Dom came to stay at the weekend. Rufus was busy getting his aunt and uncle’s house clean enough for lodgers. He put in an advertisement for them, in the local paper. He and Sophie – usually rather a slapdash cleaner – worked hard at spring cleaning it. Amelia had some towels and sheets and a few kitchen things she didn’t need, that she gave them. They bought curtains and rugs in second-hand shops or even from the tip where other people had left things they no longer wanted.
‘It’s amazing what you can get for very little,’ Sophie said to Dom as they ate breakfast on the Saturday morning. ‘Once we’d given the place a huge clean and a dash of paint, it improved it no end, you must come over and see it.’
‘Okay, if you like.’ Dom did not sound that interested. He’d arrived late last night, tired and rather quiet for him. Amelia had a feeling something was on his mind. He seemed tongue-tied around Sophie. Perhaps he was bored with her going on about the kennels, or annoyed, even jealous, that she’d rather be doing that with Rufus than be with him in their flat in London.
Amelia thought it best to leave them alone. Jamie and Wilfred were coming over later to see to the garden – their present, as they kept assuring her, for taking in Cleo over Christmas. ‘Plan now and plant later,’ Wilfred decreed.
‘I expect I’ll spend much of the day in the garden with them,’ Amelia said. The house was big enough for Sophie and Dom to be alone somewhere, though as it was a clear, crisp day they’d probably want to go out together for a walk.
Jamie and Wilfred arrived promptly at eleven with books on plants and a small iPad to take notes on.
‘Such a sad garden,’ Jamie said, walking round it with her, ‘but don’t worry, darling, we will transform it for you.’
‘It needs to have plants that work all year round,’ Wilfred explained, when they got back inside, rubbing their hands to warm them up. ‘We’ll take those horrid, old-fashioned green shrubs away and we can have pretty things like an early daphne, and a lovely red camellia called Yuletide.’ He pointed to a picture in one of his books, open on the table, of a red flower with deep yellow stamens. ‘There are jasmines, magnolia…’ He pointed out more winter flowering plants, until Amelia felt overwhelmed with choice.
‘At least you have some clumps of snowdrops, cyclamens and things,’ Jamie said, ‘though you need to be more extravagant. You need to make a statement, dear, and you have almost succeeded with those.’
‘But you must let me pay for some of it, you seem to be doing so much.’ She felt they were being over generous, this was hardly Kew Gardens.
‘We won’t hear of it. Remember we get everything cost price and it won’t take us long to plant a few things and after all you can help us, so you’ll feel it is yours,’ Wilfred said. ‘And if anyone remarks on it – which they should, it will be spectacular – you can always give us a little publicity.’ He winked.
They ate a snack lunch with her while they made a list of everything they needed. Wilfred said, ‘I hear there was an upset when you had supper with Vero and Ben last week.’
‘Oh, well sort of. How do you know about it?’ Amelia asked.
‘Ah, these things get about and it’s not the first time that oaf, Hamish, has ruined a party. Don’t know how Rosalind stands it. The other women in his life soon pushed off.’
‘I don’t know her that well,’ Amelia explained.
‘She’s a lovely woman, but Hamish took advantage of her and she married him with the unrealistic mission of “curing” him of the drink. He’s good-looking, I’ll give you that, but when he drinks…’ Jamie lifted his eyes.
‘I don’t think Vero knew that. She liked Rosalind, as I did when I sat next to her at Christmas with Giles, though her husband wasn’t there then. Jules, who was at the dinner too, sorted it out, frogmarched him from the room.’
‘Very brave,’ Wilfred said. ‘Time Rosalind got rid of him if she wants to be invited anywhere.’
They were disturbed by the front door opening. Sophie, with Dom trailing behind, came into the room. Amelia sensed that something was wrong. Sophie looked as if she’d been crying and Dom was ashen. They greeted the two gardeners who were now collecting up their things and about to leave.
‘So, we’ll be in touch soon to come and plant,’ Wilfred said. ‘Best to wait until all chance of frost is over.’
‘I can’t thank you enough, such an amazing present,’ Amelia said, now aware that something monumental had happened between Sophie and Dom.
‘Well, you took in Cleo so we could have our lovely holiday, let’s hope the kennels are up and running again by next Christmas or we may have to ask you to have her again.’ Jamie winked.
‘Long time until then,’ Amelia said, showing them to the door.
When she got back to the kitchen only Dom was there. He looked miserable.
She said, ‘What’s the matter, Dom? Would it help to talk about it?’
He sighed. ‘I told you I might be sent to the US. Well, I’ve been offered to go to Washington. I really want to go. I’ve never lived anywhere but here, and it will be good for my career, essential really. Sophie is upset about it, but she can visit, and I’ll be back for holidays.’
‘It’s a great chance and your firm must think well of you to have chosen you. It’s a shock for Sophie now, but I’m sure she’ll understand in time and look forward to visiting you out there,’ Amelia said to comfort him, shocked this posting had happened so soon, though he had warned her about it.
‘It’s not as if she comes to the flat anymore. I keep asking her, but she says she’s so busy with this kennels thing.’ He looked upset.
‘She tends to get dug in with whichever cause has attracted her. You know that.’ Amelia felt sad for him, for both of them, but they were young, and events were apt to turn up and bring changes. Dom should take whatever his firm offered him if he wanted to get on. If he stayed here and they married it might hold him back in his firm, and he’d come to resent it. It would damage their relationship that way, and what if there was a baby to add to the equation? They had plenty of time to have it all, both of them must follow their dreams. She wondered if he would get rid of the flat in London. If he was going away, Sophie would surely stay here and get on with starting up the kennels, and there was Rufus who was attracted to her. She wondered if Dom had noticed.
It seemed that the time had come when Sophie and Dom must go their own ways, which hopefully would not ruin their relationship, though, if it did, then better now than later when perhaps there were children to think of.