Chapter 27 #2
‘But your house, Mim… You love it there. You told me you never wanted to leave it. You wouldn’t even come and spend Christmas with me, for goodness’ sake.
In fact, you wouldn’t have if you hadn’t broken your wrist. Seriously, Mim, I don’t want you to feel like you have to move.
I promised you could stay in your own home and I meant it. We can sort something out.’
Mim stared at Henry. A helpless look. An exasperated one. ‘Honestly, Peg, aren’t I allowed to change my mind?’ she said. ‘Besides, I thought you knew me better than that, so you should know that I don’t do anything I don’t want to.’ She lifted her chin.
That, thought Peg, was most certainly true.
Something else occurred to her, and she swivelled to face Henry. ‘You’ve been helping her with all this, haven’t you? You and Blanche. Helping her and keeping it all secret from me. Worse, made out that it was you who wanted to move.’
Henry held up his hands. ‘Guilty as charged.’
‘But why? Why couldn’t you have just been honest with me?’
‘Because Mim was only too aware of the promise you’d made to her.
A promise she knew you would stand by because that’s what you do, no matter the sacrifice to yourself.
She’s not daft, Peg; she knew that might mean you moving from here.
So buying this flat had to be her idea, and hers alone, with absolutely no involvement from you.
Otherwise you would feel like you’d pushed her into her decision, even when that wasn’t true.
Worse, you’d convince yourself of it, feeling guilty when there was absolutely no need.
And no one would be able to argue otherwise.
’ Henry raised his eyebrows. ‘Apparently, you can be quite stubborn yourself.’
‘Did you know I was thinking of moving, Mim?’ asked Peg.
Her eyes widened in shock.
‘No,’ said Henry, answering for her. ‘I knew you would never say anything to her and so I didn’t either.
Because again, if Mim had known what you were planning, that would have given you every excuse to say she’d decided to move in order to spare you from having to.
This was Mim’s decision, Peg…’ He drew in a breath.
‘And I helped because I knew how much leaving this place would hurt you. And I…’ He swallowed. ‘I couldn’t bear that.’
Peg could feel warmth flooding her body. Moving up from her toes, making her fingers tingle and her cheeks flush. ‘Oh,’ she said. She didn’t seem to be capable of much more.
‘Yes, oh…’ said Mim, eyes heavenward as she heaved an exasperated sigh. ‘Now we’ve got that out of the way, can you two please, you know…’ She pursed her lips as if to kiss someone. ‘Sort yourselves out.’
Peg slid Henry a glance, terrified for a moment that she was going to burst out laughing and he wouldn’t, but as soon as their eyes met, she could see that wasn’t the case at all. They both understood each other perfectly.
She pressed her palms to her cheeks, which were now hot for a totally different reason, but then she groaned as a sudden thought came to her.
‘Wait a minute… this still doesn’t resolve anything.
Ten minutes ago I was railing at a universe which was just about to have me move up to Stoke while you were moving down here.
Now I don’t have to move, a thought, incidentally, which makes me want to sing the “Hallelujah Chorus”, but in case you’ve forgotten, that’s where you live, Henry. We’re still going to be miles apart.’
Mim gave a delighted chuckle. ‘It’s very simple,’ she said. ‘Henry can be your live-in lover. For a little while, at least. Until you get married and then—’
Peg practically choked. ‘Mim!’ she exclaimed. ‘You can’t go around saying things like that.’
Mim waggled her head in amusement, her eyes twinkling. ‘Sorry, dear. You know what us old ladies are like – we simply can’t be trusted not to embarrass you. We’ve quite taken over the role which used to belong to your children.’
Peg stared at her, her mouth hanging open.
‘And are you going to tell her the rest, Henry?’
‘You mean there’s more?’ Peg wasn’t sure her heart could beat much faster.
‘Oh yes. It’s really quite delicious.’ Mim tapped Henry on the arm. ‘Well, come on then, out with it. Tell her what happened on the day I broke my wrist. Tell her why you thought I’d died.’
Henry looked suddenly bashful.
‘I knew it,’ said Peg. ‘I knew there was something more to it than what Blanche had told me. You did, didn’t you? You both believed Mim had died.’
Weakly, Henry nodded. ‘Because when I heard from your neighbour what had happened, all I could think about was what you’d told me – about when Julian had died and why Christmas was such a difficult time for you.
And you were all alone, Peg, I couldn’t bear…
I thought that maybe you could use a friend, so I—’ He broke off as Mim clapped her hands together in delight. ‘So I went to see if I could find you.’
‘He drove up to Stoke, to the hospital, can you believe it?’ said Mim.
Peg shot her a look. ‘And you accused me of spoiling the surprise…’ She turned then, looking at Henry, smiling at him, telling him she was ready to hear what he had to say. ‘Did you really do that?’ she asked. ‘For me?’
He nodded, and then pulled a wry smile. ‘Bit silly actually, ’cause when I got there I hadn’t reckoned on my not being able to find you. Hospitals are really big places…’
Peg frowned. ‘Then I still don’t understand why you thought Mim had died.’
‘Because I did find you. Just as I was about to leave. You were sitting in a tiny room, all by yourself, crying as if your heart was breaking. What else was I to think? I wanted to hug you, so you’d know you weren’t alone, but how could I, Peg?
When I didn’t even know you. When I thought you’d be angry with me.
Even that it was a bit creepy or something, and… ’
Peg sat up slightly, as the penny finally dropped, although it might have been her heart thudding.
‘Oh, Henry… I was crying, but with relief… I’d been so stressed, thinking about Julian, and terrified I was going to lose Mim as well, that when she was finally taken to have her wrist put in a cast and I knew she was okay, it just came over me – all the fear, all the anguish, all the grief…
It just came out, in an almighty bawl, right in the middle of a corridor.
I had to dash into the nearest room before I made a total fool of myself.
’ She sniffed, feeling tears begin to well in the corners of her eyes.
‘It was probably just as well you didn’t find me.
I was one big snotty mess.’ She smiled. ‘But I still would have been very glad if you had… I think that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. ’
Henry held her look. ‘I’m sure it can’t be. I mean, Julian bought you a wood…’
Peg’s gaze drifted to the mantelpiece where she had propped a piece of paper quite a few days ago now.
A piece of paper which held something quite extraordinary.
It was her drawing. Her drawing and the poem Henry had written there.
The essence of them both, combined to make something far bigger than they could ever accomplish alone.
But it was also a gift, because he was a gift.
And a promise. Her miracle man with dark hair and dark eyes…
one who she knew without a shadow of doubt would always, always strive to make her world a better place.
‘The way a crow shook down on me, the dust of snow from a hemlock tree, has given my heart a change of mood, and saved some part of a day I had rued…’ She leaned forward and slid both her hands into Henry’s. ‘Julian isn’t here,’ she said. ‘But you are.’
And then she kissed him.
***
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