by Jo Meadows
‘Let’s not worry about that for now. Worst case scenario, we go for the extension and you’ll have to put up with me on your doorstep.’
‘I couldn’t ask for a better neighbour Leo, you’ve been wonderful through all this silliness, thank you so much.’ At that tears came to Georgina’s eyes and she took hold of Leo hugging him tightly.
‘You’re very welcome Georgina, but it’s been nothing. Now come on, you’ve got three people dying to see you. The sooner we get on our way the sooner we’ll all be together again and you and David can start to think about your new life together.’
They spent the next twenty minutes loading the car with Georgina’s luggage and household items that she wanted to take with her. As the car started to fill up Leo promised her that they could come back as often as they liked to collect things she needed and that when they finally moved, everything would come down with their removals. Eventually they were ready to go and while Georgina made a visit to the loo Leo quickly called Lynnette to tell her they were on their way.
‘How is she?’
‘She seems fine. She’s been very apologetic and she seems to be really keen to come down to be with us. To be honest she’s coming across as very genuine and it’s really obvious she’s been missing your Dad like mad. Dare I say it she’s like a changed woman, well on the face of it anyway.’
‘We’ll see when she gets here. Thank you so much for shooting up there to get her Leo.’
‘It’s really been no problem I love you and your Mum and Dad, I just want everyone to be happy. We’ll see you all soon. We’ll be setting off any minute okay?’
‘Okay, have a safe journey, we’ll see you soon, love you.’
‘Love you too, bye.’
‘Well, they’re on their way Dad,’ said Lynnette as she put down the phone. ‘They should be here in a few hours depending on pit-stops and delays.’
‘Good, I’ll be pleased when they get here. I can’t wait to see your Mum now she’s coming. I’m glad the uncertainty is finally over and we’re moving towards the future. You’ve opened my eyes and I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done. I feel that you’ve given me a new lease of life and I’m going to make the most of it.’
‘You go for it Dad, you deserve it! And, don’t be silly, I just wish we could have done something sooner and things might have been different. Like you I’m glad we’re moving towards the future.’
‘Anyway, thank you again, I love you Lynnette. I couldn’t have asked for a better daughter. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go for a little walk before they get here. I won’t be long, I just want to clear my head and put my thoughts in order.’
‘I love you too Dad. You are okay aren’t you?’
‘Yes! Yes! Don’t worry of course I’m okay. I just need to spend a few minutes on my own. I want to be very clear about what I’m going to say to your Mum when we sit down for our talk later.’
‘Alright, take as long as you need and if you want to go over anything when you get back I’m here for you.’
‘Thanks Lynnette. I won’t be too long. I’ll see you soon.’
***
For the first half an hour the time was filled with small talk about David and how well he was doing and also about how Georgina had managed living on her own. Leo took great care to avoid bringing up anything related to what Pete had said when he called David or anything to do with what he knew about Georgina’s manipulation of their money. As they settled into the journey the conversation gradually died down and a little later Leo noticed that Georgina appeared to be asleep. Poor thing, he thought to himself, she’s probably tired out with all the stress she’s been under lately. God I hope this all works out.
Georgina though, was anything but asleep. She’d had enough of listening to Leo babble on about David and how everything was going to be fine and rosy in their wonderful new life and she’d very quickly tired of giving all the right responses to his comments. God, she thought, this is going to be hard work; putting up with Lynnette and her “know-it-all” ways, pretending to be all remorseful and full of regret. But, she knew that if this was going to work she needed to remain totally focused on her goal and wouldn’t be able to let her guard down for one minute.
The only really positive thing she could see at this time was that she would see Emily every day. If she played her cards right, and was very careful and very, very patient, she would soon have Emily eating out of her hand and, in time, she would have them all doing exactly the same. That was the good thing about people, well good from my point of view that is, she thought. People have a huge capacity for forgiveness and providing you appear to be sorry and treat them carefully and with apparent respect, they’ll forgive almost anything. Most people will anyway. I’m not most people though, and I will not forgive and I will never ever forget how you’ve interfered and ruined my life. By the time I’m finished you’ll wish you’d never started all this.
Georgina must have finally fallen asleep because she suddenly became aware of Leo tapping on her shoulder.
‘Come on sleepy,’ he said. ‘Let’s go and have a coffee. I could do with a trip to the loo, I don’t know about you.’
‘Yes please, a coffee would be lovely. I must have dozed off. Where are we?’
‘We’ve been going for just about two hours so we’re about half way home I guess. You were dead to the world and I didn’t want to disturb you, you looked so peaceful.’
‘Yes I have been rather tired lately, I’ve really missed David and I’ve been worried about him although I know he’s been in good hands. You and Lynnette have been really good to us both and I know I’m speaking for David when I say we both really appreciate the help you’re giving us. Without you I don’t know where we’d be now. Although I hate to admit it, I think I’ve been quite stressed and I haven’t been sleeping that well lately so it will do me good to be with you all; I’ll be able to relax at last.’
Although he said nothing, Leo was chuckling to himself inside and couldn’t help but think that if she’d lain off the booze a little, Georgina may have got a little bit more sleep regardless of the stress she’d been under. Just before they left the services a short while later, Leo called Lynnette and told her where they were and how long it would take for them to get home. Lynnette told him her plans for the meal and that everything was ready to welcome her Mum home.
As they got going Georgina settled back in her seat and started to mentally prepare for the challenge that lay ahead.
Chapter 26
David almost felt like a new man. In the few days since Georgina had returned he’d started to believe that she might have really changed. Although he still harboured some doubts about her behaviour and what their long-term future held, he couldn’t help but feel that a turning point had been reached in their relationship.
After what turned out to be a lovely dinner on the evening of her return, they’d sat together on their own and talked for hours and instead of the expected interruptions and constant dismissal of his comments, she’d listened to him and agreed with almost everything he’d said. She’d seemed genuinely sorry for what had happened in the past and to his surprise, wasn’t afraid to talk about any of it although she fell short of admitting that anything she’d done had been deliberate and intentional.
David of course, knew much of what had happened had been planned and definitely intentional, but he decided to let it pass so they could move forward. He also left the subject of Georgina’s personal bank account out of the conversation and decided he would bring that up later when things were more stable between them. Yes, he felt happy that things were finally on the right track. He knew he’d had nothing to be afraid of in talking to her but he’d been pleasantly surprised at the lack of confrontation and how lovely she’d been with him. They’d even hugged and kissed and he thought he’d felt some of the old magic while she was in his arms.
What David hadn’t seen behind his back as they’d hugged however, was the grimac
e on Georgina’s face as she fought to remain calm. And, what he couldn’t know was the inner turmoil she was fighting over her feelings of anger and frustration about where she was and what was to come.
Later, when Georgina had told David the values the estate agents had put on their house, they both became concerned. David had already looked around and on the face of it, it looked as though buying anything close to Lynnette and Leo would be out of the question. The only thing they may have been able to afford without digging deeply into his pension pots would be a one-bedroom flat or a park home on a site nearby. They didn’t like the idea of either of those options so they decided to look into the suggestion of an extension on Lynnette and Leo’s house. Although this was the last thing she wanted to happen, Georgina knew she would have to follow through on her promises and allow things to run their course.
As soon as they could, they’d sat down with Lynnette and Leo and discussed the best way to move forward as quickly as possible. Although there was no problem with them all living together as things were, there was plenty of room, they all agreed that the quicker they sold David and Georgina’s house and made a start on the extension the better. They agreed that they would call the better of the two estate agents the following day and start whatever was needed to be done to get the house on the market.
Leo had a friend who was an architect and promised to arrange for him to visit to discuss the plans for the extension as soon as they’d all decided on a preferred layout. He also knew a local builder who’d carried out work for them in the past and said he would get him to visit as soon as the plans were underway. They also decided that Lynnette would take David and Georgina back home to pick up a few more things and also to give keys to the estate agents to allow them to get things going. All in all things were progressing well.
Everyone seemed happy that what they’d agreed was for the best and Georgina surprised them all by saying that she wished they’d never moved away to Calthorpe in the first place and that to live together with Lynnette, Leo and Emily would be the best thing to have happened to them for years. They were all taken aback when she burst into tears and hugged them all, thanking them again and again for what they were doing for her and David.
‘What do you think?’ Lynnette asked Leo later when they were alone in their bedroom.
‘I’m not sure yet. Your Dad seems more than okay after their little chat. It looks as though what we asked for is going ahead and for now your Mum seems to be taking everything on the chin and going along with it.’
‘Key words perhaps – “For now”. She does seem different I must admit but she’s very hard to read at times. After all that’s happened I can’t help but feel it’s all an act and we’re all in for some serious comeback when we least expect it.’
‘Well, you keep thinking like that and she won’t catch us out. I’m hopeless; she’d fool me every time I’m afraid. You’re right to be wary for your Dad’s sake. If this all blows up in his face he’ll have a hard time coping all over again. I hope what we’re seeing is genuine.’
‘Yes, so do I, we just need to keep our guard up and gently challenge anything we’re not happy with. Also, if we can avoid involving Dad where we can that would be for the best.’
***
Three weeks later things were moving along nicely. The house in Calthorpe was on the market and although no offers had yet been made, there’d been quite a bit of interest and the estate agent was confident it would sell near the asking price. All of Georgina and David’s furniture and other belongings had been moved and what they didn’t have room for had been put in storage. Plans for the extension had been agreed with the architect and when he’d drawn them up and once planning had been approved, the builder was ready to start at relatively short notice.
David couldn’t be happier. Georgina’s behaviour and attitude was like a breath of fresh air. She’d been fully involved in all the decisions they’d made for the extension and she was spending a lot of time with him, going over what new furniture, curtains and bedding she’d like. They’d been out looking at new cookers and all the other kitchen appliances they were going to need and she seemed to be in her element, organising and planning but at the same time, not taking over. She always made sure that David’s wishes were taken into account and she insisted on nothing that he didn’t agree with. They’d become like a true partnership and he loved it.
Emily too was very happy. Although she was still very young, she’d picked up on the bad feelings and vibes that had been apparent during the worst of the recent weeks. Now everyone was together again and seemingly very happy, she was over the moon. She loved both her Nana and her Grandpa and loved having them live in her house. She’d been very excited when she’d been told about the extension and that they’d be staying there permanently and she’d even made a suggestion that she could have her own room so she could stay over with them sometimes. She wasn’t too disappointed when she was told that that wasn’t going to happen; she’d laughed and said she’d been joking. Just after her Nana had moved back in, they’d had a long chat and her Nana had told her she’d been wrong to have asked her to keep secrets from her Mum and Dad and that she’d never do that again. She also told Emily that she was beautiful and that she loved her to bits. Emily had hugged and kissed her and had told her she loved her too and that she was the best Nana anyone could have, which brought tears to Georgina’s eyes.
***
Georgina was coping far better than she’d expected although the first week had been hell. She’d felt powerless and humiliated and found it extremely hard to keep her thoughts to herself. She’d felt anger beyond belief and those old feelings of anxiety had returned and she’d once again had that feeling of tightness in her chest. Once she’d reminded herself that everything she was going through and everything she hated that she’d had to put up with was essential to her overall plan, she’d started to feel better. Patience, have patience; she’d thought to herself, it’s only a matter of time before the right opportunity will come, then god help them all.
She’d been surprised and quite relieved that David hadn’t said anything about the money she’d put into her own account. Perhaps he wasn’t aware of it. She’d been sure that when he’d moved his pensions about, he would have worked out what she’d done but it seemed he hadn’t. Oh well, she’d thought, that’s one less thing I’ve got to admit and be all sorry about. I can’t add to the money for now but that doesn’t mean I won’t get the opportunity later.
Having been back for a few weeks she’d calmed down and was actually starting to feel okay. David was back to his usual self and went out of his way to make sure she was happy and had everything she wanted. She’d asked Lynnette if she could help out in the kitchen and had even cooked a few meals for the whole family which went down rather well.
Leon seemed okay with her but she didn’t really feel that she could rely on him to be on her side anymore, especially after he’d refused to stay with her when he’d dropped her off at home on her own. She’d been surprised how abrupt he’d been then and she’d been quite upset after he’d left; she’d always had a soft spot for him and thought he’d felt the same. He’s the same as all the rest, she thought; they all think they know what’s best.
As she’d expected, she seemed to have won Emily over in no time. After only one little chat she knew that although she would need to tread carefully for a while, Emily would be a useful if unwary ally for when she started to formulate her plan of action. What that or those plans were to be, she had no idea at the moment. Something would come up she was sure. Perhaps when the extension is started and as it begins to progress something might come up. We’ll see; let’s face it, I’ve got all the time in the world.
***
‘Morning Mum, how are you today? I must admit, you and Dad seem to be really happy together lately.’
‘I’m fine thanks, and yes we are happy, really happy. I had a lot of time to think when I was on my own and I came to realise how mu
ch I love your Dad and how much I need you all. I’m so sorry I let things get the way they were; it was all my fault. I hope you’ll forgive me in time.’
‘Don’t be silly Mum, we’re all together now and that’s what matters.’
‘Yes, but if it wasn’t for you, where would we be? I might have lost your Dad – God I hate to think what I would have done.’
‘Now don’t go upsetting yourself. That’s all past and gone. There is something I wanted to talk to you about now that we’re on our own though.’
‘What Darling?’
‘Do you remember that talk we had with you before you went home on your own?’
‘How could I forget? I was very upset that night but looking back now I can see that what was said was for the best and I was quite silly to have gone home. I’m so much happier now that we’re all back together and things are so much better all round.’
‘Do you remember what I said about your problem and what I said I thought was wrong?’
‘Yes, I do but after I read through that information Leo left and after I looked it up in the library, I don’t know that I agree with you that there’s anything seriously wrong. I know I’ve been difficult in the past but I don’t think there’s anything that can’t be sorted out with a bit of thought about my behaviour on my part. I’m not ill Lynnette, please don’t think that.’
‘Mum, I’m still worried about you. I know you feel okay and I’m really pleased that you and Dad are back together and we’re all getting along really well, but what bothers me is the way you were before.’
‘What do you mean, before?’
‘I’m sorry Mum, but it was as though you were out of control at times and Dad was terrified of you. And, some of the things you did-’
‘Oh Lynnette, please. I know I may have gone over the top sometimes and for some reason I was losing my temper but you know your Dad, some of that was quite exaggerated, anyway that’s all in the past you said so yourself. I’m fine, really Darling.’