The Duchess and the Dreamer

by Jenny Frame

  “Wait, what app?”

  “It’s a game. I came up with the concept and worked with our developers to bring it to market, when I first took over from my dad. It’s my baby, you could say. It’s made a lot of money, and we have toy and book tie-ins to the game. It’s a big deal.”

  Clementine nodded. “And big pressure to deliver the same with the sequel, I suppose.”

  Evan normally didn’t admit to pressure, but she wanted to be honest with Clementine. “Yeah, and that along with everything else makes me feel like I have springs bursting out of my head. That’s why Mum always tells me to calm down, because she knows I get to this point, have a bit of a meltdown, a bad few days, then pull myself up again—somehow.”

  “But you have me and the trust to help, and everything is going well. You have the grand visions, and Ash, grumpy Archie, and I try to make it happen.”

  Evan smiled. Archie wasn’t exactly enjoying having to run plans past Clementine. Normally it was just her and Evan working on their ecology projects.

  “She’s not always grumpy. Archie’s a good friend, but she’s not really a country person.”

  “Or a people person,” Clementine said. “She asked Ash to make everyone a cup of tea on her first morning, and they haven’t gotten on well since. She told her she wasn’t a bloody tea girl.”

  Evan laughed. “Yeah, I know. She’s a bit distant.”

  Clementine went quiet for a few moments, then said with worry in her voice, “It’s not gotten too much for you, has it? Rosebrook, I mean. You’re not going to leave us?”

  Clementine obviously meant leave them in a situation like Isadora did. “God, no. I promised you I’d never leave the village high and dry. This is just a temporary freak-out. Tomorrow morning I’ll be positivity itself again.” Evan reached out and cupped Clementine’s cheek. “I would never leave you.”

  She felt an electricity between them as they gazed into each other’s eyes, and Evan wanted nothing more than to lean over and kiss Clementine, but Clem turned away and looked out to sea. Suddenly things felt awkward between them. Evan knew she had pushed it too far too soon.

  She didn’t know what to say, so she asked, “Have you read my essay on Isadora yet?”

  “No, but I will. I promised you I would.”

  She was putting it off—Evan could tell. Isadora cast such a shadow over Clementine’s life that it was probably hard for her to face it.

  Evan dusted the sand off her hands and said, “I better go and leave you to your solitude.”

  Clementine grasped her hand as she was about to stand. “Do you want to have dinner with me tonight? I mean, we could talk about the pub and the factory, and work out some ideas so your mind calms down a bit.”

  Evan’s heart soared with joy. “I’d love that.”

  “I can’t promise you anything exciting. I’ve never cooked for a vegan before,” Clementine said.

  “Hey, let’s take the stress out of it. Why don’t we get pizzas—one cheesy, one vegan?”

  “Okay, sounds great. I’ll walk with you back up to the house, unless you want to keep running.”

  Evan smiled as she stood and pulled Clementine up with her. “No, I’m feeling much calmer now. Let’s walk. Do you want to drive to the nearest pizza place together later?”

  “I’m going to visit mother this afternoon, so I can pick them up on my way back.”

  Evan had an idea. “Why don’t I come with you? Keep you company. I won’t come in to see your mum if you don’t want me to. I’ll wait outside.”

  “Why would you want to?” Clementine said.

  Evan decided to be honest. “I like being in your company, and I’d be happy to meet the dowager duchess if you allowed me.”

  Clementine looked at her, silent for a time, then said, “Okay. If you’d like to. The company would be nice. But you’d better shower first.”

  Evan couldn’t be happier. She had broken a barrier with the woman she was falling for. “Don’t worry. I’ll be a dapper gent again in less than half an hour.”

  * * *

  An hour later, they arrived at the nursing home. Evan brought the car to a halt.

  “Are you sure you want to come in?” Clementine said.

  Evan really wanted to share this with Clementine and meet her mother. It was important to her. “Yeah, I’d like to, very much. If it’s okay with you?”

  Clementine nodded. “Yes. When we go in if you could wait outside, just until I find out if she’s having a good day or not.”

  “No problem,” Evan said.

  “Oh, and she thinks we still live at Rosebrook, so don’t—”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t say a thing.”

  She followed Clementine through the security door into a very smart reception area. The nurse on the front desk stood up and gave her a quick bob of a curtsy.

  “Good afternoon, Your Grace.”

  “Good afternoon, this is my friend, Ms. Fox,” Clementine said.

  They exchanged hellos and Clementine led her down a corridor. What Evan noticed was how well-staffed this place was and what good facilities it had. All the staff wore extremely traditional nursing outfits and seemed hyperaware of Clementine’s position as duchess—they all stopped and addressed her as they passed. It was clearly an excellent private nursing home, and probably why Clementine couldn’t afford to fix her own car. It must cost her a lot of money.

  That thought only made Evan feel more for Clementine. She’d sacrificed herself and her life to look after her mum.

  Clementine stopped at a door and turned to her. “Give me a few minutes, okay?”

  Evan nodded and walked a few paces to the other side of the corridor. There were windows right along the wall, and a glass door into a large sitting room, where elderly residents were sitting together.

  Some were playing cards or board games with the staff, others were watching television, and others were sitting back in their chairs with what looked like children’s toys. Evan looked more closely and saw a few ladies with baby dolls. They were rocking them and talking, and some were singing to them.

  A few others had baby play mats on their knees and were busy feeling the different textures and playing with the rattles on the mats. As a nurse passed, Evan said, “Excuse me, could you tell me why some of your residents are playing with toys?”

  The nurse smiled. “The residents with Alzheimer’s get a great deal of comfort from the toys. Some are stuck in the past in their minds, and so the dolls calm them by helping them think they are taking care of their child. The play mats keep their minds occupied with the different textures. Most of the residents’ families bring them in for them, but there are toys specifically made for patients.”

  “Thank you,” Evan said.

  Her mind started to whirl, and she brought out her phone. She made a search for articles on the subject of toys and Alzheimer’s, and pages of information came up. Just as she clicked on the first link, Clementine came out.

  “You can come in now, Evan.”

  She quickly put her phone away and followed Clementine into the dowager duchess’s room. Marianne Fitzroy was sitting by the window. She was maybe ten years older than her own mother, and it was heartbreaking to think she had already been suffering with this condition for years.

  Clementine had put two seats beside her mother, and she beckoned Evan over. Evan realized when she got closer that Marianne was wringing a cloth handkerchief in her hands. Clementine must have noticed her looking because she said, “It was my father’s. She’s holding it for him. She thinks he’s out on the estate. But he never comes, of course, so she gets stressed.”

  What a heartbreaking illness this really was, Evan thought.

  “Mama? I have someone I’d like you to meet, a friend of mine.”

  The dowager duchess looked up at them and Evan could see the confusion behind her eyes. What a heavy emotional burden for Clem to carry alone.

  “This is my friend, Evan Fox.”

  �
�Pleased to meet you, Your Grace,” Evan said.

  “Are you Clem’s husband?” Marianne said.

  Evan looked at Clementine and smiled. Her masculine appearance had given Marianne the wrong impression.

  “No, Mama,” Clementine said, “Evan is my friend.”

  Clementine indicated for her to sit.

  Then Marianne said, “I haven’t seen a bow tie since Uncle Freddie died. Come closer.”

  Evan leaned over. She was wearing her trademark fox bow tie today, and Marianne appeared to like it.

  She smiled and tugged at it. “Foxes.”

  “Yes, Your Grace, I like foxes.”

  “I hope it’s not a ready-made bow tie. Dora can’t abide ready-made bow ties. She’ll run you off our land.”

  Clementine leaned over, smiling. “My grandmother was known for pulling men’s bow ties at parties, to make sure they were the real thing. She thought ready-made were frightfully common.”

  Evan grinned and winked at Clementine. “Fear not, ladies, a dapper gentleman always wears a real bow tie, and I can assure you this is real.”

  “Evan is repairing Rosebrook and the village, Mama,” Clementine said.

  Marianne perked up at that point and said, “At last, your father will be pleased. Can we go home when it’s finished?”

  Clementine ignored the question and said, “She even fixed the old ramp down to the beach.”

  “If only we still had Thistleburn, Clem. Maybe your husband could fix that too,” Marianne said.

  Thistleburn. That name rang a bell with Evan—wasn’t it in Clem’s title? She would need to ask her later.

  Marianne suddenly said, “Have you brought a chum home from school, Clemy? Go and ask Cook for something to eat.”

  Clementine said in a low voice, “When she’s more lucid, she’s aware I’m an adult, but then she slips into me being a child again. I just go with it. I don’t like to stress her out.” Then she turned to her mother and said, “That’s okay, Mama. We’re not hungry.”

  Marianne began to twist the handkerchief in her hand tightly. “Where is your papa? He told me he wouldn’t be long.”

  “She’s starting to get distressed,” Clementine said.

  Evan watched as tears of frustration began to fall down Marianne’s cheeks.

  “Where’s your papa, where is he?”

  Clementine pointed over to her mother’s bedside table. “Could you get me my mother’s Bible, Evan. It always calms her.”

  “No probs.” Evan quickly grabbed the Bible and handed it to Clementine. Then a thought crossed her mind. “Clem, I’ve had an idea. I’m just popping out to the car for a minute.”

  Evan ran to her car, got what she was looking for, and after a bit of difficulty at the security door, got back in and along to the dowager duchess’s room, holding the soft, plush Mr. Fox. But she was stopped in her tracks when she opened the door and found a caring, loving scene.

  She closed the door behind her and stood quietly watching Clementine read from the Bible, while holding and kissing her mother’s hand. Her mother mouthed the verses along with her, gaining peace with every word. If Evan hadn’t been falling in love before, she surely was now.

  Clementine was so caring, so gentle, so patient. Evan’s heart was aching, aching to be close to her. The banjo wasn’t wrong on the first day Evan met her, and Clementine was not the icy woman eager to slam the door on her face.

  Evan imagined Clem and her mother on the day they were forced to leave Rosebrook, their ancestral home. The devastation must have been awful. I’m going to get you back in that house, Clem, no matter how long it takes.

  Clementine finished the verse and looked up at Evan, giving her a strange look when she saw the toy fox in her arms.

  “I thought you could give it to your mum, give her something to focus on, apart from your dad coming home. A lot of the other residents use toys this way—the nurse was telling me in the hallway. I’m not trying to be condescending or anything.”

  Clementine smiled. “I know they do. It’s a really kind thought. Give me Mr. Fox.”

  Evan handed it over, and Clementine kept it on her lap until they were ready to go. “Mama, my friend gave me this toy. He’s called Mr. Fox. Could you look after him for me, while we go—”

  “Yes, yes, you two go out and play. I’ll look after your toy,” Marianne said, stroking the toy’s fur already.

  Evan looked out the window and said, “You say your goodbyes, and I’ll pull the car up to the door. The heavens have opened out there.”

  “Okay.”

  Evan knelt down and took Marianne’s hand, and gave it a gentlemanly kiss. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Your Grace.”

  As Evan walked out the door, she heard Marianne say, “If he’s not your husband, he’d make a good one. Very gentlemanly.”

  Evan chuckled. Yeah, she would.

  * * *

  Clementine gazed over her glass of cold white wine at Evan as she talked about something, she couldn’t remember what, passionately, with a slice of pizza in one hand and her other making big gestures.

  They left the nursing home, picked up some pizzas and a nice bottle of white wine, and were now eating at Clementine’s kitchen table. While Evan gesticulated wildly, Clementine thought of the kindness and thoughtfulness shown her mother at the nursing home. When she had seen Evan offering the stuffed fox to her, she felt her well-protected icy heart crack down the middle.

  “Well, what do you think?” Evan said.

  Clementine shook the romantic thoughts that were making her head spin out of her head. “Sorry? What?”

  “The disused factory? Making toys and sensory play equipment for special-needs children and adults, and people with Alzheimer’s.”

  Wow. She’d missed all that.

  “Sorry, could you explain that again?” Clementine said.

  She could see the passion and excitement in Evan again, so unlike the stressed Evan on the beach this morning.

  “Obviously I need to do a whole lot of research on it. I’ll set up a research team—”

  Clementine held up her hand. “Slow down, Evan.”

  Evan stopped, dropped her pizza on her plate, and took a breath. “Okay, I know I get excited. The thing that’s been troubling me with the factory is that you cannot make toys, like Fox Toys does, in the UK and make a profit. No matter how much I want to, my shareholders won’t buy it. So whatever I started making at the factory would be a labour of love. That’s what I couldn’t get my head around. I need jobs for the people we attract to live here, but what kind of jobs?”

  “So…the toys at the nursing home gave you an idea?”

  “I spoke to the nurse when I was waiting to come in to see your mother, and I realized toys didn’t just need to be for the imaginations of the young. They are there to help everybody. I checked the internet, and there are online businesses that make these things, but the toys are expensive.”

  “It’s a good idea. I would be all for helping make lower cost toys like that. I mean, my mother’s nursing home is expensive and exclusive. I’m sure most local authority homes can’t provide those sorts of things to residents.”

  Evan rubbed her hands together. “That’s what I was thinking.”

  “But how can you make it financially viable?” Clementine asked.

  Evan’s enthusiastic smile made the normally negative Clementine fill with a buzz of her own excitement. Evan’s joy was truly infectious.

  “We don’t try to make huge profits, we make the business part of the Rosebrook Trust, and after all costs are paid for, any profit goes to charity.”

  Evan took a breath because her mind was going too fast again, but why shouldn’t it? This idea was bloody brilliant. She lifted the bottle of wine and refilled Clementine’s glass.

  “British made products, sold at a reasonable price, giving much needed employment to the new locals, and making the lives of some children and adults with particular needs a little bit brighter. My mot
to is that I want to leave the world a little bit better than I found it, and this fits that motto. What do you think?”

  Clementine looked at her silently for a few seconds, and Evan was starting to get worried.

  Then finally a smile started to creep up the sides of her mouth. “I think that Isadora would be so happy that you are the one to continue her legacy.”

  Evan was taken aback at that statement and gulped hard. For one, Clementine wasn’t the biggest fan of her famous grandmother, and two, she hadn’t been on board with a lot of Evan’s ideas.

  Evan reached over and took Clementine’s hand. “Thank you. That means the world to me.”

  They gazed at each other for the longest time, getting lost in each other’s eyes, but then Clementine seemed to shake it off and pulled back her hand.

  “Now that just leaves the pub and the beer factory.”

  Evan rubbed her hands together. “Yeah, the pub’s our hard one. It’s always the heart of the community. I’m reluctant to bring in any old stranger to run it.”

  Clementine grinned. “I think I have the perfect solution for you.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes, indeed. I’ve been talking to Rupert and getting to know him. Did you know his partner is a manager of a pub in London? He wants to move down to Rosebrook and start a new life with Rupert. He’s been trying to find a job in the next town, but it’s difficult. He would be able to hit the ground running, don’t you think?”

  Evan smacked the table, making the cutlery rattle. “That’s brilliant! How did I not know that?”

  “Because your head’s so full of ideas and spinning so fast you don’t have enough time to see what’s around you sometimes.”

  Evan sat back down. “I’m so glad I’ve got you, Your Highness-ship.”