Alex popped her head from her room with a smile. ‘Hi. I’m making us an economical lasagne instead of the usual Monday takeout, because we’re broke. Heather left Josh at five and dashed straight off but she says that Archie’s child minder can have him tomorrow morning, if we drop him off and his Mum’s flying into Newcastle airport at one.
‘I’m just finishing an assignment; so dinner is at seven and there are olives to snack on and wine in the fridge.’
Without thinking, Cleo dropped her bags, gave Alex a bear hug and said, ‘You’re an angel,’ before kissing the top of her head.
‘And Dan must think you’re a damsel in distress,’ Alex answered.
‘Dan and Mark came around just before Heather with a locksmith mate they know from playing rugby. We’ve got new locks and keys for here as well as High Rigg and we don’t have to pay.’ She pointed to the bunches of keys by the sweet bowl. ‘The locksmith said that Dan had settled the bill.’
Cleo felt relieved to have one worry removed from her shoulders but she’d have to pay Dan, she was responsible for all this. She was disappointed that she’d missed seeing him.
A glass of wine and two readings of ‘Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy’ with Josh and she noticed that the tense throb at her temple had disappeared. Josh went to bed and Alex was serving up their lasagne and salad so they could eat it in front of the TV.
Before they chose a programme, Cleo wanted to make her apology. ‘Alex, I’m really sorry about getting at you on Saturday morning...’
‘Forget it. I’ve told you it wasn’t for me and you’ll probably find out about the result soon enough.’
‘I’ve already spoken to Gracie. That’s why I was late.’
‘Oh, did she tell you she was here?’ Alex handed Cleo her plate of food.
‘Here? No she didn’t mention that. She just talked about her pregnancy.’
‘I’ll tell you about lunchtime and you tell me how we can help Gracie.’
As they ate, they discussed Gracie and then got onto Cleo’s favourite topic of the TeMPS unit.
They had just cleared their plates away when Mum skyped, wanting no secrets about police and pressing Cleo to accept some money from her to tide her over this rough patch.
Feeling relaxed by then, they could honestly say to Teri that things weren’t too bad. After telling her about Neil’s visit to High Rigg and how Dan had stopped him from taking anything, they asked Teri about her trip.
‘What’s your news, Mum?’ Alex asked and they waited eagerly for Teri’s latest adventure.
‘I can see you girls are getting on fine without me and I’ve still not seen everything I want to see yet, so I don’t want to rush back for the beginning of September.
‘I’ve found that I love the underwater life in the Red sea. I’m thinking of staying on to travel around a bit more and then finishing my trip off by doing a scuba diving course. What do you say to that?’
‘I’m just checking that it’s ok to stay a little while longer and leave my flight home until nearer the end of September.’
Cleo and Alex looked at one another; that was new, more time together?
‘It’s ok by me,’ Alex said, looking hesitantly at Cleo.
‘And me.’ Cleo had to agree. She didn’t want Alex to feel uncertain; she’d been distant enough to her in the past. ‘Don’t worry Mum; we’ll both be fine. We just miss you.’
‘I miss you both too, but it’s so exhilarating here and I can see that you two don’t need me so I’m going to see and do all that I can before I return. Just one thing, how’s my lovely boy?’ They used the iPad to pan over to a very relaxed Pharos curled up in the middle of the sofa.
Teri wiped away a tear, ‘Oh, I do miss him.’
‘Mum, aren’t you lonely travelling on your own? Do you want one of us to join you for a week or two in summer, when school breaks up?’ Alex asked.
‘Of course not. I was thinking that, as you’ll be with Cleo for longer, you could go with the EllaBella’s to France for a couple of weeks. Do you want me to arrange it with Mary? That will give you a break too, Cleo.’
Alex’s eyes sparkled. ‘Thanks Mum that would be brilliant!’
‘Anyway, don’t fret about me because I have a travel companion; I’m not going to be on my own,’ Teri confessed.
‘Who? Alex asked.
‘Yes, who?’ Cleo was interested in who had persuaded Mum, of all people, to try scuba diving.
‘He’s called Greg and he’s very experienced,’ Teri explained and then she was gone mid-sentence. Skype had cut out on her again.
‘Mum?’ Cleo tried to get her back but she couldn’t connect.
‘So, what do we make of that?’ Alex asked, when they were sure the skype session was over.
‘Experienced?’ Cleo added.
‘Greg?’ They both said it together and laughed. Teri would have been proud of them, even though they were laughing about her.
‘They’ll just be friends. Mum’s a bit old for all of that coupling lark, isn’t she?’
‘Probably,’ Cleo said, while thinking, I wouldn’t be so sure.
Once she was settled into bed, her own room back at last, Cleo thought about phoning Dan. She had saved his mobile number but eleven was a bit late to phone if he was at his parents’ house. Well, in Dunleith circles it was late; it would have to be an emergency. She’d like to thank him soon, though.
Her mobile, still in her hand, rang and startled her. She glanced at the number and her hands trembled as she answered the call. Back in the day, they used to be almost telepathic about calling one another.
‘Hello, Dan,’ Cleo spoke softly.
‘Ah Cleo, you know it’s me, your burglar-catcher and apprentice locksmith. I guess that there is only one man who would have the temerity to call you at eleven on a school night. I thought you’d want to say thanks, or good luck with your hospital meeting or something.’
‘You thought right.’ She smiled and snuggled into her duvet, suddenly wakeful enough for a long chat.
27
Cleo woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. As she stretched luxuriously, she glanced at the clock. That couldn’t be right, she sat bolt upright and again, eight o’clock. Eight! She should have left half an hour ago. Now she would hit the traffic and be late for the second time in two days. Damn and blast.
Alex knocked, then opened her door. She had a coffee in one hand and a glass of juice in the other, ‘Ah, you’re awake. I’ve brought you these.’ She placed them on the side table.
Cleo pulled the bedclothes back, ‘I don’t have time for morning coffee Alex, have you seen the time? We’re both going to be late again.’
‘Yes, I have and there’s no rush. I thought you needed a lie in after the past few days and so I took it upon myself to silence your alarm when Josh got me up at five thirty.’
‘Alex, I’m the deputy, I have to get into school early or the absence covers don’t get done in time.’
‘The school won’t fall down and Tef can do it himself for once. Anyway, you’re one of the absentees today.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I’ve phoned in sick for both of us.’
‘You’ve what?’
‘I’ve called and left a message. I was thinking about it last night. This way we both get to meet Marianne and say goodbye to Josh properly and you get a chance to do all of your private calls to the bank and places. I said we’d be back Wednesday… it’s just a day.’
‘What on earth did you say we have for one day?’
‘You know the nit epidemic in Year 8 you were telling me about?’
‘You didn’t!’
‘Yup, I said that we were both staying home and delousing today to stop the spread to staff and lower sixth and we’d be back in tomorrow. Tef won’t want you near him with nits.’ Alex looked jubilant.
Cleo sank back into her pillows. ‘You are such a bad influence Alex! This is the first time I’ve skipped school, ever.
’ It felt quite liberating to have a free day though.
‘Don’t tell Mum,’ Alex said as she got up from the bedside. ‘Now I think we’ll all have Josh’s favourite sc’ambled eggs before we meet his Mum.’
When Alex packed Josh’s case, there wasn’t enough room for all the extra possessions that he seemed to have acquired over his stay; wellingtons, books, pens and more of the plastic figures that he loved to collect. She put them into her school rucksack and then drew a dinosaur on the front as Josh watched, giving advice on the finer dinosaur details. Josh was delighted that she had given her bag to him, he loved all the zips and pockets in it. He had packed and unpacked it all morning.
She was glad that she’d instigated a day off for them both. Saying goodbye to Josh couldn’t be rushed and Cleo had been absolutely shattered last night. After breakfast she had shut herself in her office, called school to say she’d work from home and had started to make all the difficult phone calls to the bank and credit companies.
Mum was going to put some cash into Cleo’s account and she had reluctantly accepted, insisting it would be a loan. Living with Cleo had brought home the proud traits about her and how independent she liked to be. Alex sort of admired that now.
Marianne was arriving at one and Cleo was now able to pick her up from the airport. Alex and Josh were going to the shops to buy a quiche from the bakery and salad stuff for lunch and they’d look for wild flowers, they were in short supply in the city but there had to be some - to make the table look festive. The errand would take an hour because Josh was insisting on taking his rucksack and he liked to dilly dally. That would give Cleo the peace that she needed to finish her jobs before collecting Marianne.
Alex set the table with a tablecloth bordered with lemons that Cleo must have got from Mum and put a large jar of dandelions in the centre. The quiche was in the oven ready to heat and the salad was prepared. She had just put a jug of water on the table when she heard a yelp from the bathroom, then Josh’s wails started. She ran into the bathroom to see the floor flooded, Josh drenched and the newly drawn ‘Rucksack Dino’ wearing a wet grin too.
‘Sorry Alex. It all just spilled when I put my rucksack on.’ Josh looked cute with his bottom lip stuck out and a guilty look all over his face.’ Alex had to stop herself from giggling at him; so much for keeping him clean for his mum’s arrival.
‘What spilled?’ she asked him, crouching down and taking his hand to show she wasn’t angry.
Josh still wasn’t sure if he was out of trouble and looked tearful as he explained,
‘You see, I had made room for my jar. I put the lid back on till I got it home.’
Alex took the sack and found the flowers that Josh had picked for his mum. She had given him a small jar to arrange the flowers in but hadn’t filled it with water. He’d done that bit himself.
‘Your mummy can see them on the table, Josh, flowers don’t travel well in jars. We’ll have to get you cleaned up.’
Josh wiped his eyes with grubby hands that streaked his face and grinned, ‘Thanks for not being cross, Alex!’ He gave her a hug.
At that moment they heard the doorbell, there wasn’t time to clean up, Cleo and Marianne were here.
‘Mummeeee!’ Josh ran along the hallway with Alex following.
‘Josh, hallo mijn kindlief.’ He jumped into his mum’s arms and Alex was relieved that she didn’t seem to notice the state of him or his wet back one bit.
Cleo stood in shock. She’d be wondering how she left a clean little boy and returned to find this damp, grubby urchin. Alex felt anxious until Cleo winked at her.
‘The table looks lovely little sis; let’s start lunch after someone’s washed their hands.’
Marianne was petite, slender and with her thick blonde hair tied back in a long plait she looked about the same age as Alex. They opened a bottle of prosecco and enjoyed Alex’s lunchtime spread while catching up on all of the things that Josh had been doing.
When he wandered off to find where Pharos was hiding, Marianne explained more about her father falling ill and how she had little choice but to call on Neil to help her by looking after Josh.
‘Neil is always irresponsible, but he loves Josh and I wasn’t worried about leaving him for a day or two. When I got there, Dad was in such a bad way so I couldn’t really leave him and as you know, Neil let me down badly once again.’
Alex saw the hurt in Marianne’s eyes and how she immediately looked older and tired.
‘Why don’t you two take your coffee and go for a chat in the office while I clear the table and keep an eye on Josh. We’ll dry off ‘Rucksack Dino’ with the hairdryer, he’ll like that,’ she said.
‘What a lovely young girl,’ Marianne remarked when they sat in the office and Alex was out of earshot.
Cleo nodded, ‘Yes I have to agree; she really is, even though she is my own sister.’ She waited a second, measuring her words, before adding, ‘Now, if you don’t mind, can you tell me the truth about when you split up with Neil and some of what has happened since then? He has been so deceitful that I don’t know what to believe.’
Cleo was relieved to discover that the couple had split up months before she came along and that Marianne had moved on because of his habit of gambling and spending had destroyed their lives as a family. Marianne had thought that a break might shock him into seeking help but it hadn’t and she was really upset to hear of how fraudulent he had been.
‘He spent all of our wedding gift money from my father and his own parents but that, at least, wasn’t stealing. He isn’t a bad man, but he is so weak.’
Cleo didn’t know whether she agreed with this or not. His actions towards them all had shown no concern for anyone but himself. She suspected that Marianne still cared for Neil, even though he’d messed her around.
‘He will get in touch with me eventually because of Josh and I will let you know where he is,’ she promised. ‘He must face his crimes and put this right with you.’
Cleo liked Marianne, but that shouldn’t be a surprise because, after all, Josh was a delight and had clearly been well brought up. She was surprised that Marianne was so warm towards her.
‘We have met in strange circumstances but you have been so good to my son and so understanding towards me. I do hope that we can keep in touch. Maybe you will visit us if you’re in the Netherlands one day.’
‘Oh are you going back there?’
‘Yes, I want to be near my father until he is stronger and we can live with him and sell the English house to pay off Neil’s debts to you and to other creditors. I’m going to enrol into college there to be a teacher, an English teacher. I had started my course when I met Neil and then...then I dropped out.’
Cleo guessed that Marianne was still dealing with a lot of hurt and it would take her a while to get over Neil.
‘Marianne, I’m sure you’ll make a great success of what you’ve chosen to do.’
‘Thank you. I’m moving on but I can’t ever regret marrying Neil because of our wonderful little boy.’
On cue, Josh opened the office door. ‘Mummy come and see my rucksack now that it is dry. It has my best dinosaur on it.’ Marianne took his hand and, as Cleo watched them, she felt a surge of longing. Josh was so glad to have his mum here.
She wanted to see her own mum, that was it... or was it? No, her longing was for what Marianne had; she wanted to have her own child run up to her like that. She’d never felt broody before. Cleo sat there and, with a pleasant new sort of ache in her heart, she finished her coffee.
28
The summer break had finally arrived. Cleo felt as though it would never happen but here she was driving towards the Northumbrian border for the summer and the old car was stuffed to the gills. Cleo had sold her sports car to pay off her bank debts and was still using Mum’s eight-year-old Range Rover. It wasn’t her convertible but at least it was roomy.
They were spending a few weeks in Dunleith. Alex was excited to see the EllaBellas and C
leo relished the freedom of a long summer stretching ahead.
She’d worked solidly to finish the timetable, to finalise the plans for the unit and to work with her bank to get her finances back on an even keel. The credit cards that Neil had used were frozen and he would be charged with fraud, but the bank hadn’t confirmed how much responsibility she had to take for the money that had been drained from her bank account. Her car had been sacrificed to clear the debts, so this summer she was having a staycation but she didn’t care, she just wanted to unwind and free her mind from its recent troubles.
Not that she was free at all really; she still had to keep an eye on Alex for a couple of weeks, until she went off to France with the Collingwoods mid-August and she had offered to have Archie for two nights this week.
All grandparents were busy and Heather had booked a bargain break for Mark and herself before checking with them so, as godmother, her services were requested.
‘Thanks for stepping in; my mum and dad would have had him but they’re still on their cruise,’ Mark explained.
‘And my mum has a ticket to see Erin in ‘Sweeney Todd’.
Cleo’s eyes widened. ‘You must be proud of your little sis. She’s doing really well to be in a West End show.’
‘She’s in the chorus but it’s a start and Mum’s excited about going to see her,’ Heather said.
Cleo hadn’t looked after Archie overnight before, but she owed Heather big time after the child care she’d put in with Josh. Besides, she was confident that she could cope with younger ones now and she missed having Josh around.
Pharos, his cage strapped into the front seat, had wailed several different tones of ‘Maam’ from the moment the engine started but she had turned the radio up and was happy to be behind the wheel with midget gems, music and her thoughts.
Pharos fell into a snooze first and then Alex snuggled down into her seat. Cleo turned the music down and enjoyed the silence. She’d be able to sleep for hours this week.
A Jarful of Moondreams: What Secrets Are Ready to Spill Out? Page 17