Dora was drinking a cup of English breakfast tea with her mother and her brother in the residents’ breakfast lounge, at their Arts & Crafts Hotel, as Handel’s ‘Water Music’ was playing its jovial tune on the iPlayer. Richmond, the photography tutor, was neither Dora’s nor her mother’s favourite person, but he’d seemingly, of late, got his act together and was driving the photography class to Bourton-on-the-Water in the minibus that Wednesday morning, for a lesson on how to capture reflections over the River Windrush.
‘If this music is supposed to wake me up gently, Mother, it’s not working. It’s just bloody annoying after the session I had with Jodie last night!’ Dora snapped, holding her head.
‘Well, whose fault it that, I wonder? Anyway this music is supposed to be inspiring for our photography guests. Nothing to do with you, you silly child! Is Jodie still asleep?’
‘She wants to sleep in until at least midday, she told me, because it’s so blissfully quiet here. So after we’ve had our meeting, me and Jodie are going out for lunch somewhere. So can we crack on with things!’
‘God! Do you two ever come up for air?’ Stuart griped, shaking his head slowly. ‘Look, are we going to talk about things now or what? I was up bloody early this morning to drive up here for this meeting. And even though I love you both dearly and would like to stay a bit longer I really do need to get back to my own hotel. I’m not blessed with time to slouch around like you two.’
‘There’s no slouching here, son! We’re your father’s family. It’s not our way,’ Yvonne stated, indignantly.
‘Look, Stuart, it’s not just the hotel; my fiftieth is coming up in a few months’ time and I think that alone warrants some thought. But on the other hand, Mum’s a bit of an old croc now and doesn’t want to be doing this forever more, do you, Mother dear?’
‘There’s nothing like being disrespected by one’s children!’
‘There certainly isn’t, Mother, and that’s why I’m so pleased you enjoy it! Anyway, what do you want to do about things?’
Yvonne poured herself another cup of tea, offering the teapot to her children. They shook their heads. She glanced around the dining room and sighed. The breakfast things still needed clearing off the tables and Debbie was late in again today. What was it with her ruddy staff these days? Weren’t they motivated enough with better than average wages, six weeks’ holiday pay with additional time off for their birthdays, Christmas and emergencies, no questions asked? Or was it something else? It was certainly getting her down. It never used to.
‘Right, well, I don’t want to be a useless old stick at any age. I’m still fit at eighty-nine. I’m not on tablets. If I take up residence in an old people’s home, I’ll be fit for the scrap heap. I had thought about getting a little cottage or a little flat somewhere. But I’m not so sure where. And I think that with your fiftieth birthday fast approaching it’s a good time for you to start thinking about things too, Dora. You’ve been a wandering minstrel for far too long. But I’m not sure it would work out if you and I moved in together somewhere. I think we need to find our own new lives now. However, I will say you’ve been a great help to me and great company these past few years. Yet nor would I want to put on you, Stuart, and demand you leave Devon and come up here to take over things. Other than that, I really don’t know, dear children. What are your thoughts?’
Stuart shifted uncomfortably and looked down at his hands.
‘Okay well, I think it’s probably time you sold. The reason being, I have a life – no – I have a great life in Devon with Hazel and Steph. We’ve already discussed things and none of us wants to move up here to take over this place. You have far too many problems with people like Richmond for starters. He should be ousted as the photography guy and you should either change the course or get a more reliable tutor. It’s as simple as that, Mother. But I think you have to decide what you want out of life, before you start questioning everything and everyone else. And what about Aunt Philippa? Couldn’t you move down there or move in with her? She’s got that lovely big house and that annex and you get on okay.
‘Southampton’s still a great city with London a stone’s throw away. That’s what I’d really want for you because then you’d have some permanent company and lots to do in your spare time. Of course, you’re not short of a bob or two, so in all honesty you could live anywhere you wanted, at home or abroad. But I think you need familial company at your time of life and I think Philippa is the best person to give you that. What say you, sis?’
‘Well, to be honest, I agree with everything you say, Stuart. You should definitely sell, Mother. And I also think you should move back down south to be near Philippa. You’re both healthy women with similar interests. Dad’s brother is still in the area; it’s where we’re all from originally and I wouldn’t mind going back there myself. Hey, it’s been fun being here. And, sure, I’d miss stuff like sitting out in our lovely garden and the friends we’ve made around here. But the older I’ve got the more I crave family and old friends around me. So, yeah, it’s time for another life change now.’
‘You and your changes, child! But this time I actually agree with you,’ Yvonne said, and sipped her tea. ‘Hmmm. Well, okay, I’ll admit I’ve been doing a bit of thinking myself and what I think is this: I will sell. I’ve been speaking to my sister and she says she’d love me to move in because – like you say, Dora, we like similar things. Plus she’s been feeling lonely and we’re of a certain age, of course. So we’ll probably try that. But you, Dora, you need your own space, a place to call home. So both your immediate inheritances from me, apart from when I finally croak, of course, will be a straight half cut from the sale proceeds of the hotel. And you’ll only get yours, Dora, as long as you buy yourself a little place somewhere with it. In other words, I expect you to finally put down some roots, darling. Okay? I will also give you both these inheritances on the proviso that you come visit your poor old mum on a regular basis, as I don’t only want to speak to Philippa for the rest of my life. And you need to stop messing around with that bloody Botox or whatever it is you’re doing, Dora, because it’s ruining your looks!’
***
Rat-a-tat went Stacy’s door.
Who the hell is that? she thought. No one ever banged on her door. She took a final swig of her morning coffee, tightened the towel around her wet hair and secured her dressing gown belt because she was naked underneath after her shower. Then she cautiously opened the door.
The corridor beyond her door was dark because the lighting had failed again, something she’d mentioned to her mother the previous evening, during their first telephone conversation since she’d stayed with them to recuperate. Her mother had rung to see how she liked her newly redecorated flat and to find out how she was doing. Ordinary family stuff that Stacy had never experienced before. At least her mother’s phone conversation proved she was actually interested in her daughter’s wellbeing, now, for some reason. Or had she finally awoken to the importance of family? Her mother told her she would ring every week if she’d like.
‘Well, I’ll ring you sometimes,’ Stacy had said, with what she hoped had been a smile in her voice because she actually thought it was going to be nice reconnecting with her mother again after such a long time apart.
Her next-door neighbour, John, was standing on the mat in front of her.
‘Oh, hi, Stace. Sorry. You just up? Sorry!’
‘Um, yes I’m just up. So what did you want? I’ve got lots to do today.’
Stacy felt highly uncomfortable standing in front of a stranger when she wasn’t ready to receive guests or otherwise. Besides, what did he want now? All he’d ever done in the past was moan about her cats and complain. She had no time for Moaning Minnies, even though he had contacted her parents about her fall.
‘Um, well I just wanted to say thanks for the card you gave me. Didn’t spot it till this morning. It went under the mat, you see. Not that I’m saying I don’t clean up much. But I rarely move that mat unless I’m having a real good clean throughout. You didn’t need to give me a card, though. I only did what anyone would’ve done. But thanks anyway. Er, and you’re okay now, are you?’
Stacy didn’t like the fact that he was dressed but smelt as though he hadn’t showered recently. She tried not to turn her nose up in disgust. But it happened anyway.
‘Yeah, I’m fine,’ she managed. ‘Thanks for saving me. But I’ve, um, got stuff to do now. So I’ll see you later. Right, bye then!’
She didn’t wait for his reply but turned and closed the door. At least she hadn’t slammed it.
Her breakfast eggs were boiling away in the pan on the hob, with two minutes to go. Stacy had never even been able to have her favourite brekkie of six-minute boiled eggs and toast soldiers because there were always so many other things to do first thing in the mornings, when she had the cats. Things like having to get up really early to sort out all the cat food and change their cat litter plus giving them all a little pat or cuddle every single day. Melanie, especially, had loved lots of little cuddles. Breakfast, for herself, used to be a snatched banana or yoghurt because it was easiest. She didn’t know herself now, sitting down to what her mother would call a proper breakfast of cereal followed by eggs of some sort, toast and tea or coffee. It felt luxurious to actually have the time to do that, for once.
That said, she was missing her little kitties. She wondered how Pooch, Rover and Chater were faring now. They had socialisation problems and how would anyone know about all that unless they took the time to find out? She wanted to ring Cats Protection to see if they’d housed them yet. But, like her mother said, they would only probably reassure her they were okay, no matter what was going on with them, whether they’d managed to secure new homes for them, or not.
She had to stop thinking about all these unpleasant things. But what else was there to do, now, either side of work? She’d lied to John when she’d told him she had lots to do. It was Saturday and she had nothing to do now her kitties were elsewhere. Maybe she should get the bus and go to one of the supermarkets instead of the corner shop? Yes. She could do that. She’d always wanted to have the freedom to do that. Oh well, that was worth drying off for and getting dressed, instead of mooching around the flat or watching morning TV. But she promised herself that morning TV was going to be a special treat for later in the week.
Goodness, she wouldn’t know herself!
***
‘Okay, Mum, sit down. I’ve, er, I’ve got something to tell you,’ Gracie began after they’d put the breakfast things in the dishwasher and before they went to do their weekly shop at Waitrose, as they usually did every Saturday morning.
Marjorie always felt worried when anyone said they had something to tell her. It was especially worrying if they also added that they wanted her to sit down, as if preparing her for something awful. But Marjorie already had an inkling what was coming; she’d been waiting for this particular conversation for a while now, despite Gracie always telling her she was happy they were living together.
‘You’ve met someone!’ Marjorie said, folding her arms, leaning against the sink.
Her daughter looked surprised. ‘Well, um, yes! I have actually.’
Marjorie’s tut slipped out before she could restrain it.
She hadn’t meant to tut. Well, maybe deep down she had. But she hadn’t thought it would escape quite so successfully. What she’d really wanted to say was, ‘Oh, that’s great news!’ She wouldn’t have meant that, either, but it’s what she should have said.
Trouble was, it meant things were moving at a speedier pace than she’d hoped they would. She still hadn’t managed to pick up the phone and speak to someone about the devastating impact Oliver had had on her life and she certainly needed to speak to someone about that. Otherwise how could she move forward? She also wanted to make friends at the Afternoon Tea Club because it was the most likely of places for that to happen. But things like that rarely happened quickly; they happened at their own pace. And even though Marjorie had sort of wanted these things to happen, for both their sakes, she hadn’t wanted them to happen until she was ready.
So even though she thought she’d mentally prepared herself for it, Gracie’s news had still taken Marjorie by surprise. Plus Gracie had recently pooh-poohed the idea of finding love again. At least if Gracie had informed her she was ready to look for love, rather than saying she’d already met someone, it would’ve given Marjorie the time she needed to fully adjust to that idea.
She shook her head by way of an apology. ‘I didn’t mean that.’
‘Didn’t you?’ said Gracie, crossing her own arms defensively.
Marjorie then took her daughter’s face in her hands and stared deeply into her eyes.
‘That tut was for me. Don’t you understand, darling? Look, I wanted you to find someone else way before you and Harry started divorce proceedings, once you told me what he’d done. But since moving in with you – since being with my precious, wonderful, funny daughter on a day-to-day basis – well …’ Marjorie felt tears pricking. ‘Since then I’ve known no other life. I’ve wanted no other life. Yet despite all that, I’ve always known that one day you’d fly the nest, for a second time. And me? Well, I’ve realised two things. One, I need to get over Oliver. I need to talk to someone about that time and move on. And two, I want you to find some happiness with someone who is wonderful and completely right for you. And so that tut was me realising that everything has to happen a lot faster than it has been. So I’m going to ring my doctor this very minute and go talk to her. Not before time, I know. I might also see if she can prescribe me something for my anxiety.’
‘Oh, Mum, I’m so sorry,’ Gracie whispered, stepping forward and hugging her mother, as their tears started to flow.
They were both lamenting the passage of time, Marjorie thought, despite realising the future would very probably bring a hopeful new and exciting beginning for them both.