Chapter 32
‘Only a fortnight away! How do you feel about giving him the news?’
‘Pretty scared. What if he refuses?’
‘Do you think that’s possible?’
Milly shrugged. ‘I don’t know. You’d think I’d know him after twenty-five years together but he’s spent so much time abroad that it’s probably only a fraction of that in real terms. Sometimes he says and does things that surprise me. My mum says he’s a funny onion.’
I loved that phrase and it sounded perfect for what I’d heard about Harry.
‘He certainly sounds it. Will you tell him straightaway?’
‘It depends when his flight lands. It’s Veronica’s party that day and I don’t want to miss that, but I can hardly give Harry the news then bog off to a party without talking it through.
I usually pick him up from the airport but I’m going to ask him to get the train this time and I’m hoping the timings will work out so I can tell him after the party.
’ She held up crossed fingers on both hands.
‘It feels a bit harsh doing it immediately – welcome home and, by the way, I want a divorce – but it doesn’t feel fair keeping it from him either.
I guess there’s never a right time to drop a bombshell like that.
Kind of gives me an insight into why it took Rob so long to tell me he was leaving me.
I just hope he takes it well and doesn’t decide to fight me every step of the way. ’
I hoped Harry would respond positively and make the process smooth for Milly but I could understand her fear that he wouldn’t. The thought of ending my marriage had terrified me and our situation had been completely different.
Milly and I had a delicious meal and a great chat. I told her that I was thinking about getting a piano and would be driving to Carlisle on Saturday if she fancied a day out.
‘Can I let you know later in the week?’ she said.
‘Coral said something about coming home to collect something but it was all a bit vague. I haven’t told her Harry’s coming home yet.
She might prefer to time a visit to see him.
’ She laughed and rolled her eyes at me.
‘Although the weekend I tell her father I want a divorce might not be the best one to come home.’
‘Are you going to warn her?’
‘I can’t decide. On the one hand, I think it’s only fair that Harry’s the first to know but, on the other, I’d quite like her to be prepared.
I don’t think she’ll be bothered. They’re not close.
She’s even said before that she doesn’t get why I’ve stayed married to him, but saying something in theory and meaning it in reality are two different things. ’
Didn’t I know it? Even though Cliff had been sincere each time he’d asked if I wanted to be released from our marriage and especially when we had our break, the reality was that ending things would have broken his heart and mine too.
‘Enough about me,’ Milly said. ‘Do you think you’ll buy a piano?’
‘I hope so. I’ve been thinking about it a lot recently and my fingers are restless. I need to play.’
‘There’s a piano in the village hall here, you know. They had a fundraiser to buy one in Willowdale a few years back but there was a hole in the roof so the funds had to be redirected. I’m sure nobody would mind you using the one in Pippinthwaite’s hall.’
I loved that idea. ‘Who would I ask?’
‘Trudy Eccles. She’s the current chair of the village halls committee. I’m pretty sure her number’s on the noticeboard. We can take a look after we’ve eaten.’
* * *
Trudy’s number had been on the board and she’d said it was no problem me using the piano.
She only lived a few doors down from Pippinthwaite Village Hall so it was easy to collect the key from her house and drop it off when I was done.
Across the following week, I managed an hour a day when the hall was free, confirming to me that I definitely wanted and needed a piano back in my life.
Milly let me know that Coral wasn’t coming home, leaving Milly free to come to Carlisle with me.
At Cake & Craft Club on Wednesday, I extended the invitation to our friendship group, emphasising that they didn’t have to come to the piano showroom and could do their own thing.
Laughlin’s brother was visiting and Veronica had plans with another friend but Paulette was free to join Milly and me.
Going out in a group was new to me and I had a brief flutter of apprehension about being the third wheel in a longer-standing friendship but I needn’t have worried as the conversation flowed easily between the three of us.
Milly told Paulette about her plans to ask Harry for a divorce which earned her an about time too comment and Paulette updated us on the latest with Saffy’s parents.
‘Andrew phoned one evening when Joanne was out and apologised for the comments about me not being his real mother,’ she said, ‘but, as we chatted, it was obvious that Joanne had no idea that he was apologising on her behalf and wouldn’t be impressed.
I told him to get back in touch when he’d grown a backbone. ’
‘How did he react to that?’ I asked, giving her a sideways glance, impressed by her no-nonsense approach.
‘He told me Joanne’s a complex woman and I don’t understand so I told him he was right, I don’t.
I don’t understand why he’d let her speak to me like that when we’ve always enjoyed a great relationship full of love and respect and I particularly don’t understand why he’d let her destroy their relationship with their only daughter, especially over something that was making her miserable. ’
‘Good for you,’ Milly said from the back seat.
‘I didn’t like having to lay it out there but he needed to hear it.
I’ve no idea what the complex woman thing was all about – sounds like an excuse to me and I told him that too.
I said if she has some mental health issues, I’m sympathetic to that, but it’s the first I’ve heard of it and it doesn’t excuse what she’s doing to Saffy.
The girl dropped out of university, for goodness’ sake.
She didn’t rob a bank or murder anyone! I don’t want Andrew to hate me but I’ll gladly take that hit if it gets him to see sense about Saffy. ’
I was in awe of the way Paulette continued to stand up for Saffy and fight her corner, no matter what it cost her personally. What a privilege to have a friend like that.
We arrived in Carlisle and they were both keen to join me at Celestial Sounds but said they’d understand if I preferred to do it on my own, knowing I might not want an audience while I tested out the pianos. It was so kind of them to acknowledge that, but I wanted them with me.
Celestial Sounds was completely different to Pianos of Distinction.
It was inside a converted church – presumably the inspiration behind the name – and there were so many nods to its heritage.
The pipes for the church organ remained and had been beautifully restored although the owner, Mervyn, told us that the organ had regrettably been removed and destroyed before their time.
Beneath the pipes, a plinth had been created for a beautiful white grand piano.
The backs of the pews had been made into shelving units housing music books for sale in the spaces where hymn books would have been, and a couple of the windows were stained glass although they’d clearly been purpose-made more recently as they depicted musical notations and piano keys.
There were several beautiful upright pianos and, although it had been great playing the one in Pippinthwaite Village Hall, the sound from the first piano I played in Celestial Sounds was far superior, partly due to the quality and condition of the instrument and partly due to the exceptional acoustics in the former church.
After I’d played my first piece, I turned to my friends. Milly was bouncing on the spot clapping frantically and, although Paulette was clapping too, she had tears in her eyes and I knew why. She knew my story. She knew why I’d stopped playing.
‘I knew you’d be good,’ Milly said, ‘but that was off the chart.’
‘It was exceptional,’ Paulette agreed. ‘There’s something about your playing I can’t put my finger on.’
‘Oh, I can,’ Mervyn said. ‘It’s the difference between a good pianist and a great one.
A good pianist is technically gifted, playing the piece with precision – exactly as it’s written.
A great pianist does that but they also feel the piece.
They read between the lines, quite literally, interpreting the music with their heart rather than just their brain. Your friend does that.’
I smiled at him, grateful for such kind feedback, but I also felt a jolt of sadness as it had strong echoes of what Will had said about my playing.
‘Please try as many as you like,’ Mervyn said. ‘It’s a pleasure to hear such beautiful playing.’
I moved to the next piano and played another classical piece before asking Milly, Paulette and Mervyn if they had any requests, playing each on a different instrument.
When I was done, I’d narrowed it down to two favourite pianos and asked Mervyn if he’d mind me coming back after lunch to make my final decision.
‘Before you go for your lunch, I know you’re not looking for a grand piano but you’re more than welcome to give our showcase grand a play.’ He swept his arm towards the white grand piano.