“I was thinking about putting in a flower garden. Nothing too grand—a couple of beds with an arbor and a bench, just in front of the meadow. I was wondering if you might send one of your lovely men to help.”
“Of course, Nan. I could send James over tomorrow.”
“James? Do I know James?”
“No, he’s new. But he’s good.”
“What about that nice Matt? He’s always very helpful when I come in. Any chance of having Matt over? I’m sure James is very good, but I know Matt, I think I’d be more comfortable with him.”
“Absolutely,” Jack says. “He’s out working on a job in Tom Nevers until the end of the week, but I can send him over on Monday. How does that sound?”
“Monday? Perfect!” And with a jaunty wave Nan climbs back on her bike, and smiles as she starts the journey home.
“Lemonade, anyone?” Nan carries the tray outside and the girls leap up and down. “It’s homemade,” she says, pouring a glass for Daniel as well, and handing the girls a doughnut each, having stopped at the Downyflake on the way back.
“You’re spoiling us,” Daniel says with a smile.
“Quite right too,” she says. “It’s lovely having little ones around to spoil. Lizzie? Stella?” The girls gather around Nan, crumbs around their mouths; they are still a little intimidated by her, but curious.
“Do you know what a widow’s walk is?”
They shake their heads.
“It’s a deck on the roof, and in the old days the wives would go out at night and stand on the deck to try to see their husbands coming back from sea. You have to climb a ladder to get up there. Would you like to go and see?”
“Yes! Yes!” They jump up and down with excitement as Nan leads them inside.
She turns just as they walk in. “Oh Daniel? I hope you don’t mind but I’ve got someone coming to help dig a couple of flower beds on Monday. Michael’s busy, so I was hoping, if it’s not too much trouble, you could give a hand.”
“Of course,” Daniel says. “I’d be happy to.”
The gravel crunches as Bee pulls up. She shuts the door softly, then walks up the path.
“You must be Bee,” Nan says, coming to the door. “I’m Nan. And Daniel’s just on his way back from the beach. He took the girls for a picnic. Please come in.”
“It’s okay,” Bee says. “I’ll wait in the car.”
“Absolutely not.” Nan ushers her in. “I won’t hear of it. Come and sit with me in the kitchen. I could do with the company.”
Bee, realizing that no is not an option, follows her down there.
As soon as they reach the kitchen, the door bursts open and the girls come in.
“Mommy!” They squeal and rush over to kiss Bee, who refuses to look at Daniel.
“Bee and I were just getting to know one another,” Nan says warmly. “I was hoping she’d stay for a glass of wine. Bee?”
“I can’t,” Bee says, tense again now that Daniel is here. “I have to get the girls to bed. But thank you.”
“Daddy,” Lizzie winds herself around Daniel’s legs as her eyes fill with tears, “I don’t want to go. I want to stay with Daddy.”
“Come on, Lizzie.” Bee kneels down. “You’ll see Daddy again very soon.”
“But I want to stay.” Lizzie starts to sob and Stella joins in.
Bee peels Lizzie away and carries her to the car, while Daniel carries Stella. Nan watches a terse conversation—she can’t hear, but it doesn’t look good—and then, when the girls are safely buckled in, Bee drives off, and Daniel comes back into the house, heading straight up the stairs to his room.
“Daniel?” Nan stands at the foot of the stairs, quietly.
He turns.
“Can I do anything for you?”
“No,” he says. “I just didn’t expect . . . I didn’t think it would be this painful.”
“Because it was your decision?”
He nods.
“It’s always painful,” she says. “But better you live a life that is true to yourself.”
He looks at her curiously. “What do you mean?”
“Just that we all deserve to be happy, and it is easy to make a wrong choice. If Bee is not the person for you, then you shouldn’t stay out of a sense of duty.”
“Was your choice right?”
“My husband?” Nan is surprised. It is not often anyone asks her about Everett these days. “He was right. For me. But perhaps I was not right for him. He committed suicide, you know. Drowned himself. He had