Chapter 73
SEVENTY-THREE
It had been over three weeks since Lorna had seen or heard from Carol.
She’d been upset, Lorna remembered, something about James not being around much although whether that was in body or spirit, she couldn’t quite recall.
Lorna sighed; Carol wasn’t usually one to sulk, so perhaps she had genuinely hurt her mother’s feelings.
She had to make amends. She still had to keep her on side.
By the time Lorna reached the house Carol shared with James, she was pretty fed up with the cold rain that had come at her sideways and soaked her right through, so when Carol answered the door and offered less than her usual generous welcome, Lorna was a bit put out.
She held her tongue though and remained polite as she hung up her coat and accepted the offer of tea.
As she came into the kitchen, she saw the partially constructed costumes for the Straw Bear Festival in the corner of the room.
Carol had offered to make them for the last few years.
The straw was sitting in bundles on the floor; a small amount was woven onto a metal frame that still had a skeletal look to it.
Lorna sat down at the breakfast bar and heard the sound of a female voice coming from an iPad on the worktop.
‘My daughter is here,’ said Carol to whoever was on the other end of the video call. ‘I’m so sorry, Marian, we’ll have to continue this another time.’
Lorna noticed she was apologetic and warm to Marian, whoever she was – a lot warmer than she’d been to her when she’d knocked on the door.
‘I’ll bear in mind what you said, I promise,’ continued Carol. ‘Give me one more peek at your view, won’t you?’
‘I’ll just turn the camera around,’ said Marian.
Carol gazed at the screen rapturously. ‘That sea! The sunshine! We’ll catch up later.’
Amidst a flurry of goodbyes, they hung up.
It half crossed Lorna’s mind she’d interrupted the call and perhaps she’d come at a bad time but she was hardly to know, was she?
And she’d walked a mile through freezing weather to get here, whereas Marian appeared to be somewhere quite warm and sunny without shifting a muscle on the other end of a screen.
As soon as Marian had gone, Carol lost some of her zest again. She put the kettle on, got out some mugs. ‘To what do I owe the pleasure?’ she asked.
Lorna smiled winsomely. ‘I haven’t seen you in a while, Mum, so I thought I’d drop by.’
Carol cut her a glance, as if waiting for more.
‘And . . . I owe you an apology. For the last time we met. I was distracted. I’m sorry.’
Lorna thought she saw a flicker of tenderness from her mother. She was relieved. She needed this relationship back on an even keel. Her new funds were going to help with her project, but it wouldn’t be enough.
‘Apology accepted,’ said Carol, and Lorna received her first genuine smile.
Carol put two mugs of tea on the worktop.
‘So how have you been?’ asked Lorna. ‘How’s James?’
Carol hesitated. ‘Fine.’
They weren’t, Lorna could tell. ‘Has something happened?’
Carol appraised her. ‘You’re not about to rush off, are you?’
The implication was that Lorna didn’t have enough time to listen. Lorna was offended but buried it. ‘I’ve got all day,’ she lied.
Now she had her attention, Carol seemed to slump. ‘Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s nothing.’
‘What’s nothing?’
‘James. Never around. And when he is – he’s not “here”, if you know what I mean. His mind is on something – or someone – else.’ She paused, as if debating whether to say any more. ‘And the other day, I went into the front spare room. The sheets were different.’
‘Sorry?’
‘When I last changed them, I used the blue ones. But the sheets on the bed were white.’
‘So maybe you changed them again without remembering?’
‘I’d remember.’
‘Maybe James changed them.’
Carol looked her straight in the eye. ‘And why would he do that?’
Lorna’s jaw dropped. ‘What, you think he’s having an affair?’
Carol shrugged, the pain obvious in her eyes.
‘Who with?’
‘I don’t know. I don’t even know that he is.’ Carol sighed heavily. ‘Maybe I should just get away for a bit. Go on a world cruise.’
Lorna’s first reaction was one of alarm. ‘What? No!’
‘Why not?’ asked Carol, taken aback.
‘Well, I mean, it sounds lovely,’ said Lorna, hurriedly backtracking, ‘but I’d miss you – the kids would miss you.’
‘I’d come back. Eventually. Marian – my friend on the call just now – she’s living in Bermuda. Perhaps I should spend the rest of the winter out there with her. She’s thinking of chartering a yacht around the Caribbean.’
‘Sounds expensive.’
‘She has the funds. Her divorce payout was substantial.’
‘But you don’t. Have the funds, I mean.’ What Lorna really meant was that her mother’s rental income was not supposed to be frittered on a luxurious trip lasting months. It would cost thousands! No, that wasn’t what she had in mind at all.
‘Don’t I?’ said Carol.
Lorna was starting to panic. ‘Well, I mean, you might. But it wouldn’t be wise to spend so much money. All in one go.’
‘Why not? It’s my money.’
Lorna could feel the situation slipping away from her. A sense of desperation made her agitated and she spoke without thinking: ‘But I was hoping you’d come round. About the school fees. For your grandchildren.’
Carol placed her mug on the worktop. ‘No, Lorna,’ she said calmly. ‘I will not “come round”. I’ve always made it perfectly clear what I think.’ She paused. ‘Is this the real reason for your visit?’
Lorna blushed. ‘Course not.’
Carol raised an eyebrow. She looked sad. Worse, disappointed.