‘Oh.’ Patricia glanced down at the bottle of wine in her hands, wishing she could neck the contents. ‘Perhaps I will have that cup of tea.’ She needed time to gather her thoughts.
‘No problem.’ Ben left the room.
The uncle waited until Ben was out of earshot. ‘Ben’s mother lives abroad.’
Patricia found herself nodding. ‘Right.’
The uncle looked as uncomfortable as she felt. ‘Are you in favour of this marriage?’
Patricia rallied her composure, even though the wind had been taken out of her sails. She was still shocked that she’d managed to miss something so significant about Ben’s life. Why hadn’t Amy told her about his family set-up? Or maybe she had, and Patricia hadn’t listened – just as Ben had accused. It was a disturbing thought. ‘If I’m honest, no.’
The uncle let out a breath. ‘Me neither.’
Well, that was something.
The woman in the wheelchair lifted a hand, waving a finger as if trying to say something. The uncle reached across and squeezed her arm. ‘Mum wants you to know she’s in favour of the wedding. She thinks we should support them.’ He kept his eyes on his mother. ‘That’s right, isn’t it, Mum?’
The woman nodded.
Patricia looked at the woman. It was hard not to feel pity. ‘I’m sure you mean well, Mrs Castillo, but they’re still teenagers. They can’t possibly know their own minds. This is a huge mistake.’ She spoke slowly, hoping the woman could understand her.
‘Her name is Billie.’ The uncle sounded annoyed. ‘And she’s had a stroke. She’s not deaf or stupid.’
Patricia reeled from the rebuke. She hadn’t meant to cause offence.
Billie Castillo slapped her son’s hand. There was no strength behind it, but nonetheless the son looked suitably chastised. He looked over at Patricia. ‘I apologise.’
Still mortified, Patricia shook her head. ‘It’s me who should apologise. I wasn’t aware of your mother’s circumstances.’ She looked at Billie again, this time noticing the steel in her expression. Something she’d missed on first meeting. ‘What I mean is, I wasn’t aware of your circumstances. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful.’
Billie smiled, conveying forgiveness.
Ben came into the room carrying a tray laden with four mismatched mugs and a plate of biscuits. He offered them around. ‘Bourbon, Mrs Robinson?’
‘Thank you, no.’ She helped herself to a heavily brewed cup of tea.
Ben opened up the legs of a small foldaway table and set it down next to Billie. ‘I can guess what you’ve been talking about.’ He placed a napkin over his grandmother’s lap. ‘You don’t want me and Amy to get married.’ His grandmother waved a finger. Ben leant closer as if listening and then laughed. ‘Sorry, Nan. Amy and me. She doesn’t let me get away with anything.’ He looked back at his grandmother and took her hand. ‘It’s all right, Nan. I know you’re on my side. Jeez, your hands are cold.’ He rubbed them, making her smile.
‘It’s not that we’re against the marriage, mate. No one’s saying you shouldn’t marry Amy. It’s just the timing that’s of concern.’ Scott Castillo looked at Patricia. ‘Right?’
Patricia gave a half-nod. Ben wasn’t exactly her ideal choice for Amy, but now wasn’t the time to discuss that. He wasn’t a bad lad, she just felt Amy could do better. ‘Getting married before you’ve finished your education is putting an enormous amount of pressure on you both. Why not wait a few years?’
Ben tended to his grandmother. ‘It’s simple. We don’t want to.’ He lifted the mug to Billie’s lips. ‘There are loads of reasons why we shouldn’t get married. But there are also just as many reasons why we should. We love each other. That’s the biggest reason of all.’
Patricia looked around for somewhere to place her mug, there wasn’t anywhere other than on the floor. ‘But what’s the rush? You have plenty of time.’
Billie’s hand twitched, followed by her arm and then the side of her face. A dribble of tea ran down her chin. Ben passed the mug to his uncle. ‘Hold that, will you? She’s having a muscle spasm.’
Scott took the mug. ‘You need a hand?’
‘Nope. I got this.’ Ben dabbed Billie’s mouth with the napkin. He glanced over at Patricia. ‘My granddad died in his thirties. My nan thought she had all the time in the world, turns out she didn’t.’ He leant forward and kissed his grandmother’s forehead. ‘No one knows how much time they have to lead the life they want. If you’re lucky enough to know what you want, then go for it, I say. No regrets.’ Still holding Billie’s hand, he looked at Patricia. ‘Amy and I know what we want. To wait would frustrate us both. You want Amy to be happy, don’t you?’
Patricia didn’t appreciate the inference. ‘Of course I do.’
‘Then let us do this. Support us. We’re going to do it anyway, but it’ll be a lot easier and more fun with everyone on board.’ His eyes sparkled, his enthusiasm disarming. No wonder her daughter was smitten. He certainly had a persuasive nature.
Patricia looked across at the uncle. He shrugged, seemingly resigned to the situation. ‘The kid’s determined.’
Fat lot of good he was turning out to be.
‘Too right I am, eh, Nan?’ He tucked in her blanket, which had worked its way loose. ‘Make your own happiness, right?’ She nodded in agreement.
This visit wasn’t turning out quite as Patricia had planned. She had one last ace up her sleeve. ‘That’s as maybe, but weddings cost a lot of money.’
‘We don’t want anything elaborate,’ Ben cut in. ‘Something simple with those we love is all we want.’
That had been Amy’s response too. They’d rehearsed their arguments, clearly. ‘Even so, every girl wants a special day. And weddings aren’t cheap, even the simple ones. I know my daughter. She may say she’s happy forfeiting a big occasion, but that would be a lie.’
Ben frowned. ‘We’ve got it covered. We won’t be asking you for any money.’
Patricia knew Amy didn’t want anything grand, but she was past the point of playing fair. ‘If you would agree to wait, say three years, until Amy’s finished university, then I’m sure my husband and I could see our way clear to paying for a proper wedding, with all the trimmings. Everything Amy would want.’ David probably wouldn’t agree to this, but tough, he wasn’t here to contradict her.
Ben shook his head. ‘You might think that’s what Amy wants, but I can assure you, it isn’t. We’ve talked about this. We’ve weighed up the benefits of waiting and we both decided against it.’ His expression grew serious. ‘And if you think the amount of money spent on a wedding is what really matters, then your idea of a happy marriage is very different to ours.’
The lad had an answer for everything. He was obviously a lot more astute than Patricia had given him credit for. She might have been impressed if it wasn’t her daughter they were discussing. ‘How can you know what constitutes a happy marriage?’
He bristled. ‘Why, because I’m from a broken home?’
‘I didn’t mean it like that.’
He jabbed at his chest with his finger. ‘Just because I never knew my biological father and Lisa buggered off when I was eleven doesn’t mean I don’t know what it takes to be part of a loving family.’ He stood up. ‘My nan and uncle have taught me more about love and responsibility than anyone ever could. They’ve brought me up, encouraged me, supported me. And you know what? Not having decent parents has taught me a valuable lesson. Amy and I will be better parents because of it.’
Parents? Patricia nearly fainted. ‘Are you telling me Amy’s …’
‘Of course not.’ He dismissed her with a wave of his hand. ‘But you seem to think it’s all about age. I look around and I don’t see that any of you have got it any more sorted than we have.’
The uncle closed his eyes.
Patricia wanted to argue, but how could she? Her marriage was a mess. Who was she to dish out advice?
‘And as for money, Nanny’s paying for the wedding
until I can save up enough to pay her back. She’s loaning me her savings.’ He gave his grandmother the thumbs-up sign. ‘Because unlike you lot, she trusts me. She believes in the happy ever after. And if anyone shouldn’t, it’s her. So if she can be positive and encouraging, you’d think the rest of you could be too.’ He walked over to the door. ‘If there’s nothing else?’
Patricia couldn’t believe it. He was chucking her out? The little so-and-so.
She looked to the uncle for support.
He shrugged. ‘I understand your concerns and I wish they’d wait too, but whether we like it or not, they’re adults. Ben knows his own mind and from what I know about Amy she does too. I’ll be supporting him all I can. I’m sorry if that’s not the outcome you were hoping for.’
What a wimp.
Ben visibly relaxed. ‘Thanks, Uncle Scott. You’re my role model, you know that?’
Scott Castillo half grinned. ‘Heaven help you.’
Ben laughed, his good humour restored. He waited for Patricia to join him. It was conversation over.
Patricia stood up. She handed Scott the bottle of wine. ‘I meant to give this to you earlier. Thank you for your hospitality. It was nice meeting you.’
‘You too. Good luck,’ he said, a rueful smile in place. ‘See you at the wedding.’
Patricia flinched. What a grim thought.
Not quite sure how to bid farewell to Billie, she waved. ‘Goodbye.’
Billie reached out for her hand. Reluctantly, Patricia took it, her own hand warm by comparison. There was a tremble in the woman’s fingers as she held Patricia’s gaze, trying to convey something – that everything would be okay, possibly? Patricia nodded as if in understanding, hoping more than anything that the woman was right.
Ben walked her to the door, out of earshot of the others. He faced her square on, not a shred of insecurity in his being. ‘I know you’re doing this out of love for Amy, so I won’t tell her about your visit today. You mean the world to her. I’d never want to come between that. But you have to understand, she means the world to me too. I will do everything in my power to make her the happiest she can possibly be.’
Patricia nodded, not sure what else she could do. He was a determined little bugger.
‘Goodbye, Mrs Robinson.’
The moment she stepped into the corridor the door closed firmly behind her.
She stood there a moment, not sure what to do or think. She’d come here as the adult in the situation, the one with life experience and wisdom, ready to make her daughter’s fiancé see sense. Instead, the tables had been turned. She’d seen a different side to Ben Castillo – no longer just a teenage prankster who made her daughter laugh by imitating movie characters, but a determined young man who cared for his ailing grandmother and had experienced more misfortune in his short life than most.
Patricia walked slowly to her car. On seeing the place where Ben lived, she’d made an assumption. She’d walked in there feeling like a superior being, the one with brains and wealth and a right to call the shots. She was walking out feeling like a shallow, spoilt woman who placed too much importance on material things and who prioritised security over love. She was horribly ashamed of herself. Ben was more adult than David and her put together.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Tuesday, 6 May
As Marlon charged ahead, Evie tugged on his lead, trying to assert her authority and remind him who was boss in their relationship. Reluctantly, he stopped walking, looking up at her as if to say what?
‘You know what.’ She pointed a finger. ‘Remember what the instructor showed you. You need to walk alongside me at my pace, like a good, obedient puppy.’
He raised an eyebrow. She’d adopted the world’s first sarcastic dog.
‘And don’t look at me like that. Need I remind you what happened last night when you wouldn’t obey my commands?’ She rolled up the leg of her combats, pointing to the graze on her shin. ‘Bad dog.’
Far from looking guilty, he yawned. He actually yawned.
Dog training classes over the past two weeks had been going well. So much so that Evie had been encouraged to take Marlon out running with her. She’d envisioned the pair of them jogging through the village lanes in synchronised harmony, dog and owner at one with nature. No such luck. If Marlon wasn’t pulling on the lead, he was changing direction, crossing her path so the lead entwined around her legs and she was sent tumbling to the ground.
Consequently, their walk to work this morning was a subdued one, both blaming the other for last night’s debacle. But this was a new day, an opportunity to start afresh, and Evie was determined to be upbeat. Having enjoyed a long bank holiday weekend, and with the promise of Holly coming down to visit in August when term finished, Evie felt she had a lot to be grateful for.
Ambling towards The Forget-Me-Not Flower Shop, its pretty bay window glinting in the sunshine, Evie spotted something lying on the doorstep. At first she assumed it was junk mail. On closer inspection she realised it was a single-stemmed Odessa calla lily, the closest thing to a black flower there was. It was wrapped in black tissue paper and tied with a black ribbon. Very gothic.
Bending down to retrieve the card stuck to the tissue paper, she read the scribbled message: For my Weeping Angel, from The Silence. She searched the road, but no one was about.
Evie figured the gift could only be from Josh and the intended recipient must be Saffy, which meant one of two things: either he was playing with fire by sending her assistant tokens of love, or something was going on between them.
Scooping up the flower, Evie hoped it was the latter. She liked Josh, and truly believed he and Saffy could be happy together. Still, she doubted her assistant would appreciate Evie telling her this, so she’d keep quiet. Sometimes it was better not to interfere and just let a situation play out.
Once inside the shop, she turned on the lights. Marlon trotted beside her, matching her pace as she opened up, his nails clipping on the floor tiles. The shrill of the phone ringing at the exact moment someone banged on the door sent him into a frenzy of barking, making Evie jump.
Composing herself, she answered the phone, simultaneously making her way over to the door. She recognised the distinctive form of her plumber standing on the other side with his tool bag, ready to install her new boiler. Constantly paying out for repairs wasn’t cost effective, so she’d made the bold decision to replace it. But far from easing her unsettled state, the sight of Scott Castillo only served to increase her pulse.
Satisfying as it would have been to witness Marlon savaging the flaky plumber, he too recognised the intruder and his barking switched to delighted tail wagging, following which he jumped up to lick Scott’s face. Traitor.
Evie turned her attention to the phone, politely listening as Diana Smart waxed lyrical about life across the ocean and how she’d yet to go to bed, having partied all night.
‘It sounds like you’re having a great time.’ Evie moved away from the sight of Scott canoodling with Marlon. It was too distracting. So what if he was a dog person – it didn’t count for much if he didn’t treat humans with the same respect. Maybe if he paid half as much attention to his mother as he did Marlon then Evie might feel differently towards him.
‘Life is so good here, I’ve decided to stay.’ Diana’s words cut into Evie’s thoughts. ‘I’ve contacted two local estate agents and arranged for a market appraisal of the premises. You’ll get first refusal, Evie. The business is yours if you want it.’
Evie tried to compute what she was hearing. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t known Diana was planning to sell. She just hadn’t expected it so soon. ‘You’re selling up?’
Diana must have heard the panic in her voice. ‘I thought you’d be pleased? You’re still interested in buying, aren’t you?’
Evie rubbed her temples, a sudden headache developing. ‘It’s just the timing that’s surprised me.’
There was a moment’s delay on the line, the muffled sound of Diana sayi
ng something like ‘love taking her by surprise’. Evie might have known a man was involved. They were the cause of all her woes.
‘Once the valuations are done I’ll let you know the figures. You’ll have a few weeks to make a decision. Does the end of June sound reasonable?’
‘Yes, of course. That’s fine.’ Making her decision wouldn’t take that long, it was fundraising that was the problem. There was no way she could come up with enough capital in such a short space of time. Refraining from saying as much, Evie listened whilst Diana continued to regale her about her exciting new life in the US.
Pacing around the shop, Evie tried to quell her rising sense of panic. The sight of Scott pinning a paper template to the wall depressed her further. What was the point in splashing out for a new boiler if she couldn’t stay? In two months’ time she could be out on her ear.
Marlon appeared next to her and licked her hand. She ruffled his ears, glad of the attention.
By the time she was off the phone, Scott had drilled holes in the plasterboard and was tapping in wall plugs. ‘Everything okay?’
Deep in thought, she glanced over. ‘I beg your pardon?’
‘You look like you’ve had bad news.’ He lifted the new boiler unit onto the hooks.
‘Not really.’ She shrugged. ‘The owner of the premises wants to sell, that’s all.’
‘Bummer.’ He attempted to look sympathetic. ‘Are you worried whoever buys the place will terminate your lease?’
She placed the phone back on the charger. ‘I hadn’t really thought about that.’ And she hadn’t. Her only focus had been buying Diana out. But if she couldn’t do that and someone else did, they’d probably want to start up their own business. She sat down heavily on the stool. Diana’s news was worse than she’d thought.
‘Have you considered buying the place yourself?’ Scott screwed in the unit, his forearm muscles flexing with the effort.
She dropped her gaze, scolding herself for looking. ‘Of course I have.’
‘So what’s stopping you?’ When she didn’t answer, he continued, ‘If it’s finance, have you thought about a business loan? I remember you saying money was tight.’
The Forget-Me-Not Flower Shop Page 16