Chapter 12
12
POPPY
Mr Rugby Physique had been right about the chicken teriyaki. I’d had it for dinner in front of an episode of Darrington Detects and it had been delicious. I’d just finished eating when a text arrived.
From Wilf
Hope you’re enjoying your break so far. No sign of Damon but Benji’s been a great guard dog
He’d accompanied the message with a gorgeous photo of Benji sitting on my doorstep, his pig beside him, his nose in the air as though sniffing out the enemy, which really tickled me. I replied with my thanks.
When the episode ended, I stopped the DVD, took my plate into the kitchen and flicked the kettle on. Mary had said she’d stop by to say hello and, just as the kettle finished boiling, a car pulled onto the drive and an elderly lady got out.
‘Do you want to come in for a drink?’ I asked after we’d greeted each other at the door.
‘Only if I’m not disturbing your evening.’
‘I’m not doing anything special – just relaxing in front of the telly. And I’ve just boiled the kettle.’
Mary requested tea and went through to the lounge while I made the drinks. When I returned with two mugs, she was standing by the coffee table with the DVD boxset in her hand.
‘You like Darrington Detects ?’ she asked, smiling warmly at me before placing the case back on the table and joining me on the sofa.
‘I love it. My mum has always been a huge fan of Cole Crawford and she got me hooked, but this is my favourite series. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched each episode.’
‘It’s a great series,’ she agreed. ‘I’ve got the boxset too and I always watch an episode when I’m at a loose end or need cheering up. Cole’s such a good actor and a lovely man too.’
‘He seems to be.’
Sometimes when I’d spent the day on my own, I got the verbals around the first person I saw and this was one of those occasions. I couldn’t seem to stop talking about how exceptionally talented both Mum and I thought Cole Crawford was, how much we loathed his villains and fell in love with his heroes, what a gift for accents he had, and how well he came across in interviews.
‘I can’t believe I just spilled all that out,’ I said, when I paused for breath and my brain caught up with my mouth. ‘I probably sound like an infatuated teenager or the head of his fan club.’
Mary laughed. ‘It’s fine. He’s a very special man. The first time I met him, I was so starstruck. I’d never met a celebrity before, but he’s so genuinely warm and friendly that you soon forget he’s famous.’
My mouth dropped open. ‘You know Cole Crawford?’
‘I know the whole family. Cole’s daughter Amber is marrying my grandson Barney on Saturday. It’s going to be a wonderful wedding.’
I listened, enraptured, as Mary explained how Barney and Amber had met and how highly she rated each member of Amber’s family. I was dying to ask her more about the wedding and whether there’d be other celebrities on the guest list, but she glanced at the wall clock and stopped mid-sentence.
‘Goodness me, how have I been here an hour already? I must get back to my dog.’
‘What do you have?’
‘A Border collie called Raven and she’s gorgeous. She’s mum to Barney’s two, Bear and Harley.’
She tapped her phone and showed me a few pictures of Raven who was indeed an extremely attractive dog.
‘Before I go, is everything okay and do you need anything – more towels, directions, advice?’
‘Everything’s great and thanks so much for the food you left. That was very kind of you.’
‘It was nothing. I knew you’d had a long drive and I wanted to make sure you had something to eat if you hadn’t had a chance to stop on the way.’
‘I really appreciated it. And I do have a question. Could I stay one more night and leave on Monday morning? And would it be okay for a friend to stay with me on Sunday night? It’s Phil Maynard – Sharon and Ian’s son.’ There was no need to add my ex-husband . If she knew the Maynards well, she’d already know that.
‘You can have as many people stay as you have room for, but thank you for asking. I appreciate good manners. Call or text me if you want to extend your stay any further. It’s free until next Friday.’
Mary pushed herself up and I followed her into the hall but asked her to wait a moment while I nipped into the kitchen to retrieve the flowers.
‘What are these for?’ she asked, looking surprised.
‘To say thanks again for letting me stay here. It’s a beautiful house and the timing couldn’t have been more ideal.’
She breathed in the scent and smiled. ‘They’re beautiful. That’s lovely of you.’ Reaching the front door, she paused with her hand on the handle. ‘Do you have any plans for Saturday night?’
‘Same thing I’ll be doing every night this week – watching Darrington Detects .’
‘Would you like to meet Cole in real life? You could come along to the evening do and I can introduce you.’
I clapped my hands to my cheeks, my heart pounding. I wanted to scream yes but it seemed a heck of a liberty. It wasn’t like I was a friend of Mary’s – I was merely a tenant at her cottage, and she’d only stopped by to check I’d settled in all right.
‘I’d love to meet him, but I can’t crash a family wedding like that.’
‘You wouldn’t be crashing. You’d be my guest. Bring your mum too, if you like.’
My stomach lurched. When I’d mentioned Mum, I hadn’t used the past tense so Mary couldn’t have known.
‘She’d have loved it, but she passed away.’
‘Oh, Poppy, I’m sorry to hear that. Was this recent?’
‘Five years ago, although it doesn’t feel anywhere near that long.’ Tears pricked my eyes and I heard the catch in my voice. ‘Sometimes I go to tell her something and it hits me like a wave that she’s not there.’
‘I know what you mean. I lost my husband, Frank, three years ago and the number of times I make a cup of tea for him or lay his place setting…’ She tailed off, her eyes clouding with tears.
‘I’m so sorry. I wish I could say the pain goes away. Time makes it a little less raw, though.’
She nodded. ‘We were married for fifty-five years, together for fifty-six. It’s been tough, but I’m fortunate to have a lovely family close by and Raven has been such a comfort.’
‘Animals are such a gift at a time like that. My parents had been married for sixty-three years when Mum died, and my dad really struggled. I wondered about a cat or dog to give him something to focus on but ruled it out as he was more into wildlife than pets. Just as well as he started going downhill pretty quickly not long after.’
‘You’ve lost your dad too?’ she asked gently.
‘Not physically, but he has late-stage Alzheimer’s and no idea who I am anymore.’
‘Oh, love, that must be difficult.’
‘It’s heartbreaking. He’s been in a care home for eighteen months and this is the first time I’ve allowed myself to take a break. I wasn’t going to but Sharon and Marnie – the manager where he stays – were both adamant that I needed it and, now that I’m here, I can definitely see it was the right thing to do.’
‘But you’re spending the time working?’ she asked.
‘I have to. I’ve got my own business so I need to keep on top of things.’ I laughed lightly. ‘I appreciate that probably doesn’t sound much like a break but believe me, it is when I’m usually balancing my days with work, visits to Dad and seeing to the bees.’
‘The bees?’
‘I’m a beekeeper. Dad took over from a friend when I was young, and I took over from him a few years ago.’
‘Sounds like an incredibly busy life you lead. I’m glad I could provide somewhere for you to slow down, if only for a week. I’ll have a word with Barney and Amber about the evening do and ask one of them to drop off an invitation for you.’
‘It seems really cheeky when they’ve never met me.’
‘Believe me, they won’t mind at all. A few guests can’t make it so I know there’s the capacity. I’ll ask about a plus one in case Phil can come a day early and join you. Right! I really am going now.’
She pushed open the door and stepped outside, waving as she headed back to her car. What a lovely woman and what an unexpected turn in the conversation. I still felt a bit weird about turning up at a wedding for people I didn’t know but, if Amber or Barney did drop an invitation off, I was definitely going to accept. Mum would have loved this opportunity and I was going to make the most of it for her and for me. If there was any way Phil could change his travel plans and be my plus one, that would be a lot less awkward, especially when he was used to being around celebrities and had a natural gift for chatting to anyone.
Closing the door when Mary pulled away, I settled on the sofa and messaged Phil.
To Phil
Mary says it’s no problem you staying on Sunday night but is there any chance you could be free on Saturday night as well or instead? Her grandson is getting married on Saturday to Cole Crawford’s daughter! She’s invited me – and you if you’re free – to the evening do. I can’t confirm it’s definite until I actually get the invite but thought I’d sound you out just in case
From Phil
Celebrity wedding! How exciting! I’m flying over to the UK on Friday and can probably adjust my Saturday plans to join you for that. Let me know when it’s official and I’ll see what I can do
I started another episode of Darrington Detects , scarcely able to believe that I might get to meet the man himself at the weekend. What perfect timing my stay had turned out to be.