Chapter Fourteen
Alex’s head spun around as he heard Marion walking through his dining room. Seriously?
‘I thought I’d let myself in, it was on the latch. Hello, Susie, how are you doing?’
‘Hello, Marion, it’s Sylvie. Very well, thank you. How nice to see you.’
‘Um, Marion. Hello?’ Alex stared at Marion with disbelief. He knew things were different in the country to living in London, but still, letting oneself in?
‘Hello, darling. It occurred to me that with the boys’ schedule for this evening – Rufus has karate and Rupert and Rafe will be going to diving club – it made much more sense for me to come and get Ellie now. Do you have a bag ready for her?’
‘I can see. But I don’t have to be in Truro for another two hours. I thought I was dropping Ellie to you.’
‘Well, that was the plan, but as I say the boys’ schedules meant this was far the better option.
Now, pyjamas, toothbrush, any special bear or book and we’ll be off.
Then you’ve got plenty of time to get ready at your leisure.
See, much better. I’ll just take Ellie now.
’ Marion beamed at Alex, pleased that she was so helpful before smoothing down her skirt and beaming at him again.
Alex wondered if the full-force beam had some kind of magical power because he felt compelled to go upstairs and pack a bag immediately.
But something deep within him fought back and made his feet resist.
‘Marion, I haven’t fed her yet.’ Yes, he still had some self-determination left in him, fading but fighting.
‘Not to worry. I had planned to give her supper along with my boys. Friday is sushi night. It’s so important they are exposed to all cultures, isn’t it?’
‘Well, that’s very kind of you.’ There was no way in the world Ellie was going to happily eat raw fish. He quickly looked to Sylvie.
‘Marion, it sounds like you’ve got an awful lot on, why don’t I take Ellie?
I had actually nipped in to suggest a sleepover, Alex.
Sam has been relentless in asking and I think they hatched up a plan at school.
So if I step in, Marion, then you can see to your boys, and not worry about another.
Four is an awful lot of children to be dealing with. What do you say?’
‘No, I don’t think so. I’ll have Ellie, it’s all arranged.
Thank you. I understand you applied for a spot as one of my new ladies, didn’t you?
Well, I fear it’s only fair to warn you, we do have very exacting standards.
’ Alex watched as Marion looked Sylvie up and down as if she was lucky she was speaking to her, and then finished the look with a dismissive nod that managed to convey an awful lot in a very short space of time.
What was that all about? Marion had many faults but he hadn’t seen her do that before.
Sylvie clearly didn’t give a shit and looked at her straight back.
She might be slight in build but that girl had some balls.
She had managed to stand firmer against Marion than he had.
Feeling emboldened, he decided he had had enough of dancing to Marion’s tune.
He wouldn’t refuse to go on this date – he would follow through as anything else at this late juncture would be rude – but here, with Sylvie at his side, and the thought of Ellie spending the night with the Marksharp boys, that was a hill he was prepared to die on.
‘Fabulous, Sylvie, I’d really appreciate that. Although I’ll pick her up when I’m finished so you won’t have her all night. Thank you.’
‘But…’
‘Marion, I’m so grateful to you but I just can’t keep taking, it doesn’t sit right.
You’ve done so much, please allow me to let Sylvie share some of the burden.
’ Jesus, he didn’t dare look at his friend or his faux sincerity would disappear and he’d be in giggles instead. Manly giggles, but giggles nonetheless.
‘I’ll just go and let them know.’ Sylvie grinned at the both of them and hotfooted out to the garden to give the children the news and seal the deal.
Alex thought Sam would be pleased and he was fairly certain Ellie would prefer it to playing with Marion’s sons.
He hadn’t spent much time with them but the village grapevine said they were more than a bit of a handful.
He was fairly sure he had heard a tale recently about the middle one, Rupert, having set fire to the vicar’s shed.
‘Are you sure Sylvie is the influence you want around Ellie, dear?’ Marion took advantage of Sylvie’s absence to dig the knife in, pulling at her own shirt as she did so and doing weird stuff with her eyebrows. What was her problem?
‘Yes, pretty sure, thank you, Marion.’ Alex’s attention was distracted by a whole lot of whooping, and he even thought he heard Sam join in – he hadn’t had him down as a natural whooper – when Ellie came steamrollering into the house and launched at him with such force he nearly toppled over.
‘Is it true, am I really going on a sleepover to Sam’s? Really?’
Alex laughed at her enthusiasm. It was impossible not to, she was utterly contagious. However, he still needed to peel her off him; slate floors did not make a soft landing for either of them, and she was rocking back and forth making them both teeter.
‘Yes, yes, yes. Not all night, I’ll come and get you, but you’ll probably fall asleep there.
If that’s OK with Marion?’ He felt a bit guilty now, it felt like out-and-out manipulation and it was.
But his daughter trumped all and she would not only be happier, but potentially a lot safer, at Sylvie’s farm.
She could attempt to ride a combine harvester and even still it would be a safer something than spending time with Rufus, Rupert and Rafe.
‘Well, she clearly wants to, although my boys will be disappointed.’
Yeah, damn right they will. Her boys would have probably tied her to a train track and twirled their pre-pubescent imaginary moustaches.
He had never been that comfortable with it as an idea but as with the date he had been steamrollered into it.
This was a much better solution and one he wished he had thought of himself.
Sylvie and Sam reappeared from the garden just in time to hear him muttering apologies to Marion and hoping that the boys would be so busy with their clubs they would forgive him this once.
‘So, go and pack a bag and get yourself ready then.’ He addressed his daughter, having safely got her to the floor. She nodded quickly, as she did everything, and turned to her friend.
‘OK, Sam, you’d better come and help me.
I need to know what toys you have. Should we bring some of mine?
Do you have a TV in your room? I’ve got my own Netflix account you know…
although Dad has a silly rule about watching it in bed.
Does your mum?’ Her voice, seemingly never stopping, continued as she led her friend up the stairs and off to get her pyjamas.
‘Well, I suppose I had better go then.’ Marion addressed the both of them, still looking a little shell-shocked. Alex wondered if she had ever been team-tagged quite so effectively before. Hats off to Sylvie; he doubted anyone else would have been so brave.
‘Once again, Marion, I’m so sorry, but thank you anyway.’
She pasted the big Marion beam back onto her face, and grinned at him, managing to exclude Sylvie utterly as she spoke.
‘Absolutely no worries, Alex, so lovely to have you in the village. Now, all you have to do is enjoy yourself tonight, and in Claudia’s company, you certainly will.
Charming girl and absolutely perfect for you.
’ At this point she did manage to shoot a triumphant look at the redhead still standing beside him, before turning on her heel and letting herself back out again.
As soon as she had gone he turned to Sylvie and the two dissolved into giggles; it was like being back at school. He couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed like that, although it was partly out of relief as much as anything else.
‘Thank you. I was more worried about Ellie than I was the actual date.’
‘Well, now you don’t need to worry about Ellie and you can concentrate on panicking yourself stupid about Claudia.’ She pronounced his date’s name with that sing-song voice you used in primary school but before he could comment about her being a cat she carried on speaking.
‘Although I don’t understand why I can’t have Ellie all night.
If this date goes well you don’t want to be rushing back to pick her up in the middle of the night.
Once she’s asleep she may as well stay asleep and you can come and get her in the morning.
That way you can have a drink, relax, enjoy yourself.
Driving to the farm at silly o’clock makes no sense. ’
‘I know, and that would be really nice, but I just can’t.’
‘There’s no such thing as just can’t.’
‘Ooh, you sound like a teacher already.’
‘Haha. Doesn’t stop me being right though.’
‘As much as I suspect you’re always right, in this situation you don’t have all the facts.’
‘Never stopped me before,’ Sylvie retorted in full imp mode. She really was adorable.