The Second Chance Tea Shop (Little Somerby)

by Fay Keenan

  At close of business, Anna didn’t dawdle. She cashed up as soon as she could, locking the takings securely in the tea shop’s safe, and then walked briskly home to get her car. Giving herself a quick once-over in the hall mirror, she chucked on a new T-shirt and then headed back out of the door.

  After a few minutes she pulled up in the drive of Cowslip Barn. The house looked cold, empty and uninviting. She let herself in, and, taking a wrong turn into Matthew’s study, she was brought up short by a couple of new pictures in a silver frame on his huge mahogany and leather desk. One was of Meredith, obviously taken at some point the previous summer; she looked so vibrant, so alive. The other, tucked into the corner of the same frame, Anna was shocked to see, was of herself and Ellie. It was a shot that Anna remembered being in the local weekly newspaper, taken at the May Fair. They were both smiling at the camera, Ellie in Anna’s arms. The newspaper had focussed on the ‘young mother takes on new business challenge’ angle in the accompanying caption, which Anna had found alternately embarrassing and hilarious at the time. Now, reminded of happier times, it made her draw in a sharp breath.

  Heading up the creaky stairs, she navigated her way to Matthew’s bedroom at the back of the house. Despite their closeness, she hadn’t actually been into his bedroom before. The scent of his cologne and the rumpled bedsheets caught her senses. Chucked over the button backed chair by the window that overlooked the back garden was a pair of blue jeans and a checked blue and white shirt, and hung up behind the door was his suit jacket. Feeling like an intruder, she opened Matthew’s wardrobe and pulled out what she hoped was a suitable shirt and a fresh pair of jeans. Then, she pulled open his chest of drawers to find some new underwear. She allowed herself a brief smile as she noticed how neatly folded everything was; Pat obviously had no qualms about arranging the more intimate areas of her employer’s life as well as doing the dusting.

  Meredith’s room was exactly as she had left it. Make-up spilled across her dressing table, and too many tops, skirts and pairs of jeans to count lay abandoned on her bed and over the floor. Anna felt a lump rise in her throat. She grabbed a pair of pyjamas that were, at least, neatly folded on the bedroom chair. As she moved towards Meredith’s dressing table, her heart skipped a beat; there, between the make-up tubes and general cosmetic detritus was a small, wrapped present, with a card attached. Meredith had been so proud of the cufflinks she’d found for Matthew for Father’s Day, which was tomorrow. The thought that the teenager might not pull through to give them to him was too much to bear. Suddenly desperate to get out of the house, Anna glanced at the bed and saw an old, tatty stuffed toy rabbit propped up against the pillows. With a trembling hand she picked it up and put it on the pile of clothes she was holding. Returning down the stairs, she grabbed a plastic bag from the storage container in the kitchen, then, breathing a sigh of relief, locked the front door behind her.

  *

  In the daylight, the drive to the hospital seemed less terrifying, but the destination had lost none of its fear and uncertainty. Pulling into the car park Anna saw that the Land Rover was still in the same space as Matthew had left it. As she locked her car and hurried through the hospital entrance, she prayed there had been a positive development in Meredith’s condition.

  As she reached the floor where Meredith had been the previous evening, she suddenly wondered if the teenager had been moved. She paused briefly to try to locate the information desk, but before she could ask, a voice, deep but with an unmistakeable West Country burr, raised but not yet shouting, caught her attention.

  ‘You’ve got a bloody nerve turning up here!’

  Anna hurried in its direction. Her heart sank as she rounded the corner to the next corridor.

  ‘Please Mr Carter, I came to see how Merry is.’ Flynn looked pale, his long dark fringe not quite long enough to cover the livid purple bruise on his forehead. The colour was matched by the shadows under his red-rimmed eyes, and even from a few metres away, Anna could see his hands were shaking wildly.

  Matthew moved closer to the boy. Flynn was touching six feet but he was still in the gangly, skinny phase of his adolescence. Matthew, in contrast, despite the traumas of the past few days, was three inches taller and twice as broad. It was like seeing a young pretender squaring up to an old buck.

  ‘Get out!’ Matthew growled. ‘I, and my daughter, don’t want to see you.’

  Flynn took a step back, obviously afraid. ‘Mr Carter, I need to explain…’

  ‘I said get out!’ Matthew was trembling as much as Flynn, his rage threatening to boil over.

  Anna had seen enough. Matthew was exuding such menace, such pent-up rage. ‘I’d do as he says, Flynn,’ she said. ‘Speak to Mr Carter another time.’

  ‘I just need to know she’ll be OK,’ Flynn said, almost in tears. Anna surmised, by the look of the boy, that he’d been crying a great deal.

  ‘It’s early days, Flynn,’ Anna said. ‘Please, go home and get some rest yourself.’

  Flynn looked helplessly towards Matthew again, but Matthew had turned away, dismissing the boy as much with his body language as he had with his words. Lowering his gaze, he turned and walked back down the corridor.

  ‘How dare he show his face here.’ Matthew began to pace up and down. ‘He walks away from the smashed up wreck of that car virtually unscathed while my daughter ends up comatose.’

  ‘He must be thankful to be alive,’ Anna said softly.

  ‘He’d should be more than bloody thankful,’ Matthew snapped. ‘And he’d better stay out of my way.’

  Anna drew closer to Matthew, mindful of his explosive mood. ‘He’s obviously terrified, and desperately wants to know about Meredith. I know you’re angry; you’ve got every right to be, but for Meredith’s sake, please, try to stay calm.’

  ‘And how would you react if the kid who killed your husband had turned up at the hospital?’

  Anna took an involuntary step back as if Matthew had slapped her. Horrified, she gaped at him. Her knees went weak in the face of his rage, and she understood exactly why Flynn had been so terrified.

  ‘Christ, Anna, I’m sorry. That was completely out of order.’ Matthew pulled Anna to him, but for a moment Anna felt more claustrophobic than comforted as his arms wrapped around her. Steeling herself not to struggle away from him, she was relieved when he moved away again.

  ‘Is there any change?’ Anna asked, trying frantically to regain her equilibrium. She felt as though the floor was moving beneath her feet.

  Matthew shook his head. ‘If you mean has she woken up, then no, but her vital signs have stabilised over the past few hours so they’re going to move her to intensive care later this morning.’ He reached out a hand, trying to take one of Anna’s, but she retreated slightly, denying him the contact. A look of irritated incomprehension crossed his features before he composed himself again.

  ‘That’s good, though,’ Anna said. ‘Have they said anything about… long term damage?’

  ‘Too early to say.’

  An uneasy silence fell between them. Anna took a moment to look at Matthew. Grey-flecked stubble peppered his face and his eyes were dark and cavernous. He looked as if he’d fall apart if he didn’t get some rest soon.

  ‘I’ve brought some fresh clothes for you, and a few things for Meredith.’ Anna passed Matthew the bag.

  ‘Thanks. I take it Pat gave you the key?’

  Anna nodded. ‘She says not to worry, she’s going to pop in later today and give the place the once-over.’

  Matthew gave the ghost of a smile. ‘Thank her for me.’

  ‘Have you eaten?’

  ‘Didn’t want to leave her.’ Matthew swallowed. ‘I’d love a coffee, though.’ He rummaged in the pocket of his jeans for some change, but Anna shook her head. ‘It’s OK, I’ve got it.’ Desperate to get away from him, she walked back down the corridor.

  Anna stepped out of the lift on the ground floor and headed towards the hospital shop. Drawing closer to the coffee m
achine, she saw Flynn hovering by the entrance. He caught sight of her immediately and wiped his eyes before meeting her gaze.

  ‘Please, how’s Meredith?’ His voice trembled.

  ‘She’s still unconscious, Flynn,’ Anna said gently.

  Flynn bit down hard on his bottom lip. ‘If I could, I’d swap places with her.’

  Anna’s heart went out to the frightened boy. ‘I know. But the best thing you can do at the moment is to give her and her dad some space.’ He looked so young, so defenceless. She’d never met the boy who had been driving the other car that killed James, but, faced with Flynn now, she could imagine how haunted and terrified he must have been after the events that took her husband from her.

  ‘Can you tell her…’ Flynn swallowed. ‘Can you tell her… how sorry I am. That I never meant… that if I could go back I’d…’ he blinked furiously.

  Anna nodded, impossibly moved by his vulnerability. ‘Go home and get some rest. Matthew’s staying here at the hospital with Merry until she’s strong enough to leave, and he’s not going to let you near her at the moment. Perhaps when she wakes up…’

  Flynn nodded. ‘I understand. Thank you. For listening to me.’ Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, he stumbled from the hospital.

  Anna watched him cross the car park and get into one of the parked cars. As the car pulled away, she saw that it was his mother who had come to collect him. Her perception of him as terribly young stayed with her long after they’d left the hospital.

  35

  The hours crawled by. Anna persuaded Matthew to rest in one of the family rooms that backed onto the intensive care ward, while she sat by Meredith’s bedside. Strictly speaking, she shouldn’t have been allowed, but the nurses showed compassion and discretion in the face of Matthew’s exhaustion.

  ‘You will wake me if she opens her eyes,’ he said. Matthew’s habit of stating rather than questioning made an answer unnecessary.

  Time’s relentless march became something of a threat. Meredith still looked as though she was sleeping, especially now the ventilator had been removed, but Anna knew, from the regular checks that were made on her by the medical staff, the levels of concern were increasing. Snatched conversations about ‘alpha waves’ and ‘brain activity’ were taking on an altogether more sinister feel.

  Anna began to imagine she saw Meredith moving; a flicker of an eyelid here, the twitch of a finger there. But, in truth, it was more in her mind than in the room itself.

  At around nine o’clock, Anna slipped out of Meredith’s room to grab another coffee and splash her face with water. She decided to give Matthew another hour or so before going to wake him, and then head home to relieve her mother of babysitting duties. Walking back out of the visitors’ bathroom, on her way to Meredith, she caught sight of a figure striding down the corridor. Too far away to be seen clearly, something about the gait and bearing of the new visitor caught her eye. As the figure drew closer, the clack of her heels on the tiled floor becoming more distinct, Anna felt a shiver of apprehension.

  Fashions might have changed in the intervening years between her wedding photo and the reality, but Tara Carter was still beautiful. The once long, lustrous blonde hair was now cropped short, framing slanting clear blue eyes in a heart-shaped face. An all-American tan accentuated her looks, and, despite the fact she’d just stepped off a seven-hour flight, she looked icily calm, composed and extremely glamorous.

  Before Tara reached her, however, Matthew appeared from the family room. Tara didn’t miss a beat.

  ‘Where’s Meredith?’ Tara asked. ‘These damn British hospitals are like rabbit warrens. It’s taken me ten minutes to get any sense out of Reception.’

  If Matthew was shocked by the abrupt entrance of his ex-wife, he did his best to hide it. Walking up to her, he kissed her guardedly on her rigid cheek. ‘I’ve just spoken to the consultant. They’re moving her to run a few tests, and then they’ll keep her down there for the next few hours.’

  ‘Tests? What tests? Matthew, what the hell happened here?’ Tara’s voice was brittle, frantic. Despite everything, Anna’s heart went out to her. She couldn’t imagine the horror of having a child in this situation.

  ‘We’ll know more about her prognosis after they’ve done the tests. We just have to wait and see.’

  ‘If anyone tells me it’s early days one more time, Matt, I swear I’ll—’ Tara trailed off.

  ‘Well, I’m afraid that’s the way it is,’ Matthew said bluntly.

  At that moment, a trolley came out of Meredith’s room. Tara stifled a cry. Automatically, Matthew put an arm around his ex-wife as she covered her mouth with her hand. Tara leaned into him; she looked small and frail beside him. As the trolley passed, Tara reached out a not entirely steady hand and touched one of Meredith’s.

  ‘How can this have happened to you, baby?’ she whispered.

  The porter stopped briefly, and then, with a sympathetic look, continued to wheel the bed to its destination.

  They must have made quite a sight, Anna thought, after the event. Two parents, united in fear and grief, and her; close, but not close enough. She observed, from the outside; all of the experiences of the past few months counting for nothing compared to the fact that the two other adults in the corridor had created the child who lay in the hospital bed between them.

  As Meredith vanished round the corner to her next destination, Matthew broke away from Tara and moved back towards Anna. ‘I’m sorry, I should have introduced you two.’ He glanced from one woman to the other. ‘Anna, this is Tara.’

  ‘I wish we were meeting under better circumstances,’ Anna said, extending a hand.

  Tara glanced at Anna’s hand, but didn’t take it. ‘Quite.’

  Anna couldn’t help but notice the way Tara looked her up and down, assessing, measuring. She was uncomfortable under the scrutiny. ‘Well, I’d better get going,’ she said finally.

  ‘I’ll walk you to your car, once I’ve seen Meredith down,’ Matthew took the hand that Anna had offered to Tara, as if in mitigation.

  ‘No, really, it’s fine.’ Anna suddenly needed to put some distance between herself and the formerly married couple. ‘I can see myself out. You should go… you should both go.’

  Tara gave the slightest of nods, and Matthew, unable to keep up with the cross-currents, acquiesced. Alone, Anna exited the building, the feeling of unease growing ever stronger.

  *

  ‘I remember the day you were born,’ Matthew whispered, still holding his daughter’s hand. ‘You were so tiny – only six pounds, and you fitted into the palms of my hands.’ He swallowed hard. ‘Your mother and I were so proud of you. Of the fact that we’d created you. And I loved you from that moment. I will always love you, Merry.’

  The door to Meredith’s room opened slowly and in slipped Tara. There were dark shadows under her eyes, partly from jetlag and partly from worry about her daughter. She took a seat on the hard wooden chair on the other side of Meredith’s bed.

  ‘Any change?’ she asked softly.

  Matthew shook his head. He felt weak from exhaustion, and apart from those few hours in the family suite, he hadn’t left Meredith’s bedside since she’d been brought in.

  ‘I wish…’ Tara twisted the large white gold diamond solitaire that adorned her left hand round and round. ‘I wish I’d been there for her.’

  ‘No point looking back,’ Matthew said gruffly. ‘What’s gone is gone.’

  ‘She was – is – my baby, Matthew. If she doesn’t…’

  ‘She will wake up, Tara. I have to believe that.’ Matthew ran a hand over his achingly tired eyes.

  ‘Why don’t you go and get some coffee? I’ll sit with her for a while.’

  ‘Making up for lost time?’ Matthew said bitterly.

  ‘Please, Matt, don’t,’ Tara said. ‘Not now. Not here.’

  Matthew felt a prickle of shame, but couldn’t quite let the anger go. ‘You being here. It changes nothing,’ he said flat
ly. ‘But while you are here, you should make the effort to spend some time with her. Just in case—’ he trailed off, fighting with his emotions again. ‘I’ll go and get that coffee.’

  Out in the hallway, the strip lighting cast a greenish glow, making the faces of the medical staff seem even more drained. Matthew nodded to a couple of House Officers he recognised and headed off down the corridor to find yet more coffee. Never had he missed Anna’s presence more. Checking his phone, he was gratified to find a text message from her.

  Miss you. Love to Merry. Don’t forget to eat! A xxx

  Swiftly, while the coffee was being dispensed, he replied:

  Miss you too. No change with Merry. Wish you were here. M x

  Matthew wanted nothing more than to rest his head on Anna’s shoulder and make this whole situation go away, but for the moment he had to be strong. Meredith needed him. As much as he hated the thought, Tara needed him. Sighing, he grabbed the polystyrene cup of what passed for coffee in the hospital and took a gulp. Then, automatically, he selected another cup to give to Tara. He hoped she still took it black with one sugar.

  Returning to Meredith’s room, looking in through the glass window in the door, he saw Tara was also texting someone. He felt a surge of anger. Couldn’t she have waited until she got out of Meredith’s hospital room? Swallowing back the bile that rose in his throat, he opened the door and placed Tara’s coffee on the cupboard next to Meredith’s bed.

  Tara looked at it, surprised. ‘Thank you,’ she said.

  ‘No problem.’ He sat down in his chair again. ‘Anything important?’ He gestured to Tara’s phone, trying to keep the edge out of his voice.

  ‘Just checking in,’ Tara said. ‘Todd wants to know when I’ll be home.’

  ‘Doesn’t he know how sick our daughter is?’ Matthew’s voice was low, but dangerous.