‘I’ve got my life drawing class this afternoon.’
‘Oo-er,’ Spencer said, laughing. ‘You one of those passionate artistic types then, are you? Excuse for perving, if you ask me.’
‘I prefer to see it as rediscovering my creativity.’ Mum laughed. I turned and saw her catch Callum’s eye.
I handed out cake and we ate it, my mum chatting easily with Callum and Spencer, and me watching, feeling uncomfortable for some reason.
‘We’d better get back to work,’ Spencer said. ‘Thanks for the cake, Rosie.’
Callum got to his feet too.
‘Right,’ I said. ‘Mum – I’ll see you out.’
‘OK, yes, of course. You must all be busy,’ she said.
‘Would you like to come back in a week or so? I’m sure Jack will be upset to have missed you, so you’ll have to come back another day when he’s here.’
‘OK, love, of course.’ She got to her feet. ‘Bye, Spencer, Callum,’ she said with a nod.
I walked her back to the front door.
‘Just let me know when Jack’s around and I’ll pop back and see you.’
She gave me a kiss and a hug and headed to her car.
*
‘Good to be home,’ Jack said, giving me a hug when he got back that evening. ‘I got you a couple of things,’ he went on, pulling some German wine and a bag of gummi bears out of his hand luggage.
‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘Nice to have you back.’
‘What’s up?’ he said, pulling out a chair so that I could sit at the kitchen table. ‘Has something gone wrong with the house?’
‘No,’ I said, shaking my head. ‘Actually, some things are looking up. I’ve applied for permission to make the changes to the windows and stairs, and Callum took a look at the woodwork in the living room. He thinks it all looks like historic woodworm, says there’s no sawdust to indicate anything going on at the moment.’
‘He’s sure?’
‘He can’t be completely, but he seemed fairly certain. When we find someone to help with the windows, we can double-check with them.’
‘That’s a relief,’ Jack said. ‘And with Carly and Alex coming next weekend, we’ll be able to make some headway on the bedroom. You still look a bit stressed, though. Is it something else?’
‘It’s nothing really; I think I need some wine,’ I said, cracking open the bottle Jack had just given me.
‘It doesn’t look like nothing to me.’
‘It is.’ I poured us both a glass. ‘I mean, it’s nothing I should really be worrying about. But at the same time …’
‘Is it the house?’
‘Not this time.’
‘Fine,’ Jack said. ‘What is it, then?’
‘It’s Mum. She’s got a …’ What was the right word? Boyfriend? Partner? ‘A lover.’
‘Ooh,’ Jack said, breaking into laughter.
‘It’s not funny, Jack. It’s totally weird. She’s got this odd glow about her.’
‘Come on, Amelia. Isn’t this a good thing?’
‘It’s not the partner part that bothers me, it’s the … I don’t know, it just seems strange. A bit icky, I guess.’
Jack took a sip of wine. ‘Icky as you might find it, I hope we’ll still be having sex at sixty.’
‘Do you have to?’ I said, covering my eyes.
‘Are you sure they are? Doing it, I mean,’ Jack asked.
‘You are not helping. Not at all.’
‘I think it’s nice actually,’ he said. ‘Your mum’s a lovely woman. She deserves a bit of fun after all these years.’
‘Hmm.’
‘Come on, Amelia – give it a few weeks and I’m sure you’ll get used to the idea. You must have felt like this when your dad met Caitlin.’
‘I didn’t feel anything like this then; I don’t know why.’
‘Oh.’
‘Mum dropped by here earlier today. I really hope her visit yesterday isn’t the start of her “surprising” us. I wanted her to see this place, of course, but I hoped it would be when everything was ready.’
‘She’s your mum. It’s natural she’d want to come and see the cottage when she lives so near. It sounds like she was trying to make amends.’
‘I wish she’d just given me some space instead,’ I said, taking a sip of wine and thinking back to the atmosphere in the kitchen earlier that day, when Mum was there. ‘I feel as though when I was staying with her, we were just playing at being mother and daughter, everything hunky-dory, and then – bam – we were like two strangers again. And she’s trying to force it – to make things OK.’
‘It seems she wants to spend more time with you though. How about if we got her more involved in the house renovations?’ Jack said. ‘She has a bit of time on her hands these days, and she is a big fan of Kirstie’s Vintage Home, isn’t she?’
‘Loves it. But no. No way. And thankfully she’s not expressed any interest in helping out with the house. She’s relieved enough to have finished the work on her own place.’
‘You don’t think you could get used to it, the idea of her having a boyfriend?’
‘Don’t,’ I said. ‘This is officially the end of this conversation. Look, we haven’t seen each other all week. You’ve been to a glamorous European capital – let’s spend the evening talking about that, not my mum’s love life.’
‘Ohhh-kay.’
‘How were the people you met at the studio?’
‘They were really inspiring. It was great to meet them and brainstorm a few ideas. I think it’ll be a good match to have them on board. The studio is keen to join forces, and we’re going to make a strong combined team.’
‘And when will you hear from the funders about whether they approve your revised proposal?’
‘Before Christmas, I hope,’ Jack said. ‘It would mean everything to be working on something I care about again, not just doing bits and pieces of advertising work.’
‘I know,’ I said. ‘I want this to happen for you, Jack. I really do.’
*
September drew to a close, with gusts of wind that swept up the fallen leaves and plastered them where they landed, and Callum and Spencer finished their work on the garden. There was a shift in the quality of light and air that lets you know that autumn has really arrived. Conkers littered the front garden, together with clumps of orange and golden leaves.
As I tidied in the kitchen, I heard a rap on the garden door, and through the glass saw Callum standing there. I opened it.
‘Are you ready to see your new garden?’ he asked.
I pulled on my boots eagerly. I’d seen the work they’d been doing over the past few weeks, of course. First thing in the morning, when I was getting dressed, I’d look out and see them weeding or cutting back brambles, returning from the garden centre and filling the dark, dull earth with bright new blooms and life. But walking round it, finished – our garden – was something I’d been looking forward to.
‘Just you try and keep me away.’
I walked out with Callum, past the paved area and towards the wildflower garden. A fence made from pieces of wood and branches separated it off from the pathway, which was made of slabs of uneven stone, pieced together. ‘We kept a lot of this how it was, because wildflowers flourish on quite poor soil, so we didn’t want to overwork it. We’ve strewn wildflower seed here, so you’ll see the full effects in the springtime, and the poppies in the summer – you liked them, didn’t you?’
‘Yes,’ I said, remembering how I’d fallen in love with the garden on my very first visit. Callum had captured what I’d seen that day, a sense of nature taking over and thriving, but it had been untended and he had gently tamed it. ‘It’s beautiful. And I love the wooden bird table.’
‘Glad you like it. Just something I knocked up. Come on, follow me.’ He walked ahead down the path and led me to sections of trellis with honeysuckle and jasmine wound up on to them. ‘This is going to smell incredible for you next summer,’ he said.
‘And there’s the Japanese anemones for you to enjoy now.’ He pointed to a bed of plants full of proud white blooms. It had caught my eye when I’d been looking down at the garden from my bedroom.
‘Jack mentioned that the two of you had been thinking about a vegetable patch,’ Callum said, ‘so we’ve marked out this area, and got you started with a few vegetables.’
‘And the space next to that is for our summer house?’
‘Whenever you’re ready for it.’
We walked down to the stream. The air was cooler than the last time we’d been here together, and raindrops hung suspended on the fronds of the ferns. Leaves from the oak tree were scattered around us. ‘I left things here pretty much as they were, untouched, like you said you wanted.’
‘That’s right. There’s something special about the stream. It doesn’t feel right to change it, and I don’t think we could improve it even if we tried.’
‘There is, you’re right.’ Callum said. He looked distant for a moment, and I wondered if he was thinking about his mother.
I turned and looked back at the garden. By clearing and tending the earth, Callum had created a space that I’d look out on with pleasure first thing every morning. It complemented the cottage, already overrun by nature in its wisteria overcoat.
‘Thank you, Callum,’ I said. ‘I envy you, I really do. How you can transform things.’
I looked over at him, and his grey-green eyes were fixed on mine. ‘That’s funny,’ he said, ‘because I see that in you too.’
Chapter 11
The Bedroom
On the Mood Board
Birds and botanicals – shades of green, sand, beige, straw and fire brick, bird print wallpaper, delicate leaf prints on curtains and cushions. Liberty prints. Antique brass handles. Farrow & Ball colour swatches.
Saturday, 5 October
On Saturday morning I toasted bagels and brewed some coffee and brought breakfast to Jack in bed.
‘Thanks,’ he said, taking the plate gratefully. He took a sip of coffee and then put his arm round me, drawing me close. I straightened up and pulled away just a fraction, picking up my bagel.
‘So Carly and Alex will be here around three,’ I said. ‘I guess we probably shouldn’t stay in bed all day. If we get the walls prepared this morning there should be enough time to put a first coat of paint on today.’
‘Sure,’ he said. ‘That should be fine.’
We hadn’t done a thing to the bedroom since moving in. The shabby carpet was still in place, the dark blue curtains hanging from the curtain rails blocking out light, and the drab walls, grey and stained.
‘It’s only half eight. Relax and let’s enjoy breakfast first.’
‘Yes, of course,’ I said, trying to settle back down.
‘What’s Alex like? I can ask now that he’s finally official, can’t I?’
‘Chilled out, kind,’ I said. ‘I mean, I’ve not met him socially before, but I spoke to him a few times at parents’ evenings when I was teaching Jules. He’s laid-back,’ I went on, ‘good for Carly, I think. You’ll see for yourself when he gets here.’
‘And you say his son’s OK about them getting together?’
‘Yes – he freaked out at first, but has accepted it now. He said if his dad had to pick one of the teachers, Carly was definitely the best choice. She’s taking that as a green light.’
‘I’m looking forward to meeting him. I was never that sure about Ethan.’
‘Neither was I,’ I admitted. ‘It seemed she wasn’t always able to be herself with him. Hopefully this will be different.’
We drained our coffees. I thought of how, just a few months ago we would have let them go cold, kissing and making love, taking advantage of the weekend. But right now all I could think about was making progress on the cottage.
‘I’m really looking forward to seeing Carly.’
After we’d showered, Jack and I moved the bed into the guest bedroom, so that Carly and Alex could sleep in there. We’d crash on the sofa bed in the room with the view of the apple tree – the one we planned to make our study.
‘Did I tell you I spotted a fantastic vintage iron bed at that antique shop in town last week?’ I said.
‘Bargain or blow-out?’ Jack said.
‘Bargain, as it happens,’ I said. ‘I think it would look perfect in the bedroom, when we’re done.’
‘Sounds nice,’ Jack said. ‘As long as we don’t get an antique mattress to match.’
‘Don’t worry, it’ll fit the one we’ve got on that IKEA bed at the moment.’
‘Let’s get it then. When we’re done, I mean.’
We stepped back into the bedroom, which was clear now. ‘Right, where do we start?’ Jack asked.
‘These,’ I said, going over to the curtains and unscrewing the finial at the end of the curtain rail, ‘are out of here.’ I pulled off the dusty navy drapes and let them pool on the floor. Replacing the finial, I went over to the other window and did the same. ‘God, that’s satisfying.’ Golden light spilled into the room, casting squares of sun on the floor. I bundled the fabric up into my arms.
‘Out with the old,’ Jack said.
‘Oh yes,’ I said, smiling in satisfaction. ‘And what do you think about the walls? Just soap them down and repaint them?’
‘That should do the trick, yes,’ he said, leaning in to inspect them. ‘With four pairs of hands it shouldn’t take too long. There are a couple of areas where the paint’s cracked, though, so we’ll need to smooth things back a bit first. We can do that before they get here. Are you still keen on the idea of a feature wall?’
‘Definitely. That one behind our bed. I picked up some bird print wallpaper online – and no, before you look at me like that, I didn’t buy the Liberty one. Or the Farrow & Ball paint.’
‘I didn’t say a word,’ Jack said, holding his hands up and laughing. ‘But that sounds good. Can I have a look?’
‘Sure.’ I went into the apple-tree room, where I’d been stashing the paint and wallpaper I’d bought, and brought a few things back to show Jack.
‘Cool,’ he said, looking at the paper. ‘Swallows. I like it.’
‘Great. I was thinking this off-white for the walls, with Birdwatcher’s Green for detailing and trim.’ I opened a tin of paint and bent to brush a small patch of the green by the radiator.
He put his arm around me. ‘I like it. Right, before Carly and Alex get here, let’s get this carpet ripped up.’
*
‘All ready for the painting party!’ Carly announced at the door mid-afternoon, giving me and Jack hugs hello. She strode into the hallway, holding up her navy overalls. ‘We came prepared. You do remember you promised us plenty of booze for this, don’t you?’
‘We’re exceptionally well stocked for your visit, yes,’ I said, pointing to the kitchen where we’d put the wine and beer we’d bought for the occasion.
‘Excellent,’ Carly said. Alex appeared in the doorway with their bags from the car, and his border terrier, Pete. Pete lingered in the hallway for a moment, then seemed to smell cat on something. He started barking.
‘Hi, guys,’ Alex said, putting his bags down. ‘Sorry about Pete. You’ve got a cat, haven’t you?’
‘Hi, Alex,’ I said. ‘Yes, I’m afraid we have.’ I hesitated for a second, then gave him a kiss on the cheek.
He smiled. ‘Good to meet you – again. Not as Jules’s dad this time. And you must be Jack,’ he added.
‘Great to meet you,’ Jack said, stepping forward and shaking Alex’s hand.
‘Wow, you really have moved to the middle of nowhere,’ Carly said, glancing back through the open door at the fields surrounding us.
‘Kind of. Although it’s pretty well connected, thankfully,’ I said.
‘It’s a beautiful part of the country,’ Alex said kindly.
‘So, we’re finally here, at the place you’ve told us so much about,’ Carly said. ‘Can we have a poke around?’
‘Sure,’ Jack said. ‘Right, for starters, your bedroom’s upstairs – sorry, it’s all a bit makeshift and there’s still quite a lot of stuff in there, but it’s kind of cosy.’
‘Oh, that’s fine,’ Alex said politely.
‘We’ll have a proper spare bedroom for you next time, I promise,’ I said.
‘We’re not fussy,’ Carly said. ‘It’ll be like being students again.’
Alex took the bags up the stairs.
‘This is the room we’ll be working on today,’ I said, opening the door to the master bedroom to show them. ‘As you can see, we’ve been doing the destructive bits this morning.’
‘We wanted to have some of it out of the way before you got here,’ Jack added.
‘Floorboards look good,’ Alex said. ‘Bit of sanding and staining and I reckon they’d polish up nicely.’
‘Music to my ears,’ I said. ‘I’ve had my heart set on stripped floorboards in here, so it was great to see they’re in decent condition. We’ve prepared the walls, so hopefully you’re ready to do some painting and papering?’
‘We’re ready for anything,’ Carly said. ‘But first – I reckon we need a cuppa. Don’t suppose you’ve got a teapot around here, have you, Amelia?’
*
‘I suppose I can see why you’re sold on the country life thing,’ Carly said. ‘All this floor space! Three bedrooms. And you could swing a jaguar in this kitchen. Better than your last flat, where you were tripping over each other all the time.’
‘The space is great,’ Jack said. ‘Never thought I’d be a countryside convert, but it’s starting to happen.’
After we’d had tea and I’d shown Carly and Alex the kitchen and garden, we all went upstairs to the bedroom to get started on the painting.
Carly and Alex picked up tins of paint and brushes, and Jack and I laid down newspaper. I gathered up the rolls of bird-print wallpaper and took them over to the alcove. After putting on the paste, I climbed the wooden stepladder and Jack and I worked together to put up the first strip.
‘I haven’t got any bubbles in it, have I?’ I asked.
‘Nope, it looks perfect,’ Jack confirmed. We worked slowly and carefully, smoothing each sheet carefully into place.
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