Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
They convened at the pub immediately, because of course they did.
Gathered around a table in the middle of the room, all talking at once, everyone wanted to know everything he’d been up to, everything he’d neglected to tell them in that twelve-year vast abyss of correspondence.
All his adventures and mishaps in the months after he first left the island.
And Bobby didn’t disappoint, regaling them all with tales of sneaking onto late-night trains, running out of food, blagging his way into the college, and the intensive training, loud-mouthed instructors, ten-mile runs and other horrors they were subjected to daily once he was there.
Frankie watched Bobby closely through it all.
Marvelling at the difference in him. Sally sat beside him, staring at him as if she couldn’t believe he was here.
Her mum and dad bought him drinks, bought him lunch, couldn’t stop touching him, as if to check he was real.
Frankie couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen her father so happy.
And she tried to feel it too, she really did.
Tried to conjure up the joy she could see on their faces.
But somehow, she was just numb.
It was all for show, Frankie knew that. The army had clearly done a number on him but her brother had to be the same person he’d always been, deep down. Course he did. It was only a matter of time before they all realised. Before she uncovered the truth like a TV detective.
These were the ungenerous thoughts buzzing around in her brain as they sat there.
Perhaps it was the lack of reprisals that was making her cross.
Not one mention of the fact he’d left so abruptly.
At the pitiful amount of contact in the last twelve years.
The worry he’d caused them all. Nothing like that. He was golden boy once more.
‘So, Bobby, what have you been up to since?’ said their dad, visibly bristling with pride. ‘You can tell us now, eh? Clearly the army suits you.’
Bobby laughed, a throaty sound, a man’s laugh. ‘They straightened me out, if that’s what you mean, Dad,’ he said to much polite tittering around the table.
Frankie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. ‘So where are you based now?’ she said.
Bobby’s eyes flashed with something like joy. To be fair, Frankie had never seen him look so happy either. Something twisted in her gut… guilt, perhaps. Another familiar emotion these days.
‘Suffolk. I’m in the Army Air Corps. Ground crew. I work on the helicopters. Next year, though, I’m hoping to get my pilot’s wings.’
Sally practically swooned beside him.
‘Don’t you need a degree for that?’ said Frankie, a little more sharply than she’d intended.
Bobby laughed good-naturedly. What the hell had happened to him? ‘Yes, normally you would. I didn’t go to officer training so I’ve had to do it the hard way, and the cut off is twenty-nine so it all depends if I get accepted this year. Fingers crossed.’
‘Isn’t that dangerous, darling?’ said Lily, her cheeks still wet with tears. She was practically glowing.
‘Oh yes. Of course. That’s part of the fun.’ He gave Sally a cheeky grin. Frankie tried to catch her eye but her gaze never left Bobby for long enough.
‘And is there a Mrs Bobby?’ said Frankie.
Sally’s head snapped in her direction, as if she couldn’t believe she’d asked the question. But Bobby simply rubbed the back of his neck, cheeks flushing slightly, clearly not daring to catch Sally’s eye.
‘There’s no Mrs Bobby,’ he said simply, and Sally’s shoulders dropped two inches.
‘But I bet there’ve been some takers,’ said Lily, sounding almost proud.
‘As if I’m going to answer that, Mum,’ said Bobby. ‘Anyway, enough about me. How have things been here? I see it’s… the same.’
Frankie’s turn to bristle. But not with pride. ‘It’s still as beautiful as ever if that’s what you mean.’
Bobby looked at her, his gaze steady. ‘That’s exactly what I meant.’ He turned slowly, deliberately, to Sally and raised a suggestive eyebrow. ‘Care to go for a wander? For old times’ sake?’
Sally melted into a puddle on the table. ‘Love to,’ she almost whispered.
‘Don’t be too long,’ said Lily a little desperately. ‘We’ve booked a celebration dinner at the hotel at 8pm.’
‘We won’t be,’ said Sally, taking Bobby’s hand and leading him quickly out of the room.
When they’d vanished out of sight Lily threw herself into Brian’s arms and started sobbing again. ‘Isn’t it wonderful?’ she said into his shoulder.
‘It’s wonderful,’ said Brian, his throat catching. ‘Isn’t it wonderful, Franks?’
‘He’s not staying, though, is he?’ said Frankie. ‘He wants to be a pilot.’
Her parents looked at her for a long moment.
‘He’s here now,’ said Brian, and his voice was quiet, a little stern.
Her mum piped up. ‘I don’t care, your dad’s right. He’s here now and if he goes again soon’ – her voice stumbled – ‘that’s okay, at least we know he’s okay.’
Frankie scoffed. She knew she was ruining things but somehow, she couldn’t help herself. ‘I think we should be able to expect a little more than that. A few more letters. A text or two. They even have this thing called FaceTime now, you know. He could manage that, I’m sure, it’s only one button.’
Brian pulled away from Lily and frowned at her.
Frankie shifted in his seat under his gaze. ‘Sorry. It’s great to see him. I just…’
Her father sighed and took her hand. ‘It’s okay, Frankie.’
‘No, it’s not okay. I’m being a bitch. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to.’
Brian smiled at her. Actually smiled. As if he understood. ‘Now’s not the time for recriminations. What would be the point? We’ve just got our son back. Let us enjoy it. Try and enjoy having your big brother around for a bit too, eh?’
There it was again. That irritating little pang of guilt. He was right. She knew he was right.
‘I’ll try,’ she said.
‘You never know, he might marry Sally and then he’ll have to come home for good,’ said Lily, clapping her hands together in delight. ‘Wouldn’t that be wonderful?’
Frankie wrinkled her nose. ‘Mum, he’s in the army. He’s Bobby. He’s probably got 3,000 separate STDs by now.’
‘Frankie!’
‘Well. Sally knows better than to go near that, I’m sure. And besides, if they did get married, there’s no way he’d stay here.’
He’d take my best friend away, too, were the words beating around behind her eyes, giving her a headache. That would be typical Bobby behaviour, true enough.
Dinner was predictably excruciating. It started badly, when Sally and Bobby burst into the room fifteen minutes late, cheeks flushed, and Frankie was fairly sure it wasn’t from a stroll around the island.
Part of her couldn’t wait to get Sally alone and find out, and part of her really didn’t want to know what they’d been up to.
Her mum and dad were oblivious, of course, which made it all worse.
They scoffed down a huge three-course dinner, her dad flashing his credit card that never normally saw the light of day.
He even ordered cheese and biscuits and dessert wine.
He never ever ordered dessert wine. The modern equivalent of the fatted calf, right there.
By the end of it, they were all groaning from the weight of all the food inside them.
And they were all still patting Bobby’s hand, asking him endless questions, touching his arm to see if he was real and asking to see pictures of him in his uniform, which he seemed delighted to oblige.
‘Time to get back to the manor,’ said her dad eventually, patting his knees.
‘Your old room is just as you left it,’ said Lily, who had been sounding more and more mumsy throughout the course of the day.
Bobby shifted a little uncomfortably. ‘Thanks, Mum, that’s kind… but I’ve actually booked into the hotel here. I didn’t want to impose.’
Sally coughed awkwardly and reached for her wine glass as Lily’s eyes widened.
‘Impose? You’re my son. You could never impose. I want to spoil you rotten.’
Bobby had the good grace to flush slightly. ‘Still, I think I’ll stay here tonight, Mum, if that’s okay. All my stuff is here. Maybe I could come see you in the morning?’
Lily pouted. ‘You’d better.’
‘Oh, leave the lad alone,’ said their father good-naturedly. ‘He’s a man now, remember. Needs his space.’
Another eye roll moment.
‘How long are you staying, then?’ said Sally, and they all turned to look at him. Tense. Anxious. Hanging on his every breath.
Bobby shrugged. ‘I’ve got ten days’ leave. I ship out at the end of next week.’
‘Ship out. Listen to yourself. You’re in the bloody army not the navy,’ scoffed Frankie. ‘And we’re not at war.’
Bobby just smiled. ‘Fine. I’ll commando roll onto the ferry. Will that make you happy, sis?’
She smiled in spite of herself. ‘It might.’
‘Good.’
‘Good.’
Something passed between them. An understanding. She felt her heart soften towards him. She supposed it was quite good to see his stupid face again. Annoying, but good.