Chapter 13
Nancy slept soundly, waking feeling very refreshed the next morning.
She stretched and headed for the shower, glad that she had her own ensuite.
She could hear the others moving about. Jackie and Phyllis would be leaving for work at roughly the same time as her, but Slate had said yesterday that he didn’t have a class until this afternoon, so she guessed he’d be having a lie-in.
She came out of her bedroom to the sound of Phyllis banging on the bathroom door. ‘Could you hurry up, dear? I need the bathroom,’ she called.
There was no reply from Jackie, and Phyllis was practically dancing on the spot.
‘I’m sure she won’t be much longer,’ Nancy said.
‘I hope not. We’re having a delivery at the shop today and I need to be there early to take it in. I only want ten minutes to use the loo, freshen up and brush my teeth.’
‘Look, come and use my ensuite. I’ve had my shower,’ Nancy offered.
Phyllis looked relieved. ‘Thank you. That’s very kind.’
Jackie was still in the bathroom when Phyllis finished using Nancy’s ensuite. ‘She’s got to be a Taurus, that one – loves a bit of luxury and home comfort.’
‘Really?’ It all sounded a bit woo-woo to her but Phyllis obviously believed in it.
‘I think you need to sort out time slots for the bathroom in the morning,’ Slate said as he came up the stairs in a black dressing gown, a towel slung over his arm. ‘Work out a rota around what time everyone has to go to work. That’s what we always did at Decaf’s. Until Muriel moved in.’
He was right – they needed time slots. Not least because she didn’t want Phyllis using her ensuite every morning.
Dressed and make-up on, she went downstairs, where she found Phyllis sitting at the table, frowning as she read her tea leaves.
‘Do you do that every day, Phyllis?’ she asked curiously.
‘I do. I like to check if there’s anything I need to look out for.
The leaves are never wrong but the meaning isn’t always clear,’ she said.
She cocked her head on one side. ‘When Howard put Joyce in a home I read my leaves and they showed me flowers. It puzzled me at first but then I decided to buy Joyce a bunch of flowers to cheer her up, walked into your shop and heard you talking about having let out a room.’
Nancy stared at her. That was quite a coincidence. But surely it was exactly that, a coincidence. She didn’t believe in reading tea leaves, horoscopes and stuff like that.
‘Would you like me to read your leaves?’ Phyllis asked.
Nancy shook her head. ‘It’s very kind of you but I have to get off for work.’
She loaded her cup and bowl into the dishwasher, then glanced at the clock. She had to go now or she would be late. It seemed strange to be walking out of her house and leaving people she hardly knew inside. She trusted them though; she had to.
* * *
‘How’s it going?’ Pam asked, looking up from the bouquet of flowers she was preparing as Nancy came in. ‘Has Mum hogged the bathroom yet or is she behaving herself?’
So Jackie was known for it then! ‘Well, she was so long in there this morning that I had to let Phyllis use my ensuite. It’s going okay, though.
Everyone’s settled in their rooms and we all had lunch together yesterday.
It was a bit weird walking out this morning and leaving people in my house, mind.
And seeing two cars and a van on the drive. ’
‘I’m sure it was. I hope it all works out for you,’ Pam told her. ‘It’s going to take a little time to get used to each other.’
‘The main problem is, I don’t know how to treat them.
I’m used to being the hostess when people are in my house, you know – looking after them, feeding them.
So whenever I make a cup of tea or a sandwich, I feel like I have to make them one too.
We all sort of clubbed together to do lunch yesterday. ’
‘I’d just do what seems natural. If you’re putting the kettle on and one of the others is around ask if they want a drink, too, otherwise just see to yourself,’ Pam advised. ‘My mum will probably do the same.’
It made sense, Nancy thought, and it was only natural it would feel a bit awkward at first.
They had a stream of customers that afternoon so there wasn’t time to think about what might be going on at home, and on the brief occasion when her mind did dwell on it, she told herself that they would all be out at work and they weren’t teenagers; it would all be fine.
Even so, it was with a bit of trepidation that she pulled up in her drive. Only Slate’s van was there, parked up in the corner by the garage. Jackie and Phyllis were obviously still at work.
She let herself in, glancing around as she did.
It all looked tidy. She walked into the kitchen wondering if there would be dirty dishes there, but it was all cleaned up.
She opened the dishwasher to find the dirty cups and dishes from breakfast in there.
Good, they were all clearing up after themselves.
She reached for the kettle to make herself a brew, then turned as she heard footsteps on the stairs. That must be Slate. Should she offer to make him one? It was quite a dilemma. Then she remembered Pam’s advice to just do what comes naturally.
‘Hello, Nancy, how’s your day been?’ he asked as he came into the kitchen. He was dressed in dark brown cords, a collarless beige shirt, a tweed jacket and a Peaky Blinders–type cap, his long hair tied back in a ponytail. He was rather dapper, she thought in admiration.
‘Busy! You’d be amazed how many people want flowers, and the different displays they want,’ she replied. ‘I’ve just put the kettle on. Fancy a cuppa?’
‘That’s very kind of you but I’ve got another class this evening, so I’d better go. See you later.’ He nodded.
‘See you.’ She gave him a little wave.
A couple of minutes later she heard him go out. She took her mug of tea into the lounge, told Alexa to play some feel-good seventies music and sat down to relax. A few minutes later she heard the front door open.
‘Only me!’ Phyllis called, then to Nancy’s slight surprise, she went straight upstairs.
Nancy finished her drink and went into the kitchen, deciding to have a baked potato and some salad for tea.
She took a large potato out of the potato tin and was washing it when Jackie walked in.
‘Hello, Jackie. I’m about to put a baked potato in the micro.
It will only take a few minutes, so I won’t be hogging it for long,’ she said.
‘No problem, I just need a cuppa, then I’ll be out of your way.
’ Jackie went over to the kettle, shook it then flicked it on.
‘Boy, am I glad today’s over. Talk about hectic.
We had a load of primary school kids in this afternoon for a storytelling session and they ran amok!
’ Suddenly she paused and tilted her head to one side. ‘Can you hear a cat miaowing?’
Nancy listened. Jackie was right. She could hear a pitiful miaowing and it sounded as if it was coming from outside. She walked over to the back door and opened it, jumping back with a start when a black cat shot in, almost knocking her over.
‘What on earth?’ Jackie stammered as the cat darted past her. ‘Is that a neighbour’s cat?’
Nancy shook her head. ‘I’ve never seen it before. Where’s it gone?’ They both ran out into the hall and glanced around, checked the dining room and living room but there was no sign of the cat.
‘It must have gone upstairs.’ Nancy raced up the stairs. And there was the cat sitting outside Phyllis’s bedroom door, miaowing loudly.
Phyllis opened the door and peered out. ‘Cobweb!’ she exclaimed as the cat bolted into her room.
Nancy stared in astonishment. What on earth was this cat doing here?
And it was clear that it belonged to Phyllis.
Confused, she stood there for a moment wondering what to do.
Val would tell her that she had to be assertive, take control.
The trouble was Nancy wasn’t very good at either.
Before she could decide on her course of action, Phyllis’s bedroom door opened again and she came out with the cat snuggled into her arms. It was purring.
‘Sorry about Cobweb. I have no idea how she found me. I’m afraid she’s missing me, and Joyce, poor thing.’
‘So she’s yours?’ Nancy asked. The cat did look very at home in Phyllis’s arms. An awful thought sneaked into her mind. Had Phyllis abandoned the cat because Nancy had insisted that no pets were allowed? Surely not – that would be terribly cruel.
‘Yes, she lived with me and Joyce. She’s been with me in the shop all day and Aurora took her home for the evening.
She’s looking after her until I get a more permanent home.
The little scamp must have escaped and followed me.
I’ll give her some milk and a bit of meat – I have some ham in the fridge – and I’ll take her back to Aurora. Sorry for the bother.’
‘That’s fine. I’m about to do my dinner but I can wait a few minutes while you sort out the cat,’ Nancy said.
She and Jackie watched Phyllis carry the cat downstairs.
‘What a shame, the poor little thing is obviously missing its home, and Phyllis,’ Jackie said sympathetically.
Nancy felt a little uncomfortable. It was obvious that Phyllis was very fond of Cobweb, and Cobweb of her, but she had clearly stipulated no pets. And Cobweb had another home to go to.
When she went into the kitchen, the cat was lapping up a saucer of milk in the kitchen.
‘I’ll take her to Aurora now. She’s already messaged because she was worried about her,’ Phyllis said.
As if she heard her, the cat stopped lapping the milk, lifted its head and fixed its eyes on Nancy.
Nancy shivered and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.
With its jet-black fur and yellow eyes, Cobweb looked like a witch’s cat.
And Phyllis read tea leaves. Goodness knows what else she delved in.
Nancy gave herself a shake. Don’t be ridiculous, you watch too many films!
Cobweb’s stare was unwavering, as if willing Nancy to say she could stay.
Nancy averted her gaze. No pets, she’d said and all the lodgers had agreed.
She and Clifford had never had pets. They didn’t want the responsibility and the mess.
They liked to be free to go out when they wanted, go on holiday when it suited them.
That’s why Clifford had put off having children until it was too late.
To be honest, Nancy had thought about having a pet a couple of times, a cat to snuggle up with on the sofa, a dog to take for a walk, but Clifford had talked her out of it. She’d let his views become her views, she realised. It had made life easier.
And now he’d gone and left her to deal with everything alone.
Anger surged up again as she remembered the note he’d callously left her, the savings he’d taken, the mortgage debt he’d run up.
She let it course through her. It blocked out the other emotions she felt when she thought of Clifford – the pain and sadness of him simply disappearing out of their life.
Pain that kept threatening to consume her, making her want to sob into her pillow.
She was determined not to. She was strong.
She was going to get through this and make a new life for herself. Sod Clifford.