Chapter 22
Alison had never noticed before, but Rosie was quite right. Elaine was like a different person when in the presence of Kendra and Niall.
‘How can she be so awestruck by her own family?’ she wondered aloud, watching her aunt transform into a timid, blushing mouse, who was all ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and ‘you’re so kind’ as Kendra offered her tea and enquired if she’d prefer milk or lemon in it.
‘To be fair to Mam,’ Rosie said, ‘nobody else in our family would even think about offering tea with lemon, would they?’
They watched as Kendra asked the same question of Alison’s dad, who threw up his hands in horror and said, ‘I want a brew, not a cold remedy!’
Rosie giggled and Alison said, ‘Trust Dad.’
Uncle Christopher told an amused Kendra that he’d love tea with lemon, and she gave him a knowing smile before heading into the kitchen.
‘Nothing rattles Kendra,’ Rosie said. ‘Even our peasant family. Where’s Niall anyway? Not like him to be anything but the perfect host.’
‘Dad’s in the study, finishing up some work,’ Poppy said. They hadn’t even heard her approach. She was a pretty girl with bright red hair and had a Teenage Queen badge pinned to her T-shirt. ‘He said he’ll be out in a minute. How are you, Auntie Rosie?’
She grinned as Rosie tapped her on the arm. ‘Hey, you! What have I told you about calling me Auntie Rosie? It’s just Rosie, thanks very much. I’m fine, thanks, love. Happy birthday! Can’t believe you’re a teenager already. How are things with you?’
Poppy shuffled awkwardly. ‘Oh, you know. All right.’
‘As good as that, eh? Oh, to be thirteen again, eh, Alison?’
Alison sighed. If only. How simple life had been back then.
‘We haven’t seen much of you lately,’ Poppy said, twisting a strand of her hair around her finger.
‘I know. It’s all my shifts. And I’m busy being glamorous, obviously. Bad auntie. I’ll make more of an effort in future, honest.’
Poppy nodded and shrugged. ‘It’s fine. I was just wondering, that’s all.’
‘Your birthday presents and cards,’ Rosie said, as she and Alison handed her two gift bags.
‘Cool. I’ll open them later when you’re gone. I hate opening stuff in front of people.’
‘How strange,’ Alison said, as Poppy took the gift bags into the kitchen.
‘I know! I’d have been ripping the wrapping paper off before you’d let go of the gift bag. The youth of today is a mystery to me. I mean, look at our Ryan!’
She nodded over to where a tall, gangly boy was sprawled on an armchair, his fingers practically flying over his mobile phone as he tapped out a message or replied to a post or played a game or whatever it was he was doing.
Fair-haired and dressed in jeans and an old T-shirt, he was all arms and legs.
At nearly sixteen, he probably considered this party a waste of his time.
The vicarage, a rather ugly 1970s brick building with a spacious through lounge and a neat, boxy little garden, stood in the shadow of St Saviour’s Church, no doubt so that Niall would always be reminded of his duties.
The old vicarage was further down the road and was a gorgeous Georgian house with large grounds.
Sadly, the church had sold it off years ago and it had been turned into a care home.
Kendra had done her best to make her home more characterful, but it wasn’t easy. There was something quite soulless about it, which was ironic given its purpose.
Rosie yelped as Alison clutched her arm.
‘Sorry, sorry.’ Alison rubbed her cousin’s arm apologetically. ‘Jenna’s just walked in with the twins. I feel sick.’
‘Don’t be daft. You’ve done nothing wrong,’ Rosie reminded her. ‘Just stay calm. Let her come to you.’
But there was no chance of anything so restrained, because seconds later the twins let out shrieks of excitement and rushed over to Alison, threw their arms around her and hugged her tightly.
‘Where have you been?’
‘Mum says you’re on holiday!’
‘We haven’t seen you for ages.’
‘We’ve missed you, Grandma!’
Alison blinked away tears and hugged them back, kissing the tops of their heads. ‘I’ve missed you too. And yes, I am sort of on holiday, but only in Kelsea Sands. I’m staying with Rosie in her caravan.’
‘In a caravan!’ Hallie’s eyes widened. ‘I love caravans! Can we come and stay, too?’
‘We just don’t have the room,’ Alison began, but broke off as Jenna approached.
‘All right, girls, leave Grandma alone. Come and say hello to Poppy and wish her a happy birthday.’
‘But we haven’t seen Grandma for ages,’ Ada protested.
Jenna shrugged. ‘You’ve got all afternoon. Come on, you’ve got to give Poppy her card and present, remember?’
Reluctantly, the girls allowed themselves to be led away.
‘She didn’t even look at me,’ Alison murmured disbelievingly.
‘She looked nervous to me,’ Rosie said. ‘Honestly, I think she’s feeling as awkward about all this as you are. Give it time.’
Niall finally emerged from the study, all smiles and apologies. The room brightened immediately, and Poppy’s face broke into the widest smile as he put his arm around her and wished her a happy birthday for probably the tenth time that day.
Alison had always liked Niall, even if she didn’t always agree with his beliefs and had puzzled over his decision to become a vicar from a very young age.
He was a good, decent man, as kind as Uncle Christopher, and with the same blue eyes and strawberry-blond hair as his sister, although Rosie’s wasn’t perhaps quite as red-tinted as his.
Tall and broad-shouldered, he made an imposing figure when in church. People listened to him. His congregation was small but committed. He was well-respected and well-loved in his parish, and Alison thought there was no wonder Elaine was so proud of him.
Kendra, who’d made umpteen cups of tea and had been the perfect hostess in his absence, gave him a wry smile and said, ‘Well, now her dad’s here perhaps we can begin celebrating the birthday girl’s big day at last. Thanks so much for coming, everyone.
Please don’t stand on ceremony. The table’s laid and you’re very welcome to help yourselves. Tuck in.’
Niall put his arms around her and kissed her. ‘You’re wonderful,’ he said. ‘You’ve worked a miracle with all this. Sorry I was delayed.’
She tapped him playfully on the nose. ‘Don’t be daft. It’s only a bit of party food. I didn’t part the Red Sea. No need to apologise.’
‘Couple goals,’ Rosie said with a sigh.
They headed into the back part of the through lounge, which served as a dining area. Alison swallowed as she saw all the delicious food spread out on the table, and Rosie looked dismayed.
‘Aw, Ali, what are you going to eat? Look at all this! Can you have any of it?’
Alison sighed and patted her handbag. ‘Don’t worry, I came prepared. I’ve got a bottle of SlimKwik here and a tiny piece of cheese to nibble on. I’ll be fine.’
‘You can’t just have that!’
‘It’s okay, honestly.’ Alison gave her a bashful smile. ‘I’ll be eating tonight. Mac’s picking me up from here and we’re going to go for a walk around Millensea then head back to Watersmeet for tea.’
Rosie’s eyes widened. ‘Oh, wow! Again? This is getting serious.’
Alison’s smile dropped. ‘No, no it’s nothing like that. We’re just friends. He’s helping me with the diet, I told you, and we’re learning to cook together using that cookbook I mentioned. Don’t read anything else into it, Rosie, for goodness’ sake.’
Rosie sighed. ‘I don’t see why not. There wouldn’t be anything wrong with it if you and he—’
‘Well, we’re not.’ Alison glanced around, anxious in case anyone was listening who would get the wrong idea. ‘I don’t need all that in my life. I had a very happy marriage with Drew, and I’m not looking to replace him.’
‘No one said anything about replacing him,’ Rosie pointed out. ‘But a bit of a kiss and a cuddle now and then wouldn’t be too much to ask. Blimey, I wouldn’t say no if Mac was twenty years younger.’
‘Er, do you mind?’
‘Mind what? That he’s twenty years older than me – near enough – or that he’s yours and I should keep my mitts off?’
Alison rolled her eyes. ‘You don’t have to rub it in how young you are.’
They watched, amused, as Elaine stood with a plate in one hand, delicately nibbling on a sandwich that Christopher had got for her.
‘It’s going to take her an hour to eat that, the rate she’s going,’ Rosie pointed out.
‘I don’t know why Mam’s so weird around Niall and Kendra, I really don’t.
Maybe it’s because she’s the only churchgoer among us.
It’s like she can’t believe her own son is a vicar, and it somehow makes her inferior to him. ’
‘Auntie Rosie!’ came a voice behind them. ‘If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were jealous.’
Rosie’s face turned pink as they realised Poppy was standing behind them. ‘Stop eavesdropping! You weren’t supposed to hear that.’ She smiled as she saw Ryan hovering behind his sister. ‘There you are! Thought you were going to ignore us all afternoon.’
Ryan shrugged. ‘Sorry. I was checking my TikTok stats.’
‘Fair enough,’ Rosie said. ‘Where’s your other grandma, by the way? Thought she’d be here for your birthday, Poppy.’
‘She’s flown off on holiday to find herself,’ Poppy said. ‘Though you’d think she’d have found herself by now, wouldn’t you? She’s seventy! Flipping ancient.’
‘Thanks a bunch,’ Alison said.
‘Sorry. Didn’t know you were seventy,’ Poppy said, blushing.
‘I’m not! Bloody hell, I’m really glad I came,’ Alison said, as Rosie laughed.
‘Maybe your gran’s having a midlife crisis.’
‘Seventy’s not midlife!’ Poppy said, wide-eyed.
‘Not unless you’re Moses,’ Ryan said. ‘Has Mum made any of those mini quiches?’
The party, it turned out, was only for family members. None of Poppy’s friends had been invited, but Kendra explained that the birthday girl and her five besties were going bowling the following day and then to a burger bar in town for tea – no adults allowed.