20
THE FOLLOWING WEEK was the next meeting of the date-with-a-book club. By this time, Nora had stayed at Archie’s every other night, and he’d stayed at hers on the nights in between. Tonight, because of the club, Nora was staying at his because she’d offered to take Constance with her. It would have been Archie’s turn to give his mother and her friends a lift, so it seemed silly for him to turn out when she was going anyway.
Nora and Archie were in his bedroom. It was huge but since Nora had stayed the first night, he’d dragged a sofa in there and made a sort of lounge area around the window. Nora sat there now reading while he was busy making space for her in his chest of drawers and on the bedside table.
‘You shouldn’t go to the trouble,’ she said, watching him over the top of her reading glasses. ‘I’m not going to leave any of my stuff here.’
‘I want you to feel at home,’ he said, shoving a handful of paired socks into a different drawer.
Nora didn’t want to point out that it would take more than a drawer for her to feel at home here. She’d only just moved into her own home and she loved it, so however this relationship continued with Archie, she wasn’t going to give that up.
‘I have a home, Archie,’ she said gently. Because it was important for her that they both knew exactly where they stood, and what the expectations were. It was so easy to blindly saunter into a relationship only to find that you had a fundamental incompatibility. Not that she and Julian had been incompatible, but what happened with him made her feel that the next relationship she had; this relationship, needed to be clear of misunderstanding. She was older now. Sure of what she wanted. And that was a great deal more autonomy, and independence from having to run her decisions past anyone.
Archie came to sit next to her on the sofa, lifting her legs up so that he could sit down, and then resting them on his lap. ‘Do you think we’re at that point where we ought to talk about the future?’ he asked.
Nora pulled her glasses off and laid them on her chest along with the book. ‘Maybe.’
‘Whatever happens, I’d never expect you to give up what you have to become the lady of the manor.’
‘Well, that’s a relief,’ she said, laughing. ‘I’m not sure I’d make a very good lady.’
‘I think you’d be perfect. But I know that’s not what you would want. And the best things about you are the things that make you independent and confident. I wouldn’t want to lose those.’
‘Neither would I.’ Nora wasn’t sure she could have explained exactly what her problem was with the idea that Archie might ask her to be his wife, but he had explained it for her. ‘I think we’re both old and wise enough to know that being together in the more traditional sense would mean too much compromise for either of us to be happy. I don’t want to change anything about my life. But when I’m not throwing pots or swimming, I’d like to spend as much of it as I can with you.’
Archie leant over and dropped a kiss onto her lips. ‘That’s all I want too.’
They went downstairs and ate dinner with Constance.
‘Penny told me that Seb is planning on asking some of his and Jess’s friends down to Dorset for the wedding,’ said Constance.
‘I still don’t think that means you, Mama,’ said Archie.
‘It’s only us, Oliver and Lois and Patsy and Matt,’ said Nora, who had been sworn to secrecy by Seb when he’d told her.
‘And Penny and her husband,’ Constance pointed out.
‘She does run the shop with Jess,’ Nora said reasonably.
‘Have you looked at where we might stay?’ Archie asked, seemingly oblivious to the fact that it might be better to put an end to the subject of Seb and Jess’s wedding.
‘I’ve emailed you a couple of options. So did you finish the book, Constance?’
‘Dorset can be wonderful in March,’ said Constance.
Archie put his knife and fork down. ‘Mama. Please.’
‘We’d better get going, Constance,’ Nora said.
Constance huffed and stood up, her eyes darting to Archie before she headed upstairs to get ready.
‘Gosh, she seems quite put out at not being invited.’
Archie sighed. ‘I know. I don’t think it’s about that at all. She has a bee in her bonnet about us, I think.’
‘What has she said?’ Nora was intrigued. She’d never mentioned to Archie what Constance has started to say when she came for dinner, but presumably it was along the same lines.
‘She feels I’m letting the side down by having a relationship with you where there is no commitment. In the traditional sense,’ he added quickly.
‘And what do you think?’
‘I think we’ve discussed it and we’re both happy with how things are and that’s all that matters.’
Nora grinned, pleased that he wasn’t about to conform to an outdated stereotype. ‘That is all that matters. That and choosing a place to stay in Dorset, because one of them is amazing. It’s within a stone’s throw of the beach.’
‘So you can swim in the sea?’
‘Yes, and unless you object, I’d like to book it tomorrow so have a look while we’re out and let me know. And might you swim in the sea?’ she asked, ever hopeful that one day they’d swim together, even if it wasn’t in the lake at Croftwood.
He laughed. ‘I’ll consider it. But it depends on the size of the waves and how sunny it is.’
‘In March, we might be lucky.’
‘Are you ready, Nora?’ Constance said, appearing in the doorway, her coat already on.
‘Yes.’ Nora kissed Archie. ‘See you later?’
He nodded. Nora had given him a key so that he didn’t have to wait until she was in to go round to hers. She was heading to Stoke in the morning so didn’t want to stay at the Court overnight.
‘I can’t keep track of you two,’ Constance said, climbing into Nora’s car.
‘Do you need to?’ Nora asked, amused.
‘It’s nice to know whether one is likely to be eating breakfast alone. Now that Archie has stopped scuttling around, he tends to go straight to the estate office if he’s stayed at your house.’
‘Perhaps we can come up with a more regular plan,’ said Nora. She felt sorry for Constance. It must be strange to have Archie suddenly adopting a different routine to the one he’d had for years and years. He was a creature of habit and it must be unsettling for Constance not knowing.
‘I wouldn’t dream of allowing you to agree to that,’ Constance said. ‘Although I’m touched by the suggestion. I’m complaining, but it’s a long time since I’ve seen Archie as happy as this. I only wish you were thinking more conventionally about the future. It’s important that Archie, as Lord Harrington, acts in the best interests of not only himself but those of the title itself.
‘And what are those interests?’
‘To be blunt, my dear, you are having relations out of wedlock and it’s not acceptable. I’m not naive enough to think that my son has had no dalliances between Clarissa and you but a dalliance is one thing and can be overlooked. I realise that we are looking at something quite different with you. I must urge you to do the right thing.’
‘You want me to marry him?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘I think you should talk to Archie about this, Constance. I don’t want to come between you two but surely you don’t expect us to commit to that degree after only a few weeks?’
Constance sat in silence for a moment, then said, ‘I know I’m an old woman who grew up in a different time, but I only want him to do the right thing. I’m not sure that is so very different.’
‘Until a few months ago, I had been with the same man for twenty years. I’m not ready, and may never be ready, for the kind of commitment that you’re talking about. If you want your son to be with someone who loves him, there’s a compromise to be made.’ Nora took a deep breath, wondering whether she’d gone too far.
‘You love him?’
Nora nodded.
‘Then Archie is very lucky to have you.’
Despite having read the same book, the two of them weren’t partnered this time, which was probably for the best. Nora’s date was with a woman called Steph, who worked for The Hive, the library in Worcester.
‘I drive the mobile library van,’ she explained to Nora. ‘I bring some of my regulars to the book club nights occasionally. ‘That’s Eunice and over there is her partner, Bill. Isn’t he with one of the women you came with?’ Nora had picked Penny up on the way.
‘Yes, that’s Constance.’
‘I feel as if I’ve seen her before,’ said Steph.
‘She’s Lady Harrington.’
‘Oh right! She had one too many glasses of Pimms at the festival last year. She was a right laugh. I had to feel sorry for her son, though. He had a hell of a job getting her to leave.’
‘So I’ve heard,’ Nora said, making a note to ask Archie about it. ‘What did you think of the book?’
‘Flipping loved it,’ said Steph. ‘It wasn’t exactly a romance, was it?’
‘No, more about family and relationships. I loved it too.’
They chatted for a while, sharing their favourite parts of the book, what they thought of the characters and which resonated with them the best.
‘Coffees courtesy of Constance,’ Oliver said, setting two lattes down in front of them.
‘Thanks,’ Steph said, bemused. ‘Why is Constance buying us coffee?’
Nora exhaled. After what Steph had said about the festival, she felt she should have admitted her relationship to Constance earlier. ‘I’m going out with Archie Harrington.’
‘Oh my god,’ Steph said, her eyebrows rising in surprise. ‘No offence, but I can’t believe you’re going out with him.’
‘He’s lovely,’ Nora said. She felt defensive, but she knew what Steph was getting at. ‘He’s ditched some of the tweed.’
Steph roared with laughter. ‘You’re reading my mind. I really couldn’t picture you with the Lord Harrington I remember from the festival. So Constance is like your mother-in-law.’
‘Not exactly. But we get on alright. And the house is big enough to have your own space.’
‘You can say that again. Oh my god, I can’t believe you’re going out with Lord Harrington.’
Nora felt much the same as she had on her first visit to Croftwood Court. It was strange thinking of Archie in those terms when, unless she was reminded of it, it wasn’t something she thought about. Yes, it was different since she’d started visiting the Court. She’d got used to him being called his Lordship, and the formality displayed in front of Constance was always a reminder of his status. But at her house, or at the lake, or even at Toby’s house, until now, she’d never felt that part of Archie’s life followed him.
‘I didn’t know that’s who he was when I met him. And he didn’t introduce himself as Lord Harrington to me. I don’t really think about it most of the time.’
‘Sorry, I must sound like a right idiot,’ said Steph. ‘Going on about him like that when he’s your boyfriend.’
‘No, it’s fine,’ Nora said smiling. ‘It’s going to happen, and I’m not sure my friend Val will ever stop referring to him as the lord.’
Steph laughed. ‘There’s a friend who will keep you grounded.’
‘That’s so true.’
‘I think it’s just because around here, people are slightly in awe of Croftwood Court. When Archie helped out with the festival last year, it was the first time most of us had met him and it’s really stupid, but I suppose it’s a bit like meeting a royal.’
‘It’s not stupid at all. From what I gather, Archie’s parents’ generation kind of encouraged that. I think the circles they moved in were so far removed from Croftwood, it wasn’t like they were popping into the local pub for a drink. But it’s different now. Archie doesn’t do anything like that and Constance seems to be embracing what the town has to offer.’
‘That’s true. And that’s since the festival. She had the time of her life that weekend,’ Steph said, grinning. ‘I bet she’ll insist on having a yurt this year.’
‘Mmm. Once she realises it’s basically camping, I doubt it.’
‘Perhaps you’ll have to hire an Airstream then?’
‘I’ll let Constance have the Airstream to herself and Archie and I will have a yurt.’ The thought of bunking in with Constance was a step too far.
‘How about you? Will you go again this year?’
‘Definitely. Tom and I did normal camping. It was brilliant. Seb arranged an area so we could all camp together, so there was him and Jess, Oliver and Lois, Toby and Hilary, and Patsy, Matt and the kids. In fact, I think Toby and Hilary might have got together that weekend. Even Bill and Eunice came, but they shared a camper van with a couple from one of my mobile library stops.’
‘It sounds amazing, I can’t wait.’
‘We even had Ned Nokes in our camp. He’s friends with Seb’s cousin, I think. Something like that anyway.’
‘Who’s Seb’s cousin?’
‘You know FL Thorne?’
‘I love her books!’ said Nora. They make me want to visit Iceland.’
‘Fliss is Seb’s cousin. She did an author Q and A for the festival.’
‘I hope it’s just as good this year,’ said Nora, thinking that she couldn’t believe she’d missed out on last summer’s, despite not knowing Croftwood existed then.
‘Hey, Jess. Tell Nora about the plans for the festival,’ Steph said as Jess, Lois, Patsy and Hilary came over to join them now that everyone had finished their book dates.
‘It’s so hard to keep track,’ Jess said. ‘Seb’s talking non-stop about it but it’s hard to keep track of what’s happening and what are just ideas.’
‘He’s booked Melody Farmer,’ Hilary said. ‘He put it on WhatsApp this afternoon.’
‘No way!’ Patsy said. ‘I love Melody Farmer. We’ll have no trouble selling tickets with her as the headliner.’
‘I’ve been talking to Daisy Bailey’s agent,’ said Lois. ‘Fingers crossed she’s willing to do a Q and A and a book signing. And she has a new book out a couple of weeks before the festival so I’m hoping we can have that as one of the date-with-a-book choices.’
‘You actually do the club at the festival?’ Nora asked.
‘We try,’ Lois said. ‘It was a minor miracle that it worked, but it did. As much as Rosemary might drive me mad, she’s brilliant at that kind of planning.’
Nora could see Constance and Penny putting their coats on and stood up. ‘Thanks for the date, Steph, I really enjoyed it.’
‘You’re not going already?’ Hilary said.
‘She’s Constance and Penny’s taxi tonight,’ Steph said.
‘Oh, right,’ Hilary said, with a knowing smile.
‘Shut up,’ Nora said good-naturedly. She loved that she was beginning to feel comfortable with these people.
Hilary grinned. ‘See you at the lake.’
‘Are you actually going in this week?’ Nora teased.
‘If she doesn’t, I’m pushing her in,’ said Patsy, making everyone laugh.