Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
J oyce was knackered. There was no other word for it. Beryl had to feel the same. They took the lift to the main floor of the guest house, where Beryl promptly dropped her purse on the kitchen counter and herself onto the couch.
Joyce set her purse next to her sister’s. “That was a day, wasn’t it?”
“It was. Tremendous fun, but I am done in.” Beryl toed her shoes off and smiled. “Actually, it was rather exciting, wasn’t it? I could do that again.”
“You just said you were done in.” Joyce went into the kitchen and put the kettle on. Tea would be simple. Maybe eggs and chips. Or beans on toast.
“I am, but today was brilliant. Honestly, it was the most fun I’ve ever had. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Wouldn’t you?”
Joyce got teabags and cups out of the cabinet. “I suppose I would, yes. If I could do it with you.” The kettle clicked off, indicating the water was ready. She made the tea and brought it over, setting the cups down on the coffee table. “It was nice to do something together like that, wasn’t it?”
“It was wonderful.” Beryl let out a happy sigh. “Oh, Joycie, you live the life, you do. All these famous friends and this house by the water and that dear, sweet Ruthie. I wish I could stay forever.”
“Why don’t you then?”
Beryl frowned. “And live where? I couldn’t afford it.”
“Live here. With me. I know this isn’t the biggest place, but we could manage.”
“You’d be sick of me in a week.”
Joyce frowned at her sister. “I would not, and you know it. We’ve been apart for years and all I’ve done is miss you. Now that you’re here, I don’t want you to leave.”
Beryl sat up. “You mean that?”
“Of course I do. I wouldn’t say it otherwise.”
“What would I do with all of my things?”
“Have a big boot sale. What of it do you really need? Anything truly sentimental, pack up and ship over here using the money you raise in the sale.”
“I suppose I could. I could donate some to the church’s rummage sale, too. They’re always looking to raise money for something or other. At the moment, it’s the roof.” She went quiet for a few seconds, like she was considering all there was to be done. “What would your boss think?”
“I don’t think he’d care one bit. In fact, I think, with the right persuading, he might want to bring you on as a nanny for Ruthie. Even if it was just a couple days a week. It would be a great help, I know that. There’s more work now with Kyle and Ruthie in the house. More cooking to do, definitely more cleaning, and a lot more laundry.”
“You’re younger than me, Joycie. I don’t know if I could do all that.”
“I’m not saying you’d have to do all of that. But, if you could look after Ruthie, maybe help me with some light cleaning and laundry, hers especially, that would be wonderful.”
“Have you talked to Mitch about this?”
“No. There wasn’t any point until I knew it was something that interested you. But I will. If you think you could do it.”
“She is a sweet child.” Beryl smiled and sipped her tea. “Do you really think Mitch would agree? He already pays you.”
“He does. But this wouldn’t be costing him that much more. Not with you sharing this house with me.”
“Oh, Joyce, I don’t know if I can bear to think about it. I love the idea, but what if he says no? My heart would be broken. I can’t.”
“Don’t be so dramatic.”
“I’m serious. I don’t want to dream about something and then have it not happen.”
“I’ll talk to him about it tomorrow.”
Beryl inhaled. “I won’t be able to sleep.”
Joyce chuckled. “You always were the theatrical one. What do you want for tea? We’ve been picking all day, nibbling and tasting. I was thinking about something simple like beans on toast.”
“Might be all right. I can help.”
Joyce slanted her eyes at her sister. “I don’t need help making toast and heating up a tin of beans. Just sit there and rest your old bones.”
“They’re not that old.”
Joyce got up, waiting until she was facing the kitchen to roll her eyes. She got out the bread and a tin of beans.
“Do you think we’ll get famous?”
“From what?” Joyce asked. “Being on Lucas’s show? Hardly.”
“Might happen.” Beryl got up and went over to a small, decorative mirror on the wall near the telly. “I never had my hair and makeup done like that before. I look all right.”
“You had it done for Neville’s wedding.”
“That girl didn’t know what she was doing. She was a friend of Lydia’s. Made me look like a drag queen.”
Lydia was Neville’s wife, and not one of Beryl’s favorite people. “You looked beautiful at his wedding.” Joyce opened the tin of beans and poured them into a pan on the stove. She’d set the burner on medium and was contemplating adding a little brown sugar and mustard to the beans just to fix them up a bit.
“That’s because I wiped it all off and redid it myself.” Beryl came into the kitchen. Despite Joyce telling Beryl she didn’t need help, Beryl took two slices of bread from the bag and put them in the toaster. She pressed the lever down. “Be honest. What do you think the chances are that he’ll say yes to hiring me on?”
“I think pretty good. Won’t know until I ask him, of course.”
Beryl nodded. “Right. Tell him I’ll work cheap.”
“I’ll do nothing of the kind.” Joyce frowned at her sister’s nonsense. “I’m going to change while the beans heat up.”
“Me, too,” Beryl said. “I might just put my nightgown on.”
Joyce smiled but said nothing as she went into her bedroom. The sun hadn’t even set yet, but if Beryl wanted to get comfortable, so be it. Joyce took it as a sign that her sister felt at home here. That was good. Especially if she might be living here.
What would Mitch say? Joyce had a strong feeling he’d say yes. She didn’t think he’d have a problem bringing Beryl on a few days a week. He had to understand that the addition of Kyle and Ruthie meant more work.
Joyce changed into a housedress and comfortable slippers, both long-ago gifts from Jeanie. She ought to wash her face, too, but her makeup looked so nice she wanted to leave it a bit longer.
She went back to the kitchen just as the toast popped up. She got out the butter.
Granted, Joyce had taken care of three people by herself when Jeanie had been alive, and Kyle had been younger. But that was just it. She wasn’t as young as she’d been then. And babies were a lot of work.
Ruthie would only continue to need looking after as she grew up. Toddlers got into everything.
And if Mitch really did adopt a dog, well, that would be like having another toddler in the house, basically.
Joyce peered out the windows at the main house. Had Mitch returned yet? She couldn’t tell. Just like she couldn’t tell if there was a dog in the house or not. How had the visit to the rescue gone? She supposed she’d find out tomorrow, but that didn’t stop her from being curious. She went back to fixing their meal.
Toast buttered, she laid it on two plates, then gave the beans a stir. Steam was just starting to rise off them.
Beryl came out in a flowered nightgown with a matching flowered robe. “Can I help?”
“We’re just about ready.”
“What do you normally watch on telly in the evenings?”
“Oh, the usual. EastEnders , Emmerdale , Coronation Street .”
“You get all of those here?”
“I have a VPN. I can get anything.”
“You don’t say.” Beryl’s brows lifted. Joyce noticed she hadn’t taken her makeup off, either. “Maybe I could live here after all.”
Joyce laughed as she spooned beans over the toast. She would talk to Mitch tomorrow and pray he would see fit to give Beryl a few days a week. After so many years apart, she wanted her sister here with her. She’d seen how well Harper and Frankie got on and it had made her miss Beryl more than ever.
He’d understand that, wouldn’t he? Or was she asking too much? He’d already been so generous with buying Beryl’s plane ticket.
Well, if she was asking too much, he’d tell her.