“As I was reading Professor Deschanel’s ‘Your inner core and how to stop it peeling’ I realised this was me. I’m being stripped of my emotional layers, exposing my core to the elements which cause me deep psychological and physical pain.”
“Yes I’m sure” Ben replied wryly, he was used to his mother’s reliance on fairly dubious self-help books into which she flung herself until she found another book more to her liking, generally ones that blamed everyone around her rather than herself, “but” he continued “now that you’ve had chance to recuperate, what time is your flight in so I can bring Lucy home.”
“My flight darling?” Trudy replied dreamily “what do you mean?” Ben’s stomach started to sink, this wasn’t going very well.
“I mean your flight home Mum, you went last Friday so you must be catching your flight back this Friday.”
“Oh no, Ben darling, I’m not coming back until I’m fully healed. We’re staying at Nick and Helen’s villa and I only got one way tickets. We’ll book the returns when the re-layering process is complete.” Ben sat back in stunned silence; Jean looked over concerned as Ben dropped the phone onto the desk.
“Is everything alright Ben?” she enquired, concerned. Ben nodded in an automatic fashion. Ben could hear Trudy on the other end
“Ben dear, are you there, you’ve gone very faint. I can’t hear you.” Ben picked up the phone and spoke very carefully,
“So what you’re saying Mum, is, you’re not coming home on Friday and you can’t say exactly when you will be, except it’s when you’ve been re-layered.” Ben almost choked on the final word.
“Yes that’s right, and Lucy’s with you - you said it was nice to see her.” Trudy confirmed, almost reproachfully.
“Yes, but Mum, staying with me for a week is a bit different to staying with me indefinitely. I’ve got a business to run; I can’t run around after Luce.”
“Oh Ben, what’s more important than your family?” Trudy replied, without a hint of irony “Lucy’s no trouble, you’ll hardly know she’s there.” Ben knew it was a lost cause, his mother had always had the knack of being able to ignore anything that didn’t fit in with her plans and no amount of coaxing, arguing or plain shouting would change that.
“Okay Mum, speak to you soon. Phone me as soon as you’re getting back.” Ben put the phone down and ran his hand through his sandy hair. Jean looked at him and could she could see the concern in his eyes, her motherly nature took over, she couldn’t bear to see any of her ‘boys’ fretting.
“What is it Ben? Is your Mum okay?”
“Oh she’s okay” he replied bitterly “except for finding her inner core and re-layering herself, which may take some time to achieve and she’s not coming home until she has.” he laughed, but with no humour. Jean raised her eyebrows, she knew Trudy of old and had laughed with Ben on many occasions about her latest fad, but she couldn’t understand a mother who could just abandon her child without barely a backward glance.
“So Lucy’s staying with you for a bit longer then?” she asked. Ben nodded
“She’ll have to, poor kid, but I don’t know how I’m going to cope with it. I’ve got loads of visits I need to do and she’s not the sort of teenager you’d leave on her own - generally havoc ensues.”
“Well that’s no surprise” Jean clucked “with a mother like that, sorry Ben, but it’s got to be said, it’s no wonder she does some things to get attention, maybe a bit of discipline and time from you is just what she needs. And don’t worry if you need to go away for a night she can always come and stop with me. She won’t get away with anything with my lot.” she added. Ben looked gratefully at Jean. He had no choice but to look after Lucy and if that was the case he should try to do it to the best of his ability, but he still wasn’t sure how Lucy was going to take the news of her extended stay.
Ben spent the rest of the day researching the Southampton project and it looked like Stewart was right. The potential to turn these houses into new desirable accommodation was certainly within BW’s capabilities and, if his first figures were correct it was within their banking abilities too. Ben’s only concern was the distance, would he really want to spend six months in Southampton, or would John or Charlie with their family commitments? Ben pondered on this as he walked down the street into Rawlinston to grab a coffee and a sandwich. Ben was weighing up the pros and cons of a cheese and ham baguette or a cheese and onion pasty when he heard a tapping at the window he was passing, looking up he saw Declan’s grinning face beckoning him into the restaurant. Ben had done the whole refurbishment on Declan’s restaurant over four years ago and they had become firm friends as the project progressed.
“Hi there” Declan boomed as Ben came through the door “what had you so deep in thought – or should that be who?” Declan’s throaty laugh made Ben shift uneasily.
“I’m thinking about a project actually” he answered defensively “it could really make things happen for us.”
“Okay” Declan smiled, deciding not to tease his friend anymore “do you want a coffee? And you can fill me in about it?”
“Yeah, black please – oh and throw a sandwich together – I’m bloody starving!”
Just over an hour later Ben had filled Declan in, not only on the Southampton project but also about his missing parent and his new house guest. He was actually feeling much better now, Declan’s calm manner and refusal to get wound up by almost anything was having a soothing effect on Ben. He started to see that with some help from his friends he could actually cope with Lucy and work.
“Cheers Dec, and not just for the sarnie. I needed a bit of clear Irish thinking”
“No problem mate, I needed to speak to you anyway. Cliona’s having another of her dinner parties four weeks on Friday and as I need someone who lives on this planet to talk to I thought you might like to make up the numbers.” Declan saw Ben hesitate and decided to press home his advantage before Ben wriggled out of it, “and, of course, as you owe me a favour now, after my sage advice on your present predicament …..”
Ben groaned
“Okay, okay, I’ll come – but only cos you’ll be cooking. Cliona’s artistic friends can be a bit hard on the digestion.” Declan said nothing but a flash of recognition flew across his face
“I’ll ring you next week and give you the time” was all he said with a wink.
Later that evening, as he poured himself a well-deserved cold beer, Ben congratulated himself on handling the situation with Lucy much better than expected. She had taken the news about staying with Ben for an indefinite period in a relatively calm, and possibly even adult, manner. In fact there had only been a small skirmish when he had set out some of the rules, in particular about having at least two days’ notice when she was going to be out for the evening, so he could check out the facts followed by a particularly heated debate about Ben checking Lucy’s homework. However he had come out on top for both by using the age old elder brother trick of shouting louder, sitting on her and tickling her until she conceded. All in all he was pleased with his evening’s work. Now all he had to do was sit down and work out the detailed costing for the Southampton project and he could call it a night!
CHAPTER 10
By Thursday morning Ben was shattered, he had now spent two nights into the wee small hours trying to get his costing right and he was still a fair way from making it affordable. He was glad Thursday had arrived and he had some physical work to do, checking the progress at Cheadle House and then fixing the plumbing at Tolpuddle House later that afternoon. Ben couldn’t wait to get to Katie’s and get his hands dirty doing some real work (and that was the only reason he was looking forward to it he told himself). By three o’clock Ben was ready to work off some pent up frustration by hard graft. The assessment at Cheadle House had not gone as well as he had hoped and he had to get rid of a couple guys on the site – something he never enjoyed, so as he waited outside Rawlinston Girl’s College to pick Lucy up he was ready for an afternoon of uncomplicated plumbing
.
Three hours later this noble object seemed a long way away. ‘Uncomplicated’ was the last thing this plumbing was. Billy and Ben had uncovered numerous quirks to Tolpuddle House’ plumbing that had caused a lot of scratching of heads, rubbing of chins and muffled curses. Billy was a determined man and had never let a plumbing problem defeat him yet, so he was sorting out each challenge as it arose. Ben had been pretty much reduced to labourer and assistant with responsibility for wrench holding. Still this had given him plenty of opportunity to speak to Katie who, when they had arrived had opened the door in oversized overalls and streaks of magnolia paint down each cheek. Katie had started to paint the walls in the front room to give it a lift before the meeting the following week. As she painted and he unattached and re-attached radiators under Billy’s watchful eye Katie asked how Lucy was getting on. Lucy, herself, had disappeared into Katie’s kitchen with homework, cocoa and a slab of marble cake to keep her going.
“She seems a bit quieter than usual” Katie continued
“It’s Mum,” Ben sighed “she’s done a runner on us again.”
“A runner? What - left her?” Katie gasped
“Well, she says it’s a holiday to find the ‘centre of her core’ – or was it the ‘core of her centre’ – either way it involves staying indefinitely in another country, so Lucy’s got to stay with me. I’m not sure she’s entirely happy with all my ground rules.” He smiled ruefully.
“Well, I never liked being told what to do when I was a teenager” Katie grinned
“Or before that as I recall – you probably don’t like it much now either as far as I can tell” Ben teased and ducked as Katie flicked a splodge of magnolia ‘one coat’ at him.
“Oh and I bet you’re a stickler for the rules Ben Wilson – especially ones you get to make up yourself. I’m beginning to see Lucy’s problem” Katie retaliated
“Everyone needs a bit of discipline to keep them on the straight and narrow – and, believe me, with our mother, Lucy’s had precious little of that at home” Ben retorted indignantly. Katie turned and looked at Ben with a serious expression.
“Is it really that bad then?” she asked carefully. Ben groaned
“Oh, that’s only half of it. She’s an absolute nightmare. Don’t get me wrong, she’s not cruel or abusive, just completely self-involved, always rushing from one guru to the next in some desperate bid to find herself. All the time missing all the things that are going on right in front of her nose.”
“Was she always like that?”
“No, it started after my Dad left when I was twelve. She never came to terms with it. I think she thought it was her fault.”
“And was it?” Katie asked gently
“No – not really, Dad found a junior model. Cliché of all clichés – his secretary” Ben said bitterly. Katie didn’t respond immediately, as some emotion he couldn’t quite distinguish ran across her face. It almost looked like guilt, but it couldn’t be, it wasn’t her fault after all.
“So Lucy misses her?” she finally asked
“Well I don’t know if she misses her – but she certainly misses having a stable parental role model. Mum and her trail of boyfriends have never given her a settled home. Actually it’s a wonder she’s not a worse handful than she is. I think underneath all that bravado she’s a sensible kid really – just lacks a bit of direction.” Ben paused.
“And now she’s got her big brother to provide it for her” Katie joked to ease the tension a little.
“I guess so” Ben replied a little uncertainly
“Hey, don’t knock it” Katie added “I was an only child. I’d have given anything for a brother who cared about me enough to yell at me now and again. Lucy’s lucky to have you – and she probably knows that deep down.” Katie turned back to her painting and Ben felt better than he had since that conversation with his mother. He was doing his best and maybe Lucy would appreciate that.
He soon had more pressing plumbing matters to attend to, as an unexpected leak appeared out of a radiator he had just attached and as he worked on that they both sunk into their own thoughts until Poppy stuck her head round the door.
“Wow, look at the three of you deep in concentration. It was so quiet I thought you’d sloped off to the pub or something.” She joked.
“Hey, this is difficult work I’ll have you know” Ben answered, “not just anyone could do it and it takes a skilled craftsman to get it right.” As he spoke he turned and very carefully turned the water tap at the junction of the pipe and water came rushing out of the joint at the end of the radiator spraying Ben straight in the face.
“See what I mean” he said, without a flicker “expertise like this can’t be bought.” As Katie and Poppy creased up with laughter Ben returned to his problematic joint.
“Lucy’s in the kitchen if you want to say Hi” Katie shouted across to Poppy
“I know – that’s why I’m here. I went in to beg a few of those oatmeal cookies off you, and she’d drawn this. What d’you reckon? For a border I mean.” Katie stepped down from the step ladder and looked at the card Poppy was holding out. On it was a flowing Celtic design with crosses and rings delicately shaded in bronze and gold tones that would lift the magnolia walls of the room. Katie gasped,
“It’s beautiful, it would look beautiful, but wouldn’t it take a long time to do?”
“Not if I give her hand” Poppy replied “shall I tell her she’s got the commission?” Just as she spoke Lucy popped her head round the corner and was greeted by Poppy’s broad grin.
“C’mon then Pablo, you’d better get started if we want the whole room done by this time next week.”
Lucy responded with a grin even broader
“Really? Do you like it?” she asked, still a little uncertainly
“I think it’s beautiful” Katie confirmed “and if you’re really happy to do it I’d be very grateful – although I have to admit now that I can only pay you for the paint.” She added a touch sheepishly.
“Oh I don’t want paying” Lucy answered “It’ll be great just to do something I’ve designed. I didn’t really think I could.”
In no time Poppy and Lucy had set to work, measuring the length and depths required on the walls that Katie had finished painting and were busily stencilling the design on the wall in no time. Before any of them knew it was eight o’clock. Billy had just left after finally locating and fixing (with Ben’s expert help of course) all the leaks and pipes, and there was a warmth beginning to radiate around the front room as the boiler heated the water now circulating in the system.
“Jeez, I’m starving” groaned Poppy, and although this was nothing unusual the others had to agree that they too were, in fact, pretty hungry.
“Actually some of that gurgling before might have been me rather than the pipes” Ben joked “We’d better get off Luce, and get some dinner inside you.”
“Why don’t you stay?” Katie asked “I threw a stew in the oven hours ago as I wasn’t sure what would be happening and there’s plenty to go round – if you’d like? It’s the least I can do really, after all your help.” Poppy was already heading for Katie’s kitchen as Lucy looked to Ben
“Well sure, if that’s okay – is that okay with you Luce?” Ben said to the back of Lucy’s blond bobbing ponytail as she too disappeared into Katie’s flat. For a moment Ben felt a bit shy and awkward as he and Katie were left alone.
“Well, I think that’s a yes – if it’s okay?” he added quietly.
“Absolutely” Katie replied, playing with a strand of her hair and covering it liberally in magnolia. “Oh poo!” she said as she squinted at it, “I’m going to have two tone hair for days now!”
“Two tone skin too!” Ben teased as he dipped a finger in the paint and flicked it down her cheek – making a quick exit into the hallway before Katie could respond.
Katie caught up with him just as they entered the flat and tried desperately to rub her paint covered fingers through his h
air as Ben ducked and dived to escape. It was a few minutes later when they became aware of the two open mouths staring at them in disbelief and they came to a standstill looking sheepishly about them.
“God, when I’m marvelling at the immaturity – you’ve got to be worried” Lucy said haughtily – to which they all started laughing.
Ben dropped Lucy off at Katie’s the following two evenings so she could finish her border in Katie’s front room, but, despite a desire to go in and join her, he had too much work to complete and had to settle for a quick conversation on the doorstep as he picked up Lucy. It was strange, he reflected, how quickly somewhere could become familiar and comfortable to you. Maybe it was partly to do with the scary big things happening at the business, which meant he needed space away from there to escape – or maybe it was the company! Ben had had two very important meetings in the last day. Firstly he had met with John Richmond at the solicitors and drawn up paperwork for John and Charlie’s investment into BW. They were going to complete the formal signing on Friday at the weekly meeting and were following it up with a celebratory lunch at Declan’s restaurant. And now that the money would be in place, Ben was keen to move on the Southampton project straightaway. To that end he had met with Stewart Jackson earlier and gone through his first draft of the costing. They had agreed that it was definitely possible and Stewart was setting up a meeting with the local council the following Thursday, they currently owned the land and buildings and could tell them what planning permission was required for the redevelopment. They would combine this with a visit to the site so that Ben could get a proper look at the scale of the job. Ben was excited and mildly terrified by the idea, but he’d come this far and he was going to make sure he left no stone unturned in his pursuit of the opportunity.
CHAPTER 11
The following Wednesday, the day before the most important meeting of his business life so far, Ben awoke to a dull, grey overcast sky. The leaden outlook of damp drizzly rain made him want to head immediately back under the covers, but this was a day when he had much to prepare for. He had completed the figures on the development and, with John and Stewart’s help they had prepared a presentation for the local council about BW and their vision. Ben just had to review all this, see his accountants to check the financial figures were correct and then bind the copies they needed. He then planned an easy evening and an early night to give him the best possible start on Thursday. Sleep had been a bit lacking over recent weeks, working on the figures, dropping off and collecting Lucy from Katie’s, and frequently staying longer than he intended to as there was always some tempting food on offer. (Ben ignored any implication that there was anything else tempting at Tolpuddle House that could have been keeping them there longer than planned!). Katie was becoming a friend and it was great to have somewhere where Lucy was happy to go, without giggling schoolgirls who were solely interested in clothes, music and boys, and not usually in that order. Thinking of Lucy made Ben shake himself, with one last glance of longing back to his bed he headed into the hallway and banged loudly on Lucy’s door.
A Change for the Better? Page 9