dove?’ I smiled for the first time.

  ‘Previous owners were a pair of simpletons.’ Malcolm grinned too. Then looked into my face and said seriously: ‘It’s unpleasant, but try not to worry. It’s going to stop. I’ll have a word with one of our advertisers and organise some home surveillance kit. Don’t tell anyone it’s going up. I’ll explain later – come round about seven?’

  ‘Oh I don’t know – I’ve got all the kids here and–’

  As if on cue, Ben bounced into the room. ‘No bacon!’

  ‘Well, buy some,’ I told him irritably. ‘And get some mince. I was going to make a chilli to go with everything that’s left over from yesterday but maybe I won’t be here–’ I looked at Malcolm. Ben looked forlorn. ‘I was going to eat the toad now.’

  ‘I’ll write you a list …’

  ‘Very fine toad,’ said Malcolm looking wistfully towards my kitchen, where Ben was now clattering.

  ‘And you can finish clearing up!’ I yelled.

  ‘We’ve done rather a fine job of it, actually!’ Jinni came in through the front door in red dungarees, swinging a bucket. ‘When Gabe’s finished up the ladder, you’ll be like new.’

  I hugged her. ‘That’s so good of you. Let me make you coffee. Do you want something to eat?’ Jinni shook her head. ‘Got to get back to swilling my own place out. I’ll pop back later.’

  Gabriel appeared moments after she’d gone. He had wet marks down his usually pristine t-shirt and looked rather flushed. ‘It’s all off’.

  ‘Time you were, then!’ said Malcolm immediately. ‘Go back to the office and get this dastardly deed written up and then get along to that chap with the giant pork pie.’ He turned to me. ‘Ten kilos of prime shoulder in there, allegedly. He’s going to raffle it off for some unfortunates somewhere.’

  ‘It’s to raise money to fund a sensory farm experience for disabled children,’ Gabriel explained. ‘Somewhere safe where they can milk cows and feed pigs.’

  Malcolm gave a guffa
w. ‘Funded by a load of blokes down the pub eating a couple of them.’

  I gave him a look. ‘That sounds like a very good cause,’ I said to Gabriel. ‘Can’t you have a coffee first?’

  ‘No,’ said Malcolm. ‘Hop it.’

  ‘Why are you so hard on him?’ I said when Gabriel had kissed me and left. ‘I’d be really proud to have a son like that.’

  ‘Hmmm.’

  ‘Do you want a coffee yourself?’

  ‘I thought you’d never ask.’

  Chapter 29

  When the bell rang, I thought it was Ben with no key as usual. I was laughing as I walked across the room – Malcolm had been sharing his views on the bloke with a ponytail and pink trousers who had just opened an emporium near the post office.

  ‘How do they make any money?’ he was saying as I pulled open the door. ‘They’re closed half the time. I suppose Tabatha or Hugo need time off for Pilates and to sit in a coffee shop braying about how hip they are.’

  The rush of adrenalin that jolted through me at the sight of David made my heart thump. The laughter stuck in my throat and came out as a sort of yelp.

  Malcolm immediately stood up.

  ‘I’ll be off, then,’ he said. ‘My chap will be in touch with you later. Don’t forget what I said–’ Had I imagined it or had he just shot David a hard look? ‘Keep it quiet.’

  Did he suspect David too? Surely not.

  Malcolm gave my shoulder a squeeze and walked out – grunting a greeting at David as he passed.

  David was also serious. ‘I’ve got something for you.’

  He picked up the large cardboard box at his feet, came in and put it on the sofa. ‘CCTV. It streams straight onto an iPhone, or iPad if you’ve got one. Or there’s a monitor in the box. Twenty-four-hour surveillance at your fingertips.’

  He was wearing casual cotton trousers with loafers and an open-necked shirt. His black hair looked shinier than ever and his features ever more chiselled. A waft of his signature musky aftershave caught at my nostrils.

  I suddenly understood why Jinni had fallen on her tree man and the gleam in her eye when she’d joked about him knowing how to handle a chopper. I felt my mouth twitch inappropriately and David looked at me hard.

  ‘You’ll be able to see who’s really doing this. I’m used to Jinni’s irrational rantings but I didn’t expect you to think–’

  ‘I don’t!’ I said. ‘But look at it from her point of view. We know it’s all coincidence but you were out there last night, you’d just dropped me off when the paint and graffiti happened and you and she do like to make trouble for each other, don’t you? Trees and things?’

  Now you no longer go to bed together … I added silently.

  ‘I’d park right outside, wouldn’t I?’

  ‘Well, why were you there?’ I demanded, noting he hadn’t denied the tree business this time. ‘Why suddenly when you’ve been ignoring me?’ I stopped. It sounded as if I cared.

  ‘I haven’t been ignoring you, I’ve been busy.’ He shrugged. ‘I didn’t know you were that bothered. You rushed off from the gallery. You put off seeing me again, and said your mother was ill and then I dropped in with that puzzle and your mother was fine and you didn’t seem very enthusiastic about arranging anything else–’

  ‘I was. I just–’

  He put up a hand to silence me. ‘I thought you weren’t very keen and then I heard about your mother and I was going to try again. I’d bought you some flowers.’

  I raised my eyebrows.

  ‘The first time I came, there were a couple of men outside putting things in a car so I had a word with Jinni – asked her if we could put this stupid feud behind us and be a bit more civil. I told her I liked you.’

  My heart jumped. He gave a tight smile. ‘And she told me where to go, of course. For the second time. I’d texted her before.

  And then I walked down the road for a coffee with my mother, thinking I’d come back later when your visitors had gone. And she mentioned your ex-husband, which since you’d told me you never see him, seemed a bit odd–’

  ‘I don’t ever see him. Tilly brought him!’

  ‘–and it seemed from her description he was probably the younger chap outside your house and had stayed all night, which seemed even stranger, so I’m afraid I rather assumed–’

  ‘Tilly had a problem and Rob was helping her and Tilly said–’

  ‘You don’t have to explain. It’s none of my business.’

  ‘I didn’t want him here!’

  David nodded. ‘I’ve spoken again to my mother since.’

  ‘Why didn’t you just ask me?’ I said.

  ‘I don’t know. I was keyed up about a site meeting with the Chinese clients, so I went the office on Sunday and stayed over so I’d be there early.’ He gave me a proper smile for the first time. ‘Just in case it snowed again! Thought I’d see you when I got back …’ There was another pause.

  ‘But you didn’t,’ I said

  ‘Sorry.’

  ‘And you didn’t reply to my email about the work. The visuals you wanted?’

  ‘I didn’t get it.’

  I looked at him doubtfully.

  He raised his eyebrows. ‘Are you saying I’m a liar as well as an egg-thrower?’

  ‘I’ll forward it again.’

  ‘That doesn’t answer my question.’

  I shrugged. ‘Perhaps it’s in your spam.’

  ‘I’d still like you to do some plans for me.’ His tone was formal and I felt awkward. He poked a foot at the box still lying on the floor. ‘There are instructions in there. And Jinni’s a very capable woman – I’m sure she’ll help you.’

  ‘You just had it lying about, did you?

  ‘I have a friend with a security business.’

  ‘You have a lot of useful friends.’ I stopped. One of them had given my daughter a job.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ I said ashamed. ‘Tilly is so grateful to you. She’s rehearsing with Shane today.’

  David nodded.

  ‘I’m very appreciative too,’ I added stiffly.

  ‘Let me know when you’ve caught the culprit, if there is one, and we’ll go out and celebrate.’

  I frowned. ‘What do you mean – if there is one? Someone’s been chucking eggs about.’

  David looked deliberately across the road at the rectory. ‘Someone – probably unbalanced – who wants it to look like me!’

  I shook my head. ‘You’re not seriously suggesting Jinni would do this. What have I done?’

  David raised his eyebrows. ‘Who knows?’

  ‘I do. We’re good friends.’ There was a small silence. ‘So what happened to my flowers?’

  ‘I gave them to my mother.’ He stopped. ‘What are you thinking?’ he asked.

  ‘I was wondering if you really dyed your eyebrows …’

  He gave a shout of laughter. ‘What is this?’

  ‘Jinni said …’ I stifled a giggle.

  He shook his head. ‘Always bloody Jinni …’

  He took a step towards me, placing his hands lightly on my shoulders.

  I realised I was trembling. Heat flooded through me as he continued to gaze at me.

  ‘No, I don’t. I am naturally dark, like my father. I have an uncle in his eighties who still hasn’t gone grey. Next question?’

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me you’d been to bed with Jinni?’

  He stepped back, dropping his hands to his sides, and throwing his head back to stare at the ceiling. Then he looked back at me.

  ‘Because I imagine she regrets it as much as I do. Because, as a general rule, I don’t go around listing women I have been intimate with – and because–’ Here there was a pause. ‘I didn’t want it to ruin anything with you.’ He raised those dark eyebrows. ‘Okay?’

  I looked back. Not really. I wanted to know why he regretted it, when Jinni was so attractive, and why she was so very angry with him now.

  ‘She does seem very determined to sabotage
anything we might have started.’

  A peculiar pain went through my middle. Was that no longer an option?

  ‘I’d rather know …’ I said. I took a deep breath. ‘I’d like to know all about you.’

  I’d taken a step forward without thinking and he leant out and took my face in his hands.

  ‘I would like that too …’

  I wanted to pull him to me, kiss him passionately and very probably fall onto the sofa with him in a tangle of limbs. But I made myself ask:

  ‘Are you having a relationship at the moment?’

  He frowned as if it were a strange question. ‘No!’

  I leant forward.

  And then suddenly he was kissing me back, and I had my arms around him, my whole body pressed into his. Something deep inside me flared into life and delicious sensations shot through to my fingertips.

  ‘Mmmm.’ He gave a low appreciative sigh and I could hear my own breaths coming hard as his hands stroked my shoulders and sides and I ran my fingers up his chest, feeling the smooth fabric of his shirt, brushing the buttons …

  ‘I want–’ he murmured, and I, feeling the heat pulsing between us as I melted into him again, kissed him even more fiercely. I wanted too …

  I felt him pull away from me even before I’d registered the sound of the door opening. Ben stood just inside the room, eyes wide, a carrier bag in one hand, the other held up as if to stop traffic.

  ‘Oh. Whoah. Sorry!’ He stared at us, startled for a moment, and then bolted with remarkable speed across the room and out of the other door down the short hall to the kitchen. I heard another door firmly shut.

  I felt the flush rise up my face till my cheeks were burning. ‘Oh God!’ I gasped as David’s face broke into a smile.

  ‘Oh dear,’ he echoed.

  My heart was now pounding. I stared back at him, embarrassed. ‘I’m so sorry!’

  ‘I’m not!’ He put his arms back round me and I leant my forehead against his chest, breathing deeply. Then I straightened and moved away from him again, anxious Ben might return or somebody else might appear through the still-open front door. I tried to laugh. ‘The one time Ben actually remembers his key …’