My mouth fell open as I watched Lydia get to her feet and throw a glass of wine in the face of her two-minute date. Wide-eyed, I turned to Ginger who I was fully expecting to storm over and make a fuss but to my surprise instead of losing her temper, she quickly rang the bell signalling our dates were over, then accosted a barman to get a refill for Lydia.
As Lydia’s date walked away swearing like a sailor, I excused myself from the spotty looking lad opposite me that was blatantly under age and joined Lydia at her table.
Her cheeks were as red as pokers and from the muscle twitching in her left jaw I could tell she was just as fiery inside. ‘You all right?’ I asked cautiously.
‘Fine,’ she replied tightly.
‘Fancy some fresh air?’
‘What a wonderful idea,’ she breathed.
Together we took our drinks out to the pub garden and sat at one of the tables near the road. Despite the balmy temperatures of earlier, the evening had now turned chilly and so we huddled under the patio heater clutching our drinks.
‘So what was all that about then?’ I asked when I saw Lydia’s face return to a more normal shade.
‘He was very rude,’ she growled. ‘If I’d have been closer I would have kicked him in his meringues.’
‘What are you talking about?’ I asked, baffled, but Lydia said nothing.
I leaned back in the wooden chair and looked at Lydia, feeling concerned. On my way home my thoughts had been full of Jack and Lydia. I was delighted to at last have found an address for him and had planned on telling Lydia all about it after our speed dating evening. Only looking at her now, I wondered whether I ought to say something, after all. There was something about her behaviour that worried me. She was continually changing, wanting to take risks that seemed far too sudden. The moment I got home I found that not only had she had her hair cut into a very flattering bob, but she had found a driving instructor and planned on learning to drive within the next few days. It was all just a bit too much. I mean, I was all for improving yourself and your life but it seemed like Lydia was rushing into things. I half wondered about talking to Luke about it – but with him so far away I didn’t want to worry him, especially with a baby due in a few months. Now, as I witnessed another swift change in mood I wondered if it wasn’t better to keep this latest development to myself, at least for the moment.
The sound of a glass shattering to the floor behind us dragged me from my thoughts and I turned back to my friend. ‘So do you feel like going back inside and checking out the rest of the men?’
Lydia made a face. ‘No, thank you, Erin. Once bitten, twice shy.’
‘That bad, eh?’
‘I have never been so insulted in all my life!’ Lydia said in a low voice, the amber light from the patio heater giving her eyes a furious glow. ‘That man suggested doing unspeakable things with fondant fancies, Erin. I’m sorry, you were right, speed dating isn’t for me at all.’
If the look on her face wasn’t so incredibly sad, I would have burst out laughing. ‘Look,’ I began, keeping my tone gentle, ‘speed dating is pretty horrible for most people. In a way you got lucky.’
Lydia looked at me as if I had lost my mind. ‘How on earth do you work that out?’
I sipped my fizz and wondered how best to phrase it. ‘Well, at least you got the nutter out of the way early so you didn’t waste your whole evening. Otherwise you’d have sat through a long line of boring, sexist, creepy dates before getting to the mentalist. This way, you can reclaim some of your night back.’
‘I’ll drink to that.’ She grinned, holding her glass to mine.
As I clinked glasses with her, I took another sip and looked up at the sky. There was a full moon and the stars were out in force, illuminating the creamy stone buildings so they looked almost ethereal.
‘So didn’t you meet anyone nice then?’ Lydia asked.
‘Nah.’ I shook my head as I met her gaze. ‘These things aren’t for me either. It’s always seemed a very unnatural way to meet someone and you know what, Lydia, I don’t even want to. I just want to be on my own for a while. Lick my wounds and recover in peace.’
Lydia leaned over and clasped my hand. ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have organised something like this without talking to you first. I thought it would be a bit of fun, something we could giggle over. Something to mark off the bucket list.’
‘Don’t be daft,’ I said firmly. ‘There’s nothing to be sorry about. It was a bit of fun. I mean the way you threw that drink in that man’s face was definitely something I’d want to tick off my bucket list.’
Lydia shuddered. ‘Vile little man. I hope he never gets his meringues into firm peaks.’
‘I’m not even going to ask,’ I muttered, taking another sip of wine. ‘So is that what the driving lessons are about then? Something else to tick off the bucket list?’
‘No, this is something I want to do for me,’ she said firmly.
‘Okay,’ I replied slowly. ‘So who is this driving instructor?’
‘Tracey.’ She grinned, the joy in her voice audible. ‘She says she would be more than happy to take me on, that she thinks anyone of any age can drive as long as they’re patient and committed.’
I nodded, thinking she sounded very sensible. ‘When do you start?’
‘Next week,’ Lydia sighed. ‘I wanted to learn in the E-Type but Tracey says that unless that car has dual controls, whatever that is, she’ll teach me in her Fiesta.’
‘I think that’s a good idea,’ I replied. ‘You’ll feel a lot safer that way.’
‘Thanks for your support. I was a bit worried you would think it yet another mad scheme. I do know I’m making a lot of changes and I suppose they must all seem a bit odd. The thing is, Erin, since you’ve been living with me, I feel young again. You’re making me realise anything is possible and I don’t want to miss out.’
I burst out laughing. ‘Don’t look at me for inspiration, my life’s one big mess.’
‘Don’t you dare criticise yourself like that,’ she said crossly. ‘That’s my friend you’re talking about.’
At the mention of the word friend, I felt something tug at my heart. In these past few weeks we had become a lot more than landlady and lodger – we had moved onto friendship, and it was wonderful, chaotic and, above all else, fun. I gulped another mouthful of prosecco and eyed Lydia thoughtfully. If we were friends, I didn’t want to keep secrets from her any more – she deserved better than that.
‘Lydia, I’ve got something to tell you,’ I began boldly.
She said nothing as she gazed dreamily into the distance.
‘Lydia, did you hear me?’ I asked, trying again over the loud chatter of other drinkers.
‘Yes of course I heard you,’ she said sharply. ‘I was waiting for you to get on with it.’
‘Oh,’ I said, feeling a little wrong-footed. ‘Well, there’s no easy way to say this, but, well, I think I’ve found Jack.’
Her head almost did an Exorcist style turn as her eyes swivelled to meet mine. ‘What?’
‘I think I’ve found Jack,’ I said, my voice unsteady. ‘I didn’t help Rachel today, I lied. I’m sorry. Instead I went to London, Islington to be precise, and met a lady who is still in touch with him. Vera Elwood.’
‘It doesn’t ring any bells,’ Lydia replied sharply. ‘Where did you find this woman?’
‘Though a community group on Facebook.’ I explained. ‘She says she was a neighbour of yours and Jack’s. He was best friends with her brother Freddie.’
‘Not Vera Burnley?’ Lydia gasped. ‘You met Vera? I thought she was dead.’
‘Still very much alive, and now named Vera Elwood’ I confirmed. ‘Remembers you and Jack as if it were yesterday. But of course, she didn’t have an address for you.’
‘Nobody did, it seemed.’ Lydia replied sadly. ‘How was she?’
‘Fine,’ I murmured, deciding to leave out the part about her having Alzheimer’s for now. ‘Though Freddie died last year.’
‘Poor Freddie,’ she said sadly. ‘Always such a kind man. He and Jack were thick as thieves.’
‘Well, Jack not only came for the funeral but also wrote to Vera last week,’ I explained. ‘I’ve got an address for him, I thought you might like to write.’
I handed over the carefully folded piece of paper I had been carrying in my purse all day. Just the simple act of passing it onto the right person felt like a massive burden had been lifted from my shoulders. As Lydia unfolded the note, she read the words on the sheet and then looked at me doubtfully.
‘Paris?’ she asked. ‘Are you sure?’
I nodded. ‘Quite sure. Vera says Jack has been living there for a few years now. He apparently started a new life for himself after his wife died.’
‘He was married?’ Lydia gasped.
‘As were you,’ I pointed out gently. ‘He could only wait so long.’
She clutched the piece of paper to her chest and I was alarmed to see tears stream down her cheeks like rivers. I quickly moved beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, wanting to hold and comfort her as if she were no more than a child.
‘Are you all right? I was so worried about telling you, and I can see I shouldn’t have. All this is just a bit too much to deal with isn’t it? Especially on top of meringue man.’
At that Lydia laughed, and pulled away from my embrace.
‘Don’t be silly,’ she sniffed. I watched her pull out a neatly ironed hankie from her handbag and smiled. Despite all the changes Lydia had been making in her life, it was good to see some things remained the same.
‘Is that why you didn’t tell me you were going to London today? Because you thought I’d be upset?’ she asked eventually.
‘I wasn’t sure,’ I said truthfully. ‘I didn’t even know if Vera was genuine. The last thing I wanted to do was get your hopes up if it turned out to be someone winding us up.’
Lydia patted my hand. ‘Very thoughtful, dear, but I’m not upset, I’m excited. It looks as though after all these years I’m going to be reunited with Jack, and, Erin my darling, it’s all down to you.’