Chapter 21
BONNIE
It was the fifth day in a row that Bonnie had seen the girls – Margot usually came in the mornings, Faye in the afternoons, and sometimes their visits overlapped.
Other times, like today, they showed up together.
During the visits the girls liked to talk about Howard, the book club, and the bookshop, and rather than inducing more pain, the memories were slowly becoming more of a comfort.
Faye had brought Midas with her again today and they spent a bit of time outside wandering around in the sunshine, inspecting the state of the flowerbeds.
‘They’re terrible, I know.’ Back inside in the warm, the doors to the garden closed, Bonnie made them all a cup of tea.
‘The pots won’t take much sorting,’ Margot assured her. ‘I could do them if you like. You could have something winter-flowering or you could pop in some bulbs – how about daffodils or tulips, and they’ll bloom come spring? You’ll have more colour than you can imagine.’
It did sound rather good. ‘I’ll have a think, decide on something.’
‘Good,’ said Margot. ‘That’s settled then.’
Midas happily curled up next to the radiator in the kitchen while the girls sat at the table.
‘He likes it here,’ said Bonnie, almost to herself.
‘He reminds me of Patsy, our German shepherd when I was a young girl. German shepherds aren’t known for being docile, but Patsy was.
’ She stirred a spoonful of sugar into her tea from the little bowl she’d set in the middle of the table.
‘I think it’s the amount of time Dad spent training her that did it. And the exercise.’
‘The exercise?’ Margot shook her head at the offer of sugar.
‘Those sorts of dogs need mental and physical stimulation,’ said Bonnie. ‘You don’t want them getting bored; that’s when they misbehave. At least that’s what my dad told me.’
‘Did you ever think about getting a dog?’ Faye blew across the top of her tea.
‘Me and Howard?’ She shook her head. ‘Not really, not when we both had work. Howard did talk about it when he retired but it was always one of those “maybe one day” things. Then I retired, and we travelled.’ Life went by far too fast.
‘What is that on the stove?’ Faye was curious about the large deep saucepan that was making a low rumbling sound.
Bonnie smiled. ‘I thought it might be nice to make you both Howard’s favourite pudding.’ She’d made the syrup sponge before the girls turned up and it was happily steaming away inside the saucepan in the pudding basin she’d placed on top of a trivet.
Margot’s eyes widened. ‘The famous steamed syrup sponge?’
‘He told you about it?’
‘Oh yes,’ said Faye, ‘he was forever talking about how delicious it was.’
Bonnie had wondered whether she would ever make it again after the day he died, given she’d taken him a piece and promptly thrown it everywhere when she realised what had happened, but something about these women had made her want to try.
And the thought of her Howard sharing this part of their world with his friends touched her more than she expected.
It brought him closer again, the same way that had been happening since these two women walked into her life.
While the pudding cooked, talk turned to Faye’s family and specifically her dad when Bonnie asked after him.
‘He’s taking it all in his stride. I think it’s the only way he knows how when it comes to my sister.’
‘So are the stories definitely true about Steph and that politician?’ Bonnie asked. Faye had told her all about it and she had to say having a sister like Steph sounded hard-going. ‘It’s not salacious gossip?’
‘I wish it was just gossip but it isn’t,’ said Faye.
‘Dad and I have cross-checked quite a few news articles and when my mum eventually picked up the phone to answer one of our many calls, she confirmed it.’ She shook her head.
‘Online there’s video footage of my sister and the politician cosy and very much together.
His wife has come forward to make a further statement and requested privacy for the rest of her family. ’
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ Margot asked. ‘I’m close by – you didn’t need to cope with that news on your own.’
Faye seemed so young to be dealing with all of this. Bonnie had had a sister, older than her by seven years, and they’d got on until Mindy passed away five years ago. She couldn’t imagine what it must be to have an out-of-control sibling you felt responsible for.
‘To be honest I’ve just been working hard,’ said Faye. ‘At least I’ve been able to take my frustration out on bathroom floors and kitchen sinks.’
‘You have a good work ethic,’ said Bonnie.
‘But Margot is right. You should turn to others for help.’ The irony wasn’t lost on her when she was struggling but not reaching out to anyone to tell them that she might now own the bookshop but she couldn’t bear the thought of going inside ever again.
‘Margot is a friend, and so am I, for that matter. You should’ve come to one of us. ’
Faye began to smile. ‘We’re friends?’ She was looking at Bonnie rather than Margot.
Bonnie fidgeted. Her mouth felt a little dry. ‘I do believe we are, yes.’
‘I’m glad,’ said Faye.
‘Me too,’ Margot chipped in before asking Faye, ‘Have you heard anything from Brad?’
‘I haven’t. But in one article the journalist had thought it was important to let everyone know that the politician’s son was dating some socialite twelve years his junior.’
Margot groaned and Bonnie asked, ‘Your fiancé – ex fiancé – is dating again?’
‘It seems like it. And someone much younger, just like his dad,’ said Faye.
‘And how do you feel about that?’ Bonnie asked. ‘Not about the age gap but about Brad being with someone else.’
After a hesitation Faye answered, ‘Oddly, I feel very much okay.’
Margot put an arm around her and gave her a squeeze. ‘Good.’
‘He doesn’t sound like he was right for you,’ Bonnie added for moral support.
Margot hesitated before she said to Faye, ‘Is it too soon to tease you about a certain local dog owner?’
The remark at least roused a smile from Faye.
And Bonnie wanted to know more. ‘Don’t keep me on tenterhooks; what’s this about a dog owner?’
Margot leaned forwards and conspiratorially, as if Faye wasn’t even there, confided in Bonnie that Faye and Midas’s owner seemed to be interested in each other whenever they crossed paths.
Bonnie approved. Theo was a lovely young man. ‘He’s a wonderful person, Faye. He’s kind, warm-hearted. I’m surprised he’s even single.’ She added, ‘If there’s any more gossip on that front, be sure to fill me in. That’s the kind of gossip I like.’
Talk briefly turned to the scandal again and Faye told them both that her dad had come to a decision. ‘He’s going to sell the business in Queensland.’
Bonnie took away the empty mugs and set them by the sink. ‘Did the scandal drive him to give it up?’
‘Actually, no. He said he’s been thinking about it for a while, and with his brother needing help here and being on his own, and with Dad falling in love with Dorset all over again, he says the timing is right.
’ Faye shrugged. ‘I think avoiding the drama back in Australia is simply the icing on the cake.’
‘And you’re okay if he stays here and doesn’t go back to Australia?’ Bonnie felt for the girl. She’d had her parents living fairly close by until she was well into her fifties; she couldn’t imagine being separated from them by quite such a distance when she was Faye’s age.
‘It’s a long way,’ Margot added. ‘I struggle with how far away Sebastian is sometimes.’
As Margot talked a bit more about her sons, Bonnie watched her.
She looked really pretty today. It was as though the sea air was finally managing to take away the stresses of a marriage that sounded challenging and so unlike the partnership Bonnie had had with Howard and was forever grateful she’d got to experience.
It was funny, on some days she saw all the positives – that she’d had a happy marriage with Howard, that Howard had reached a reasonably good age before he died, that they had retired and gone travelling.
But at other times she felt the unfairness, the pain, and the overwhelming feeling that some sort of blanket was still suffocating her and stopping her from moving forwards.
Faye set her empty mug down on the table. ‘I’m thinking of staying on a while longer in England myself.’
‘You are?’ Bonnie was all ears. ‘At the caravan park?’
‘Yes. Uncle Frank says I can use the caravan for as long as I like. It’s got heating; I’ll be fine when winter eventually comes. He has offered a room at his house if I prefer although I quite like my independence.’
Bonnie enquired, ‘What about your work?’
‘I can do hairdressing anywhere. I’ll have to give up my place at the salon in Queensland but that’s okay.
’ She smiled at them both. ‘I never planned to come back to England but racing here to get away and to see Dad, I’ve discovered it’s so much more than I realised. It kind of feels like I belong.’
‘Well, it would be lovely to see some more of you.’ When Bonnie said it, it came so naturally, talking to these women who were her friends. And then she remembered something. ‘Talking of work…’ She looked across at Margot. ‘Did you send in your application for cabin crew?’
Margot took a deep breath as if nerves were getting the better of her. ‘I did.’
Bonnie smiled. ‘That’s marvellous. How long till you hear back, do you think?’
‘I’ve no idea. And let’s face it, I may not hear a thing. I think these days you have to apply for hundreds of jobs to even get an interview.’ She paused. ‘I also had to put a home address on the application as I haven’t found a proper rental yet. It was risky, but I didn’t have a lot of choice.’
‘I doubt they would even use the address,’ Bonnie assured her. ‘It’s all emails and phone calls these days.’