Chapter Twenty-Four
‘PADDY!!!’
Paddy knelt down in delight as her two nephews threw themselves at her. There was no point in being knocked over twice in two days. This morning she had thrown her bags in the car and headed back to Ari. Now, too many hours later, she felt like she was home. As she had driven down the long drive, Hiverton Manor glowed in the last of the day’s light. Dusk had leant a softening beauty to the Tudor manor house and Paddy was once again struck by the thought that her mother had grown up here. Despite its splendour, she had run away from it, to live with Paddy’s father. Now, that was a love story. She felt so sad she wanted to cry; all she had wanted was to be swept off her feet and fall in love. And when she had met Hal, it had been instantaneous. She had looked at him smiling at her and her heart had stopped. Falling in love had been simple. Everything since was messed up. She had screwed it all up, falling in love with someone who wasn’t available, who was always annoyed with her, who thought she was a slut.
Clearly, her nephews had been keeping watch, because as she’d drawn her car to a stop, the front door had been thrown open and light spilt out of the house, followed by the two little terrors, whooping and waving, bouncing around with two dogs, followed by Ari and Sebastian. The boys were in their pyjamas and dressing gowns and had clearly been given leave to stay up until she had arrived. Seb stood with his arm lightly around Ari’s waist, and Paddy thought what a lovely image they all made in front of their home, waving at her as she drove up. Pulling herself together she got out of the car to give her gorgeous nephews the biggest hug in the world.
As Paddy had slowly got out of the car, Ari took one look at her little sister and saw the exhaustion in her face and body. Giving her a hug and shooing the dogs away, she suggested Paddy turn in straightaway. They had all the time in the world to catch up.
Paddy slumped upstairs, as Ari and Seb followed behind placing her bags on her bedroom floor. Ditching her coat on top of the bags she climbed into bed, fully clothed, pulling the sheets over her and mumbled good night. Ari and Seb looked at each other and then softly closed the door. They tucked the boys in and headed back downstairs.
***
‘Well, that doesn’t look good?’ Ari had been concerned the minute she saw her sister get out of the car. Her skin was sallow, she had bags under her eyes, she was still clearly wearing yesterday’s make-up, and her hair was unbrushed. Ari couldn’t even remember seeing her sister so unkempt. Even when she came back from the city farm having spent the day grooming and mucking out and then walking a mile to the bus stop, she looked better than she did sitting in that car.
‘Maybe she’s just shattered after the drive.’ Seb was also concerned; he didn’t know his sisters-in-law terribly well yet, but Clem and Paddy were the two energy bombs in the family. Clem was like a whirlwind; Paddy was like the best day at the beach. Full of laughter and energy and attention. She just went out of her way to make people happy. Now he simply saw a young woman who appeared broken. However, he didn’t want to alarm Ari further by agreeing with her. ‘It is a very long drive remember. I bet the M25 was hell.’
Ari pursed her lips. It was true that Cornwall to Norfolk was a massive drive, it was just there seemed something more fundamental. ‘Not convinced. I think something else is up. The other day she rang to ask if she could visit and then this morning, she calls from the road to say she’s on her way.’
‘What does Nick say?’
‘She said Paddy has been avoiding her calls. Aster saw her last month in London and said everything was fine.’ Ari paused and turned to Seb. ‘Hang on, bloody hell. We have Fig Rolls in the kitchen, don’t we?’
‘You’ve lost me.’
‘Dickie bought Fig Rolls last month. And I remember wondering at the time why, when none of us particularly like them. But growing up they were Paddy’s comfort food of choice.’
‘Do you think Aster called Dickie to stock up because she thought Paddy might be heading home?’
‘Yes. Which means she knew back then that something was up.’
‘Your little sister would put Machiavelli to shame.’ Of all the sisters, Aster was the one he couldn’t pin down. He liked her, but she was very quiet and always watching. He knew part of the issue was that he wasn’t certain if she approved of him yet. It was a slightly disconcerting feeling. Especially because he wondered what might happen if she eventually decided he didn’t actually pass muster. ‘Why couldn’t she just tell you?’
Ari gave him an old-fashioned look. ‘Privacy? Secrets? Aster.’
‘Not helpful though.’
‘That’s not fair.’ Ari hated disagreeing with Seb but she knew he was seeing things from an outsider’s point of view. ‘She was helping in the way that she knows how. She guessed that whatever she found out, might mean Paddy would be coming here. Probably before Paddy had even thought about it. So she planned ahead ready to have something nice in the cupboard for her when she arrived.’
Seb kissed Ari on the forehead. ‘Remind me again never to play chess against Aster.’
Heading back into the drawing room, Seb tidied the boys’ toys off the sofa and Ari poured him a drink and returned to her cooling hot chocolate. The fire crackled in the hearth and the dogs settled back down, happy that the humans were back with them.
Ari wiggled her toes in front of the fire. ‘Do you know, it’s silly but I love it when my sisters are here. I just feel a little bit more complete.’
Seb looked across at his wife, her face glowing in the warmth of the fire. Even when her sisters brought troubles, they lightened Ari’s world. He was perpetually amazed by how she had coped at eighteen, taking on all she had. ‘Why don’t we invite them all over for Christmas? I don’t think Clem can cope with it a second year running. Or will it be too much for you? Are you going to tell Paddy our news?’
‘Not yet. I want to see what’s wrong with her first. But I think Christmas altogether is a wonderful idea.’
Ari smiled back at him and quietly she hoped to herself that whatever was troubling Paddy would be done and dusted by then.