by Minna Howard
She thought about herself and Hugo, seemingly unable to communicate without the buffer of their daughters between them. Children brought pain as well as joy with them.
Xavier took charge and, before Laurie could protest, hoisted him onto his back. Laurie clutched him round the neck, resting his head on his father’s with his tears falling into Xavier’s hair. Ahead of them, Flora saw Susie and Matt’s car turn into the driveway of the villa.
‘They’re back. I wonder what they’ll say when they see Eadie and Serge have arrived.’
‘Susie is rather fond of her. Her mother, Eadie’s sister, is rather up herself, almost a walking Debretts.’ Xavier laughed. ‘None of us come up to scratch when she’s around.’
‘What’s Debretts?’ Laurie had now cheered up a little.
‘A big important book, with lists of all the top families in it.’
‘Are we in it?’
‘Shouldn’t think so.’ Xavier laughed.
‘So, we are not important?’ Laurie said, a little sadly.
‘Of course we are. We just don’t need to be listed in a book,’ Xavier said, swinging him back down onto the ground as they reached the villa. ‘Here we are and I suggest you have a little sleep. You’ve had a long day and we’ll ring Mum later.’
Matt was getting out of the car and they could see his face fall as he caught sight of the campervan tucked into the end of the driveway. Susie jumped out too and they heard her say, ‘Oh, Eadie and Serge, you’ve turned up.’
‘I hope you don’t mind, dear. We’re not staying long.’
‘Hello, Eadie.’ Matt sounded resigned as Eadie, now dressed in a flowing white top scattered with red poppies and red shorts to below her knees, came over and hugged him.
‘We’ll be gone in two days,’ Eadie said to him, pinching his cheek disarmingly. ‘We made a muddle and all the campsites are full, but we’re off to Italy, so we’ll soon be out of your hair.’
‘Stay as long as you… need to.’ Susie caught Matt’s eye and tempered her enthusiasm. ‘So where have you both come from?’
Serge appeared and kissed her, little kisses, left cheek then right and left again.
Seeing Flora, Xavier and Laurie coming into the garden, Matt said. ‘Ah, Laurie, how good to see you again, a foot taller than when I last saw you.’ He smiled at Laurie who shrank back against his father’s legs and whispered hello.
‘Laurie.’ Susie bent over and hugged him. ‘We’re so glad you are here, I’m sure we’ll have great fun together. We’ve got kittens in the airing cupboard. You must come and see them soon.’
‘Kittens?’ Laurie looked excited. ‘When can I see them?’
‘Soon. We must be very careful not to disturb them, as they are only just born.’
‘So, good day?’ Xavier asked Matt.
‘Yes, though too much traffic. The South of France is best in the winter,’ Matt replied. ‘But we had a fabulous lunch. I vote we go over there to that restaurant again. Lamb shanks might sound dull, but marinated and cooked with juniper berries and red wine,’ he kissed his fingers, ‘out of this world.’
‘When can we go?’ Xavier laughed, stroking Laurie’s head.
Once Susie had taken Serge and Edie out of earshot, Matt said quietly to Xavier. ‘So, when did they arrive?’
‘Around lunchtime. They were relieved you were here and hadn’t rented the place out. I must say I do admire Eadie living life to the full at her age. You must admit she has style.’
‘Too much of it,’ Matt said, though he was smiling.
‘Eadie and Serge are only staying two days.’
‘So they say,’ Matt said wearily. ‘Wait until the engine conks out, or there’s a puncture, or they find friends staying nearby. They make plans but they rarely keep to them.’
‘But they have far more fun out of life than most of us,’ Xavier said. ‘Now Laurie and I are going for a sleep. See you all later.’
He smiled at Flora, his eyes caressing her, and she felt the warmth of desire, of being wanted, sweep through her.
She was aware that Matt had seen the look. His expression made her feel embarrassed, as if she had been caught in a compromising position and she was relieved when Alegria appeared looking cool and beautiful in tiny pink shorts and a plunging white top. She eyed up Xavier as she passed him and bent down and whispered something to Laurie that made him giggle.
‘Susie said I could borrow the car. I just want to go to the town,’ she said.
Matt blanched. ‘What? Have you passed your test?’ He sounded horrified.
‘Of course I have. I’m eighteen. Don’t worry, I won’t be long.’ Alegria laughed and hugged him. ‘I’ll bring it back safe and sound. Are the keys in it?’
‘No, here they are.’ Matt took them from his pocket and reluctantly handed them over. ‘Take care and remember you’re driving on the other side of the road.’ His face was creased with concern.
‘I know, I’ve been driving in Italy these last few months, a baptism of fire, which I passed.’ She spun away from him towards the car, the keys jingling from her fingers.
Flora understood how Matt felt. Her daughters had both passed their tests but she still felt a little nervous when they borrowed her car. Would they be driving in the States?
20
Flora was hit by a sudden longing to go back home to London, even though the house felt so unnaturally quiet and tidy without the girls. The feeling came upon her in the early evening when she was alone in her room as she showered and put on a pair of flowery soft trousers and a black silk T-shirt for supper. The other people here were lovely and Matt and Susie dear friends, but she felt unbalanced, lonely now that Hugo had deserted her. He’d promised to ring before they set sail, but she hadn’t heard a word from him since he’d left the villa with Edmund.
She hurried to get ready feeling isolated in their room without him, even though she could hear the sounds of running water, doors opening and closing and people in the passage. Well, she assumed Hugo would come back for his Lobb shoes, if not for her.
She realised that she felt closer to Xavier than she did to this new Hugo. By some amazing quirk of fate, he was here. She was in a danger zone, she warned herself, as she brushed her hair, and Hugo had made it worse by abandoning her.
Though don’t, she scolded herself, use that as an excuse to leap into bed with Xavier.
The garden was deserted, though she could hear some movement from the kitchen. It was Martha and Sylvia’s turn to do the cooking and she was tempted to join them but, thinking she’d be in their way, she settled down in a chair under the trees beside a riot of coloured flowers tumbling out of a terracotta pot. The sun was mellower now that it was early evening, though the heat still hovered heavy on the air. She could hear the cicadas singing in the undergrowth and sat for a moment just drinking in the soft beauty of the place.
She had hardly started to read her book, when she heard a movement and saw Eadie, dressed in a pink, flowing garment, coming towards her.
‘I hope I’m not disturbing you, Flora,’ she said. ‘Susie has invited us to supper and I hear some clattering from the kitchen, so it won’t be long.’ She sank down on an adjacent deck chair.
Flora was glad to see her. Eadie reminded her of her grandmother, who used to say she was relieved she’d reached a plateau in her life where she didn’t worry so much about other people’s opinions of her any more. She said now. ‘You’re not disturbing me at all. How are you settling in? You seem to have an interesting life travelling around in your campervan.’
‘Oh, we do. Serge and I met on a beach in Ibiza and clicked. Just like that.’ She snapped her fingers. ‘You never know who you will meet in life, do you?’
‘No, you don’t.’ Flora thought of Xavier.
‘We were both at a loose end,’ Eadie went on, a shaft of pain momentarily crossing her face. ‘A man I loved had died and Serge’s marriage had ended. We decided to rent out our homes and set off in the van. We’d both reti
red and had some money between us, so we can go anywhere the fancy takes us.’
‘It sounds wonderful,’ Flora said with enthusiasm.
‘Most of the time it is, but I can’t tell you what a relief it was to find Susie and Matt here, because we had nowhere else to go. Long ago you used to be able to camp anywhere, but that’s all changed now.’ She sighed. ‘I was afraid they might have rented the villa out and we wouldn’t be wanted. We’ll be moving on in a couple of days. Ah, here’s Matt now.’ She beamed as he came towards them. ‘I’m just saying how lucky it was for Serge and me that you were both here and kind enough to put up with us.’
‘Not at all, always good to see you both,’ Matt said, making Eadie laugh.
‘You’re a lovely man to put up with us, but don’t worry, we won’t stay long.’
Now Susie appeared with Didi and Tony. Didi, asked Flora if she’d heard how Hugo’s boat trip was going.
‘No, not yet.’ Flora hoped she sounded upbeat. He usually telephoned home every evening when he was away on business. Before he’d left with Edmund, he’d said she could ring or text him whenever she wanted and that he would keep in touch with her. What if neither of them contacted each other at all during this week? Who should make contact first? To her relief Xavier appeared with Laurie. His eyes homed in on her.
‘So, heard from Hugo yet?’
‘I’ve just asked her that same question and she says no, not yet,’ Didi said, as if it was a competition. ‘If Hugo’s anything like Tony, he’ll forget all about you until he comes home,’ she went on cheerfully. ‘We’ve been together so long, we’ve got used to each other’s ways. How long have you been married?’
‘Nearly twenty years,’ Flora said.
‘Oh, well, you’re safe then,’ Didi said. ‘You won’t worry about him as if you were just married.’ Someone called out to her that her advice was needed in the kitchen, and with a laugh, she was gone.
‘She seems knows a thing or two about men and marriage,’ Eadie remarked. ‘I don’t think there’s a why or wherefore for any human behaviour. For what it’s worth, in my experience, if a husband and wife can’t be apart for a while doing something one enjoys and the other doesn’t, they have a poor sort of relationship.’
‘I suppose so,’ Flora said, hoping this would not develop into a conversation about how to make a marriage work.
Xavier, listening to this exchange, said robustly. ‘I don’t think it’s wise to lay down rules for successful relationships. Some work, others don’t. Some couples just drift along together, too set in their ways or too lazy to look around, while others…’ he paused and Flora pretended disinterest, thanking Matt for the glass of wine he’d just handed her, ‘… other relationships always carry a spark, even if the people don’t live together at all.’
Flora, concentrating on her wine, was relieved when Eadie changed the atmosphere by calling out to Serge to please bring her glasses and he turned back to the van to fetch them.
Flora, vaguely watching him, glimpsed a riot of colour when he opened the door of the campervan and for something to say, and because she worked in a gallery and always took an interest in pictures, said to Eadie. ‘I can’t really see it from here, but that picture looks interesting.’
Edie laughed. ‘Oh, it’s just something I do when I’ve a mind to. I went to art school, oh, centuries ago, but I ran away with a boyfriend. We went to India so I never finished the course. Hasn’t stopped me painting though, when something inspires me.’
‘Have you others in the van? I’d love to see them,’ Flora said, half out of politeness and half out of genuine interest.
Eadie looked amused. ‘Well, of course, if you’d like to, but they’re not exciting, just my little daubs.’ She glanced round at the group who were drinking and chatting. ’Would you like to see them now, in case you are away somewhere tomorrow and we’ve moved on?’
‘Love to,’ Flora said.
Though she genuinely wanted to see Eadie’s work, she was not expecting much. Many people painted quite well as a hobby and enjoyed doing it. When Eadie opened the van door, she was stunned. Every space, including the front door, cupboard doors, small squares of wall, held a picture, each one a riot of colour and movement. Landscapes dotted with animals eyeing each other up, portraits of random people in groups, an old man leering at a girl, a child just about to let loose his pet mouse at a picnic. There were busy scenes in markets, in parks and even an outing to a stately home. They reminded her of Beryl Cook, though Eadie had her own style. She stood there in silence, trying to absorb it all.
Eadie said, ‘There you are, my little pictures. Oh look, supper’s appearing now,’ she sounded relieved, ‘but you can come back and see them whenever you like.’
‘Have you ever exhibited anywhere?’ Flora asked, her mind racing now. Tom and Kenley, who owned the gallery where she worked, had bought the building next door overlooking Putney Common and were doubling their wall space. These pictures had such a sense of humour, such colour and joyfulness about them. They would look fantastic hung well, rather than crammed in like this.
Eadie laughed. ‘Oh, no, dear. I’m not anywhere near that league. I just love painting, making a joke of it. There’s now’t as queer as folk,’ she said. ‘Let’s go to supper. You can see them any time.’ She stepped out of the van and Flora reluctantly followed her.
‘I work in an art gallery in London, have a small share in it in fact, and these would look wonderful there. I bet they’d sell fast.’
‘Oh, my dear, I’m sure my little daubs won’t do in London.’ Eadie squeezed her arm. ‘But thanks for saying it. As I told you, I dropped out of art school all those years ago, though I still feel the urge to paint now and again.’
‘You’re a far better painter than you think you are,’ Flora said firmly, knowing that Tom and Kenley would love her work. They were getting a bit bored with the paintings that so many artists turned up with, often so abstract that they needed the artist to explain the meaning. Eadie’s pictures would be like a breath of fresh air, bright and vibrant and very much alive.
‘Will you let me photograph them and send them for Tom and Kenley, who own the gallery where I work, to see? Let them make the decision.’
‘Well, I don’t know. Let me ask Serge, don’t say anything just yet.’ Eadie was flustered now, having not expected such a reaction. ‘I just find it hard to take in. People like them, they make them laugh, but it’s hardly serious art. I’ll think about it.’
Alegria appeared back from her drive down to the town. She looked fresh and beautiful; Flora sensed a little flutter of appreciation run through the men, which Alegria pretended to ignore, though it was obvious she was lapping it up. Why not? Flora thought, surprised afresh at the change in the young woman.
Alegria went up to Laurie, who was standing close to his father and said. ‘Cool T-shirt,’ making him blush and say delightedly, ‘I chose it in Cornwall, where I was with Mum.’
‘Good choice,’ Alegria smiled, before glancing approvingly at his father.
It was hardly surprising that Alegria was attracted to Xavier. Flora experienced a tiny squeeze of jealousy. He was the most attractive man here this evening and, more importantly, free.
Alegria made a point of sitting next to Laurie. Xavier was on his other side. When everyone was settled at the table and there was a lull in the conversation, Xavier asked Flora, sitting across the table from him, if she’d heard from her daughters since being here.
Alegria said. ‘They sound so clever, especially going to uni in the US. I bet they’ll do well. I’m drawing a veil over my schooldays; I feel now, at last, my life has begun. It’s so great earning one’s own money.’
Alegria seemed to have a head start in the job market, Flora thought, and if she followed in her mother’s footsteps she could, one day, be editor of a smart magazine or a top photographer. Her success was all really down to Susie and Matt.
21
Flora drifted through supper
in a reverie about Eadie’s pictures. They were bold and alive and she had a great gift for colour and humour. Flora needed longer to study them, but the vibrant colours, the blue and turquoise of a seascape with a plump mother in a red boat clutching her child by the back of his trousers before he fell in, the father quaffing a large tankard of beer, and a woolly sheep with an evil eye, stayed in her mind, along with the marketplace full of life and movement with touches of humour, a dog running off with a string of sausages, and another plump woman, perhaps the sister of the one in the boat, stuffing herself with cakes. She itched to contact one of her bosses now but she must respect Eadie’s wishes, leave her to come to her own decision.
Nothing more was said about the pictures that night, but the next morning Serge approached Flora after breakfast. He always rather slipped into the background, charming when you spoke to him, but never pushing himself forward. He was an observer, Flora thought now, not sinister or creepy but silent, watchful and obviously very protective of Eadie.
They’d all helped to clear away the breakfast. It was the day that Maryam from the village came in to clean, so everyone tidied their rooms and then made themselves scarce while she worked. Flora had just come out of the kitchen when Serge waylaid her.
‘I always knew Eadie could paint,’ he started, as they wandered out into the garden. ‘She doesn’t know how good she is. Who are these people you want to send photographs to, please, Flora?’ He studied her gravely, wondering if he could trust her. She wished Hugo were here to back up her description of the art gallery and its owners, reassuring Eadie and Serge that they would honour and respect her talent unlike some she knew in the business.
‘I’ve worked for them for years; they have this very successful gallery, which I also have a small share in. They’ve bought the property next door and we open the enlarged gallery in October. I know they will love Eadie’s work and put on a great exhibition for her, if she’d agree.’
Eadie had heard the last sentence. ‘They wouldn’t sell, though, would they?’ she said with a shrug. ‘But I don’t mind people looking at them though, if you think they would enjoy them.’