When I Fall in Love

by Miranda Dickinson

  ‘Be careful, Els,’ Guin warned, a conspiratorial glint in her eyes, ‘at this rate you might end up liking him.’

  ‘I can categorically confirm that will never happen,’ Elsie replied. ‘All I’m saying is that he helped to break Cher and Jeannette’s catfight apart and he offered advice when I’d heard about Irene’s will. And at least he bothered to check if I was OK.’

  Olly parted the bead curtain and peered in. ‘Sorry to interrupt, but your dad says he’s ready to go when you are.’

  Elsie linked her arm with his as they all walked to the front door, where Jim was waiting. He carried a towel and was dressed in a tracksuit that looked like he’d bought it in the early 1980s. The sight of him made his three daughters burst out laughing and he held up his hands to stop them.

  ‘OK, enough of that. We need to get a move on if we’re going to make it in time.’

  Joining the choir, if only as a cover story for Paris, had brought a new confidence out in Jim, evident in his recent participation in new activities. He had joined an art class at the local community centre, signed up for a business supper club in the town and was even embarking on a distance learning course in Hindi. But even given all of this, it had still come as a surprise to his family when he accepted an invitation from his business partner to join a five-a-side football game.

  ‘I can’t believe we’re about to watch our own father trying to play football,’ Guin whispered to Elsie and Daisy as they sat in the back of Jim’s people-carrier. ‘I thought Dad was allergic to sport.’

  ‘Don’t be so mean,’ Daisy whispered back. ‘Olly’s uncle invited him to play five-a-side. I think it’s sweet. Even if that tracksuit is the single most unflattering outfit I’ve ever seen him wear.’

  ‘It must have been fashionable at one time,’ Elsie suggested. ‘Perhaps he’s waiting for it to come back into fashion again?’

  Daisy pulled a face. ‘Trust me, there’s no way that is ever going to be in fashion again. I can’t believe it ever was.’

  Once inside the leisure centre, Olly sat next to Elsie on the raised tier of seats overlooking an artificial pitch.

  ‘How long has it been since Jim last played football?’

  ‘Longer than I’ve known him. I hope your uncle goes easy on him.’

  Olly laughed. ‘Uncle Marty’s not much fitter. This is just a bunch of blokes he knows having fun. They meet once a month for a bit of a kick-around so they can tell their wives they’ve exercised. I don’t think it’s a competitive thing.’

  Jim was shaking Marty’s hand in the middle of the pitch as the other men jogged over to greet him. The group separated into two teams and Jim accepted an orange bib, putting it over his head and raising his thumb to his family as the referee blew his whistle to start the game.

  Olly nudged Elsie. ‘It’s nice to see you, even if it is with our families present.’

  Elsie leaned against his arm. ‘It is. I’m sorry I’ve been so busy, we’ve just been working to get everything ready for Paris next weekend.’

  ‘And have you?’

  ‘I think so. Everything’s booked, the song is all prepared for the big question and Aoife is none the wiser. Oh, and Dad’s going down a storm with the rest of the choir. I’m thinking I might let him stay on after the Paris trip.’

  Olly smiled. ‘I think he’d like that.’ He rose to his feet as his uncle took a shot at goal, groaning when the ball ran wide of the net. ‘No! Did you see that? So close …’ He sat down again. ‘So, Paris, eh? Can’t help thinking Danny’s a bit young to be proposing to anyone.’

  ‘He’s nineteen. I wasn’t much older when Lucas proposed.’ Elsie saw Olly’s reaction and smiled at him. ‘It’s OK, we were quite young. But at the time, it felt like we’d waited forever for it to happen.’

  One of the players fell over in a highly dramatic attempt to win a penalty. Elsie and Olly both shouted out at once and turned to look at each other, laughing.

  ‘I’m not sure this is a particularly relaxing spectator sport,’ Olly smiled. ‘I’m exhausted already.’

  ‘Me too. Aw, look at Dad. He’s been running around for ages and hasn’t managed to come near the ball yet.’

  ‘He’ll get there. Go on, Jim!’

  Jim looked up at the stand and grinned, his face beetroot-red from the exertion.

  ‘He looks happy,’ Elsie said.

  Olly waved at Jim. ‘I really like him. He’s become a good friend lately.’ He took a sideways glance at Elsie. ‘I’m quite fond of his daughter, too.’

  Elsie looked up at him as his hand found hers. Suddenly, a shout went up from the pitch and they turned to see Jim lying on the ground, clasping his ankle. Elsie left Olly and hurried down, closely followed by Guin and Daisy. The other players were gathered round Jim as he writhed on the floor.

  ‘What happened?’ Daisy demanded.

  ‘He got caught in a bad tackle,’ Marty said, kneeling down by Jim’s side. ‘Mate, do you think you can walk on it?’

  Jim shook his head and let go of his ankle. The onlookers gasped as the protruding bone came into view. Shocked, Guin began to shoo the other players away as Elsie grabbed her mobile to dial 999.

  Two hours later Elsie, Guin, Daisy and Olly were sitting still stunned in the A&E department waiting room, waiting for news.

  ‘I hope he’s all right,’ Elsie said. ‘That break looked horrendous.’

  ‘It did,’ Olly nodded. ‘They’ll probably have to X-ray it and then set it. That’s what’s taking the time.’

  ‘At least they took him straight through,’ said Guin, checking her watch. ‘Look, this is going to sound awful, but would you mind if I call Joe to collect me? Ottie’s due a feed soon and I didn’t prepare any bottles.’

  Daisy hugged her. ‘We don’t mind at all. You go.’

  Thanking them, Guin gathered her belongings and left.

  ‘How long has he been in there?’ Elsie asked.

  Olly checked his watch. ‘A couple of hours. Try not to worry, Els.’

  But Elsie was worried. Not only had she just witnessed her dad in pain – and the horrific injury he had sustained – but she now faced the prospect of having to drive The Sundaes to Paris herself. She felt awful for even thinking about it, but with the trip now only days away this new development was not a welcome one. Not to mention the fact it had brought her back to a hospital waiting area – and all the unwelcome memories that accompanied it.

  A male nurse pushed through the double doors and checked the file in his hand. ‘Mr Maynard?’

  Daisy, Elsie and Olly stood and the nurse walked over. ‘Hi. We’ve just got the X-ray back and the first thing you need to know is that it’s a clean break, which is good news. It looks a lot worse than it actually is, so we’re going to set Mr Maynard’s ankle and then you’ll be able to take him home.’

  ‘Is he OK?’ Daisy asked.

  The male nurse smiled. ‘He’s fine. He’s been joking away in there since he arrived. I wish more of our patients were as cheerful. Should be about another forty minutes or so.’

  Almost an hour later, Jim emerged, his right foot encased in white plaster, walking shakily with the aid of crutches. ‘Just call me Hopalong!’

  Daisy rushed over to help him. ‘Dad, be careful!’

  ‘I’m fine, stop fussing. Well, this is a bit of a pickle, isn’t it? I always knew exercise was bad for my health!’

  Olly laughed. ‘Trust you to be joking when you’ve broken your ankle. How long do you have to keep the cast on for?’

  ‘The doctor reckons eight weeks for this cast, then they change it for a walking cast, whatever that is. It could be several months till I’m walking on it again.’ He turned to Elsie. ‘Darling, I’m so sorry.’

  ‘Don’t apologise, Dad, it wasn’t your fault.’

  ‘But the trip …’

  ‘I’ll sort something, don’t worry.’

  As they all walked out to the car park, Olly caught Elsie’s hand. ‘I’ll drive.’

>   ‘Oh, cheers.’ Smiling, Elsie handed him the keys to Jim’s car. Olly shook his head and gave them back to her.

  ‘Not now. I mean for Paris. I can’t sing, obviously, but I’ll drive the minibus – if you like?’

  Elsie could hardly believe it. ‘Would you do that? Really?’

  ‘I’d love to. I’ve driven abroad quite a bit – I hired a minibus last summer and drove a few of the guys down to the South of France for a stag do. But I’ve never been to Paris. It would be great to see it with you – and the choir. What do you think?’

  Elsie raised herself on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek. ‘I think I’ve found the perfect driver!’

  Exhausted by the emotional rollercoaster of the day, Elsie opted for a long bath and early night, snuggling into bed at just after ten p.m. Knowing that all the details for the Paris trip were arranged, she felt that a good night’s sleep was guaranteed. And it was, until the incessant ringing of her mobile phone caused her to wake with a start. Scrambling upright, she blinked the sleep from her eyes as she answered the call.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘Elsie – it’s me. Can you … I’m so sorry, I didn’t know who to …’

  ‘Cher? What’s the matter?’

  ‘I’ve just … I’m so, so sorry to call you …’

  ‘Don’t worry about that. What’s happened?’ There was no answer, just the muffled sound of sobbing. Clambering out of bed, Elsie grabbed her jeans and struggled into them as she held the phone to her ear with her shoulder. ‘Right, tell me where you are.’

  ‘At home … but …’

  ‘OK, stay there. I’m coming over.’

  When Elsie parked her car outside Cher’s house she had barely clambered out when a sobbing Cher flung open the front door. Her usually perfectly set hair hung in tangled clumps and mascara was smeared down her cheeks. Shocked at her friend’s appearance, Elsie ushered her back inside and set about making strong, sweet tea as Cher huddled tearfully on the sofa.

  ‘There,’ she said, handing Cher a mug.

  ‘Thank you. Oh Els, I feel so dreadful dragging you out at this time of night.’

  ‘Stop apologising. This was my idea, remember? Now tell me what happened.’

  Cher took a long glug of tea and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘I spoke to Jake earlier and he said he was going to be out this evening but that he would love to chat when he got home. And I don’t know why, Els, but I took that as an invitation. So I went to his house and let myself in with the spare key he keeps under the planter by the front door. I wanted to surprise him, you know?’

  Elsie nodded, but a heavy sense of foreboding was already laying claim to her stomach. ‘Go on.’

  ‘I was fully prepared to give him a big surprise, if you know what I mean … I’m talking the full deal – red lacy underwear, high heels’ She broke off and sobbed again. ‘And I waited there for nearly an hour. I sent him a text and he replied that he was on his way home from a client meeting and couldn’t wait to speak to me, so I was thrilled to think he’d find me, in his favourite chair, just like that scene from Pretty Woman where she’s only wearing a tie …’

  Elsie shuddered at the mental picture, which would have been excruciatingly embarrassing at the best of times but practically unfathomable at two thirty-five a.m. ‘What happened?’

  ‘I heard his car pull up, the key in the lock … and I prepared myself with a big smile … the living room door opened and …’ she let out another sob ‘… and he walked in snogging the face off some slutty twenty-something.’

  ‘Oh, Cher …’

  ‘And there I was, draped across the chair in my undies, looking and feeling every one of my forty-one years. I wanted to die.’ She turned her tear-stained face to Elsie. ‘And he said nothing. Just stood there with lipstick all over his face, staring at me like I was some random intruder …’ she sobbed ‘… in cut-price lingerie!’

  Elsie wrapped her arms around Cher. ‘Oh honey, I’m so sorry. I thought he was different. Torin said …’ Realising what she had said, she fell silent.

  ‘Torin said what?’

  Indignation rising, Elsie felt her nerves fizz with building rage. ‘I saw Torin a couple of days ago and I asked him straight out if Jake could be trusted. After what Jeannette said, I wanted to be sure. And he assured me that Jake was a changed man. I believed him. I’m so sorry.’

  Torin must have known the truth about Jake, Elsie reasoned – surely that kind of thing was a well-known topic of office gossip? And if so, why had he insisted his boss was trustworthy? If he really wanted Elsie to like him, as he’d seemed to suggest when he visited her, why would he lie to her? Once again, he had switched personalities – from sanctimonious lawyer to potential friend to downright liar. As she fumed silently, Elsie realised she knew no more about Torin now than she did when he had first arrived unannounced into her life.

  Cher broke the hug and sniffed. ‘Then Torin is as bad as his spineless, cheating toe-rag of a boss. You were right about him from the beginning, Els. I should never have set you up on that date.’

  They shared rueful smiles.

  ‘From now on, girl, we make a pact: any man in Brighton apart from solicitors.’

  Head still reeling, Elsie shook hands with Cher. ‘Deal.’

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  A sentimental journey …

  By the time the morning of the Paris trip arrived, Elsie had begun to worry about Olly’s inclusion in the party. Olly had been so happy when they travelled back to Jim’s house from the hospital that Elsie had been swept up in the apparent perfection of it all. But later, when Elsie was alone, she began to see cracks appearing in the plan. Where having Jim by her side would have been a great support, with Olly it was a different story. Jim knew a lot of what she had endured with Lucas and he knew the significance of the final item on The List. But the thought of explaining every little detail to Olly filled her with dread.

  Daisy recognised the battle in her sister as soon as she saw her, taking her to one side in the car park where The Sundaes were excitedly gathering with packed bags. ‘Elsie, stop it.’

  ‘Stop what?’

  ‘Stop talking yourself out of inviting Olly. He offered, remember?’

  Elsie was on the verge of tears after a sleepless night. ‘But Paris …’

  ‘I know, my love, but this was always going to be hard for you. Olly is a good man – a good friend – and he’s doing this for you. It’s a positive thing, believe me. I’ll be there, remember, and you don’t have to explain yourself to anyone.’

  Fear reverberating through her body, Elsie nodded and sank into her sister’s welcome embrace. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘You’re welcome, lovely. Now,’ she broke the hug and held Elsie at arm’s length, ‘let me look at you. You’re amazing, Elsie Maynard, and you’ve come so far this year. All that lies ahead of you is promise and possibility. You just have to be brave enough to grab it. Ready to go?’

  Elsie took a deep breath and summoned up a smile. ‘Ready as I’ll ever be.’

  ‘That’s all the luggage packed,’ Olly called. ‘Right, you lot, let’s get going!’

  Whopping and cheering, the Sundaes clambered into the minibus. Elsie twisted in the front seat to look back at the elated faces of the choir.

  ‘Where to, guys?’

  A chorus of voices rang out: ‘PARIS!’

  Twenty-five minutes later, the port of Newhaven came into view. Elsie and Woody went to sort out the tickets, leaving the rest of the choir in the minibus singing snippets from their fake new programme. The cross-Channel ferries loomed large and white ahead, and Elsie’s stomach somersaulted when she saw them.

  ‘You nervous of the crossing, angel?’ Woody asked.

  ‘No, it’s just been a while since I travelled on a ferry,’ Elsie lied. While she knew Woody would have understood had she told him about her trepidation, she had made the decision this morning to keep her feelings to herself. It was easier that way: she di
dn’t want anyone worrying about her when they were all so excited about the trip.

  Tickets all in order, they boarded the ferry, eventually gathering in the seating area that wrapped around the bows of the ship.

  Elsie addressed the grinning choir. ‘I suspect you all have different things you’d like to do now we’re here, so let’s just meet back here half an hour before we’re due to land in Dieppe.’

  The choir dispersed, Woody heading for the duty-free shop, the younger members of the choir seeking out the onboard entertainment and Stan, Graeme and Sheila wandering off to find food. Olly volunteered to find tea and Daisy and Elsie agreed, finding a table surrounded by three comfortable armchairs.

  ‘Feeling OK, Els?’

  ‘I think so. Better now we’ve set off.’

  ‘Good. Keep me posted if things change.’ She checked her watch. ‘Actually, I’m just going to have a look in the shop. Won’t be long.’

  Left alone, Elsie retrieved a book from her bag and settled down to read. Losing herself in someone else’s world was certainly preferable to pondering her own, at least for the next couple of hours. The piece of paper marking her place was the newest message from the silk-covered box – Elsie feeling comforted by the presence of Lucas’ handwriting on the journey to the place he had dreamed most about:

  I love you because you make every day feel

  like the greatest adventure.

  xx

  ‘There.’

  Elsie jumped as a pale pink tissue-wrapped package landed in her lap. Daisy was smiling as she sat next to her.

  ‘What’s this?’

  ‘Open it and you’ll see.’

  Casting a wary glance at her sister, Elsie carefully pulled away the expensive-looking ribbon that held the package together and unfolded the tissue paper to reveal a long, delicate silk scarf. It was the colour of a summer blue sky, dotted with tiny, pale pink cherry blossoms.

  ‘Oh, wow, it’s gorgeous! You didn’t have to get me this.’

  ‘Yes, I did.’ Daisy’s smile said it all. ‘I thought you needed something brand new to remind you of Paris.’ Her eyes glistened in the bright lights of the ship’s lounge. ‘Now, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll skip tea and go for a wander instead. I haven’t found my sea legs yet and I’m better when I’m moving. Will you be OK?’