Chapter Thirty-Eight
There was a certain amount of morning chaos involved in getting Xander back to college.
The traffic seemed bad but they got there on time and as Hattie watched him go through the door, chatting to people, she gave a sigh of satisfaction.
He had so much more confidence now than when he first started.
She glanced at her phone. She had a house to show a client who wanted a stately home but could only afford a semi – albeit a very nice one.
(She reminded Hattie rather of Mrs Conway.) In fact, they’d seen it together before and the client had rejected it for not being grand enough.
But Hattie had shown her a couple of other properties since and felt that the client was ready to be a bit more realistic.
The house could be made to look a lot grander, after all. Hattie would need to be firm.
Either Hattie was firm, or the client had come to terms with what she could afford, but this time, as they walked round the house, admiring the geometric Victorian tiles in the hallway, the dado rail and the cornicing, the client said, ‘You’re quite right, Hattie.
It’s a charming house and I’d be mad not to snap it up. Can you try and buy it for me please?’
Hattie hugged her. Not only was she delighted that her client was going to end up in a house which was just right for her, but Hattie would have space to take on a new client, and so acquire a fee which would make her own house hunt a little easier.
Afterwards, she drove up on to the local common, where the views went across the Severn plain to the Welsh mountains.
She was hoping it would give her comfort.
She’d spent a lot of time recently appearing to be cheerful and positive, but inside, she felt she was crumbling.
She had lost the house of her dreams and now, thanks to Clive, had no prospect of ever buying it.
Then there was Luke. She’d made such a mistake with him with her stubborn insistence he was just a friend.
Now, as she looked at the familiar vista of distant hills, clumps of trees and the river beyond, she realised that she should have got out of the friends’ zone, as Carole had put it, long since.
But it was too late. Now he was involved with April – who was a lovely woman; she couldn’t even hope that April would let him down and that they would break up.
She’d managed to find love for her sister, for Fiona and Nick, and even for Rose, many years ago.
But she’d let the very thing standing in front of her slip through her fingers.
Tired, she felt tears very near the surface.
Later that afternoon, she had an appointment to view a house for herself which ticked all the boxes: all the dull boxes which were about as inspiring as a page full of sums. But she couldn’t go on staying with Luke; she had to make a plan and it was time to put sentiment and dreams aside and buy something sensible.
And for now, she wanted to breathe calmly, until she felt more positive about it all. It might take some time.
She was interrupted from her self-hypnosis by the telephone. It was Fiona.
‘Hi, Fiona, this is a lovely surprise!’
Fiona laughed. ‘I’m so glad you’ve said that because what I’m going to tell you is a bit of a surprise. I’m pregnant!’
For half a second, Hattie felt a pang of envy for Fiona and her happy relationship. ‘Oh, that’s lovely news. How exciting.’
‘Dad isn’t absolutely delighted, and to be honest, it wasn’t planned, but me and Nick are thrilled and Mum is over the moon!’
Fiona’s joy was audible. ‘I bet. She will be the perfect grandmother, generous, spoiling and utterly supportive.’ Hattie couldn’t help but smile at this image, although felt a pang of regret that her own mother would never be like that.
‘I know! I’m so lucky to have her. So, to make everyone completely happy, we’re going to get married before the baby arrives.’
‘Nice,’ said Hattie, briefly wondering where all her party dresses had got to in her various recent moves.
‘And we’d really love it if you’d be our celebrant.’
This took Hattie aback. ‘Oh my goodness! I’ve never done it before, you know.’
‘That doesn’t matter. Me and Nick thought – and Mum – that you somehow brought us together and so you should be the one to…
well, bring us together! We’ll get married in a register office beforehand, so we won’t need to worry about the legal stuff.
We just want a lovely party with you officiating at the beginning. ’
Hattie suddenly wanted to cry. She cleared her throat. ‘That’s so – romantic,’ she said. ‘I’m very honoured.’
‘We’ve chosen the venue. We did think of having it in the garden at home, but you can’t guarantee the weather, not in September.’
‘Where have you chosen?’
‘It’s a new place. I’ll send you the details.
Mum insisted on having proper invitations printed; she wouldn’t let me just send emails, and you’ll need one of them.
What is your address at the moment?’ There was a long pause while Fiona waited for a reply.
Eventually she said, ‘Sorry? Hattie? Are you still there?’
Hattie coughed and cleared her throat again, but even then she was certain her tears were evident. ‘Erm – I don’t really have an address.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I – me and my nephew – are… between addresses.’ She could have given Luke’s address. He wouldn’t have minded. But she couldn’t bring herself to. Although she had definitely made his house a home for the weekend, she knew she couldn’t stay, not the way she was feeling.
Fiona didn’t reply immediately. ‘Tell you what, let me have a word with Mum. Dad’s due to go away on a golfing holiday and she hates being on her own for any length of time.
Nick and I are living in his house, waiting for the sale on the new one to go through, so she’s feeling it rather.
She’d love to have you. There’s a guest suite – it’s got two bedrooms. I’ll call you back. ’
In spite of her sudden feeling of desolation, Hattie couldn’t help smiling.
Fiona was so happy, she wanted to make everyone else happy too.
And as Hattie looked at the view and sipped water from her flask, she felt a bit more in control of her emotions – until her phone ringing again interrupted her thoughts.
‘Oh my days!’ Fiona was obviously thrilled. ‘I can’t tell you how excited Mum got when I told her you needed somewhere to live for a little while.’
‘It’s not just me, it’s my teenage nephew as well—’
‘She knows that. She is thrilled at the thought of having you both to stay! She’ll be distracted from the wedding prep by trying to overfeed your nephew. I think she’s scarred by what happened last time so it would be perfect.’
‘Are you sure? Having two people – people you either don’t know at all or hardly know – to stay can be very stressful.’ She knew this only too well.
‘Not for Mum. Really. She knew you’d say something like that but wants you to know she really would love to have you both.’ She took a breath. ‘I’m getting off the phone now. Mum wants to ring immediately!’
‘Hattie? Is Fiona right? Are you and your nephew really up for coming to stay for a few weeks? I would be SO thrilled!’
‘Well, if you’re sure that would be OK,’ said Hattie, touched by Sheila’s enthusiasm.
‘I’d love it!’
After more excited conversation, it was agreed that Hattie and Xander would arrive at five, for pre-dinner drinks. This would give Hattie time to finish off her work, collect her things and explain to Luke – and later Xander – where she was going. The ‘why’ would be more complicated.
She drove to Luke’s at lunchtime, hoping not to see his truck or his car so she could let herself in, take her belongings, leave a note and disappear. But no, the truck and the car were both there.
She rang the bell, which sent Frank and Fearless to the window so they could see who it was. Their keenness to see her was evident through the window. Would that make leaving even harder?
‘Hello,’ said Luke, surprised to see her. ‘Why didn’t you use your key?’
Hattie wondered the same thing for a minute. But she couldn’t have sneaked in and out without him knowing about it. ‘I’ve come to get our things. Xander and I are moving out.’
Luke frowned. ‘Why? I didn’t think the service was that bad.’
Hattie put her bag down on the table. ‘The service was amazing. Couldn’t have been better. But I don’t want to impose.’ She paused. ‘Can I make a cup of tea?’
He gestured to indicate that of course she could and followed her into the kitchen.
‘Sheila – remember her? Fiona’s mother?’
‘Of course.’
‘She’s got a two-room annexe and she’s on her own for a while. She’s very keen for us to go and stay. Fiona and Nick are getting married.’
‘I think I knew that.’
‘Imminently. They’re going to have a baby and so are rushing things along rather. They’ve asked me to be celebrant.’
Luke, who had been looking a bit forbidding, relaxed a little. ‘Nice! You’ll do that very well. The right mixture of warmth and formality.’
Hattie found herself blushing at the compliment ‘Tea?’ she said quickly to cover her embarrassment.
Luke nodded. ‘Will you come back here afterwards?’
‘I really hope to have bought something before long – and although I know I won’t be in it for a couple of months—’ She stopped, not knowing how to carry on. ‘The lodge won’t be so booked up in September; we might go back there. Can you get the milk out?’ she finished.
‘When will you move out?’ asked Luke while they sipped their tea.
‘Now.’
‘Why the sudden rush? I thought you, me and Xander rubbed along well together.’
‘Sheila wants us. She’s lonely.’
Luke put down his mug. Then his phone beeped and April’s name came up.
Hattie clamped her lips tightly together so she wouldn’t comment on how often April seemed to get in touch with Luke.
If you assumed that Luke got in touch with her as often, they were obviously very close.
It was weird, she decided, she and Luke were best friends, but somehow, with April’s name popping up every five minutes, he suddenly felt like an acquaintance.
She needed this space from him to get her feelings in order, otherwise she worried she might lose him as a friend as she’d always feared.
And without the reward of anything more.