32
ARCHIE HAD TAKEN Constance into his father’s study to let her know that he and Nora had worked things out.
‘It was wrong of me to assume she would be willing to marry just because of the baby,’ he said. ‘I think it’s likely we’ll come to some other arrangement.’
‘You will allow the child to be illegitimate? It’s out of the question,’ Constance said in a tone that said there was nothing else to be said on on the matter.
‘But, Mama. I told you that I’d proposed and that Nora had turned me down,’ Archie said in confusion. ‘You were very understanding.’
‘Yes, but I assumed she would come around to the idea. After all, what other option is there? She must understand that a child cannot be born into this family out of wedlock. It simply isn’t an option.’
Archie had kept his word to Nora and taken advice on what the legal position of the child would be whether or not he and Nora were married. It seemed that the matter of inheritance was straightforward enough; Archie could bequeath the estate to the child whether or not they were legitimate. However, the only way to pass the title down was through a legitimate heir.
He sighed. ‘Things have moved on. It’s not necessary for Nora and I to be married. A civil partnership will give us the same legal status.’
‘But you won’t have a wife, Archie. Lady Harrington will not exist.’
‘That’s the only part of it that wouldn’t be the same.’ He braced himself. ‘And that doesn’t matter to Nora and me.’
‘Archibald. If your father was here —’
‘Papa is not here,’ he said as forcefully as he could muster. ‘If he were here, I perhaps wouldn’t find myself in the position of being a single man in his forties who’s been stuck on an estate in the middle of Worcestershire for twenty years.’
Constance’s eyes filled with tears.
‘I’m sorry, Mama. That was uncalled for.’
She dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief and sat down in the window seat. ‘Your father would be proud of you. You’ve kept the estate running and looked after your sister and me exactly as he would have done. I know it has curtailed your life. Meant you had to make sacrifices and carry burdens that aren’t yours to bear. But if you allow this chance to build a family pass you by, to fail to continue the line when the opportunity has come to you right at the very last moment, you are a fool.’
His mother’s words were like a knife to his heart. He was shocked at how black and white her view was. What did she expect him to do? Issue Nora with an ultimatum when they had only just come together again? He was fairly sure he knew which way that would go, and he wasn’t about to risk upsetting the delicate balance between them again.
‘I’m sorry you see me as a fool. But I will not issue an ultimatum to Nora which could very well result in me losing her and the child altogether. I realise that there is a way things are done, a way things have been done in the past, but that doesn’t mean that is the right way now.’
‘So you would see your child lose their right to inherit the title? See the Harrington name die with you?’
‘If that is the price I have to pay to have a family, yes.’
Constance shook her head and dabbed her eyes again. ‘I know you love Nora and I have never seen you happier, but she is asking too much of you.’
‘She hasn’t asked anything of me. I haven’t told her any of this yet.’
‘Perhaps when you do, she will understand.’
‘Perhaps. But I don’t want her to feel pressured into anything. Fate brought this child to us. It wasn’t something we planned and I don’t expect Nora to sacrifice her independence when that means so much to her. It has to be her decision.’
‘So what do you propose? You want me to move out into the cottage?’
The cottage had long been rented out on the assumption that it would never be needed as it grew increasingly unlikely that Archie would get married. He had no intention of asking Constance to leave Croftwood Court. But otherwise, he had no plan until he and Nora could settle things more definitely.
‘Your home is here. There is no question about that. I don’t know yet what our arrangements will be, but you must realise that it’s a possibility that we may live here. Married or not.’
Constance looked at him as if she may say something about that but thought better of it. He certainly hoped she was in no doubt that her feelings on the situation were not to be aired in front of Nora.
‘It’s your house to do with as you wish,’ she said. ‘I will respect your decision, whatever that may be.’
‘Thank you. Right, I must go. I have a meeting with the planning officer.’
He took a deep breath as he left the room and headed straight out of the front door, striding towards the estate office, trying not to worry about how much he might have upset his mother. He was in no doubt that he’d done the right thing. He had to put the needs of his family first. And his family was Nora and the baby now.
Seb and Ben were waiting in the courtyard outside the estate office.
‘Morning,’ he said to both of them.
‘Morning,’ said Ben. ‘I was just explaining to Seb that because your planning application is still in progress, we can change the classification of this building without delaying the outcome. Having said that, I know you have an opening date at the beginning of June pencilled in for the lake. I’m afraid I think that may need reviewing.’
‘Why’s that?’ Seb asked.
‘It was always at the quick end of the timescale,’ Ben said. ‘The concerns around the parking held things up. That’s ironed out now, since you submitted the additional information on how you’ll provide parking in the grounds, but it’s added a couple of weeks to the process.’
‘It can’t be helped,’ said Archie. ‘But this change of use for the stables is extremely important. Even if it delays the application, I want to do it.’
‘No problem. Talk me through what you’re thinking.’
Archie had a very clear plan in his mind. He would renovate the old stables into a house for him and Nora. It was a stone’s throw from the main house so he was still on hand for Constance. It would give them the flexibility to keep her company but to have their own space. A space he hoped Nora would feel as hers as much as his. Somewhere she could put her own stamp on and turn into a home.
‘And the estate office, I’d like to turn that into a workshop,’ he said to Seb’s surprise. ‘I don’t need an office. I can use one of the rooms in the house.’
‘There’s plenty of room in the roof space over the other side. You can have an office next to me,’ said Seb.
‘What kind of workshop?’ Ben asked.
‘A pottery. I’d want to glaze both ends of the walkway and knock that through to where the office is now. I think the drying room and the kiln could go in there. Nora would have to finalise what she wants, if she even agrees, but from what I’ve seen of where she works now, I think it would work.’
‘I can’t see any problem with that. A renovation like this is more to do with the materials you’re going to have to use to comply with the building regulations for a building of this age, but I expect you’re used to that.’
‘I am.’
‘It sounds like an expensive business, this renovation. How are you going to pay for this?’ Seb asked after Ben had gone and they were having a cup of tea in the office.
Archie didn’t mind in the least that Seb had asked. He was the only person aside from Nora who knew the full extent of the Court’s finances. Or lack of them.
‘I’m going to sell the fish from the lake and I’ve asked the auctioneer who sold the vase to come round and value what we have. We ought to be doing it regularly for the insurance, so as far as my mother knows, that’s all it is. I’ll have the discussion with her once I know what I might sell.’
‘Blimey, Arch. I’ve never seen you so driven.’
Archie shrugged. ‘I have no choice. I have to provide for my family and that means solving the biggest problem, which is where we’re going to live. I only hope Nora thinks this is an appropriate compromise.’
That evening was the highly anticipated anniversary showing of The Breakfast Club at Croftwood Cinema. Nora’s enthusiasm for it had waned in the face of the pregnancy, which she was finding exhausting. But Archie knew she’d been looking forward to it, and all they had to do was turn up and watch the film. She could sleep through it if she wanted to.
He’d found an old coat of his father’s which was too big for him but which when paired with an old check flannel shirt gave him the Judd Nelson vibes he was after. He drove round to Nora’s in the Jag and let himself in.
‘Only me,’ he called.
She appeared at the top of the stairs, looking every inch like she’d stepped out of the nineteen-eighties. Her hair was huge, with an enormous floppy bow tied in it. She had a pink sweatshirt hanging off one shoulder and was wearing leggings, leg-warmers and lots of neon bead necklaces and bracelets.
‘Wow!’ he said, grinning. ‘You look like…’ He floundered, but Nora grinned.
‘I was going for early Madonna,’ she said, coming down the stairs and kissing him before she snuggled into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, glad that they were back to where they’d been before the baby news.
‘You look amazing. You feeling okay?’
‘Mmm,’ she murmured. ‘I’m looking forward to it. I came home early and had a nap so I’m raring to go.’
She seemed anything but raring to go, though Archie was pleased they were. They hadn’t had much fun in the past few weeks.
He’d booked two tickets for seats in the circle, since it was quieter up there and the seats were more comfortable. They parked the car on the road nearby and walked the long way through the park to the cinema, joining the short queue to get in. Everyone in the queue was dressed in similarly nineteen-eighties clothes with a scattering of other Judd Nelsons and Madonnas amongst them.
‘You two look great!’ Patsy said, checking their tickets. She was wearing a ra-ra skirt with three tiers each in a different neon colour and a vest top with a mesh t-shirt over it and a pair of mesh fingerless gloves. ‘We’re doing Long Island Ice Tea cocktails and mocktails. Grab one before you head upstairs.’
With their drinks in hand, they climbed the stairs to the circle and settled themselves into the comfy seats.
‘The planning officer came round today,’ he began.
‘Oh, was it Ben?’
‘It was. We discussed renovating the stable block into a house for us.’
Nora turned to look at him. She was biting her lip, looking unsure.
‘And we could set up a pottery studio for you so you can work from home.’
‘We’d move in together?’
‘I hope so,’ he said, still not sure if she thought it was a good idea. ‘And there’s no pressure for you to sell your cottage. You ought to keep that if you want to. But we need somewhere that’s ours. Somewhere that’s never been mine or yours, where we can start our family together.’
A tear escaped down Nora’s cheek. Archie leant over and wiped it away, his heart sinking into his stomach.
‘It’s okay. We can think of something else. It’s not the only option.’ It was the best he could come up with though, and he’d thought it was as close to perfect as they were likely to get.
‘It’s a wonderful option,’ she said, taking his hand and squeezing it just as the lights went down.
After the film, they headed through the stalls to the backstage bar where there was an after party that was spilling out of the doors and into the park.
Nora pulled Archie by the hand outside into the park before anyone could intercept them.
‘I want to pay for the pottery workshop,’ she said. ‘It’s the only way it can work. I can’t explain it very well, but it’s important that it’s mine. I need it for my business and it’s only right that I pay for it.’
‘And you think the house is a good idea?’ he asked, his heart filled with hope again.
She nodded, her eyes sparking. ‘I do. How will we pay for it though without selling the cottage?’
Archie explained his plan. ‘I know my mother and Betsy won’t be pleased but it’s the best option for us and that’s the most important thing. I hope they’ll understand that holding onto paintings and vases that no one ever sees but us, things that don’t even have any sentimental value to any of us, is ridiculous when compared to building a future for our family.’
‘I think it’s the perfect solution. Thank you.’
Nora looped her arms around his neck and pressed her cheek to his. ‘I love you so much,’ she whispered into his ear.
‘My love. I feel so lucky to have this chance of a new life with you. I love you.’ Archie thought his heart might burst. It had all come together and they had found a way to be together. Nothing else mattered now.