Chapter Twenty-Four
It was actually a couple of days later that Hattie and Xander moved their things to Mary’s house.
Hattie’s landlord had been understanding as, in the past, Hattie had done him so many favours; he said he thought he’d turn it into an Airbnb for the time being.
When they arrived, Hattie brought Xander to meet Mary.
She didn’t say anything but she was praying that he would speak to her and not be paralysed by shyness.
‘Hello, Xander, I’m Mary,’ she said the moment Xander and Hattie entered the room. ‘I do hope you’re going to like living with me. It will take us a while to get used to each other, I’m sure. But I am quite deaf, so you probably don’t need to worry about playing your music too loudly.’
Xander laughed. ‘I usually wear headphones when I’m playing music,’ he said. ‘I wouldn’t want to disturb you.’
‘And we’re hoping to turn the shed into a den for you,’ said Hattie. ‘Although he’s not a noisy person generally.’
‘I try not to be noisy,’ said Mary, ‘but I do have the television up rather loud. We’ll have to tolerate each other.’
Xander nodded and looked pleasant. Hattie was proud of him. He was so much less shy than he had been when he’d first been thrust upon her.
Hattie had brought her own bedding from the lodge and soon made up beds for her and Xander. Initially, Mary fretted about dampness but once she’d accepted that Hattie could manage, settled back in her chair with a cup of tea.
Xander was surprisingly helpful and volunteered to walk down to the end of the village to get fish and chips. While he was gone, Mary said, ‘He’s such a nice boy, isn’t he?’
‘He’s usually very shy but he obviously felt at ease with you,’ said Hattie, who had made a fresh pot of tea and had brought it into her sitting room.
‘I think Luke’s been a very good influence on him.
And talking of Luke, would you like me to make a list of jobs for him?
Nothing major, but maybe he could fix the guttering to stop the damp?
And a few other things that would make the house more comfortable for you.
Maybe a handrail for that little step into the kitchen? ’
‘Yes, please, dear.’
Luke came over one evening after work early the following week. ‘So what needs to be done?’ he asked when he had said hello to Mary.
‘Hattie has a list but I think you should tell us what you see needs doing,’ said Mary. ‘Hattie, you go round with him and take notes. Just in case we need to involve Clive. Financially, I mean. He does have control over most of my money.’
Hattie, who didn’t like this arrangement at all, took Luke outside. ‘Clive hasn’t been maintaining the property properly. It’s such a lovely house, it should be looked after.’
‘It is a lovely house,’ said Luke, pressing at a windowsill with his fingers. ‘But you work with lovely houses all the time. What’s so special about this one? You’re different when you talk about it. Almost as if it was a beloved pet.’
Hattie laughed. ‘Do you need to ask? It’s got such lovely proportions and character.
It faces southwest so it gets sun almost all day, and the garden is wonderful.
It’s hard to find a garden that’s remotely level round here.
You wouldn’t exactly call it flat, but it does have flattish areas.
It’s also full of very unusual plants. Mary was a great gardener in her day. And I love the shed.’
Luke laughed gently. ‘Well, I think that’s a good list of reasons as to why you love it.’
‘I do love it,’ said Hattie. ‘It’s like home to me, in a way none of the many houses I’ve seen have.
I’m not sure I know why. It’s just the way it makes me feel.
’ It was only now that she realised that she’d missed this feeling of home; she’d thought she was perfectly happy with her peripatetic life.
‘Well, I’ll keep it standing as long as possible,’ said Luke. ‘And it’s not that bad, I don’t think.’ He paused. ‘Would it be rude to ask for a cup of tea? I’m gasping.’
‘I’ll put the kettle on!’ said Hattie. For some reason she was eager to get away. She felt she’d exposed herself to Luke in some way. A cup of tea would make everything seem more normal.
It was barely a week since Hattie and Xander had moved in with Mary, the night before Xander was due to meet his father in London. They were having his favourite meal, of pasta with peas, bacon and cheese.
‘We’re going to miss you,’ said Mary, spearing a bit of fusilli with skill. ‘We’ve become a family so quickly. And I really enjoy playing Scrabble even if you do often win.’
‘I think Luke will miss you too. He said you were really helpful the other day,’ said Hattie.
‘I’m good at carrying buckets,’ said Xander, laughing. ‘And will you miss me too, Hattie?’
‘Strangely, I will! Who knew having a Gen Z person around could actually be quite fun?’ Hattie put a hand on his arm. ‘And you’re quite happy to go up to London, take the tube to Victoria and then on to your dad’s?’
‘Of course I am!’ Xander was adamant. ‘I’ll be fine. There’s no need to worry.’
These were pretty much the same words as Hattie had said to Leonie when she had tried to persuade Hattie that Xander needed an escort. As it turned out that Xander’s father Charles and Tom had both said the same thing, Leonie had to agree.
‘I don’t suppose I’ll ever go to London again,’ said Mary, ‘but I did used to enjoy it.’
‘Would you like to go again?’ said Hattie, wondering if she should arrange to take her.
‘I don’t think so really. I had a job in Knightsbridge and used to go to Harrods in my lunch hour.’
‘The food halls?’
‘Salon de Parfum as they used to call it. I used to spray myself with as many scents as I could get away with.’
‘Didn’t they smell weird, all mixed together?’ asked Xander.
Mary shrugged. ‘I had a scarf which smelt wonderful. Although I dare say others may not have agreed with me.’
‘Mary’s fun, isn’t she?’ said Xander as he and Hattie cleared up after the meal. ‘I wish my grandparents were more like her.’
‘I’m sorry you feel like that, but I agree, they are rather – formal.’
Xander nodded. ‘They want a grandchild they can boast about to their friends. I’m not one of those.’
Hattie opened her mouth to argue but she knew he was right. ‘I’m really proud to have you as a nephew, Xander. If that helps.’
‘I know. But you and Luke are cool.’
Hattie considered reminding Xander that she and Luke weren’t a couple, but refrained. ‘That’s good!’
‘But my grandparents? Terrifying. I’m so glad I’m going to be with Dad and won’t be able to come to their Golden Wedding or whatever it is.’
‘Well, I’ll miss you. No one else there is likely to be remotely fun. Now.’ She gave the work surface a final wipe. ‘I think that’s all done. Get the chocolates and we can join Mary. I must say, there’s something about a chocolate before bed.’
‘As long as you brush your teeth properly before you go to bed, Auntie Hattie,’ said Xander with a smirk.
Hattie was sitting in her car in a layby, trying to assess traffic noise for a house that seemed to be perfect in every other way when her sister called.
‘It all went very smoothly, apparently,’ Leonie said after a brief greeting. ‘The Circle Line was behaving itself, and Xan is very clued-up.’ She paused. ‘Charles is right; I should trust him more. He’s old enough.’
‘Definitely,’ said Hattie.
‘Have you time to talk? I just want to make sure you’re up to date on the Golden Wedding celebrations.’
‘Yes?’
‘They’ve booked a venue, sent out invitations, chosen a menu—’
‘I didn’t get an invitation,’ said Hattie.
‘Nor did I! We’re family. They wouldn’t waste expensive engraved invitations on us.’
‘So what do you need me to do? Are they having a cake? I could probably help there if I had to, although transporting it might be tricky.’
‘They are having a cake, but they want me – us – to organise a seating plan, ask about special dietary requirements, which they didn’t know they had to do until I told them.
They need to choose their canapés, decide if they want a cheese course or not—’ Hattie heard her sister gulp.
‘There’s lots that can be done by email but they need help with the menu and I can’t do it because I’m in Switzerland. ’
‘Lennie! I know I work for myself but I am busy, you know!’
‘At least you live in the same country. I realise that dealing with our parents is not part of your skill set…’
‘I can’t be near Mum for more than twenty minutes without her getting upset with me. I’m not your woman for this. Have you thought about hiring a party planner?’
‘I’ve tried! I can’t find one that isn’t booked. Anyone who does that sort of thing is spoken for. A summer Saturday is peak time for weddings. Who knew?’
It was so unlike Leonie to be ironic, Hattie laughed again.
‘I know it’s not really your thing, Hattie, it’s my thing, and I really wouldn’t put this on you if there was an alternative.’
Hattie was so accustomed to being bossed around by her older sister, she was more thrown by Leonie’s conciliatory tone. ‘I’ll do my best, Lennie. But you might need to write me a list.’
‘I’ll send the list to you now. A spreadsheet will follow. I can’t thank you enough for this.’
After Hattie had concluded that the house might just avoid being accused of having too much traffic noise, she drove home.
She’d share a cup of tea with Mary before looking through a wodge of legal documents for a house sale.
She’d also bought cakes from a stall run by children raising money for the local hospice that she spotted on the journey.
She found a little sugar hit prior helped with the paperwork.
‘Tea and cakes?’ said Mary. ‘Is there a reason?’
‘My official excuse for cake is the pile of legalese I have to go through later, but you always know when I want to bend your ear about something. It’s my sister.’
‘Was she pleased with Xander for getting himself to his father without incident?’
‘She was! I think she’s beginning to let go a bit. She does seem to be less uptight these days. But she’s set me rather a large task.’
‘You can say no, Hattie darling.’
Hattie shook her head. ‘It’s our parents’ Golden Wedding anniversary party. I can’t leave it all to her.’
‘I suppose not.’
‘And she did at least ask me nicely. She’s doing what she can from Switzerland, like checking everyone’s dietary requirements, but some of it needs a woman on the ground.’
‘In my day you just sent out invitations and people said if they could come or not. One does wonder what happened to the people who were gluten or dairy intolerant.’
‘They probably didn’t realise that was wrong with them, or they just suffered in silence. Anyway, we have to look after our guests these days. And – and this is the worst part – they need me to work out a seating plan. I don’t know who most of the people are!’
‘Could you do something like assign a family member to each table, to act as host, and then let people sit where they want?’
‘That sounds a brilliant idea but I suspect it’s too free-thinking for my parents. They are very dependent on order.’
‘Then why don’t they work out their own seating plan?’
Hattie nodded. ‘When I can work out a tactful way to put it, I will ask that very question!’