Chapter 35
35
As the day went on, Ethan had to agree with Ryan that it was a good thing that he hadn’t had time to unpack as the majority of his stuff was still in boxes and therefore immune from the soot.
But they still carried everything outside to give it a good airing, along with the leather sofas and the old oven, which had been disconnected and would be taken to the rubbish tip later.
At least, with all the ceilings and the walls having been scrubbed, the soot was beginning to be removed. The kitchen was still a work in progress as every cupboard needed wiping down, inside and out.
In the middle of the afternoon, there was a tentative knock on the front door despite it being open to continue to air the place.
Ethan headed over and was amazed to see Philip standing there, looking nervous.
‘Hello, Philip,’ he said. ‘Is everything okay? Is it Libby?’
Philip gave him a tentative smile. ‘She’s fine, thank you. Safe with all the ladies up at Strawberry Hill Farm,’ he replied. ‘Actually, I was going to ask if I could do anything to help.’
‘That’s very kind,’ Ethan told him.
‘Not at all,’ replied Philip. ‘I think it’s the least I can do when you saved my daughter’s life last night.’
Ethan gulped. The memory of those few seconds when he didn’t know what had happened to Libby still played over in his mind.
‘It sounds more dramatic than it actually was,’ he said, wanting to allay Philip’s fears.
Philip glanced over Ethan’s shoulder and a look of dismay crossed his face. ‘It certainly looks quite dramatic,’ he said, taking in the wall next to the fireplace which was still smeared with soot.
Ethan stepped aside to let Philip inside.
Philip had been the infant school headmaster when they had been growing up, as well as the strict father that Libby had spent so long rebelling against. They hadn’t really spoken since Ethan had left Cranfield so it felt a little strange to be doing so at that moment. But perhaps time was the great healer that his dad had always told him it was.
Philip looked around thoughtfully as he went. ‘Goodness, it’s been years since I’ve been in here,’ he said.
‘Bit of a mess now,’ said Ethan, with a grimace.
‘Nothing that a lick of paint won’t sort out!’ shouted over Nico, as he continued to wash down the ceiling.
‘The oak beams were from a local tree apparently,’ said Philip, looking up to the ceiling. ‘I always liked them.’
‘Me too,’ replied Ethan.
But Philip was frowning as he looked around once more. ‘I think I never really appreciated this place until I lost my job,’ he murmured.
Ethan looked at him in surprise at this confession but didn’t say anything, letting Philip say what was on his mind.
‘You see, I gave up what I thought was the pinnacle of my career to be here,’ carried on Philip. ‘I was headmaster of Chantries Grammar School for ten years.’
The shock on Ethan’s face must have shown because Philip gave him a nod of his head in confirmation. Chantries was a highly exclusive private school on the outskirts of Aldwych town.
‘You and Libby were too young to remember back to that time,’ Philip told him. ‘It was the most prestigious school in the area even back then.’
‘So why did you move jobs back here?’ Ethan couldn’t help but ask.
‘Because my dear wife’s illness had begun to make its unwelcome appearance,’ said Philip with a soft sigh. ‘We didn’t tell Elizabeth for many years that her mother was unwell. And, for the most part, we were able to keep it hidden. Elizabeth was so young, you see. But Diana needed me more and more and so I took this job instead so that I could be close by.’ Philip shook his head, almost at himself, it seemed. ‘I’m afraid I took my frustrations of the backwards step in my career at any unruly behaviour in the classroom.’
Ethan shrugged his shoulders. ‘Some of us most definitely deserved it,’ he said, remembering the many times that he played the clown to impress Libby.
But Philip was still frowning. ‘You were only children. It was wrong of me.’
‘But you were hugely encouraging too,’ Ethan told him, truthfully. ‘You know, a lot of kids are where they are today in their careers because of your guidance and help.’
Philip placed a tentative hand on Ethan’s shoulder. ‘I was so glad Elizabeth had a friend like you growing up. Someone who understood her.’
Ethan raised his eyebrows. ‘Are you sure about that?’ he asked, with a smile. ‘We got into a lot of trouble.’
But Philip merely shook his head. ‘You’re a good man, Ethan. And I know you care for her. How much, is down to what’s in your heart.’ He hesitated for a moment. ‘How is your grandad?’ he asked.
‘Fine,’ said Ethan. ‘He’s still very tired, but his speech has certainly improved over the past couple of days.’
‘When do they think he’ll be home?’ asked Philip.
‘According to the doctors, next week hopefully,’ replied Ethan, holding up his crossed fingers. ‘Here’s hoping, although there’s various tests and things to sort out before then.’ But then he paused before carrying on. ‘He just seems so different. Dad and I weren’t sure if he’s a bit depressed, to be honest.’
‘That’s totally understandable,’ replied Philip.
‘Hopefully we’ll find him in better spirits this afternoon,’ said Ethan. ‘Ryan was just about to head over for visiting time. I’ll head over tomorrow when all this is cleared up.’
Philip nodded slowly before seeming to come to a decision. ‘Actually, would it be terribly intrusive if I came with you tomorrow?’ he asked. ‘Perhaps I may help, having been through the same thing myself, that is.’
Ethan was pleased. ‘Of course,’ he said, with a smile. ‘I’m sure Grandad would welcome a change of conversation from me and the rest of the family.’
Philip smiled. ‘Excellent,’ he said. ‘Now, what can I do to help around here?’
‘How good are you with a scrubbing brush?’ asked Bob, coming over to join them.
Philip held up his one good hand. ‘I’ll do my best,’ he replied.
‘Excellent,’ said Bob. ‘I’ll lead the way.’
As they headed into the kitchen, Ethan found that he was surprised but pleased that Philip had come to join them. He knew that Libby’s dad had been something of a recluse since his own stroke, but perhaps he was finally coming to terms with what had happened to him. And maybe he would help Eddie through these early days and weeks as well, although the family had already agreed that they wouldn’t tell him about the dramatic events of the night before.
‘You know,’ said Nico, who was kneeling down to scrub the skirting board. ‘I don’t think this is going to come up too badly once we give it all a lick of paint.’
Ethan nodded. The feel of the place was much better, he thought. And the smoky smell would eventually disappear too.
The truth be told, almost losing the school wasn’t anything like the thought of what might have happened to Libby. And yet, despite his initial reservations on buying somewhere in Cranfield, he actually liked the old school. It had felt more like home than anywhere he had lived for a very long time. Probably since he’d left the family apartment above the station all those years ago. He’d kept running all these years, except coming full circle back to Cranfield hadn’t been quite as painful as he’d imagined. If anything, he was enjoying the company of his friends and neighbours even more than he would ever thought possible.
He wondered briefly how Libby was feeling that afternoon before distracting himself by picking up a mop and began to clear the soot from above the fireplace.