by Carol Wyer
They started talking again about the event but Chloe was concerned about Jacqueline. She slipped out after her and caught up with her outside. ‘Hey, wait up. I wanted to check if everything was okay. You seemed a bit down today.’
Jacqueline stopped in her tracks and hesitated before speaking. ‘To be honest, I feel a bit shitty.’
‘You sick?’
Jacqueline shook her head. ‘No. Just some crap I have to deal with. I’ll be fine. Need to go home, that’s all.’
‘If you want to talk about it…’
Jacqueline studied her nails briefly. ‘Thanks, but I’m really okay. Nothing you can help me with. See you soon.’
Chloe sneaked back inside to retrieve her things before slipping back out again unnoticed. She couldn’t face William, or Alex for that matter. Alex must have wondered what she was talking about, rabbiting on about roses and it was still a puzzle as to why he’d said he had sent flowers when he hadn’t, and Sean… well, Sean was lovely and had helped her but she didn’t want there to be any confrontations between him and William. She was relieved she’d driven alone to the event. No one would miss her if she left now. She needed some time to think. Chloe walked briskly to her car and got in. The interior was cool and quiet, a sanctuary. She slotted in the key and was about to drive off when she spotted William running across to Jacqueline’s bike. She paused for a second and observed the pair. An argument or discussion seemed to be taking place, during which William shook his head several times and held his hands up. She’d seen that gesture on many an occasion. He always did it when he was trying to say sorry. Why was he apologising to Jacqueline? Chloe had no time to dwell on the question because William glanced around and quick as a flash pulled Jacqueline into an embrace. Chloe sunk down into her seat to avoid being seen. What the hell was William playing at? And Jacqueline for that matter? She was supposed to be seeing Sean. Chloe remained in position, hoping neither had noticed her. The door to the entrance opened and William pulled away from Jacqueline, assuming a casual stance as if simply talking to her. Sean, Danielle and Alex came out of the building. Chloe couldn’t watch any longer. She put her car into gear and pulled off, away from them all. She looked up in her rear-view mirror as she pulled out of the car park to see William waving goodbye.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Sunday, 4th March
Chloe was climbing over the rickety fence at the bottom of the field when Alex’s father, Thomas, slowed his car and wound down the window.
‘Morning, Chloe. Morning, Ronnie. It’s been a while. How are you getting on?’
‘Good, thanks. It’s lovely up there,’ she said, nodding back at the hill.
‘Glad to hear it. Sorry I haven’t been around to see how you’ve been getting along. I tend to go away during the colder months. Old age and arthritis – terrible combination. I need sunshine at this time of my life,’ he said with a cheery smile that crinkled his deeply-tanned face. ‘And Alex is better off without my interference. I promised Patricia I’d take a back seat this year and let the lad take charge. I’m headed up there to see how much progress is being made. Haven’t been on site in ages. I might have a buyer for the Granary.’
‘Already?’
‘They’re hot properties,’ he replied. ‘Not many like them available – individual properties in a perfect rural location with land – they’re gold dust. I’ve had a lot of interest in Number 5 too and we’ve not even begun work on it yet. Mind you, with summer around the corner, we’ll be able to get it sorted in no time. You sit tight there for a few years and you should see Sunny Meadow Barn soar in value. We had Alex’s house valued last week, and it’s shot up in price.’
It was another reminder that Alex wouldn’t be staying for much longer. Thomas continued, ‘He told me you thanked him for the roses. He was pleased you worked out who’d they’d come from.’
Chloe cocked her head slightly. Why would Alex tell his father about Valentine flowers?
‘He was worried you’d read too much into receiving them. I told him pink roses were fine. It’s not like it was a bunch of red ones. I said you’d appreciate the gesture.’
The penny dropped. Alex had left her the house-warming pink roses. They’d been at cross-purposes. When she’d thanked him, he’d thought it was for those flowers.
‘I’m glad you get on together. He was telling me about all the things you’ve been up to at this club he’s signed up to. Good to see him get out again. He’s had a rough time over the last couple of years – the break-up with his fiancée, Jayne – and although he hasn’t said much about it to me or his mother, his sister knows the whole story and he took it badly. He buzzed off to Spain and we wondered if he’d ever come back. Good to know he’s getting out and about and hopefully moving on at last. Anyway, he’s pleased you worked out he sent the roses. He thought I’d spilled the beans about them but I assured him I hadn’t. I did well to keep quiet about them, didn’t I? Not normally very good with secrets. Oh, unless they’re about writers who wish to remain anonymous. How are you getting on with the writing?’
‘Slowly. I’m getting there.’
‘Good. Patricia’s chomping at the bit for your next book.’
A car appeared in the road and finding its path blocked, slowed down, waiting for them to finish their conversation. Thomas acknowledged the driver and began to wind up his window. ‘It’s doing him good going to those events. You know what they say about all work and no play… Certainly was the case for Alex. Well done on convincing him to get out and about.’ He beeped his car horn and set off, moving closer to the hedgerow to allow the oncoming vehicle to pass.
Once both cars had gone, she and Ronnie crossed the road, where she let him off his lead and he raced off, nose to the ground. It was a relief to know she hadn’t made a fool of herself over the flowers, although she had to admit to feeling disappointed the Valentine roses hadn’t been from him. ‘Why would he send me Valentine roses? I’m not his girlfriend,’ she said to Ronnie who ignored her and scurried off, nose to the ground. She wondered how well she knew him after all. Alex hadn’t mentioned a fiancée. It would certainly explain why he was still single and living alone on a hill in Staffordshire, and why he’d probably wish to head back to Spain. The thought of him leaving depressed her. She’d been sure there was some spark between them but now it seemed he was just a really nice guy who didn’t want to get heavily involved. She whistled for Ronnie’s attention and hurled a stick after him, watching him bound after it. Stuffing her hands in her pockets, she reflected things weren’t too bad after all: at least she and Alex were friends and she hadn’t given him further reason to think she was off-the-wall with her crazy talk about roses.
* * *
‘Hi.’ Alex held out a box.
‘What’s this?’
‘Open it and see.’
She lifted the lid. Inside were a dozen doughnuts with various iced toppings. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘I figured if I bought the breakfast, you’d make the coffee.’
‘That was somewhat presumptuous of you. What if I told you I don’t like doughnuts?’ She tried to keep a straight face but failed.
‘Then I’d have to give you these,’ he replied, pulling out a paper bag from behind his back. ‘French pastries. Who doesn’t love French pastries for breakfast?’
‘Come in.’ She shook her head in mock dismay. Ronnie bounced about at his feet.
‘You like pastries, Ronnie?’ Alex asked.
‘You bet he does. He’s a great big, greedy hound.’
She put the box on the kitchen top and pulled out a cafetière complete with plunger. ‘I assume you’d like proper ground coffee with this gourmet breakfast?’
‘That’d be wonderful.’ He pulled off a piece of pastry and balanced it on Ronnie’s nose. ‘Stay.’ Ronnie waited obediently until allowed to eat it.
She smiled at the pair of them. ‘Why the breakfast?’
‘You disappeared yesterday and didn’t come with
the rest of us for afternoon tea. I thought you deserved to celebrate too. After all, you were our champion shot.
‘I had to come home to Ronnie.’
‘It wasn’t anything to do with William earlier, was it? I saw him hanging around you.’
‘It was nothing. A misunderstanding.’
‘Didn’t look like nothing to me. You were pretty upset.’
Chloe fussed about with the coffee rather than meet Alex’s eye. She’d still never broached the subject of her disorder with him. It was probably time to do so, and yet she really didn’t want to have to go through it all. Not everyone understood. She’d been lucky Sean had experience of it. ‘It was something and nothing.’
Alex fell quiet for a moment then said, ‘I don’t like to see you upset.’
Chloe’s hand trembled as she added the coffee to the cafetière. She didn’t dare look at him but she was certain his eyes were on her and would be full of sympathy and kindness and maybe something more, but the thought he was leaving the development held her emotions in check and prevented her from responding appropriately. She fought to speak but shyness took over. ‘You want any orange juice with this?’
He didn’t falter. ‘Brilliant! A proper continental breakfast. Apart from the doughnuts. Probably more American. I enjoyed yesterday’s event.’
‘It was really good. I don’t know how Eleanor and Fairfax keep coming up with all these ideas.’
‘Me neither. I must admit, I really didn’t want to join their club. When Eleanor first asked me, I wasn’t at all keen.’
‘I didn’t want to either. I still don’t quite know how they managed to hoodwink me into signing up. Alcohol was to blame. You, however, had no excuse. You weren’t drunk when you agreed.’
‘I joined because you were a member.’
She pushed the plunger on the cafetière gently and tried to calm her quickening heartbeat. ‘Really?’
‘You must know I like you by now. A lot.’
‘You do?’ She spun around.
His face broke into a smile. ‘Why else do you think I attend these events. I have a million other things I ought to be doing, but I go along because you go and I get to spend time with you. You’re so busy writing the rest of the time, I don’t like to disturb you.’
She blinked a few times. Her life was getting strangely complicated. First William professed to want her back her and now Alex was bringing her breakfast and claiming he liked her. ‘I like you too.’
‘Good. We like each other. That’s a start, isn’t it?’ The lines around his eyes crinkled slightly.
‘I don’t know…’
He stopped her. ‘I’m not making a very good job of this, am I? I’ve wanted to be more than a friend for a while. I was intrigued about you even before we met. I’d seen you up here talking to Dad. The first time we actually met, when Ronnie ran away, I knew I wanted to get to know you better but you were fresh from a break-up from your husband. I figured you’d need space and time to heal, so I’ve been keeping my distance, not because I wanted to, but because it seemed the right thing to do. I was in a similar situation myself a few years ago after my fiancée and I parted, and she, well, she fell straight into someone else’s arms. A few months later she rung me in tears. It had been a rebound relationship and she needed a shoulder to cry on. It was messy. Complicated and messy. I didn’t want to be that rebound person in your life. And there’s been William. He keeps staring at you at the events. I can’t shake off the feeling he’s still in love with you and I don’t want to get in the way of that.’
Chloe gathered cups and saucers, all the while trying to make sense of what she was hearing.
‘When you thanked me for the flowers yesterday, I took that as a sign of encouragement. It’s the first time you’ve acknowledged any of my pathetic attempts.’
She stood stock still. He continued.
‘I hoped you’d work it out – the flowers, my first footing on New Year’s Day, tagging along with you to the events and the Valentine’s card.’
She blinked again and asked, ‘Which card did you send?’
‘How many cards did you get?’
‘Four. Three if you discount Ronnie’s.’
He fought back a grin. ‘Ronnie! Oh, okay. I see. There are rivals for your affection.’ He cast about, his regard falling on the large bunch of red roses, still in bloom. He didn’t mention them. ‘Which one did you think was from me?’
It was a test. She hoped Faith had been right with her deductions. ‘The card with the message that read, “If only…”’
He nodded. ‘Sorry if it wasn’t what you expected. I struggled to find something that didn’t have some uber-romantic message on it. I didn’t want to scare you off.’
‘It was really lovely. Thank you.’
He coughed – a brief, nervous cough. ‘So now you know how I feel, and I’ve even wooed you with doughnuts, is there any chance you’ll come out with me? Nothing heavy. Just a good night out. I’ve got tickets for a charity ball – a black tie event – at Shugborough Hall, and I can’t think of anyone I’d rather invite.’
‘I… I can’t.’
The smile disappeared in an instant.
‘It’s not that I don’t want to go… I do… but I can’t.’
‘You don’t need to make any excuses. I’m sorry. I misread the situation. It’s my fault.’ He rose abruptly.
‘Don’t go.’
He gave her a gentle smile. ‘Not much point in staying. I’ve made enough of a prat of myself.’
‘No, you haven’t. Let me explain.’
‘It’s okay. I won’t tread on William’s toes.’
‘William hasn’t anything to do with this.’
‘The guy’s still got feelings for you. You’ve got feelings for him. I’m guessing he even sent the roses over there?’
‘He did but I didn’t find out until yesterday.’
‘And he bought you a card with a loving message?’
She nodded, yet all the while fighting to find the words to explain how she felt. She didn’t love William and she would like to get to know Alex but not at a major event stuffed full of people.
He strode towards the door. Her head screamed at her to tell him about her condition but he moved away quickly and was out of the door before she could stop him. She slammed the coffee canister back onto the shelf and poured the contents of the cafetière down the sink. She’d had the chance to explain why she couldn’t go to the ball and she’d messed up, and now he’d got some ridiculous idea she had feelings for William. Shit! The only consolation was that he didn’t intend staying around for a long time. It would have been a short-lived relationship even if it had got off the ground. She threw a doughnut for Ronnie to catch and went in search of her mobile. She needed to talk to Faith.
* * *
‘What a mess. Look, why don’t you go around to his house and explain?’
‘What’s the point? I tell him I can’t face crowds; he says, “Oh what a pity!” and pisses off with someone else to the ball. I have to face it, Faith, I’m no great catch. William at least tried to understand me. No one before him grasped how difficult it was for me to mix. Until I met him I was lost, really lost and he anchored me. For a few years I was a little better and now…’
‘Now, you’re making huge strides by yourself. You can’t trust William. From what you said, he’s definitely making a play for Jacqueline as well as chancing his arm again with you. You going to tell Sean about what you saw?’
‘Jacqueline should speak to him about it, not me. Besides, he’s been so kind to me, I don’t want to be the person to shatter his hopes. He really likes her.’
‘Probably wise. Sometimes it’s best not to meddle. What now?’
‘Buggered if I know. Alex will probably stop going to the events and I’ll carry on being me. William will be the two-faced arse that he’s come to be, Jacqueline and Sean will stop going out together and Ronnie will get ginormous on all the sodding doughnuts I kee
p feeding him.’
‘I meant about Alex. Don’t you want to get to know him better?’ Faith persisted.
‘What’s the point? The fourth house is coming along quickly now and he’ll be off in a few months.’
‘I give up. There’s a lovely man who’s keen to start up a relationship with you and you aren’t even prepared to give it a chance. What have you got to lose by telling him why you turned down his offer?’
‘I’ll think about it.’
‘Which probably means you’ll do nothing about it.’
Chloe’s shoulders dropped. Faith knew her too well.
* * *
Sean’s phone call couldn’t have come at a worse time. Chloe was feeling incredibly low. Her writing had come to a halt again and she’d spent the last hour hating herself. All the weeks of confidence-boosting seemed to have been pointless.
‘Hey!’ Sean sounded like she felt, his voice flat.
‘Hi.’
‘You got half an hour to spare?’
‘Sure.’
‘I’ve got a family size tub of salted caramel ice cream and I need a buddy to help me out with it.’
‘I’ll be there in twenty minutes.’
‘Good, cos if you aren’t they’ll find me on the floor tomorrow morning – death by ice cream. I’ve already demolished one tub.’
‘Jeez. I ought to bring back-up.’
‘If you mean Ronnie, yes. It’s a pretty huge tub.’
* * *
Sean hadn’t shaved and with his dark stubble and blue marks under his eyes, looked worn out. He greeted the pair warmly and showed them straight upstairs to his flat.
‘You weren’t joking, were you?’ The ice cream pot was the largest Chloe had seen.
‘Comfort eating.’
