Jennie peered over my shoulder. ‘Oh, what a shitty thing to do,’ she said vehemently. ‘Gets stood up at a moment’s notice and then sends flowers. I ask you.’ She folded her arms.
After a moment I glanced up guiltily. ‘I’ve misjudged him, haven’t I?’
She shrugged. ‘I dunno. It depends on who you last spoke to.’
It was supposed to be a joke but it was a bit sharp and she knew it.
‘Sorry,’ she said quickly. ‘Didn’t mean that. Tell me to mind my own business, Poppy. It’s just … I really want some happiness for you.’ She swooped to give me a quick hug. ‘And thanks for everything yesterday,’ she said gruffly in my ear. ‘I couldn’t do without you, you know.’
I nodded dumbly; touched. But no wiser. As she went to the back door she turned.
‘Oh, you’ll never guess what Angie told me.’
‘What?’
‘About your solicitor chappie, Sam Hetherington. The one in the splendid red hunting coat.’
I felt my heart thump. I already knew.
‘He was once married to Hope Armitage. Years ago, apparently, but still.’
‘Really?’
‘I know, can you believe it? Why on earth did they come here in the first place, one wonders. If he was living here?’
‘Sam wasn’t here when they came,’ I said mechanically. ‘He was still in London. The Hall was rented then. Had tenants.’
‘Yes, but you don’t relocate with your new husband to your ex’s patch unless there’s some pull in that direction, surely? Why are you looking so stricken, Poppy? And when are you ever going to oil this door?’ She was struggling with my back-door latch, as everyone did.
‘Hang on,’ I said suddenly. I got up quickly and went to the dresser. Plucking the invitation, I put it in her hand. All at once everything was as clear as day. I definitely wasn’t going now. ‘Mark at the kennels sent me this. Why don’t you and Dan go? Half the county’s going, you’ll have fun.’
She looked at it doubtfully. ‘Are you sure? Don’t you want to go? Couldn’t you ask Luke?’
‘I could, and I was going to, actually. I just think that’s possibly not the right venue. I won’t write him off,’ I promised quickly, ‘but I don’t think I want to go public, as it were.’
‘OK,’ she said slowly, understanding. She nodded. Then her eyes came up from the invitation. They sparkled. ‘Well, if you’re sure … we’d love to. D’you know, this is just what Dan and I need. A bloody good knees-up. Thank you.’ She smacked the card into the palm of her hand and went off beaming, giving the back-door latch a monumental twist; never giving it a second chance.
Archie was gurgling on the baby alarm and I slowly climbed the stairs to get him, dragging my hand along the polished rail. As I came down with him in my arms, he flicked my lower lip, which ordinarily would make me smile. Odd, then, that I couldn’t raise one for him.
29
When I’d settled Archie with juice and a biscuit, I arranged the flowers and sat looking at them. Clemmie wandered through from the sitting room where she’d been involved with her Sylvanian Family dolls all the time Jennie had been here. She could play quietly with her toys for hours, something which hitherto had been a great source of pride but, more latterly, bothered me slightly. Clutching the tiny parents in her hands, she gazed at the flowers in wonder.
‘Did they grow in the garden?’
‘No, darling,’ I laughed as she clambered onto my lap and reached out to touch. ‘Someone sent them.’
‘Why?’
I hesitated. ‘As a present.’
‘Who?’
I took a breath. ‘D’you remember that man who came to the pub with us? Luke? He sent them.’
‘The one who could make an eyebrow wiggle?’
‘That’s the one.’
‘Is it your birthday?’
‘No, he just sent them.’
‘There’s a card.’ She seized it. Stared. ‘It … oh. What does it say?’
I swallowed, wishing I’d thought this through a bit. ‘It says, “Hope you’re feeling better, lots of love.” I … had a bit of a cold.’
‘When?’ She twisted on my lap. Brown eyes huge. I flushed.
‘Um, a few days ago.’
‘Oh.’
As she gazed at me the whole chasm between childhood, and her being grown up one day, seemed to yawn at me. A time when her own innocent little world of Sylvanian Families and truth would be over. When she’d be quicker at spotting lies like the one I’d just told her. Oh, I told her plenty: put your coat on, it’s cold out there –