You and Me, Always

by Jill Mansell

  “Quintessentially famous person?”

  “Quite famous.”

  He pretended to bite her bare shoulder. “Thank you for putting me in my place.”

  “That’s quintessentially all right. And now I need to go to work.” Well, tea and toast at home, then work.

  “Do you have to?”

  “You know I do. We’re busier than ever.” She shook her head. “And that’s all your fault too.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Are you writing your script today?”

  “I’ll be trying to write my script.” It was Eddie’s turn to make a face; never having had trouble getting the words down before, he was struggling with the current story line.

  “You’ll get back into it,” Lily assured him.

  “It’s your fault. I can’t concentrate when you’re around to distract me.”

  She twisted around and planted a kiss on his mouth. “Which is why I’m leaving now.”

  Downstairs, as she was making her way out through the main doors and along the driveway, Lily heard a clatter of china and someone loudly hissing her name.

  She turned and saw one of the waitresses hurrying after her clutching a fully laden breakfast tray. It was Jessica Raven, a sweet girl in her late teens who lived in the village with her parents and numerous brothers and sisters.

  “Hi, Jess, how are you?”

  “OK, thanks.” Jessica glanced furtively from left to right like a cartoon burglar. “Right, so here’s the thing. None of us are allowed to ask Eddie Tessler for his autograph, but I really want one, so I was wondering…”

  “You want me to ask Eddie for his autograph?”

  “Well, you’re having sex with him, so it’s not like he’s going to say no, is it?”

  Lily blinked. “I suppose not.”

  “So will you do it?”

  Since she couldn’t think of a reason not to, Lily said, “OK.”

  “Brilliant! Can I have ten, please?”

  “Ten autographs?”

  “I know, but we’re a big family. They’ll be dead upset if they don’t get one each.”

  Lily gave in. “All right, I’ll text Eddie and ask him to do it. You can pick them up from his room later.”

  “Except I don’t want to get sacked, so could you take them up to the yard and one of my brothers will be along to collect them later this afternoon? That way if anyone from the hotel asks, you can tell them it was nothing to do with me.”

  “OK,” Lily said.

  “Thanks. You’re so lucky,” Jessica said, sighing. “Eddie Tessler’s really hot.”

  “Um, yes.”

  The younger girl broke into a complicit grin. “I bet he’s great in bed.”

  * * *

  Arriving at the yard at four o’clock, Eddie handed over an envelope containing the autographed cards. “Here you go.”

  “Thanks. Sorry about that,” said Lily, “but she’s a sweet girl. I didn’t have the heart to say no.”

  He shrugged, amused. “What’s the betting they’ll be up on eBay by this evening?”

  “Oh no, she wouldn’t do that.” Lily shook her head vigorously. “Don’t worry, Jess isn’t like that at all.”

  Eddie dropped a kiss on her forehead. “If you say so.”

  Lifting her chin, Lily found his mouth and kissed him back, briefly but with great affection. Oh, she did enjoy being allowed to do this. After years of concealing her true feelings for Dan, it was just so lovely to be able to act on impulse and openly demonstrate how she felt. Eddie might not be Dan, but he was now her boyfriend, and she was enjoying every minute of their relationship.

  She gave him one last kiss for luck. “How’s the script going?”

  “Badly. Which is why I walked up here to give you these.”

  “And now you can walk back to the hotel and give it another go. I’ll see you at seven thirty,” said Lily. “You have another three hours to get some words down.”

  “Slave driver,” said Eddie.

  “It’s my middle name.”

  He smiled. “Attractive.”

  As he strolled off, Lily noticed a couple of customers surreptitiously taking photos of him on their phones. She also saw one of Jessica’s younger brothers riding his bike around in tight circles on the section of sidewalk beyond the gates. As soon as Eddie had disappeared from view, the teenager rode into the yard, skidded to a halt in front of her, and nodded at the envelope in her hand.

  “Is that them?”

  “Yes. Here you go.” She handed the autographs over.

  “Cheers.” The boy—it was either Tim or Tom, Lily couldn’t remember which—slid the envelope inside the front of his jacket.

  “Not at school today?”

  He looked shocked. “Nah, I left school two weeks ago, after my exams.”

  “Oh, right. Any luck finding a job yet?”

  “Yeah.” The boy had a cheeky, lopsided grin. “Buying and selling stuff, you know? Wheeling and dealing. I’m like a freelance entrepreneur.”

  Watching him ride off in a scatter of gravel, Lily had to admire his chutzpah. He was definitely going to sell those autographs on eBay.

  Chapter 30

  Talk about mixed emotions. From the safety of the kitchen, Coral could hear the buzz of voices outside, the chink of glasses, the bursts of laughter. Hosting informal get-togethers at Goldstone House had always been one of her and Nick’s favorite things. Following Nick’s death, she’d no longer had the heart for it.

  But time moved on, she was getting back into the swing of things socially, and this evening’s mini party had evolved so naturally that she’d been happy to do it. Lily and Eddie, herself and Patsy, Dan, Declan, and Gail. And Gail seemed perfectly pleasant; she worked as a buyer for an upmarket London department store and had already given Coral invaluable advice on replacing the faucets in the downstairs bathroom and the best place to order specialty lightbulbs online.

  All in all, what could be nicer and more relaxed?

  If you didn’t happen to have a massive crush on Declan and the terrible fear that his girlfriend was able to read you like a book.

  Anyway, never mind, she was just being paranoid. Of course Gail couldn’t tell. And this was Lily’s evening. She was lit up with happiness, even managing to upstage Eddie himself. Everyone was getting on together just fine, Dan was back to his laid-back, wisecracking best, and it hadn’t even been embarrassing when one of the barmaids from next door had popped in and asked Eddie if she could have a selfie taken with him.

  Despite the fact that it had ended up being seven selfies, because the girl’s adrenaline-induced blinking had rendered the first six attempts not good enough.

  It hadn’t mattered at all, though. Eddie had submitted with good grace, and the girl, having proudly uploaded the end result to social media, was now the envy of all her female friends on Facebook.

  “Come on, let’s get the rest of this food through.” Lily came into the kitchen, flushed and sparkly eyed. “It all looks fantastic.”

  “Is Eddie all right?”

  “He’s great.”

  She was twenty-five now, old enough to settle down. In case Lily was wondering, Coral said, “I do like him, you know. Very much.”

  Lily gave her a quick hug. “I know. Me too.”

  Together they carried out the bowls of salad and dishes of salmon, curried eggs, baked tomatoes, and Caribbean rice. On the terrace, Dan had taken charge of the barbecue and was deftly, one-handedly turning the steaks, sausages, and marinated chicken legs. Smoky, spicy cooking smells filled the air as more food was laid out on the long table between plates, wine buckets, and glasses.

  “You have a beautiful garden,” Gail told Coral as music was turned on in the living room and Alicia Keys’s silky voice drifted out through the propped-open Frenc
h doors. “Just lovely.”

  The happy feeling in Coral’s stomach mingled uneasily with the sensation that Gail was about to interrogate her in an exam for which she’d forgotten to study.

  “Thanks. We like it.” Coral gave the potato salad a stir it didn’t need. “Are you a gardener?”

  “God, no, not me. All those insects and worms.” Gail shuddered. “But I don’t mind sitting in a lawn chair admiring everyone else’s hard work.”

  She was forty years old, with her hair cut in a geometrically precise bob that emphasized her slender neck. She was beautiful, somewhat intense, and clearly had wonderful dress sense.

  “Oh well,” Coral said with a smile. “We all like doing that.”

  “My flat has no garden, thank goodness.” Gail began separating the pile of plates as, behind the barbecue, Dan waved his tongs like a conductor and started singing along to the music playing on the sound system.

  “So you won’t be helping Declan with the one at Weaver’s Cottage?”

  “Ha, not a chance.” Declan had brought Gail down this afternoon and shown her the work that was being carried out on the property. She grimaced slightly. “It still needs an awful lot done to it.”

  “Ah, but it’ll be worth it in the end. And he won’t have any trouble selling it or renting it out,” said Coral. Aware of Gail’s cool gaze on her, she felt the tension ramping up. “There’s always a market for nicely renovated cottages in a picturesque setting. And people in Stanton Langley are friendly. It’s a great village.”

  “So Declan keeps telling me.” Gail paused, her tone measured. “To be honest, I wondered what was going on at first. When he received that letter out of the blue from Lily, I thought maybe he was her father and wasn’t admitting it.”

  Halfway down the garden, with the rays from the setting sun streaming through the high branches, Lily was showing Declan how she used to climb trees as a child. As they watched her, fifteen feet off the ground, she hooked her legs over a swaying horizontal branch and hung upside down like a monkey.

  A monkey wearing jeans, silver hoop earrings, and flip-flops.

  “Oh, Jesus,” cried Declan, shielding his eyes from the sun’s glare as he gazed up in horror. “Don’t do that. Come down!”

  “I spent years telling her that,” Coral said fondly. “Never made a blind bit of difference. Nick used to call her half child, half orangutan. And no,” she went on, “Declan isn’t her father. But don’t they get on well? There’s a real connection between them. And it’s been fantastic for Lily, meeting someone who meant so much to her mum.”

  “I suppose it must be.” Gail softened slightly.

  “It’s so lovely seeing them together. I think it means a lot to Declan too, what with him not having any children of his own.”

  “So far,” Gail said.

  “Oh!” Coral’s heart broke into a gallop. Her gaze slid to the glass of iced sparkling water in Gail’s manicured hand. The swell of her breasts beneath the crisply cut lilac linen dress. Were they usually smaller than that? And did the fact that Declan hadn’t so much as mentioned it mean he didn’t yet know?

  Then she became aware that Gail’s head was tilted like a bird’s and she was being observed with a mixture of triumph and amusement.

  “I’m not pregnant, if that’s what you’re thinking.” The glossy, expertly lowlighted bob swung from side to side, and Gail’s mouth opened to reveal dazzlingly white teeth. “The reason I’m drinking water is because I’m driving us back to London tonight.” Picking up one of the plates, Gail began helping herself to food from the various bowls arranged along the table. “Is the dressing on this salad oil-free?”

  “Um…no, I’m afraid not.”

  “Oh. OK.”

  “I could make you some,” Coral offered helplessly, because Gail was clearly disappointed.

  “Thank you. That would be great. Sorry if it’s boring, but I like to take care of myself.” Gail followed her into the kitchen.

  “I can see that. You have a fantastic figure.”

  “I know. Well, so do you. Was your husband overweight?”

  Coral was already tearing up fresh lettuce and throwing it into a bowl. She turned, surprised. “Nick? No.”

  “Oh, I just wondered. What with him dying so young of a heart attack.” Gail shrugged. “It generally happens to people who eat too much.”

  “Well, not in Nick’s case.”

  “Sorry, am I being a bit blunt? I don’t mean to be.” Picking up a bottle of balsamic vinegar, Gail coated the torn lettuce leaves.

  If Gail could do it, so could she. Feeling terribly brave, Coral said, “So are you and Declan trying for a baby?”

  Gail added cherry tomatoes, cooked asparagus, and disks of cucumber to the salad. “I’m considering it. I suspect Declan regrets not having had children before. He’d be a fantastic father, don’t you think?”

  What was she meant to say to that? Coral nodded. “I’m sure he would,” she murmured. “And if it’s what you want too…”

  “Ah, well, I love Declan.” Gail shrugged elegantly. “That’s the main reason I’d be doing it. Babies aren’t really my cup of tea, but if it’s what he wants, I’m happy to give it a go. You never know, it might not be as bad as people make out.”

  Coral was taken aback. “What if it is?”

  Gail shrugged. “Lots of women think they don’t want children. Then when it all starts happening, they change their mind. My cousin was the same as me, and she’s got three now! So it all worked out OK in the end.”

  Coral blinked. “Right.”

  “Do you find Declan attractive?” Gail asked.

  OK, hang on, what did she just say? Coral frowned, assuming she’d somehow misheard. “Sorry?”

  Gail repeated it. “Declan. Do you find him attractive?”

  Mortified, Coral shook her head. “No! Why?”

  “No particular reason. Just interested.” Gail was watching her with a perfectly pleasant smile on her face. “The thing is, and I think most people would agree with me, Declan is a very attractive man. So I suppose I’m wondering why you don’t think so.”

  Which on the surface sounded completely plausible, but Coral was almost sure she wasn’t imagining the unspoken subtext. As if Gail were perfectly well aware of Coral’s experimental crush on him.

  And was subtly letting her know that she knew.

  Which in turn made Coral wonder—with a shudder of embarrassment—if Declan knew too.

  Outside in the garden, they could hear Lily and Dan bellowing discordantly along together with Alicia Keys: “No ONE, no one, no one…”

  Coincidentally, it had been one of Nick’s favorite songs too. He used to sing it at the top of his voice in the shower. Except it wasn’t a coincidence, Coral corrected herself; the CD was being played because she’d bought it for Nick years ago and it had since become a treasured part of their collection. Oh, Nick…

  “I loved my husband very much,” she told Gail. “I still do. I suppose that’s the reason I don’t find other men attractive.”

  Are you listening, Nick? Can you hear me telling a barefaced lie and using you as my excuse for doing it? Sweetheart, I’m so sorry. I hope you don’t mind too much.

  The good thing was, if he were somehow watching and listening, she thought he would understand and be fine with it.

  The bad thing was, Gail was giving her the kind of look that signaled she wasn’t convinced.

  What was it they used to do with a woman in the olden days if she was suspected of being a witch? Throw her into water, and if she drowned, she was innocent. And if she floated, she was found guilty, which meant they’d then burn her at the stake.

  Suppressing a shiver and hoping Gail wouldn’t try this method to test her out, Coral indicated the bowl of salad. “Is there anything else you’d like?”

 
Yes, for you to stop fancying Declan.

  Gail didn’t actually say this, thank goodness, but the mere idea that she could be thinking it was enough to send prickles of alarm down Coral’s neck and spine.

  “No, that’s perfect. Thank you.” She lifted the bowl of salad. “Sorry to be a nuisance.”

  “You aren’t a nuisance at all.”

  “Aren’t I?” With a small, enigmatic smile that prompted even more tremors of unease, Gail said, “Well, I do hope not.”

  Chapter 31

  They headed back out to rejoin the others in the garden. Everyone was loading up their plates now. Dan was piling medium-rare fillet steaks onto a platter, Patsy was picking the bigger slices of chili pepper out of her rice and giving them to Lily, and Gail was chatting with Eddie about her elderly male next-door neighbor, who had once acted on the stage with Joanna Lumley and had been helplessly besotted with her ever since.

  “Ooh, crème fraîche.” Reaching past Gail, Patsy helped herself to a generous spoonful and dolloped it on her spicy rice. “Declan?” She offered to do the same for him.

  Gail said, “People always think crème fraîche is healthier than normal heavy cream, but it isn’t, you know. Just as many calories.”

  “And every bit as delicious,” Patsy said happily as she started eating.

  Coral glanced over at Declan, and for a split second their eyes locked. He winked at her, but in a way that indicated good-natured acceptance of other people’s passions and foibles rather than as a signal of anything more salacious.

  Oh, but the wink and that smile…just seeing him here… How could it all have such an effect on her? Declan made her happy, Coral realized. Really happy. Her stomach lurched with longing, and she wished more desperately than ever that this situation could have been different.

  Because it was all very well telling yourself it was just a practice crush and you’d keep it under control, but it was turning out not to be that easy after all.

  Her mouth bone dry, Coral realized how idiotic she’d been, like someone deciding they’d try taking crack cocaine just once and everything would be fine because all they had to do was make sure they didn’t become addicted.