by Rebecca Pugh
‘Maria! It’s wonderful to hear from you. In fact, I was just thinking about you and how you were getting on. How’s the cottage? Is it lovely? Rob mentioned he drove up to see you yesterday. He said you seem to be doing okay, so that’s good, and Geraldine wanted me to pass on a message too. She said there’s extra toilet roll in the airing cupboard upstairs, as well as fresh bed sheets.’
Maria smiled to herself. ‘Okay, tell Geraldine I said thank you. I’ll make sure I remember in case of an emergency. The cottage is gorgeous, although in need of a bit of a spruce-up, like Geraldine mentioned. It’s a bit dull inside but nothing a good lick of paint won’t sort out. I’ve a few ideas in mind for the rooms.’
‘Oh, yes. Have you got started on that yet?’
‘Erm… Yeah. I’ve made a small start.’ She didn’t want Ellen to report back to Geraldine with a negative to that question. The truth was, she hadn’t yet found the motivation to get going. It was coming though, she could feel it. The longer she spent looking around the cottage, the more she wanted to add her own touch to the place. She made a mental note to get out and grab the bits and pieces she’d need. She had a feeling summer would pass by in the blink of an eye, so she really did need to make some sort of start on it, have the paint in the cottage at least. ‘I think you’d love it here,’ she said quickly, moving the topic of conversation along. ‘I was thinking to myself just yesterday about how I’m beginning to feel as if I am actually on holiday. I’m currently in the conservatory looking through the window and there are green fields for as far as the eye can see. There’s a posh coffee machine in the kitchen and I figured out how to work it this morning, so that’s a bonus. I can see myself becoming a little too attached.’ She wondered, briefly, why on earth Geraldine and her husband hadn’t moved here permanently. If it was Maria’s, she knew she certainly would have. She laughed, realising how alien it felt to do so. She wanted to laugh again, but thought it might seem odd so didn’t.
‘Oh, that’s fantastic news,’ enthused Ellen. ‘And are there things to do during the day? Shops? Cafes? That sort of thing? I can imagine you might get a bit bored with just the cottage to keep you busy.’
‘Well, seeing as you’ve mentioned it, there is a lovely little café me and Rob went to yesterday. Harriet’s Place, it’s called. Lots of shops too, so I have everything I need. In fact, once I’ve got off the phone to you, I’m going to get dressed and head back to the cafe. They serve the most delicious food, and you should see the cakes on offer too. Very yummy.’ She didn’t want to mention the job vacancy, mainly because she knew what Ellen was like. The tiniest whiff of something new and exciting for Maria to take part in would send her mother into overdrive and seeing as it wasn’t a definite yet, there was no point in bringing it up.
‘That sounds perfect. I’m so pleased you’re finding your way about, and you’ve the whole summer to look forward to, too. I have to admit, I’m slightly jealous. And how are you feeling?’ Ellen asked tentatively. ‘You know, about Mike? Has he tried to get in touch with you?’
It was inevitable that Mike would crop up at some point so Maria decided to roll with it. ‘Of course he hasn’t. Why would he? The divorce is done and dusted now, isn’t it? There’s no need for us to be in contact. In fact, speaking to him is the very last thing I want to do. I’d rather leave him to it. It’s much better that way. I don’t want to stay stuck in the past. I want to move on. It seems like a long way away right now, but I really do think being here will help. You know, away from it all.’ She took a breath. ‘You haven’t seen him, have you?’ she ventured curiously. She couldn’t be sure that if Ellen had seen Mike, she would have been able to control herself and not give him a piece of her mind. Despite her poised and elegant manner, when it came to her children, Ellen could be ferocious. Maria supposed that was motherhood, not that she had any experience of that herself.
‘Well,’ Ellen began, ‘I did bump into his mother in the shop on the corner the other day but she ignored me, can you believe it? No apology, no “how’s Maria doing?” She walked right past me with her nose stuck in the air as if she had something to be proud about. I was half-tempted to give her what for, but I knew it was best if I didn’t. There’s no point in causing trouble. I know you want the whole thing to be forgotten about so I went on my way, sticking my nose in the air too. I don’t know how on earth she can act like that. It was her son that decided to…’
‘Let’s stop right there,’ Maria cut in, imagining the scene unfolding in the corner shop. In her mind, she could see Ellen and Mike’s mother brawling on the shop floor, milk and eggs flying everywhere. She had to hold back the laughter that was rising at the image of them both. ‘I’m sure she’s just embarrassed about the whole situation. She probably had no idea of what to say to you. Would you, if it had been the other way around? Anyway, it’s best that you carried on. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over now. So, the next time you see her, just smile and carry on. That’s the best thing to do. Let her think that her son is God’s gift to women. She can’t be feeling too proud really, deep inside, not after what he did.’
Maria had never managed to bond with Mike’s mother, Felicity. The woman had always been very cold towards her, and Maria had often come away from visits to their home with the impression that she wasn’t good enough for their precious son. Oh, Felicity had been courteous enough, offering tea and cake, and smiling, if a little too brightly, but there had always been a strange undercurrent in the atmosphere, twisting and curling in the air like poison. Mike had always laughed it off whenever she’d raised the issue and told Maria that she was being ridiculous, and that his parents utterly adored her. She didn’t believe their feelings towards her went that far, but she’d always hoped that they’d at least liked her. She had a feeling now, looking back, that she’d been right in her instincts. Oh well, she wouldn’t be seeing Felicity again, so that was another bonus.
‘Yes, well, whatever happens, at least I won’t have to sit through another agonising hour of tea and bloody cake with the woman,’ Ellen declared with triumph.
Maria snorted. She loved that her mother was on the same wavelength. She could remember one particular tea and cake session where she’d asked for two sugars rather than one, and Felicity had looked horrified. A comment had followed, a comment which Maria vaguely remembered as having something to do with her weight. She’d sipped her tea quietly and never mentioned the extra sugar again, despite how awful it had tasted. Trying to begin a conversation with Felicity had been like trying to do the same with a brick wall. She’d always been quite rude, Maria had found. ‘They were always a bit gruelling, weren’t they?’
‘Yes, they were, and between me and you, her Victoria sponge was awfully dry. Not pleasant at all. I think you’ve made the right decision, Maria. About the divorce, I mean.’ Ellen sounded sincere. ‘It feels like a cruel twist of fate that you’ve been put through exactly the same as what I went through with your father, but I would never have been able to trust him again either. Once a fool, always a fool – in my opinion.’
‘Thanks, Mum. I believe it was the best thing to do too.’ Maria took a sip of coffee before glancing at her watch and realising the time. It wasn’t exactly late but she wanted to head out early so that the café wasn’t buzzing with customers, leaving her without a table. ‘Oh, bugger. Listen Mum, I’m going to get dressed and head into town now. You don’t mind if I go, do you?’
‘No, of course not. Go on, off you go. Fill your boots!’ Ellen ordered brightly. ‘Enjoy your time away and don’t worry about a single thing. Just focus on you, okay?’
‘I will, I promise. Chat to you soon, Mum. Take care. Bye!’
Maria ended the call and looked down at the handset with the fondest of smiles for just a few moments. She loved her mother dearly, she really did. Throughout the entirety of her life, Ellen had championed Maria in every single decision she’d made, which was a huge contrast to their father who couldn’t have given a damn about any of them
. After the divorce, their father had buggered off abroad to Spain to run a greasy eatery alongside his new, much-younger fiancée. They very rarely heard from him. He hadn’t been back to England since he’d left. He still sent Maria and Rob a birthday and Christmas card each year, although it was never anything special. He usually just signed it off with his name and hers, and that was that.
Maria admired how her mother had handled the whole situation. Rather than shrinking in on herself and wallowing in self-pity, Ellen had dusted herself off and thrown herself into life once more. There had been bouts of tears, of course. Maria could remember one night when she’d heard her mother crying in the bedroom. She’d slipped inside and they’d shared a tight hug on the bed. Ellen wasn’t completely made of stone, but it hadn’t taken long for her to realise that it wasn’t the end of the world. Maria felt similar to her mother now more than ever, and if Ellen could get through it, then so could she. Swallowing down the last of her coffee, Maria hurried back upstairs, hopped into the shower, got dressed, and left the house less than thirty minutes later.
Summer had only just arrived, so Maria was surprised at how warm it felt already with it being so early in the day. When she’d followed Rob into town the day before, she hadn’t taken the time to admire her surroundings, she’d been completely lost in her private thoughts. But today, she did take the time to notice the scenery and she couldn’t understand how she’d missed it previously.
She walked up the road which led her out of Daffodil Lane and turned right along the footpath, alongside which ran the road that led towards the shops and places to eat. As she walked, Maria inhaled deeply and caught the faint scent of honeysuckle in the air. On the opposite side of the road, a row of impressive houses sat proudly, tall gates secluding them from the rest of the area. She peered at them, with their double-breasted chimneys and stained-glass windows and wondered about the people who lived there. Families? Couples? Were the men within of the same kind as Mike? Playing away while their wives sat at home, loyally waiting for them to get back? How would she ever trust another man again? Did she even want to?
She forced her focus away from the houses, realising she’d gone off down a path of thought she hadn’t anticipated and didn’t want to continue down. She supposed the idea of another man coming into her life after Mike didn’t seem feasible. They’d been together for such a long time, since secondary school, and the thought of someone else taking Mike’s place in her life was terrifying. But could she really and truly cut herself off from the idea of another relationship in the future? Was she destined to now spend the rest of her life alone? She’d always been such a hopeless romantic and an avid believer in her and Mike lasting forever. She wasn’t quite sure what to believe now. Did true love even exist? These thoughts, amongst others, fluttered about in Maria’s mind as she began to approach town, keeping her occupied as the distance between herself and Harriet’s Place lessened.
When she arrived, Maria again began to notice things she hadn’t seen the day before. It really was a pretty little place. She passed by a bakery with its door propped open, allowing the heavenly scent of freshly-baked bread to seep out into the air. There was a florist too, with a brilliantly bright selection of blooms on offer. Colourful foil windmills had been propped amid the flowers, and the sight of them twirling in the breeze made her smile and reminded her of how much she’d loved playing with those as a little girl. Continuing on her way, she walked by a gift shop, the exterior painted playdough-blue, with a wonderfully charming display of photo frames, cards and teddies in the window. She couldn’t believe she’d missed it all the day before. It was colourful and eye-catching. And then, just a couple more steps away, sat Harriet’s Place, and just the sight of it lifted her heart. She knew that when she stepped inside, she’d be greeted like an old friend.
‘Oh, hello love!’ Harriet smiled when the door closed behind Maria. ‘Back again? Lovely to see you.’
‘Well, after the food you served yesterday I couldn’t keep away’ Maria laughed lightly as she peered around for a table to sit down at. It wasn’t yet busy, thankfully, so she had quite a few choices. She walked past the counter and couldn’t stop her greedy eyes from creeping towards the slices of chocolate fudge cake, moist and soft. ‘Do you make all of this yourself?’ Pulling out a chair, Maria took a seat and shrugged off her jacket. She hung it across the back of the chair and picked up a menu. She already knew what she would order, but wanted to have a proper perusal just because she had the time to do so.
‘I certainly do,’ Harriet replied. ‘All freshly baked by yours truly.’
‘Wow, that’s impressive. I have to say, they look delicious.’
‘Thanks, love. I’m proud of my creations. My mother was a passionate baker and I think it must be genetic. I’ve been honing the skill ever since I was little.’ Harriet winked. ‘So, what’ll it be this morning?’
‘I think I’ll go for the cooked breakfast again please,’ Maria said. ‘What you served yesterday was heavenly, I had to come back for more.’
Harriet chuckled heartily. ‘My, you keep going with those compliments and my head will pop. One cooked breakfast coming right up,’ she said, scribbling it down onto a small notepad. ‘Let me take this through to the kitchen and I’ll be right back to sort a drink out for you.’ Harriet slipped into what Maria presumed was the kitchen and reappeared just a few seconds later. ‘Coffee? Tea?’
‘White coffee please, two sugars.’ Maria looked around. ‘It’s quiet today.’
‘It is, but don’t be fooled by it. Just you wait until lunchtime. This place will fill up like a hot air balloon. Enjoy the peace while it lasts, that’s all I can say.’ Harriet delivered Maria’s drink to the table with a smile and sat down in the opposite chair. ‘I hope you don’t mind if I join you for a few minutes? I’ve been working my socks off since five o’clock this morning, and you seem like a nice enough person.’ She yawned as she wiggled around to get comfy.
Maria sipped her coffee delicately, aware of the steam curling up from the surface. ‘Of course not. Sounds like you could do with a break. Do you have far to travel to work in the morning?’
‘Oh, no!’ Harriet laughed. ‘I live right upstairs, in the flat above the café.’
Surprised, Maria placed her cup down and looked up at the ceiling. ‘Really? Gosh, it must be tiny. Have you always lived up there?’
‘No, not always. My late husband and I moved into this place about thirty years ago. We had a vision in our minds of opening up our own café and, with hard work and determination, that’s exactly what we did. It didn’t look like this at first, I can tell you. It was a complete mess. I’m not sure what the place had been previously but it had stunk to high-heaven of cigarettes and booze. We practically had to fumigate the place. It took a while to really take shape but it was worth it once we’d finished. I’ve never lived anywhere since. I don’t think I could leave because it’s where we spent so much time together, side by side. And as for the flat? It is very small but the perfect size for me. I have everything I need up there, and it’s been home for so long now. It’s quite comfy when you see it, everything has its own place and I do enjoy watching my soaps up there of an evening. Peter used to love watching them too, surprisingly. He seemed to enjoy anything that I enjoyed. We were like two peas in a pod.’
Maria smiled softly. ‘I’m sorry about your husband. Was he very young?’
‘He was rather young, yes. But then again, any age would have been too young in my eyes. He’d always had problems with his heart, and this one turned out to be a bigger problem than all of the others. Still, he hasn’t left me, not really. He’ll always be with me in here.’ Harriet placed her hand upon her chest and closed her eyes momentarily. ‘Plus, I have this place which we both built up from the ground, so I’ll never really forget him. I suppose what I could have done once I found myself alone was go and see the world but, for me, it didn’t hold much appeal. This place is my home and always will be. I think I’ll
remain here forever, or at least until I join Peter again.’ She smiled, and Maria realised she really liked the woman sat opposite her. There was a softness about Harriet that rubbed off and seemed to soothe even Maria herself. She enjoyed being in her company very much, and she’d only sat down at the table a short while ago.
‘That’s lovely.’ Maria took another sip of her coffee. ‘And no one can blame you for staying anyway. The area is gorgeous. You could travel the world but afterwards, I suppose there’s no place like home, is there?’
‘You’re right there. So, what’s your story?’ asked Harriet. Her eyes sparkled and she sat up a little straighter in her chair.
‘My story?’ laughed Maria, wondering what Harriet meant. Did she have a story? Perhaps, but she didn’t think it was an interesting one, not the sort she’d like to share with Harriet anyway. She’d probably bore the poor woman to death.
‘Yes. You know,’ Harriet continued, ‘what you’re about, where you come from. Why you’re here, too. I always remember faces, so I know I definitely haven’t seen yours before. It’s Maria, isn’t it? I haven’t gone and got your name wrong?’
‘It is,’ Maria nodded.
‘Don’t worry,’ tittered Harriet. ‘I’m not stalking you. I overheard your friend yesterday. He’s a handsome chap. Brother, is he?’
Maria laughed. ‘My! You really don’t miss a trick, do you? That was my brother, Robert.’
‘I thought as much. You look so alike. So come on then, what’s your story? You mentioned that you’re only here temporarily yesterday, when your brother mentioned the job to you?’
‘I’m here for a bit of a holiday, I suppose. Life’s been a bit… surprising recently, so a bit of time-out was very much needed. One of my mother’s friends has a cottage which she and her husband are planning to rent out next year, a bit of a holiday home if you will, over on Daffodil Lane?’ She saw Harriet’s eyebrows lift, she was obviously impressed. ‘She offered it to me, as a place to sort myself out and relax for the summer. I’m going to be doing a bit of painting and decorating while I’m there too. I suppose I’m here to get away from the stress of… recent events. So, here I am.’ She grinned. ‘Thankfully, I think it’s beginning to work.’