Changing Lara

by Anna Jacobs

  The hour passed slowly and they mostly watched the other customers, chatting only now and then. Ross was relieved when it was time to go home again.

  They found Tom in the back garden, staring up at the house and prowling round the vegetable beds, empty this year except for a few perennials because Ross hadn’t found the energy to plant anything new.

  Tom greeted them with, ‘This is perfect! Even this back garden, looking so neglected, is just what we need.’

  It took Ross a minute to control a surge of hope and utter a choked, ‘Good.’

  ‘Did Fiona tell you how much I can pay?’ Tom went on. ‘It’s not negotiable, I’m afraid. I’m on a tight budget and those period costumes cost a fortune.’

  ‘How long exactly do you want the place for?’

  ‘Nine months, with an option to extend if necessary for however much longer it takes to finish the filming. And of course, we’ll pay extra at the same monthly rate if we go to that.’

  ‘OK by me. An aunt just died and left me another house, so I’ll have somewhere to live.’

  Tom clasped one hand to his chest and rolled his eyes skywards. ‘It was meant to be. Meant! That’s such a great omen.’

  Ross didn’t go for the idea that things were ‘meant to be’, nor did he believe in omens, but now wasn’t the time to say so.

  ‘I’ll tell my lawyer to see your lawyer and sort out the contract, if you’ll give me his name,’ Tom said.

  ‘I think I need to find a new one. Mine’s been dealing with my divorce and that’s a different skill set.’

  ‘I know one. She’s really good.’ Fiona reeled off the lawyer’s contact details. ‘Wait till I’ve had time to phone her about this, Tom.’

  ‘You’ll do that today?’

  ‘I will indeed.’

  ‘How soon can you vacate the house, Ross?’ Tom looked round hungrily, as if he wanted to move in that very minute.

  ‘As soon as the contract’s signed. Couple of days if you can push it through fast.’

  To Ross’s horror, Tom threw his arms round him and plonked a kiss on his cheek, not a sexual thing just a great big sloppy kiss, but even that made him feel uncomfortable. He didn’t usually go round kissing men. Well, he didn’t do kissy-kissy with any strangers if he could help it. ‘Great. I’ll hurry my lawyer up and you do the same.’

  Tom gave Fiona two similarly smacking kisses on her cheeks. ‘I owe you one for this, Fiona my pet.’

  And he was gone, whistling cheerfully as he went out to the car and stopping to take a couple more photos before he left.

  Ross felt as if he’d been picked up and tossed about by a whirlwind. Fiona had that effect on people at times, and Tom was even more exuberant. But for once he felt energetic enough to let his excitement loose, cheering and dancing his cousin round the kitchen till she was breathless and laughing.

  Fiona hugged him back, then pushed away. ‘Stop that, you fool.’

  ‘It couldn’t have happened at a better time. How can I ever thank you?’

  ‘By getting better. Now let me phone my lawyer friend and tell her about you.’

  She ended the call with a beaming smile. ‘She has a cancellation in an hour’s time. I can’t come with you but it’s all very easy-peasy to set up. So you’ll be able to rest and stop worrying this evening.’

  ‘Thanks, kiddo.’

  ‘My pleasure. Your parents were always kind to me. I’ll come round and help you pack tomorrow. No, don’t try to stop me. You know you’ll struggle to do it in time all on your own. I’ll bring a ton of bubble wrap and some boxes. We had a delivery at work and the stuff’s just sitting there waiting to be reused.’

  Ross sighed. ‘I feel terrible having to rely on you so much. You’re the best cousin there ever was.’

  She smiled, looking a little sad. ‘A spinster lady born and bred, there to help others. Yup, that’s me. Every man I meet these days wants me for a platonic friend or an adopted sister.’

  It was his turn to hug her. ‘I’ve always been surprised you never married.’

  She shrugged. ‘I met a guy once but it didn’t work out.’

  He looked at her in astonishment. ‘Morgan? Still?’

  ‘Yes. I know it’s stupid, but no one I’ve met since has ever come near him for me.’

  ‘You never mention him.’

  ‘Well, what is there to say? That I’m stupidly stuck in the past? That he’s been gone for nearly twenty years and he’s still as vivid in my memory as ever.’

  ‘I’m sorry. You’d have made a good mother.’

  ‘Some of us aren’t destined to experience that pleasure, but at least I’ve enjoyed teaching other people’s children for nearly twenty years and from time to time I enjoy helping younger folk to become teachers themselves when I supervise their pracs. I give them the best training I can because it’s such an important job. So, you see, my life hasn’t been wasted.’

  ‘It’s not too late.’

  She took a deep breath. ‘Let’s not dwell on the past. You need to start thinking about which personal effects you want to take with you and which valuables you want to store at the bank. I’ll come round to help you tomorrow – good thing it’s a weekend. We should get quite a lot done if I come here early.’

  She glanced at her watch. ‘I’m meeting some friends this evening for a meal, so I have to go and finish a few things. If you stir your stumps, you’ll have time to get some cardboard boxes from the supermarket before your appointment with the lawyer. Go round to the back entrance. They’re always glad to be rid of them. This evening, if you can manage it, do a preliminary sweep of the house and decide what you want to put into storage and what you want to take to your aunt’s house. Make sure you collect all your valuable antiques.’

  ‘Yes, ma’am.’ He gave her a mock salute, then watched her drive off. Fiona was like that when something needed doing. Somehow she took charge and you did as you were told. She’d had a brilliant teaching career already, winning awards for her innovative work and helping underprivileged children to achieve academic success. He’d thought many times how sad it was that she’d never married, hadn’t realised she was still carrying a torch for the guy she’d lived with for a couple of years, a guy who had just vanished one day and never been seen again.

  Ross felt quite galvanised by the thought of making all that money – and he also liked the idea of spending some peaceful months in his aunt’s neat little house with a nearby lake to stroll round. Maybe he’d even take golf lessons. No, maybe not. He’d been pitiful at sport at school and couldn’t see himself having any better hand–eye coordination now, even if he had the energy.

  It seemed like another omen that at the supermarket he was given as many cardboard boxes as he could fit into his car.

  The lawyer turned out to be rather like Fiona, a brisk woman who took the particulars and said it didn’t sound as if it’d be a difficult job, especially if Fiona approved of this Tom Connors.

  That evening Ross even found the energy to go round the old house and make a start on gathering up the more valuable pieces of silver and china.

  It’d be best to put most of these into secure storage, together with a few of the more valuable pieces of furniture. He’d keep a few favourite things with him, though, to enjoy looking at. The rest of his personal possessions, including his books, could sit in his aunt’s spare bedroom.

  Since he was giving Iris’s spare bed to his new neighbour in return for helping him clear out his aunt’s clothing, there should be adequate storage space. He wasn’t taking all that much with him.

  He didn’t mind the thought of sleeping in his aunt’s bed. He’d helped her choose a new one when she moved in. A woman as nice as her could have left nothing but good vibes behind, he was sure.

  For the first time in ages, he felt hopeful and even able to laugh at his own weakness about Iris’s underclothes.

  But he still wasn’t clearing them out. That was a major sticking point, for some reason!
>
  In the morning the sales office didn’t open till ten o’clock, because of it being a Sunday, and Lara, who’d been waiting impatiently, nipped across to see Molly as soon as she turned up.

  ‘Could I please use your Internet access again? The other password didn’t work this morning and I need to do some shopping online.’

  ‘Of course you can. We change it every day, for security reasons. I should have thought of telling you that. What are you after this time?’

  ‘I need to hire a TV.’

  ‘Ah. We have a few small TV sets sitting in a storeroom at the hotel doing nothing. If you want one, you’re welcome. They’ve only got twelve-inch screens, but they work just fine. Everyone wants bigger ones in the hotel rooms these days, but we’ve kept a few for emergencies. I’ll call the reception desk and they’ll get one out for you when they have a minute. Better wait till the afternoon to pick it up, though, because Sunday morning is always busy with people checking out.’

  Lara blinked in shock. ‘I can’t ask you to do all this.’

  ‘You didn’t ask. I offered.’

  ‘Were you a fairy godmother in a previous life?’

  Molly chuckled. ‘No. I was an unhappily married woman. I took a long time to get my act together after my first husband brainwashed me into thinking I was stupid.’

  ‘You seem to have your life nicely sorted out now. And I don’t know how anyone could ever have called you stupid!’

  The other woman’s voice softened. ‘Yes, my life is good now. And I’ve realised that I’m not stupid. But I always feel that meeting Euan was the reward for taking my life in my own hands and doing something with it. You know what they say: if you want to be treated as a doormat, first you have to lie down and let others walk all over you. That’s what I was doing with my husband and my grown-up children.’

  She smiled in such a way that her whole face lit up. ‘My son has also got his act together, learnt that he’s not the only pebble on the beach and met a wonderful young woman.’ The smile faded as she added, ‘My daughter is – well, still in thrall to her father, who can switch on charm like a tap. I hope one day she picks up her own life and does something with it.’

  ‘You can’t live it for them, however much you love them. My son’s rather selfish, such a go-getter, focused only on his career. I hardly ever see him.’ It suddenly occurred to Lara that Joel took after her – and that there was nothing she could do to stop him making the same mistakes and narrowing his life as she had. Only time would do that.

  ‘Well, you can hope that he’ll learn to broaden his life, as I still hope for my Rachel. She won’t even come to meet Euan.’ Molly’s expression was still rather sad.

  Well, that was one thing she’d never done, Lara thought: acted as a doormat. But on the other hand she’d never helped people as Molly seemed to do instinctively. Perhaps she would be able to change, become a more caring person, a worthwhile grandmother for little Minnie.

  She was finding out for herself what a difference even a small helpful act could make to a person at a time of crisis. Only … how did you do it, change your whole attitude to life?

  ‘Oh, there’s Ross,’ Molly exclaimed suddenly.

  They watched through the office window as her neighbour’s car pulled up in front of his aunt’s house and then they exchanged surprised glances when he began to unload cardboard boxes, full ones from the way he had to heave them up. Then he took in two battered suitcases, which looked equally heavy.

  ‘Is he moving in, do you think?’ Molly wondered aloud.

  ‘It looks like it. I wonder what’s happened to cause that. He was talking about selling or renting the house yesterday.’

  ‘We’ll find out. Nothing stays secret in our little village. You wait till Cindy gets back from America. She always finds out about whoever moves in – though in the nicest possible way. You’ll like her. She lives in that big house to the left of your terrace.’

  ‘I was beginning to wonder if any other people were actually living here, it’s been so quiet.’

  ‘Some of them come and go because they have houses in warmer climates for the UK winter. Now that it’s spring they’ll probably start coming back. We’ve been lucky so far with our buyers. Nice, civilised people.’

  Ross drove off as soon as he’d unloaded his car, then returned two hours later with more boxes. Lara didn’t interrupt him, not even to offer a cup of coffee, though she couldn’t help taking the odd peek.

  She’d wondered if he’d be spending the night here, but he didn’t. He unloaded the car a second time, then drove off again, looking tired but happier than before, as far as she could tell.

  What had happened to cheer him up? Whatever it was, she hoped it continued. He had a very attractive smile.

  In the late afternoon Lara drove up to the hotel to collect the television set. It looked silly on the big stand she’d bought yesterday, but never mind that. It was now at the right height for comfortable viewing. She plugged in the aerial, then the power, crossing her fingers as she switched the set on.

  When a picture formed she let out an exclamation of joy. Leaning back in her chair, she began to find out how the remote worked and then had to retune the TV channels.

  All she needed now was a glass of wine to sip as she watched it in the evenings. She might buy a bottle of cheap plonk and ration herself to one glass a day.

  Any items of furniture more luxurious than what she’d found this weekend would have to wait, as so many things were doing, until she gained some idea of whether the police would be able to retrieve any of her money.

  All she knew was she didn’t want to go and work on projects for big companies any more, however much they paid. She wanted a home. The depth of that longing had taken her by surprise.

  And there, she realised suddenly, was one change at least. She no longer had the slightest hankering to travel the world.

  She also wanted to make friends. Could she count Molly as a friend? She hoped so. And she hoped her neighbours would be friendly too.

  Chapter Nine

  On Monday morning Lara looked out of the back window at the sunny vista and felt her spirits lift, even though she’d heard nothing else from the police. A wagtail came and hopped across her back patio, then looked up, as if inviting her out to play. It was one of her favourite birds, delicately pretty and seeming interested in anything and everything. She loved watching them.

  Should she go for a walk round the lake now or after lunch? Before she could make up her mind, a car pulled up outside her house and she went to the kitchen window to see who it was. As her ex got out, she exclaimed, ‘Oh no!’ and looked at him in disbelief.

  What on earth was Guy doing here? Had he come to gloat? And why was he driving such an ordinary little car? He usually swooshed around the countryside in large luxury vehicles, like the show-off he was!

  She stepped back out of sight as he approached the house and when he rang the bell, she hesitated about whether to open the door or not. Then she got angry with herself for being a coward and flung it open as wide as it would go.

  Neither spoke for a few seconds because they were staring at one another, finding out what the years had done to the person they’d once loved. His hair had thinned a little and was grey at the temples, but he looked his usual elegant self. He always had worn clothes well, even when they couldn’t afford to buy ones as expensive as these clearly were. He wouldn’t approve of her short, practical hairstyle, she was sure, or the extra pounds she’d gained since they split up. She wasn’t fat, not even plump, but she was no longer slender.

  He spoke first. ‘Aren’t you going to invite me in, Lara?’

  She didn’t want to and was sure he knew that, but she couldn’t think how to refuse without seeming churlish, so stepped back and spoke mockingly – well, she hoped she sounded mocking. ‘Pray come into my humble abode.’

  He walked past her and moved slowly across the room, openly studying it. He stopped by the rear window, gesturi
ng. ‘Pleasant view.’ Then he took another look round, raising one eyebrow at the jumble of oddments, as if to ask her what was going on.

  ‘Um, would you like a coffee? I’d better warn you, I only have instant.’ That should put him off staying. He’d been a coffee snob long before the coffee craze was invented.

  ‘Yes, please.’

  As she was putting the kettle on, banging things around, he said abruptly, ‘Look, can we please bury the hatchet completely now, Lara? You and I have children and a granddaughter in common. Would it be so hard for us to deal with one another in a friendly manner, if only for their sake?’

  She shot him a quick glance to check that he was being serious – and he was, she could always tell – so she took a minute to think about it as she got out the mugs and jar of coffee. Actually, she felt pleased that he’d been the first to suggest this, so in the end she turned round and inclined her head. ‘Why not?’

  She followed that up by, ‘I presume Darcie told you what happened to me?’ She wanted to get the discussion of that over and done with.

  ‘Yes. Rotten luck. I’m sorry.’

  He sounded as if he meant it and they were speaking without arguing or sounding stand-offish for the first time in years. Goodness, whatever next? Well, she had more to worry about than bumping into Guy occasionally at their daughter’s.

  He seemed to be waiting for her to speak, so she said, ‘It’s been a bit of a shock, I must admit. Do you still take one sugar?’

  ‘No, thank you. I haven’t done sugar for ages. It was settling round my waist.’ He began walking to and fro, as fidgety as ever. ‘You must have picked up this furniture from the Pass It On Day offerings. Good thinking.’

  ‘Yes. One of the owners of this development told me about it. Very green of everyone and highly convenient for me that it happened this weekend. Do sit down and stop pacing, Guy. You’re obviously here for some reason. What is it?’