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A ‘Happy Eighteenth’ banner was strung above the bar, and a few helium balloons were bouncing near the ceiling. April, June, and May were sitting at a table, Steve and Adam were leaning against the bar, but there was no sign of Harold. There were quite a few people she didn’t recognise, and some villagers who she did recognise.
“I thought you said it was family.”
“It is, mostly,” Matt replied. “But this is a village.”
“So?”
“We’ve been here all our lives, most of these people have known us since forever. Besides, Uncle Jimmy won’t shut the pub—bad for business.” He chuckled and kissed her ear before straightening. “And there’s the birthday boy himself. Nate!” He raised his hand in a wave.
Lily checked her pocket for the hundredth time since leaving the cottage with Matt. They’d gone into town after college on Monday and Lily had gone on her own to buy presents. The twins had tried to wheedle out of her what she’d bought, but she refused to tell.
The week had passed quietly. From the drama and chaos of the weekend it was a relief, but she knew they couldn’t drift along forever. She hadn’t been able to see Drew in the evenings, studying was taking up a lot of time, and they’d alternate between cottages to study together. Except Matt’s, they didn’t go there, not even to the mill. They’d decided to stick to their original plan of waiting it out, but it was hard when the two people they wanted to convince had the attitude of ‘if we can’t see her, she doesn’t exist’. Matt had asked about a sleepover, but they were adamant only the twins and Nate were welcome, no other friends were allowed. They hadn’t even mentioned her name, just ‘other friends’.
Her mother hadn’t brought up moving or taking the tablets again. But then again, she hadn’t said much over the week. She didn’t mention Drew or the boys, talking only about college and her paintings. An awkward, tense atmosphere hung over them, and Lily hated it, but she had no idea how to fix it.
“Hey! Why the long face?” Nate bent forward to catch her gaze.
She shoved everything else aside, this was his birthday party, and she wasn’t going to rain on it.
“Hi, birthday boy. How does it feel to be eighteen and able to drink?” She smiled at him.
“Weird.” He laughed. “I ordered a pint and expected Uncle Jimmy to send me packing.”
Matt wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “C’mon, Lil, give him the present, we’ve been waiting all week to find out what you got him.”
Lily laughed and handed the gift to Nate. “It’s nothing amazing. Just made me think of you.”
“Is it a Mr Bossy t-shirt?” Jake bounced up and slung his arm around Nate’s shoulder.
“Or a “I’m bossy and I know it” button badge?” Josh appeared on Nate’s other side and winked at Lily. “Cause either of those would remind us of you, Nate.”
“Fuck off.”
“Language, Ignatius.”
“Sorry, Mother.” He sent May a wicked grin as she came up to them. “Josh? Va te faire foutre.”
“I can speak French too,” May drawled and shook her head. “C’mon, your dad wants to do his speech.”
“Oh, no, he promised.” Nate looked defeated, while the twins high-fived in delight.
“He didn’t exactly promise, he just said he’d think about it,” May corrected him.
“C’mon, Lily Pad, you do not want to miss this.” Josh indicated with his head to follow them.
“Salaud.” Nate glared at him.
“I can still speak French.” May poked him in the shoulder as she followed them.
“Bastard is not a swear word, and is in fact, technically correct,” Nate said.
“He’s right.” Josh looked back at Lily. “We are bastards.”
“What?” Lily frowned as she trailed behind, Matt’s arm still around her.
“Aunt April and Uncle Steve weren’t married when they were born. They didn’t get married until we were about five. I remember the humiliation well,” Matt told her.
“No, you do not.” May threw over her shoulder. “You were three and a half, not five, and so cute. You’ve only seen the pictures.”
“Which are enough to cause extreme and lasting trauma. We are scarred forever.” Matt mock shuddered, making her laugh.
“I take it your outfits weren’t to your tastes.” Lily giggled at the thought.
“They put us in red velvet suits with white frilly collars and cuffs. The shorts ended at the knee and made walking almost impossible. And we had to carry the most hideous flower arrangements known to man,” Matt told her.
“Nonsense, they looked adorable.” May smirked at Lily.
“Do you still have the photos?” Lily asked her.
“No.” Matt almost shouted.
“Yes, we do. Next time you’re over we’ll get them out and we can look through them together,” May said with glee.
“Aunty!” Matt whined.
She smiled sweetly at him and went to join Adam, who was standing on a chair by the bar, tapping a spoon against a glass for attention.
“Welcome, everyone. As you all know, it’s our boy’s eighteenth birthday!”
A round of shouting and clapping drowned out his next words. Matt led her to the bar and picked up plastic cups of lemonade for them. They sat on the bar stools and turned around to listen.
“And he’s always been a good boy. We’ve been very lucky with his behaviour.”
Nate cringed in the seat his mum had pushed him into. The twins stood behind him, patting his head like a dog. He tried to give them the finger but May grabbed his hand and held it in her lap, refusing to let go. Nate caught Lily’s gaze and rolled his eyes. She laughed when he mimed being hung by his neck, his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth. May slapped him gently on the back of his head, and he glared at her.
“We didn’t know whether he would survive, whether he’d succumb to the infection.”
Lily was caught by Adam’s words, and she looked up at him.
“You all know the details, as many of you were with us through those fraught months until we could finally bring him home from the hospital. Looking at him now, no one would know he had to fight for his life. But that’s Nate—determined from the start. Son, you know we’re proud of you, I’m proud of you. Whatever you do, wherever you go in life, nothing will ever take that pride away from us. You’ve grown into an intelligent, kind, loyal young man. I could never ask for more from you.” He paused. “Your mother, however, will be nagging for grandkids if you haven’t provided her with any by the time you reach thirty.”
“Adam!” May shook her head in dismay as everyone laughed.
Nate took his glasses off and covered his face with his hand. The twins said something that made May turn and take a swipe at them. They recoiled, laughing, and Lily knew they’d been teasing Nate.
“Happy birthday, Son. We love you.”
“Happy birthday!” rang out, and Lily lifted her glass to Nate. He grinned at her and then his attention was taken by people wishing him well.
Matt put his arm around her shoulders again. “One down, two to go.”
“What?”
“Birthdays. The twins share theirs, obviously, and mine is at the—”
“Matthew, aren’t you going to introduce us?”
Lily looked up from her drink to see a tall, thin lady bearing down on them with an equally tall man beside her.
“Grandmother, Grandfather. This is Lily Adair.”
Lily slid from her stool and held out her hand to shake. “Hello, it’s nice to meet you both.”
His grandmother arched an elegant eyebrow ignoring her hand. Lily couldn’t see a resemblance, but if she had to guess she’d say she was the maternal grandmother. Going by the sneer of disdain aimed in her direction, Lily was sure that June had identified her as the scarlet woman who was leading her grandsons into sin.
“Hello, young lady.” His grandfather took her hand in a firm shake and beamed at her. There was the resemblance; it was in his eyes and smile.
“Hello, sir.” She smiled back at him, and his eyes flashed with wicked humour.
“I can see what drew Matt’s attention to you, my lovely. Those dimples.”
“It wasn’t just the dimples, although they are a plus, aren’t they?” Matt put his arm around her shoulders.
His grandmother sniffed and lifted her head. “I’m going to speak to Ignatius.” She swept away, shaking her head.
“Talk to me, boy.”
“Gramps.” Matt moved into a back-slapping hug with him. “You know?”
“June was on the phone for most of the night.”
Lily’s cheeks heated, and she dropped her gaze to her drink. His finger lifted her chin, and she looked straight into the older man’s eyes.
“Don’t you hang your head in shame, or embarrassment, my lovely. My grandsons are incredible young men, and I’m not in the least bit surprised you can’t choose between them. And if they’ve all chosen you, then you must be as special as they think you are.”
She searched his eyes, her smile growing as she saw the honesty in him. “Thank you, sir.”
“Call me Gramps, you’re family now. You probably have your own grandad, but what’s one more, eh?”
Lily didn’t know if she had grandparents or not. Her mother had said they weren’t around and Lily had always taken that to mean they were dead, but now she wasn’t so sure what to make of anything her mother told her.
“Hey, Gramps. Where’s Grand Mama?” Josh came over with Jake and put his hand on his Grandad’s shoulder.
“You live for trouble, don’t you?” He chuckled. “If she hears you calling her that, you’ll cop it.”
“She’d have to catch us first.” Jake leant his chin on Josh’s shoulder and raked his gaze down the black fitted dress she was wearing, before meeting her gaze and smirking at her.
“Aren’t you two reprobates going to say hello to your girl?” Gramps inquired, one eyebrow arched.
“Ours? No. She’s Matt’s, not ours, his. She’s his.” Josh stumbled over the words.
“Did you just lie to your grandfather?” He tilted his head at them.
“You know?”
“June.” It was all he said, but it was all they needed. “My lovely, can I leave you with these mischievous imps while I speak to Matthew? If they misbehave, a sharp smack to the back of the head usually works.”
She frowned at Matt, was he going to get a roasting because of her?
He winked at her and kissed her cheek. “It’s okay, he just wants to know I’m all right. Can you get the twins to rescue Nate from Grandmother, please?”
She nodded and looked for Nate as Matt went with the older man. She spotted him talking to his grandmother, but there was no sign of his parents. “C’mon. Let’s rescue Nate.” She indicated with her head towards Nate.
“He’s okay.” They both took a step back at the same time.
Lily lifted her eyebrows at them. “Really?”
“He’s fine. Besides, we need a drink,” Josh hedged, pulling a face at Jake.
“You should be ashamed of yourselves,” she said, poking them in the chests. “I hadn’t realised you were cowards.”
“We aren’t,” Josh muttered. “We’re just not ready to die yet.”
Lily rolled her eyes and made her way through the throngs of people and came up behind his grandmother. She hesitated when she heard the sharp tone in the older woman’s voice.
“You’re too smart to throw everything away.”
“I’m not throwing—”
“Don’t interrupt me.” Her back was ramrod straight, her chin high. “The twins will never amount to much beyond their father’s garage. Matt is directionless, head in the clouds, life will pass him by before he realises it’s started, but you? You know what you want; your future as an oral surgeon is within your reach. If you don’t let anything distract you, you’ll be on Harley Street before you’re thirty.”
“I don’t want to be an oral—”
“Of course you do.” She swept his objection aside. “Don’t be stubborn, Ignatius, it’s what you’ve worked for.”
Lily jumped as Adam moved beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder. His face was blank, but his eyes were narrowed.
“Grandmother, I really—”
“Don’t argue.” She straightened the collar of his white shirt. “Trust me. When you have your own practise, your clientele won’t want to think their surgeon’s bit on the side is also his cousin’s bit on the side.”
“Bit on the side?” Nate choked, his face going puce.
Lily had heard enough and tried to move, but Adam held her in place with his hand.
“Well, you won’t want to marry her. You couldn’t possibly marry someone little better than a common slut. But marry correctly and it can advance—”
“Judith, how reliable of you to turn up with your wise words for my son. Tell me, have you heard from Peter recently?”
Her lips pinched together, a white line around her mouth as fury burned in her eyes. Lily briefly wondered who Peter was, before her concern for Nate swept it away.
“You look dry.” Adam took her elbow. “Come, let’s get you a drink. May has your favourite.”
He guided her away from Nate, patting his shoulder as he went.
“What the hell, Nate?” Lily moved towards him.
“That’s my grandmother. Ice runs through her veins, and poison pumps her heart.” His voice was bitter, but then he sighed. “I shouldn’t say that.”
“Well, it would appear to be the truth.” Lily pushed him into one of the high-backed benches by the window. She slid in beside him and gripped his hand underneath the table. “Do you want to be a dentist?”
“What?”
Lily shifted in her seat and leant towards him. Indignation for him still running high. “I heard her. You do what you want to do. If you want to be a dentist, you be a dentist. If you want to be a cleaner in a supermarket, you be a bloody cleaner in a supermarket. The cleaners of this world are just as important as anyone else, maybe more important. How would surgeons keep people alive in a dirty theatre? To hell with what anyone else says. Don’t take a job you don’t want just to keep her happy. She won’t be around forever, and you’ll be stuck in a job that sucks.”
He stared at her, and she panicked. Had she gone too far? Overstepped a line? It was his grandmother, and blood was thicker than water. She tried to draw her hand away, but he tightened his grip.
“I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“You didn’t.” May sat down opposite them.
Lily jumped, not realising she was there, let alone listening. Heat washed through her face, and she tried again to withdraw her hand from Nate’s, but he wasn’t letting her go. Instead he lifted their joined hands to rest on the table.
“You just told him what we’ve been telling him since he was seven. Every time she sees Nate she goes on, has done since we made the grave mistake of telling her he wanted to be a dentist.”
“I don’t even want my own practise, I just want to work in the local orthodontist’s,” he explained.
“My mother is”—May hesitated—“worried about how things appear to other people.”
“Was Hazel her mother?” Lily asked.
“Yes, she was. It may have stemmed from that, to be honest. She was always embarrassed by her. I believe she was picked on because the other kids thought Hazel was a witch. Silly nonsense, of course, but it still made her life unhappy.” May looked at Nate. “She means well, though.”
“She said Matt won’t do anything with his life at all. And the twins will be mechanics for the rest of theirs,” Nate told her.
“She’s probably right about the twins. But it’s an excellent job to have in the family. All our cars get repaired at cost.” She grinned at them. “And Matt? He’ll find his way. He just needs to find what motivates him.”
Before Nate could say anything a few of the locals were leaving, and they came over to wish Nate the best. Lily moved to let him get out and sat back down watching him.
“You care about him a lot,” May observed.
“I do,” Lily said. “He’s stubborn, bossy, and arrogant sometimes, but he’s loyal, kind, and I’ve never met anyone like him before.” She watched him as he shook hands with an elderly gentleman.
“I was worried when you first came here,” May revealed, getting up. “But I don’t need to be, do I? You’re going to be good for them.” She smiled at Lily and moved away to talk to someone else.
Lily let out a deep breath, slumping down. Her stomach rumbled, and she looked over at where a buffet had been set up in the family area. She was hungry, but she was too lazy to get up. She could see the twins making their way down the buffet, piling their plates with food. She debated getting her phone out and texting them to get her some but couldn’t be bothered. She’d nick stuff from their plates if they brought them back here.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw the door open and a man come in. She did a double take, but she only had a side profile as he went to the bar and ordered a drink. He looked just like Gerry Pringle, the owner of the gallery that showed her mother’s paintings. But what would he be here for? Her mother hadn’t said he was coming down, and he’d never turned up out of the blue before.
Whoever it was had the same steel grey hair brushed to perfection. He was dressed similarly with a red waistcoat over a white shirt, blue jeans and formal black shoes. It couldn’t be him, but he was a dead ringer. She debated taking a sneaky picture and showing her mum for a laugh. Lily loved to tease her about the way he flirted with her, but now she wasn’t sure how her mother would react.
Three months ago and she’d have been certain her mother would have laughed along with her. But this wasn’t three months ago. She watched Mr Doppelganger for a few moments and then saw the twins head her way. Between them they had three plates and she sat up, hopeful the third was for her. She looked back at Mr Doppelganger as he turned in her direction. The resemblance was even stronger, and she drew her phone out to take a photo. When she looked up from finding her camera app he’d gone.
“Hope you’re hungry.” The twins put the plates on the table and sat opposite her.
She tried to see where the man had gone, but there was no sign of him.
“Earth to Lily Pad.” Josh pushed a plate towards her. “If you don’t want it, we’ll eat it.”
“I’m starving, thanks.” Her plate was piled high. “I’m not sure I’ll get through all of this though. There’s four slices of quiche here. What are you trying to do? Fatten me up for the slaughter?”
“That’s reserves.” Josh grinned and put a baby tomato into his mouth.
“Reserves? Ah, so when I finish, leaving half of it, you get the rest.”
“You are smart, Lily Pad, it’s no wonder you love us.” Jake nicked a slice of cucumber from her plate.
She smacked his fingers when he reached for another slice. “Hands to yourself till I’m finished.”
“Joshua, she was mean to me,” he whined, giving her puppy dog eyes.
She raised an eyebrow, picked up the cucumber, and held it out to him. He moved to take it, but she whipped her hand back, popped it into her own mouth and gave him a wink.
“Vicious! She’s vicious, Joshua. We’re going to have to watch her closely.”
“Bloody hell!” Matt tapped Lily on the shoulder and nudged her to move over. “That’s the second plates you’ve had. The caterer thought we had a roomful of rabbits; they’ve never gone through so much salad stuff.”
“Second plate?” Lily looked at the amount on their plates in astonishment. “Seriously?”
“We’re hungry,” Josh defended.
“When aren’t you?” Nate set a plate on the table and sidled in next to Josh, making them move over for him.
Matt took a leg of chicken from Nate’s plate and put it onto Lily’s. “You wouldn’t be so hungry if your digestive tracts weren’t fucked up.”
“Yeah, let’s not go there again.” Lily grimaced. “Goodness only knows what I’ll hear next.”
“A little bird told us you swore today.” Josh lowered his head and arched an eyebrow at her. “Have you been a naughty girl?”
The tomato she’d been about to eat hit the plate with a plop as lightning struck her lower stomach and zinged straight to her toes. She locked eyes with Josh and saw the moment his gaze sharpened into awareness. She swallowed and dragged her gaze to her plate. How could five words and a wicked expression send her insides into a wild dance?
“Like you two never swear.” Matt snorted.
Lily chanced a look to see if they had picked it up too, but Matt was people watching and eating a sandwich. Nate was picking onions from his quiche with a look of disgust. She looked back at the twins; they were still watching her with identical smirks.
She lowered her gaze, could she flirt like they did? Could she make them react the same way they made her react?
She looked at them under her eyelashes. They were still watching her, their heads close together, and she knew they were talking silently to each other. She licked her lips and saw their gaze drop to her lips. She licked them again, slowly, watching them carefully from under her fringe. She lifted a cube of cheese and put it into her mouth all the time keeping her attention on them.
They stared at her mouth intently, heads touching. She saw Josh give the tiniest of nods, and she wondered what Jake had said to him. She lifted both feet and rested them on their shins. Her feet were grabbed, and her heeled shoes were pulled off. Her eyes rolled up as they began to rub their fingers over her feet. She was floating in a cloud of sparks. Tingles raced up her skin and collided between her legs. She bit her lip against the moan that wanted to escape. And then they found the muscles under the ball of her feet and the sensations changed to pure bliss.
“Oh, god!” Her head went back against the wooden back with a thump, low groans escaping her despite trying hard to keep them in.
“Bloody hell!” Nate stared at her. “What the hell are you eating?”
“She’s getting a foot rub. High heels?” Matt chuckled.
“Sky fucking high.” Josh grinned. “Still a short arse, though, aren’t you?”
She pulled a face and withdrew her feet, but they tightened their grip, and using one hand they began to eat, while still rubbing her feet.
“Did you see it?” Nate speared a tomato from Josh’s plate and ate it.
“See what?” Josh grabbed his last tomato before Nate could take it.
Nate said something unintelligible through the mouthful of tomato and put the box she’d given him on the table. He lifted the lid revealing a fountain pen laying nestled on a black velvet cloth.
“Nice.” Josh reached out, and Nate smacked his hand away.
“Perfect you mean, so keep your sticky fingers off it.” Nate put the lid back on and looked at her. “Thank you, Lily.”
“What are you getting us, Lily?” Jake asked.
“A muzzle,” Matt said.
“Boys, we’re going back to the house. Your grandmother tires easily. Don’t be too long behind us.” May stopped by the table, pulling a tartan cardigan on. “Lily, nice to see you. You’re welcome in our home anytime.”
“Thank you, Mrs Cohen.”
“May,” she said. “Call me May.” She patted Matt and Nate’s shoulders and walked away calling goodbye.
“What else did you get?” Jake asked Nate.
“Mostly money. Gramps gave me a fifty-pound gift card for books.”
“Will we get that?” Jake looked horrified.
“He’s never given you anything intelligent in your lives. He knows you too well. It’ll be a bucket of motorbike grease, or a rusty engine,” Matt said.
“We can but hope,” Josh said, making Lily laugh. “And what will you give us, Lily?”
“A big fat nothing,” Nate said. “No more than you deserve.”
“Can you see how hard our lives are, Lily?” Josh pouted at her, Jake mirrored his facial expression. “It’s so hard being the unloved ones, the outcasts, the bullied.”
“The runts of the litter,” Matt added.
“We’re off.” Adam came over. “You need to come along, boys. Lily, I am sorry.”
“But not me.” She smiled at him, expecting as much.
“It’s not us. But with Judith and June in our small living room, it’ll be no fun for you.” He was apologetic and a little embarrassed.
“It’s okay, Mr Cohen. I don’t want to upset anyone.”
“Can’t we smuggle her up to my bedroom?” Nate asked, pushing his glasses up his nose.
“With all of them there?” Adam snorted. “You couldn’t sneak a microbe past them. You’ll see each other tomorrow I expect. They won’t leave the right side of midnight. Suck it up, boys. Gramps could do with the respite anyway.”
The twins slid her shoes onto her feet, and she lowered them to the floor, sad to see them leave without her.
“We should walk Lily home first, dad,” Nate said, standing up.
“No, I’m fine thanks, Nate. I’m hungry, and I haven’t eaten this yet.”
“Grand Mama is watching us,” Jake said. “What do you think the odds are of her having a heart attack if we all kiss Lil goodbye?”
“Joshua Ewan Nethercott, you should be ashamed of yourself!” June stopped at the table, giving him a disapproving look.
Lily debated correcting her but thought better of it.
“Jacob, Aunty, I’m Jacob,” he said. “We meant no harm. Sorry.”
“I don’t suggest you put it to the test, because the odds are probably high,” Adam said, making June scowl.
“Where’s dad?” Matt stood up.
“He’s going through paperwork before he leaves for London tonight.” June’s voice was casual, but she didn’t look at him.
“Tonight? Not tomorrow?”
“I said tonight. He’s got important business there he must deal with, and we have to support him.” There was an edge to her voice now.
“Of course, like he’s supported you all these years,” Matt muttered.
“Yes, yes, he has,” she snapped. “He has supported us, put a roof over our heads and clothes on our back.”
“Which does not give him the right to put a knife into your heart—”
“Not here, son.” Adam said quietly, stopping Matt.
Lily touched the back of Matt’s leg where June wouldn’t see her. She looked over at Nate. He met her gaze and nodded. A quick look at the twins told her they’d have Matt’s back too. She could see how tightly wound together they were. They’d said it to her enough times but seeing the evidence of it made it real. They had an unconditional relationship between them and that now included her.
Matt turned and, bending, he kissed her on the lips. It was a kiss filled with anger, sadness, and frustration.
“I love you,” she whispered as he pulled back.
He sighed and kissed her again. A deeper kiss that spoke of love rather than anger. He straightened and walked away without a word.
Nate and the twins scrambled from the booth.
“You’ll be okay?” Nate asked as he grabbed his box from the table.
“Go. He needs you,” she said, and he winked at her.
The twins blew her noisy kisses and the three of them went after Matt. June turned on her heel and walked away without looking at any of them.
“Families, eh?” Adam caught her attention.
“He’s hurting.” Lily’s heart ached for him.
He rubbed his chin. “He’s been hurting for years, he’s just suppressed it until now.” He patted her on the shoulder and followed June out of the pub.
She picked at her salad, leaning her head on her hand. The others would have his back. She knew that, but she wanted to help him too. She just didn’t know how.
