‘So,’ Peter said, lifting his glass. ‘In conclusion I’d just like to say what an honour and pleasure it is to be up here, talking to you all again forty years on. I’d ask you all to raise your glasses with me and wish Jack and Rose good health, good luck and happiness and here’s hoping that they have another forty happy years together. The toast is Rose and Jack.’
To a man, the whole tent lifted its glasses in approval and joined the toast with much stamping and cheering and good humour.
Suzie smiled. Peter’s speech had been longer than she had hoped, but generally not too bad at all. He’d made a few risqué jokes and a couple of snappy one-liners but had generally kept it short, sweet and funny as promised, and had steered well away from the topics of divorce, separation and the mathematical shortcomings of celebrating the whole forty years. In fact, to give the man his due, he hadn’t dwelt too long on the whole marriage thing at all, concentrating instead on Jack and Rose’s life now, though he had given her a big cheesy wink as he drew the speech to its close.
Suzie was just about to get up to invite people to join them outside for the fireworks and give the band the nod, when to her surprise her father got to his feet. He was clutching a paper napkin to his chest. There was much hushing and shushing as he took the microphone from Peter.
‘What the hell is he doing?’ hissed Liz, leaning around the back of her parents so that she could catch Suzie’s eye.
‘I don’t know,’ said Suzie with a pantomime shrug. ‘But at least he knows what’s going on.’
Liz rolled her eyes. ‘You’d like to think so, wouldn’t you, but have you seen how much wine he’s put away tonight? I’m surprised he can still stand.’
Jack tapped the microphone experimentally. ‘One-two, one-two,’ he murmured into it, to good humoured laughter and cheering, before unfolding the napkin, clearing his throat and looking out across the sea of faces.
‘Just before we all break ranks and get on with the serious business of dancing and drinking and generally being merry, I wanted to say a few words. First of all, a great big thank you from Rose and I to the girls and Sam for this wonderful surprise.’ He turned to look at Liz and Suzie as the applause sounded and then, as it died, continued, ‘Some of you here know the long and not always smooth road that Rose and I have travelled together over the years to get to this evening. We’re deeply touched to see you all here tonight and to be able to share this very special evening with you. You know who you are – our good friends and family, those who have shared the ups and downs, the high days and holidays, the sunshine and the stormy weather and all the things in between.’ He was beaming, his eyes bright with joy.
Suzie could hear the emotion in her father’s voice and felt her eyes filling with tears.
‘One thing that has kept Rose and I coming back for more over the years, above and beyond everything else that has happened, is that we have always loved each other. In the best of times, in the worst of times, right down at the bottom of our hearts there was this little given truth that has kept us going. So tonight, while we’re all together, I just want to tell you all how much I love her and how very glad I am that we’ve shared all these years together and I hope with all my heart that we share many, many more. So before we get this party started, I give you a toast, my beautiful Rose—’
As Jack raised his glass to her mum, Suzie felt a great lump in her throat and tears welling up in her eyes. Her father was a strong man, warm and gentle, but she had had no idea just how deep and intense his feelings ran for her mum. Watching the way he looked at Rose now, Suzie felt a great pang of regret. She had to talk to Sam before it was too late. What they had built was also way too precious to lose and whatever the problem was, surely it wasn’t too late to put it right.
As the last of the cheers faded, the band struck up with the opening chords of ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ – which was so much more appropriate than the anniversary waltz – and Jack led Rose down onto the space in front of the band. People cheered and clapped as he guided her expertly around the floor and a few seconds later they were joined by Peter and Mary Hudson, then a handful of others.
*
‘So, have you thought about it?’ Peter whispered in Fleur’s ear as she joined the queue at the bar a little later.
‘Thought about what? I thought you were going to dance the night away with the long-suffering Mary,’ she said.
‘Oh come on, surely you haven’t forgotten already? You and me. Me and you.’ He waved the barmaid over. ‘I’ll have a gin and tonic and an orange juice – and what about you, what are you having?’ he asked, nodding towards Fleur’s glass.
‘I’m just fine, thank you,’ she said, covering the top with her hand.
Peter laughed. ‘Oh come on, you weren’t queuing up here for your health. At least let an old friend get you a drink. What are you having?’
‘I’ll have a white wine spritzer, please,’ she said to the barmaid, handing her the glass.
While the girl busied herself pouring drinks, Peter leant in closer. ‘There, that wasn’t so hard now, was it? Feels just like the good old days.’
Fleur smiled. ‘I thought that we’d already had this conversation. And to be perfectly honest I’m not so sure that they were that good, Peter. What’s to say that if you cheat on one woman that you wouldn’t cheat on another?’
‘Oh come on, don’t be such a prude, Fleur. Last time around we were both playing away. It takes two to tango, you know – and I didn’t exactly have to force you, did I?’
Fleur nodded. ‘You’re right, but you know what? That’s not something I’m particularly proud of. People get hurt . . . and I’ve grown up a lot since then.’
‘Grown up or grown old?’ he said, with nasty little laugh that she guessed was meant to hurt.
‘I would have said wised up, Peter. Anyway,’ she continued, in an effort to lighten the mood. ‘Let’s leave it alone, shall we? There’s no need to get heavy about it.’
‘Who’s getting heavy?’ he said, waving the words away and then, just as she thought he was going to take his drinks and go, he leant in closer and whispered, ‘You maybe want to consider what exactly it is you’re passing up here, honey. There are a lot of women who would like to be in your shoes.’
‘You’re probably right,’ she said, holding on tight to her smile, and deliberately misunderstanding him. ‘Successful businesswoman? World traveller, independent, wealthy?’ Deep down in her handbag she could hear her phone ringing again.
Peter laughed. ‘Come on, sweetie, we both know what I meant. Putting your life on hold, no man, no wedding bells, no kids. All right, professionally you’ve done all right for yourself – but when it comes to your personal life . . .’ he grinned. ‘I mean, honestly . . .’
‘Honestly? ’ said Fleur, feeling something cold and dark and furious flare in her chest. Some people just couldn’t take a hint.
‘An awful lot of women would be grateful I was showing an interest. Let’s face it, I’m a real catch,’ he purred.
‘So’s smallpox,’ Fleur snapped. ‘You wouldn’t know what honest meant if it came up and bit you on the arse. And if you’re trying to bully me into some kind of sordid little fumble while your wife’s back is turned, then boy did you pick the wrong woman . . . sweetie.’
Peter’s face was a picture.
*
They ran and ran, down through the lane, along the footpath and out over the Rec; they ran until all Hannah could hear was the pulse roaring in her ears and she thought her lungs would burst; they ran till her legs felt as if they were on fire. They ran on and on until she didn’t think she could run another step and then they ran some more.
Finally Hannah followed Sadie in through a gap in a hedge and into a derelict farmyard beyond. There was a tumbledown barn and a row of sheds in the yard, which formed an angle framing rusting machinery and crumbling oil and water tanks covered in what looked like a hundred years’ worth of creepers and dead grass.
Inside one of the barns Sadie finally stopped and, setting the bottles of drink down on the ground, collapsed onto the pile of crumbling straw bales, sucking in air like it was going out of style.
‘Oh Jesus, I’ve got a proper stitch now, bloody hell . . . What a run – I thought they were going to catch us for sure,’ Sadie said, rolling over onto her back and drawing her knees up to her chest. ‘Bloody hell. I can barely breathe.’
Tucker threw himself down alongside Sadie, holding the bottles aloft like trophies, while Hannah slumped onto another of the bales.
‘Shame Simon chickened out really, eh?’ said Sadie, still breathing hard. ‘We could have had a proper party then, lit a bonfire, stayed out all night – or you too scared, Han? You wanting to go home already?’ She said it in a mocking baby voice.
‘No, I’m cool, great idea – he’ll be pissed he’s missing out, huh?’ Hannah said, with feigned indifference. She didn’t want to even think about the reception she was going to get when she got home. ‘So where is Simon, anyone know?’
‘Bottled it,’ said Sadie, sitting up to inspect their spoils. ‘He was worried about getting into trouble, so he buggered off home, I reckon. He’s not here anyway and that’s the main thing. But we are.’ She whooped jubilantly. ‘So we get the booze. Come on then, Tucker, let’s deal it out, shall we?’
‘Lightweight,’ said Tucker conversationally, cracking open one of the bottles of blue alcopops and taking a long pull. ‘So, you reckon we should stay here or head back to your place, Sadie?’ he said, wiping the top of the bottle before passing it on to Sadie. Sadie gulped the booze down, gasping as she pulled the bottle away and wiped her lips.
Before she could reply, they heard the whiz and crack of a rocket from somewhere not too far away shooting up into the night sky, followed an instant later by a great chrysanthemum of red and gold flashes against the rolling, slate-grey clouds.
‘Fireworks,’ commented Tucker unnecessarily, as another rocket cracked into the darkness, exploding with a great burst of silver and gold rain in among the stars. ‘Wow, they’re cool. Are they coming from your gran’s place?’
Hannah nodded. She had been looking forward to the fireworks.
‘I love fireworks. We should have maybe hung around a bit longer,’ said Tucker, eyes fixed on the sky.
‘Yeah right, hung around and got caught. Don’t be such a dipstick, Tucker.’
He sniffed. ‘I was only saying. So are we going to your place then?’
‘Dunno,’ she said, handing the bottle on to Hannah. Hannah pretended to take a swig and then another. The drink was sweet and sticky on her lips and it was tempting to have some for real.
Above them a turquoise and yellow cascade of twinkling, clattering sparks lit them up like the flare from a Very pistol.
‘Come on, don’t hog it,’ snapped Tucker. ‘You’re not going to be sick again, are you?’
Hannah shot him a killer look and then licked her lips and passed the bottle back. ‘No, are you ?’ she growled and then to Sadie she said, ‘So are we staying here?’
‘Yeah, that would be a great idea,’ said Tucker. ‘We could light a fire, like you said. It’s getting dark, we could watch the fireworks, it’d be great.’
Sadie laughed. ‘Don’t tell me you’re frightened of the dark, big man.’
Tucker looked hurt. ‘Do I look as if I’m frightened of the dark?’ he said, which made Hannah suspect that he probably was.
He got to his feet and began grubbing around for paper and sticks, but Sadie stopped him.
‘If we light a fire here someone is just bound to spot it. Last thing we want is the law sniffing round. No, we’ll give it a minute or two and then head round to my place. We should have the place to ourselves. Give Hannah’s family a chance to head on by if they’re chasing us, and if not – well, what’s the rush?’
Above them a lime-green flash lit up the night like a lurid unhealthy sun.
‘Cool,’ whispered Tucker.