‘Schools these days are down on that like a ton of bricks. Besides, he might be small for his age, but Alex isn’t a wimp, Helena. Don’t underestimate him.’
‘I also don’t want him to turn into an arrogant, upper-class twit.’
‘Like Rupes, you mean?’ Sadie said with a wry smile.
‘Exactly. And also, I shall miss him terribly,’ she admitted.
‘I know the two of you have always been so close, but surely that’s even more of a reason to send him away? He needs to cut the apron-strings, for his own sake.’
‘That’s what William says, of course. And you’re probably both right. Anyway, enough of me, how are you?’
Sadie took a gulp of her wine. ‘Thinking I might go on a course which shows me how to stop falling for messed-up commitment-phobes. Honestly, Helena, I don’t know how I manage it, I really don’t.’
Helena looked at Sadie’s alabaster skin, her ebony hair and the long elegant fingers that curled round the stem of her glass. She was exotic rather than beautiful, a woman of nearly forty, whose slender frame still allowed her to dress like a young girl. Today she wore a simple cotton dress and flip-flops, and looked no older than thirty.
‘I don’t either, Sadie, but then, you were never going to fall for someone boring, were you? You enjoy the challenge of the unusual.’
‘I know, I know,’ Sadie agreed with a sigh. ‘The “I can fix you, you poor broken puppy” scenario definitely has its appeal. The more damaged they are, the more I want to save them. Then they get well, feel strong, and bugger off with someone else!’
‘And now your latest disaster has done the same.’
‘Actually, he’s gone back to his ex-girlfriend, the same woman who originally dumped him for being emotionally stunted. Ha!’ Sadie’s lips twitched, and she began to giggle. ‘Perhaps there’s some money to be made out of this. A bit like puppy boot camp: send me your man for twelve weeks and I’ll knock him into shape and post him back to you fully trained, panting at your heels when you whistle for him. What do you think?’
‘Fantastic idea. Except you’d want to keep all the sweetest puppies for yourself,’ smiled Helena.
‘True. Anyway, I’ve decided I shall be man-less for the foreseeable future. And as you know, I can never look more than a day ahead, so I’m safe for tonight! How is William, my all-time favourite man, doing?’
‘He’s fine. The same as always.’
‘Adoring, well-off, steady, great with kids, barbecues and in the sack. Yep.’ Sadie took a slurp of her wine. ‘He’s mine if you ever bin him, promise?’
‘Promise.’
‘Joking aside, Helena, I’ve got to get a move on with this finding a mate business, you know. My biological clock is not so much ticking as needing a skilled watch-mender to repair it.’
‘Hardly. Women go on having babies well into their forties these days,’ Helena said.
‘Maybe kids just aren’t in Big G’s plans for me, and I shall end up settling for hundreds of godchildren and none of my own,’ Sadie sighed.
‘Immy says you’re her favourite godmother, so you obviously do a wonderful job.’
‘Yes, I stuff tenners inside cards with aplomb, but thanks anyway,’ Sadie said.
‘Hi, Mum, hi, Sadie.’
Alex had ambled out onto the terrace unnoticed.
‘Alex, sweetie, how are you?’ Sadie opened her arms to embrace him. Alex dutifully went to her and allowed himself to be hugged. ‘How’s my lovely boy?’
‘Okay,’ Alex grunted, straightening up and scanning the terrace nervously.
‘If you’re looking for the others, they’re down by the pool. Why don’t you go and have a swim?’ suggested Helena. ‘I’m sure some exercise would do you good.’
‘S’all right, Mum, thanks.’ He stood in front of them uncomfortably.
‘Then would you go and get the bottle of white wine from the fridge, darling?’ Helena suggested. ‘I’m sure Sadie would like a top-up.’
‘Sadie would, yes.’
Helena sighed as Alex headed indoors. ‘It doesn’t help that he hates Rupes. Maybe that’s why he’s been skulking in his room all day.’
‘I’m afraid I’m with him, there,’ Sadie whispered. ‘Rupes is an arrogant cuss.’
‘Ah, there you are.’ Jules emerged from the house, attired in a bright yellow sarong. On Chloë it would have looked glorious, but on Jules it gave the impression of a wilting sunflower. She sat down heavily in a chair. ‘All done. Glass of wine going spare for me?’
‘Alex, get another glass for Jules, will you darling?’
Alex, who’d just appeared with the bottle, made a face and went back inside.
‘My goodness, he’s put on a bit of weight since I last saw him. What on earth have you been feeding him, Helena?’ said Jules loudly.
‘It’s puppy fat, that’s all. He’ll lose it when he starts growing,’ Helena replied calmly, hoping that her son hadn’t overheard Jules’ comment.
‘One would hope so. Obese children are becoming so common these days. You’ll have to put him on a diet if he gets any bigger.’
Seeing Helena’s discomfort, Sadie swiftly changed the subject. ‘Isn’t the house dreamy, Jules?’
‘It obviously needs some serious renovation and new bathrooms, but it’s in a lovely position. Thank you,’ Jules said as Alex returned with a glass. ‘How’s school?’
‘I’ve left it.’
‘I know that, Alex,’ said Jules sharply. ‘I meant, are you looking forward to starting your new one?’
‘No.’
‘Why not? Rupes can’t wait. He’s won the sports scholarship to Oundle, you know.’
‘I don’t want to go away from home, that’s why not,’ muttered Alex.
‘Oh, you’ll get used to it. Rupes loved boarding at prep school. He was head boy, and collected a raft of sports prizes at Speech Day.’ Jules’ eyes filled with motherly pride as she saw Rupes and Chloë walking up from the pool.
‘Hi, Alex, how you doing?’ Rupes gave Alex a hefty thump on the back.
‘Fine, thanks,’ he nodded.
‘Chloë ’n’ me were going to wander up to the village later to see what’s going on, weren’t we?’ Rupes smiled at Chloë and laid a hand possessively on her shoulder.
‘No, thanks. I’ve got a headache. I’ll see you later.’ Alex turned abruptly and disappeared inside.
Jules frowned. ‘Is he all right?’
‘Yes, he’s fine,’ replied Helena.
‘Always been a strange lad, hasn’t he? You make sure you give him a pep talk about boarding, Rupes. He’s very nervous, poor thing.’
‘Yeah, we both will, won’t we Chloë? Don’t worry, Helena, we’ll sort him out,’ Rupes swaggered.
‘I think I heard a car.’ Standing up before she was sick into her wine glass, Helena crossed the terrace to greet William and the little ones.
ALEX’S DIARY
17th July 2006
Oh, woe is me, woe is me!
I’ve just counted the number of days that tosser is staying, then I counted the number of hours that made, and in one million, two hundred and nine thousand, six hundred seconds from now, he will be . . .
GONE.
Two weeks, two whole weeks of Rupes lording it over Chloë, touching her perfect skin and making jokes that aren’t even funny, yet she laughs.
She can’t fancy him, surely? He’s as thick as a plank, and then some. I thought elegant, intelligent women like her preferred men with brains, not lolloping great lumps of arrogant, vapid muscle.
Supper tonight was a living hell. Rupes made sure he sat next to her, his Ray-Bans still on his head like a girly hairband, even though it was pitch-black.
He thinks he is – as Chloë says with alarming regularity – SOOOO cool.
And the way he laughs: a great choking sound like he’s swallowed a peanut and is trying to bring it up. His Adam’s apple shakes in a revolting way and his neck and face go bright red as if he
’s drunk too much port.
Am I jealous because he has an Adam’s apple?
Because he is six feet taller than me?
Because Chloë seems to like him?
Yes! Yes! Yes!
I thump my pillow, then look underneath it and realise I’ve just thumped Bee in the face too. I kiss the stuffing where his nose once was, and apologise to him. I hold his small grey paws in my small brown paws.
‘You are my only friend,’ I say solemnly. He doesn’t reply, but then, he never does, because he is an inanimate bundle of old cloth and cotton wool.
I used to believe he was real once. Am I mad? I’ve often wondered if I am. But then, what is sanity? Is it a great blond thug of a boy who knows how to chat up girls? If it is, I’d prefer to be me . . .
I think.
I know I’m no good at small talk, and it’s a disadvantage to feel unable to communicate. Perhaps I should join one of those monasteries where monks maintain permanent silence. That would suit me down to the ground.
Apart from the fact I don’t believe in God, and I wouldn’t want to wear a dress.
I don’t think Dad thinks much of Rupes either, which is something. He pulled him up a couple of times when Rupes was spouting crap at the table, and corrected him and his inaccurate geography. ‘No Rupes, Vilnius is not in Latvia, it’s the capital of Lithuania.’ I could have kissed my old man when he said that. Although personally I’m surprised Rupes even knew Vilnius was a city, rather than some overpaid celebrity footballer.
He’s actually only four months older than me, yet he seems to think he’s already joined the massed ranks of adults and they’ll be interested in what he has to say. It’s that grim mother of his that encourages it. She hangs off his every word and completely ignores poor old Viola, who’s turned out to be rather sweet. She’s almost eleven, which makes her only a couple of years younger than me, although she seems far younger, more like Immy and Max.
I’ve always liked little kids. I like the way they ask bizarre questions out of the blue. A bit like me, except I’ve learned to think them now, not say them out loud.
And she’s bright, Viola. And she confided to me tonight at supper that she doesn’t like horses very much. Which is a real shame, as her mother insists she sits on one every day of her life and makes her enter competitions and groom their manes and brush their fetlocks, whatever fetlocks are.
Jules reminds me of a horse. She has huge teeth and a big nose, and I’d just love to stick a bit in her gob to shut her up.
Anyway, none of this brings me any closer to solving my problem: how to tell Chloë I love her.
She spoke to me once tonight. She said, ‘You okay, Alex?’ And it was magic. She said it with feeling, total concentration, with an accent on the ‘you’. Which must mean something, surely.
I couldn’t reply, of course, because of this thing with my mouth refusing to work when I’m in her presence, but I think I nodded well enough. But if I can’t actually speak to her, how can I tell her I think she is the most wonderful girl in the world?
At that moment, I glance at the brown paper envelope full of love letters lying on my bed. Then at The Collected Poems of Keats on the bookshelf above me.
And I see the answer.
θ
Nine
‘Sweetie, there is the most fabulous-looking man walking down towards the house.’ Sadie found Helena and William in the kitchen, setting up breakfast the next morning.
‘That’ll be Alexis, then,’ William mumbled.
‘Who is he?’
‘Helena’s old friend.’
‘You kept him quiet, darling,’ Sadie said. ‘Well, is he local? Single?’
‘Yes and yes. He lives a few miles away in the village and he’s a widower.’
‘Things are looking up. Shall I take him onto the terrace? Offer him coffee? A full body-rub?’
‘Why not?’ said Helena with a shrug.
‘Good-oh. I’ll just go and put some lippy on. Back in a tick.’
‘Sadie is incorrigible,’ said William with a smile. ‘But I do love her. More than a certain other woman I could mention currently staying under this roof.’
‘Jules is slightly . . . overpowering. She doesn’t mean to be, though.’
‘You’re being too kind. Jules is an out-and-out Attila, and I’m sorry I’ve inflicted her on us for two weeks. She just has this unerring knack of always saying the wrong thing. How Sacha puts up with her on a daily basis, I just don’t know. Perhaps she’s an absolute goer in the bedroom, gives him the ride of his life. She gets enough bloody practice at it.’ William sniffed. ‘She bored me to death with running martingales and snaffles last night.’
‘She told me that she’d rearranged the pantry when I came down this morning, and put everything in the fridge and the freezer, that leaving them out was a health risk,’ Helena said. ‘I tried to explain about Angus’ cooling system, but she announced she didn’t want to subject herself or her kids to E. Coli or salmonella.’
‘Well, I’m glad you can take her behaviour so calmly, as I’m struggling already. At least she’s gone out for the day and taken Viola and that bullish son with her. Rupes looked very put out at being dragged off with his sister to some ancient ruin. I think he was hoping to spend it sniffing round Chloë instead. So’ – William turned to Helena – ‘what do you want to do today?’
‘I was thinking we could take the kids to Adonis Falls. It’s tucked away in the mountains and the waterfall is amazing. You can jump off the rocks into the pool below.’
‘Okay. A family outing it is, if we can tear Immy and Fred away from the DVD player. They’re back in front of the TV again this morning.’
‘At least they’re not fighting, and it’s very hot outside.’ Helena gazed out of the kitchen window.
‘Well, let’s take the coffee out to the terrace and see if Sadie has pounced on Alexis yet.’
Helena followed William outside.
Alexis, sitting with an animated Sadie at the table, smiled in relief at their arrival. ‘Kalimera, Helena, William. How are you?’
‘We’re good,’ she nodded.
‘Alexis has just been telling me he makes wine,’ Sadie said, as William set the coffee tray down. ‘I’ve assured him I am his ideal end-user. Coffee, Alexis?’
‘Thank you, but no, I am not staying. Helena, I came to bring you this.’ Alexis pointed to a small wooden box he’d placed on the table. ‘I found it in a drawer of a broken chest as I was putting it on the rubbish dump. I thought it too pretty to be thrown away.’
‘And quite fine.’ William studied the box. ‘It’s made of rosewood, and that is a very intricate mother-of-pearl inlay.’ He traced his fingers over it. ‘I’d say it’s quite old, judging by the colour of the wood. Perhaps it’s a jewellery box.’
‘Any forgotten emeralds tucked into the lining?’ quipped Sadie, as William opened it. She reached across the table and stroked the green felt that covered the inside. ‘I can’t feel anything.’
‘Thank you for rescuing it, Alexis. It’s beautiful, and I shall put it on my dressing table,’ said Helena.
‘Of course! It’s Pandora’s Box!’ smiled Sadie. ‘You’d better be careful, sweetie. You know how the legend goes.’
‘Yes,’ Helena agreed. ‘So you’d better close it quickly before all the evils of the world jump out.’
‘I also came to ask you all if you would be kind enough to attend an engagement party I am throwing for Dimitrios, my eldest son, this Friday. I would be honoured to have you there,’ said Alexis.
‘That’s very kind, but there are rather a lot of us,’ replied William. Helena immediately wondered if he was searching for an excuse.
‘That is not a problem. It is a big party, and everyone is welcome. You know how we Cypriots like to celebrate.’
‘I think it sounds like fun, and we’d love to come. Thank you, Alexis,’ said Helena, shooting William a defiant glance.
‘And what about you join
ing us for supper tonight?’ urged Sadie. ‘We’re down a man and poor old William could do with some support to cope with all these women, couldn’t you, sweetie?’
‘I could, yes,’ agreed William flatly, knowing he’d been out-manoeuvred.
‘Then, thank you, I will see you later.’ Alexis nodded at them. ‘Goodbye.’
‘Right, if we’re going out, I’d better start rounding up the kids. Chloë and Alex haven’t even got up yet.’ William was about to leave the terrace when Helena clapped a hand to her mouth.
‘Oh God, I’ve just realised that the engagement party is on the night of our tenth wedding anniversary!’
William paused and looked at her. ‘Well, we don’t have to go.’
‘But we’ve just said we would.’
‘You mean you’ve just said we would,’ he corrected her.
‘Sorry, darling. But won’t it look rude to renege, especially after all the help Alexis and his family have given us? And who knows, William – it might actually be nice to go out to a lovely party for a change, and have a night off catering here for the masses.’
‘If you say so,’ said William tersely, then set off inside to rally the children.
Sadie glanced at his departing back, then lowered her voice as she spoke. ‘So, tell me all about Alexis. Was there ever anything between you two?’
‘Why on earth should you think that?’
‘From the way he looked at you, of course. You can’t miss it. And I’d say William can’t either. Come on, Helena, spill the beans.’
‘Really, Sadie, it was nothing more than a teenage romance when I came to stay here with my godfather.’
‘Was it a love thing?’
‘He was my first boyfriend. Of course I thought it was something special. Everyone does.’
‘He’s obviously still holding a candle for you, even after all these years.’ Sadie stretched dreamily. ‘How unutterably romantic.’
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