by Della Galton
Everyone tutted affectionately or rolled their eyes.
Seeing their parents always made Olivia feel like a child again. She wondered if it was always like that, however old you got. Maybe it was because they never seemed to look any different.
Mum’s fair hair didn’t show the grey and she lived in dark leggings and oversized sweatshirts, which she swapped for T-shirts in the summer. It was sometimes hard to believe Mum and Aunt Dawn were sisters. The only thing they had in common, fashion wise, was that they both lived in comfy shoes.
Dad looked the same as he always did. He lived in round-necked, lambswool jumpers which he wore over a shirt, adding a tie if the occasion ever demanded it. Tonight’s jumper was olive green.
It was lovely to see them, though. Especially as they looked so happy. She loved that they were so wrapped up in their professions and not like Hannah’s mother, who didn’t work and who’d had empty nest syndrome from the day Hannah left for college. Hannah felt responsible for making sure she was OK all the time, and duty-bound to see her every Christmas, Easter and family birthday – maybe that was the reason she didn’t want children, Olivia thought idly. It was definitely the reason she’d moved away from Weymouth. Olivia missed having her around, too.
‘You’re quiet, Bean.’ Her father’s voice interrupted her thoughts. ‘I was sorry to hear about the gig. Bit of a kick in the teeth, that one.’
‘Thanks, Dad. It’s just one of those things.’
‘You could try nobbling the other girl. That would fix it, wouldn’t it?’ he smiled.
‘Yeah, but I might get arrested.’
He patted her shoulder and shifted on the sofa. ‘Keep your chin up. I’ve never liked Casualty anyway. Now, Holby City – that’s a different matter.’
‘They’re dramas about the same hospital, though. Just different shifts.’
‘Are they?’ He looked amazed.
She never could tell how much he hammed things up. James Lambert was the archetypal mad professor. He spent most of his life with his nose buried in the ancient past, only occasionally coming up for gasps of air before disappearing again. He found the modern world difficult to understand and he didn’t like it much. There would come a time, he was fond of telling people, when he would give up on it altogether and retire to the past, where he would spend his days amongst dusty books and old bones.
‘Mum said you were cataloguing fertility symbols,’ Olivia asked him. ‘How’s that going?’
‘It’s not as much fun as it sounds.’ He winked. ‘Although you can learn a lot about indigenous people by how they viewed the whole subject of procreation…’ And he was off.
Olivia zoned out – once Dad was on his favourite subject, the past, he could talk for hours – and sneaked a glance at her mother and sister, who were immersed in conversation on the other sofa, in case Ruby needed her help.
But Ruby looked fine. From the odd word she could hear, it sounded as though they were talking about a Banksy that Ruby had just put up for auction for a client.
‘How much?’ their mother said now. ‘Good grief. That’s crazy money.’
Olivia tried to suppress a yawn and then realised she hadn’t been very successful when her father said, ‘Sorry – I’m boring you.’
‘You’re not, Dad. I’m just tired.’
‘Of course you are, Bean, you work too hard. And there’s me blathering on. It’s time for bed.’ He drained his whisky and called across to his wife. ‘I think I’m going to turn in, love. I’m bushed.’
Marie nodded. ‘Yes, I’m coming now. We can have a proper chinwag tomorrow.’ She beamed around at them all. ‘It’s lovely to catch up with my girls.’
A few moments later, they were gone, although their presence and their mother’s trademark Lancôme scent lingered in the room.
Olivia shut the lounge door and looked at her sister. ‘Are you OK?’
‘I’m good.’ Ruby blinked, but then her eyes filled with tears.
Olivia was beside her in an instant. ‘Sweetie, it’s going to be OK.’
‘Is it? I feel so guilty. They’re going to be so disappointed in me.’
‘Don’t be daft.’ Olivia hugged her. ‘They’d never be disappointed with you. They love you to bits.’
‘They won’t agree with what I’m doing. I know they won’t.’
Olivia could feel the slight shuddering of Ruby’s shoulders and she realised she was crying.
‘You’re tired out, that’s all,’ she said softly. ‘Things always seem worse at night-time.’
‘Have you said anything to Aunt Dawn?’
‘No. I told you I wouldn’t.’
‘Yes, but you two are so close.’
‘It’s your secret, not mine. I haven’t told another living soul. Not even Phil.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Let’s go to bed. It’s nearly midnight. It will all seem better in the morning.’
Olivia hoped she was right as she followed her sister up the wide, thick carpeted staircase to bed. It was true what she’d just said. Their parents were understanding and they did love their daughters to bits. And they were open-minded. But adoption was big and it was permanent. If she was truthful, she had no idea how they’d react when they heard Ruby’s news.
14
To her surprise, Olivia overslept. She must have been more tired than she’d realised. When she woke up, sunlight was streaming through the gaps in the blinds which she couldn’t have closed properly. Even the forest painting on the wall looked sunlit. It was nearly nine.
She showered quickly in the en suite bathroom, cleaned her teeth, put on the minimum of make-up and went downstairs.
She could hear the clattering of plates before she reached the kitchen and she could smell bacon frying – that would be Dad – he might be old-fashioned in some ways, but he loved a cooked breakfast and he would be wielding the frying pan.
She could also hear laughter. So, Ruby couldn’t have told them yet then. Maybe she would decide against it this weekend. Maybe she would decide against the whole adoption idea. Olivia was praying that she would. She loved the idea of having a niece or nephew. Who knew, that might be the closest to having a family she ever got.
Her heart gave a thump of pain. Of course it wouldn’t, she berated herself.
She resolved to talk to Phil as soon as Easter was over.
Another peal of laughter greeted her as she opened the kitchen door. Maybe putting off important conversations ran in the family, she thought.
Mum and Ruby were perched on stools at the breakfast island – the laptop had been cleared away for once. Dad was at the hob, waving a spatula around, as she’d predicted.
‘I told you the smell of bacon would get her out of bed,’ he announced, beaming from ear to ear. ‘And here she is.’
‘Good afternoon,’ her mother quipped.
‘Ignore them,’ Ruby replied. ‘I said you were tired and could lay in as long as you wanted.’
Ruby looked a lot happier than she had the previous day. That was a relief.
‘I’ve done you a full English,’ Dad said. ‘You girls could both do with fattening up.’
‘Not true in my case,’ Ruby said. ‘It’s Olivia who never puts on a pound. I don’t know how you do it, being surrounded by cakes all day.’
‘Running helps a lot,’ Olivia replied. ‘And wild swimming.’
‘Wild swimming? Does that mean you go in naked?’ Mum looked interested.
‘No, it means you go in wild places,’ Olivia told her, deciding not to mention that she and Phil had done that very thing at Hartland Moor. ‘Although apparently there is a nudist beach at Studland, not far from where Phil lives, if you and Dad fancy skinny-dipping, Mum.’
‘We certainly do not.’ She gave an exaggerated shudder. ‘Do we, James?’
‘No, love. Absolutely not!’ He winked at Olivia, and as he dished up, there was a scraping of stool legs and general murmurs of appreciation as they got stuck into the business
of breakfast.
At the end of it, Ruby jumped up to clear the plates.
‘I’ll do it,’ Olivia said.
They did it together; Olivia stacked the dishwasher and Ruby washed the pots and pans, while their parents joked about having to come and stay more often if they were going to get waited on hand and foot.
When the sisters finally had a moment on their own, Ruby said, ‘I don’t think I’m going to tell them today. They’re so happy, aren’t they. Once I tell them, that’s going to be the only topic of conversation there is.’
Olivia agreed, knowing it was true.
‘Shall we just enjoy Easter with them?’ Ruby said.
‘It’s your call, honey. Like I said, I’m in your corner whatever you do.’
‘Anyway, I’m thinking that I should probably have the scan first, make sure everything’s OK.’
‘Are you feeling all right now? Have you had any more of those niggles you mentioned?’
‘No. I had a bit of a pain in my shoulder last night, but I’m pretty sure that was indigestion. You know what it’s like when you’re paranoid about something. Lately, every tiny ache and pain in my body has sparked me off into thinking there’s something wrong. I don’t think there is.’
‘The scan’s on Tuesday, isn’t it?’
‘Yes. 3 p.m. Are you still OK to come with me?’
‘Of course I am.’ Olivia hesitated.
‘What?’ Ruby looked at her sharply.
‘They’re going back up to the other end of Scotland on Tuesday. Won’t you have to tell them on the phone if you wait until after the scan?’
‘I know.’ Ruby dropped her gaze. ‘I’m a coward, aren’t I?’ She bit her lip. ‘I just want us all to have a nice Easter.’ She stopped talking abruptly as their mother came back into the kitchen.
‘Is there anything I can do, girls? It doesn’t feel right sitting doing nothing.’
‘Dad seems to be managing OK,’ Olivia smiled.
‘No change there,’ Ruby quipped.
‘He did cook the breakfast,’ their mother said. ‘At least let me peel the potatoes or do the sprouts or something. It will give me a chance to catch up on all your gossip. It’s not often I get the chance to have both my girls in one place.’
‘We did most of it last night,’ Ruby told her. ‘If you want to do something, you can make another pot of coffee. We’re having roast beef by the way. That’s your favourite, isn’t it?’
‘You know it is, lovely girl.’ She hugged her younger daughter and then turned to Olivia. ‘Isn’t your sister lovely and thoughtful?’
‘Absolutely,’ Olivia agreed.
‘So what have I missed?’ Marie asked, putting on the kettle and turning back to them. ‘What mischief have you two been up to that you can’t tell me about in front of your father? How are things going with the gorgeous Phil? Is he still wowing audiences with that wonderful Shakespearean voice?’
‘He’s been really busy for the last couple of weeks. In between his shifts, he’s been recording an audiobook. It’s a biography of some historian. I thought Dad might be interested in it. It will be something for them to chat about over dinner.’
‘Fine plan.’ She turned back to her younger daughter. ‘How about you? Are you dating anyone, darling? Or is life in the art world too hectic?’
‘I’m happily single,’ Ruby told her. ‘There’s no one in my life at the moment.’
‘So I can’t rely on you to give me a grandchild then?’
‘No, you can’t.’ Ruby’s face closed down and their mother obviously picked up on the tension because she said, ‘It’s all right, darling. I’m only teasing.’
Olivia saw Ruby’s forced smile and the angst in her eyes, which she interpreted perfectly. Ruby didn’t want this lovely, chilled-out time to change, but it would. It would change forever once their parents knew about her news.
Aunt Dawn was the first one to turn up for dinner. They were sitting down at five and she arrived just after three. Olivia went to let her in.
‘I’m sorry to be so early,’ she announced as she walked through to the kitchen, smelling beautifully of roses and lavender, and wearing a gorgeous blue checked, off-the-shoulder, vintage dress. ‘I couldn’t wait to see you all. Wow, something smells divine in here. Is there anything I can do to help?’
There was more shedding of coats and gifts. Aunt Dawn handed over a bottle of wine, some non-alcoholic fizz for anyone not drinking, and a bag that held a Tupperware container and two cardboard ones.
‘There are two shop-bought cheesecakes, because, frankly, I can’t make them any better. But I did bring you a home-made dessert as well.’
Ruby pounced on it. ‘Ooh, Queen of Puddings, you angel. I love that. Your meringue is to die for.’
‘I brought you a dozen eggs as well,’ Aunt Dawn said. ‘The girls are laying well. And, of course, some chocolate ones.’
‘You can come more often,’ Ruby said, diving into the bag and retrieving a clutch of very flash-looking Easter eggs – the type in transparent cases so you could see how gorgeous they were. They definitely hadn’t come from a supermarket.
An hour after Aunt Dawn had come, Phil arrived too. He’d brought bottles of wine and some soft drinks which he added to their collection. He’d also brought Ruby, as host, a big box of her favourite after-dinner mints, which Olivia had tipped him off about, and more Easter eggs for everyone.
He complimented all the females on their appearance and looked totally relaxed in Ruby’s house.
‘Good to see you,’ James said, pumping his hand. ‘I was beginning to feel distinctly outnumbered.
Phil was great with her family, Olivia thought, watching with pleasure, despite the fact she knew he wasn’t a big fan of social gatherings. He’d met her parents, Aunt Dawn and Ruby at Christmas and they’d all got on like a house on fire. Phil was personable and very good at making people feel at ease. It was why he was so good at his job. She hoped he wasn’t putting on an act here though.
It was very hard to read Phil. Sometimes she thought that the closer they got, the harder it became. But there was still so much she didn’t know about him. He was very self-contained. She had never seen him get really angry or rage or cry or look out of control. Except on stage – and then, of course, he was acting.
They’d talked about that once and he’d said, ‘I know. I don’t do it on purpose. I just don’t find it very easy showing emotion. It’s much easier on stage. It’s… I don’t know – more channelled, I guess. And liberating.’
Olivia knew what he meant by liberating. She felt like that too. When she was in front of a camera, she felt as though she was free. Totally free to express her emotions fully without worrying about anyone else. Maybe that was why acting was so cathartic – because it gives you the opportunity to do that. She’d heard writers say the same thing about writing.
She caught Phil’s eye across the room; he held her gaze for a moment and she felt reassured. She relaxed as he made small talk with her father, complimented Ruby on the gorgeous house – he’d never been to Ruby’s before – and asked after Aunt Dawn’s hens. Then he kept them entertained with tales of April Fools’ pranks that went on in kitchens. Apparently, this year, someone – by which he meant himself - had put green food colouring in all the milk in The Bluebell’s fridges.
‘It backfired a bit because Mr B, our chef, made a green rice pudding and put it on the menu as a kid’s special and the kids all loved it.’
This was a side of Phil she didn’t see very often, Olivia thought, looking at him with affection. His ability to laugh at himself.
Mr B often came out on top when it came to pranks, it seemed. Luckily, her partner was good-hearted enough not to bear him any lasting resentment. She had a feeling that beneath it all the two men were quite good friends.
‘This must feel like a busman’s holiday to him,’ Ruby whispered to Olivia when they escaped, just before dinner, to check everything was ready on the dining table.
Ruby had a separate dining room, which came into its own on family occasions. A long wooden table in a pastel cream-painted room with an inglenook fireplace. ‘I’m glad you’re with him. I like him much better than Tom.’ She moved a fork. ‘I mean, don’t get me wrong. I liked your Tom well enough. But I didn’t like the way he messed you around. He should have been straight with you a lot sooner than he was. And he didn’t have Phil’s sense of humour. Your Phil’s quite dry, isn’t he? When I first met him, I thought he was too serious for you, but it’s just his initial manner.’
‘Very perceptive,’ Olivia said.
There was a pause. Olivia was about to fill it with trivia when Ruby asked the inevitable next question.
‘I take it that he wants a family, does he? Or is it too early to ask him that kind of thing? How long have you been seeing him now?’
‘It’s not far off a year.’
‘Wow. That’s flown. I didn’t realise it was that long. Do you think he’s the one you’ll settle down with for ever and ever? You have told him you want six kids, haven’t you?’
‘Seven at least,’ Olivia teased, feeling a little tinge of longing despite her attempts to make a joke of it. ‘No, I thought I’d leave that a bit longer. I don’t want to send him running for the hills.’
A cough at the door alerted them to Phil’s presence.
Olivia felt her face burn. How long had he been standing there?’
He looked from one to the other. ‘I wondered if there was anything I could do to help?’
‘Not at the moment. But thanks.’ Ruby disappeared out of the dining room, leaving Phil and Olivia alone, and for a few moments there was an awkward silence.
They both rushed to fill it.
‘Thanks for asking—’
‘I hope my—’
She gestured for him to go first. ‘I was only going to say, thank you for asking me here today,’ he said. ‘Are you sure I’m not intruding? I didn’t realise it was just family.’ He looked a bit flushed too. It was quite hot. Ruby always had the heating too high.
‘Of course you’re not intruding. Mum and Dad both wanted you to come. Are you OK?’
