Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-four
I tell him it was my fault for getting lost but Oliver won’t have it. ‘It’s easily done around here,’ he says. ‘One wrong turn and there’s no signal or landmarks …’ He pauses. ‘Anyway, I wasn’t in the best frame of mind. But that’s no excuse.’
‘Really, it’s okay,’ I insist.
He shrugs, looking genuinely sorry. ‘Bit awkward last night, wasn’t it?’
I hesitate, wondering how to put it tactfully. ‘It seems like a bit of an odd mix, that’s all …’
Oliver nods. ‘I think my sister had some kind of agenda.’
‘What kind of agenda?’ I ask, intrigued.
‘Oh, Suki means well. I mean, she’s great. Really. But, uh … since my wife and I split she’s made it her mission to fix me up—’
‘You mean, matchmaking you?’ I cut in.
‘Yeah.’ He chuckles. He seems like a man who’s got it together, with an air of easy confidence. I can’t imagine he needs, or wants, anyone to organise his life.
‘Does she think you can’t manage on your own?’ I ask.
‘Uh, not exactly. At least I hope not. But Suki’s always had this thing of wanting everyone she cares about to be all settled and happy, in their cosy little unit.’
I take a moment to absorb this. Could this explain why Lyla won’t admit that her pregnancy is the result of a one-night stand? Would that upset Suki too much? ‘You mean,’ I add hesitantly, ‘Suki wants to fix you up with Dinah? ’
Oliver nods, grinning now. His blue eyes catch the morning light.
‘And that’s why she invited you both this weekend?’
‘Reckon so, although I gather that that wasn’t her original plan. But I think a couple of her friends – her so-called friends – dropped out …’
‘Ah.’ I smile. ‘So you and I were late additions?’
He grimaces. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to put it like that.’
‘No, it’s fine,’ I say firmly. ‘I kind of guessed.’
‘Yeah, I did too.’ Oliver chuckles. ‘Because Suki told me not to make any snap judgements about Dinah. To give her time, to get to know her, as she’s a wonderful person underneath …’
I smile. What had Suki said about me, I wonder?
‘She said you seemed great, that one time she’d met you,’ he adds, as if reading my thoughts. ‘That you’re obviously so supportive of your son.’
‘I try to be,’ I say, slightly taken aback. ‘I’m just doing my best really.’ I pause, keen to veer away from the topic before Oliver asks how I really feel about the baby situation. I had quite enough of that last night, from Dinah. We gather ourselves up and start to stroll back slowly, crunching twigs and brittle leaves underfoot.
‘Does Dinah know Suki’s trying to get you two together?’ I ask.
‘Uh, no. I can’t imagine she does.’
‘So,’ I add carefully, ‘Dinah’s here for you, and I’m here to balance things out—’
‘Are you?’ Oliver looks bemused.
‘Yes. That’s what Suki told me. She said this kind of place—’ I look around at the dense forest ‘—isn’t really Dinah’s thing. But now you’ve told me this, I reckon I’m here to make the matchmaking project a little bit less obvious. You know, to sort of dilute things. Make things less intense …’ I can’t help smiling at the irony.
Oliver looks at me quizzically. ‘What is it?’
Well, things weren’t exactly un-intense when I was grappling with Frank over the hamper and smashing the champagne … ‘I was, um … a bit apprehensive about coming here,’ I admit.
‘And I was so rude to you.’
‘No.’ I shake my head. ‘You just seemed preoccupied.’
‘I thought I’d made a big mistake in coming,’ he admits. ‘That’s all.’
We walk in easy silence for a few moments. ‘I hope it all works out,’ I say as Suki’s cabin comes into view. ‘I mean, I hope this weekend’s not too awkward or difficult for you.’ I stop and look at him, registering the vivid blue of his eyes, and wonder what Dinah thinks about him really. He’s attractive, certainly. But I can’t imagine the two of them hitting it off. ‘Now you’ve told me all that, I feel a bit bad actually,’ I add.
‘Why?’
‘Because …’ I push back my windblown hair, wondering how best to put it. ‘I won’t be here to dilute things. I’m sorry. It probably seems a bit off, and Suki was so kind to invite me. But I’m not sure about being the balancing-out person this weekend, you know? After last night—’
‘You mean you’re going home early?’ he exclaims.
‘Yeah, I think it’s best.’ I nod.
‘You’re planning to leave me here with Dinah and my sister?’ Oliver feigns horror, and I laugh.
‘I’m sure you’ll survive!’
‘Yeah.’ He nods. ‘Guess I’ll have to. It seems a shame, though, after you’ve come all this way. Why not see how today goes?’ He looks up at the searing blue sky. ‘Weather looks promising.’
‘Yes, it does.’ And now, as Suki appears on the decking, clutching a coffee pot, I glance at Oliver again.
‘Where have you two been?’ she calls out.
‘We went to see the red squirrels,’ I reply.
‘Oh, aren’t they gorgeous? There are red kites too. You know, birds of prey—’
‘I’m sure Carly knows what they are,’ Oliver cuts in with a grin.
‘Er, yes. I do.’ I smile too, aware of a tiny spark of happiness flickering inside me. I’m not sure where that came from.
‘’Course you do.’ Suki laughs. ‘So if you like, we can go up to the hide later and watch them. The farmer puts out food for them. It’s amazing – isn’t it, Ols – to see them diving down for it?’
‘Yeah, it really is something special.’ He catches my eye with a bemused glance, and his sister pats his arm fondly as we step into the cabin. By the time I’ve come back from getting properly dressed, warm croissants and bowls of fresh berries have appeared. In between carrying them to the table, I quickly check my phone.
Nine-forty a.m. and still no reply from Frank to the message I sent accidentally. And now the thought of driving back, to the house that no longer feels like home, causes an ache deep in my gut.
‘Dinah, breakfast is ready!’ Suki sing-songs. Then to Oliver and me: ‘Sit down, tuck in. Oh, Carly! Lyla just sent me some gorgeous photos. She and Eddie were at a party last night. Look!’ She grabs her phone from the worktop, pulls up a photo of the two of them and hands it to me.
My heart seems to clench as I take it from her. Their young faces are pressed together, cheek to cheek. Lyla is wearing a cream sleeveless top, or maybe a dress, with delicate beading around the neckline. Her blonde hair is scooped up with loose tendrils floating at her flushed cheeks. She looked lovely that day at the private members’ club. But I was too shocked, from having that lunch forced upon us, to appreciate it fully.
Here, she looks like an angel. And Eddie looks … well, I don’t know how Eddie looks. Kind of frozen there, and helpless. My son, playing a part.
Something snags in my throat as I hand back Suki’s phone. ‘Lovely picture,’ I say, as if everything’s normal.
‘Don’t they look great together?’ Suki enthuses as Dinah wanders in, rubbing her eyes sleepily. ‘Look, Dinah! Aren’t they cute?’ Suki rushes over to show her.
‘Very nice,’ Dinah says curtly. It’s like someone who doesn’t like dogs being forced to admire a chihuahua.
I glance over at Oliver and we seem to exchange a silent message as we all take our places at the table. This is all so weird. But it’ll be okay. And, stranger still, even the party photo and Dinah’s terse presence don’t propel me into feigning illness at the breakfast table.
Oliver offers around the coffee pot as sunshine slices into the bright and airy room. And as Suki chatters happily about all the wonderful places she plans to show us today, I figure that perhaps I’m not ready to go home just yet.