Guy and Betty looked at each other in silence for a moment, both shocked at the revelation. She was the first to speak.
“Well I never! Who’d have believed it, a nice man like that!”
“Obviously not such a nice man. I wonder if Honey knows.”
“Of course she doesn’t! What’s the matter with you, Guy? Do you really think she’d be seeing a man who’s married to somebody else?”
“They may not be married. They could have divorced. That wouldn’t stop Derek wanting to see them.”
“He’d have told her though. Guy, he’d have told us. He was ready enough to tell us about Ruff. And you saw how guilty he looked when Derek asked him about them. No, he’s married all right and he’s making sure he has the best of both worlds. You have to tell Honey.”
“ME! Oh no. I couldn’t.”
“I never took you for a coward, Guy Ffoulkes.”
“Then you were wrong. It’ll be my fault for not knowing all the relevant details about the residents.”
Betty had to acknowledge the probable truth of what he was saying.
“Yes, she’ll be that upset and I can see you might be in the firing line. But someone has to tell her.”
“You’re right. Someone does. It just isn’t going to be me.”
Change of Heart
Easter arrived and brought with it the annual Rotary Club float. Mary Simpson and her teachers had done a great job with the children of Rills Ford and if there were some slightly unusual costumes this year nobody minded. It’s possible that somewhere in the universe there are rabbits with green fur and a marsupial’s pouch (one of the mother’s had joined in the fun and needed somewhere to carry her nearly new-born). Naturally the baby’s big sister had to have a duplicate. Then there was William who came dressed as an archaeopteryx with the epithet Dino Saw written on his back and who spent his time wrestling with the biggest chocolate egg anyone had ever seen clutched in his wings.
The whole town turned out for the parade and relatives and volunteers wheeled or supported those residents of The Grange who were fit enough to take part. Rufus was not there. He’d told Honey he was travelling that week and wouldn’t be able to make it back. The pavement on The Honey Bun’s side of the road was filled with trestle tables bending under the weight of their produce. Such was the goodwill in the town that most proprietors had left pricing labels and a dish for the money so that they too could join in the festivities. And the sun shone. Honey smiled as she pushed Daisy’s wheelchair past her own table. It was e of the first to empty.
“A person’s got to eat, haven’t they?” Mrs Worthington asked defensively as she purchased her second piece of cake just as Honey and Daisy were passing.
“Chocolate fudge cake,” Daisy said and pointed at the paper plate her friend was holding and whose contents were threatening to wobble off onto the pavement.
“Coming up,” said Mrs Worthington, buying another piece and placing it precariously in Daisy’s lap.
“I think maybe we’d better stop for a minute and put it on the edge of the table. Here you are, Mummy.” Honey handed Daisy a spoon already laden with cake and was delighted when her mother managed to raise it to her mouth without dropping it, using her once useless but now improving hand.
The day was a huge success and the scouts and guides did a great job of clearing up after it was all over. Suzie doubled up as the paper’s photographer and a fine selection of pictures appeared in the next edition with the champion of the fancy dress contest winning a year’s supply of chocolate at which his mother said: “I don’t know whether to be pleased or horrified,” until she was told that what it actually meant was one chocolate button per day and nobody was going to overdose on that.
The next time Honey visited her mother she was in high spirits. It was something she couldn’t really put her finger on but it seemed Daisy was much more her old self, the way she’d been before her fall, the way she’d been when Honey’s father was still alive. She remembered when Lucy and Basil were visiting; how much better Daisy had been with them and even more so with Tom. She was pretty sure that all the external stimuli had made the difference and that the Easter Parade outing had been particularly beneficial. It made her think. It made her think very hard. Was I wrong about change? Will the new building be the disaster I’ve always thought? It’ll be a very different change from an outing or a trip to The Honey Bun but those changes were beneficial so why shouldn’t this one be. Honey was filled with remorse. She’d been so quick to condemn Guy. And if the building was unfit for purpose, something she’d only learned recently, wouldn’t the upheaval of a renovation have been even more unsettling than a straightforward move to another place? She went in search of Guy to apologise but instead ran into Mrs Worthington in the foyer.
“I just popped in to see your mother and we had a lovely time chatting to Derek Thornberry. He’d brought his photo album in to show us because Rufus had given him some pictures of his grandchildren.”
“I didn’t know Rufus had a brother or sister,” Honey said, looking interested.
“As far as I know he hasn’t. Why would you think that?”
Honey felt a shiver go through her.
“They’re his children; the ones in the photos.”
“So I understand.”
“I wonder why he never told me he was divorced.”
“What makes you think he’s divorced?” Mrs Worthington said, as gently as she could. Everyone knew Honey had been seeing Rufus.
“Well, I…oh no! How could he! Just wait till I see him.”
Fortunately Honey’s temper overtook her dismay and it was a very angry young woman who went in search of Rufus’ father.
Happily common sense had asserted itself by the time Honey ran Derek Thornberry to ground. She didn’t have far to go. He was out in the garden and as luck would have it on his own.
“Hello, Derek. The garden’s looking lovely, isn’t it? How are you today?”
“As well as can be expected for a man of my age and a lot better than most, thank you.”
He smiled. He had a charming smile, completely open, and Honey couldn’t and wouldn’t believe he was complicit in his son’s deception.
“So how come you’ve ended up here, at The Grange? I believe you lived with Rufus before you came.”
“That’s right, I did. But it was all a bit too much for my daughter-in-law, what with the little ones as well. I miss them, though. Them most of all. I don’t think they’ve been to see me since I came but that won’t be their fault. She’s never really been interested in me. I think she only tolerated me for Rufus’ sake.”
“I’m sure that’s not true,” Honey said, bowing to the inevitable truth. “You’re always such fun to be with.”
“It’s kind of you to say so, my dear, and I do try. It’s difficult not to be upbeat with so many nice people around. But you know what; I’m happy here. I’m not made to feel I’m in the way and in some small part I’m able to help some of the others, those who are not quite as able as I am.”
“Well, you certainly cheer my mother up, that’s for sure. In fact, if I didn’t know better I’d think you were flirting with her.”
“My flirting days are over, Honey. I’m not as young as I was, not like my son.”
And that was the only indication she had that Derek might have some idea that she’d been involved in some small way with his son.
Honey left Derek in the garden and ran straight into Guy, literally. He was coming in through the front door as she entered the foyer.
“I’m glad to have bumped into you, Honey,” Guy said, smiling at his own joke. I know you’re never going to forgive me but I’d like you to come and see the new building. It’s really taking shape now and I’m hoping you’ll be able to see how much better the facilities will be than they are here.”
He led her across the grounds and she had to concede that the buildings she thought would be an eyesore fitted in beautifully with their surroundings.
“It’s still a hard hat area,” he said, handing her one, “but it’ll be finished soon and I wanted you to be the first to see that I’m not being highhanded; that all I want is the wellbeing of those in my care.”
Honey could find no argument other than the old one about change but as change was inevitable if the licence wasn’t going to be renewed then this was certainly a purpose made building…and it had a soul. She could feel it the moment she went inside. Guy spent some time explaining the details to her. He was so obviously proud of his project.
“How are people going to be able to afford to live here? It must have cost you a fortune?”
Guy was wrong-footed and he knew it. It was time to come clean.
“They won’t be paying any more than they are now. Less, in fact.” He turned to her and took both her hands in his. “I don’t know if I can make you understand and I don’t want you to share this with anyone. Certainly not Suzie. It’s my way of giving something back, Honey. Not everyone had the start in life that I did.”
“That’s for sure,” she said with a hint of irony.
“I’m not talking about Alexandra,” he replied, not even pretending to misunderstand. I was born into a wealthy family but most of what I have I made myself.” She could hear the pride in his voice. “I have more than I can ever hope to need. Care of the elderly has become an obsession with me and this is not the first of what I hope this will only be many projects; but I don’t want it put around. As far as the rest of the world knows this will be run as a commercial venture. Betty knows, of course, but I wanted to share it with my best friend.”
Honey didn’t quite know how to deal with this. She tried for a bit of light-heartedness.
“Well, it’s certainly been a day of revelations. I’ve not long found out that Rufus is married with two children. How’s that for a bolt out of the blue?”
“I’m glad you’ve found out. I didn’t know how to tell you.”
“You knew! You KNEW! And you didn’t tell me. How could you?”
“I thought you’d be hurt and I couldn’t bear that.”
“Oh, and I suppose you thought it would hurt less if I found out later when I’d really become involved.” Sarcasm is a useful tool sometimes, especially for women.
“You weren’t involved?”
“No, of course I wasn’t. We were just friends; at least, I thought we were.”
“Then you’re free?”
Honey heard the hope in his voice.
“Yes, Guy. I’m free.”
“No, Honey, you’re not,” he said, sweeping her into his arms. “If I have my way you’ll never be free again.”
The End
Honey Bun Page 13