‘I know, me too. But we’ll deal with it together, OK?’
‘OK,’ she agreed.
They heard the front door open, and Aimee went to draw away from him, but he pulled her back. ‘United front,’ he whispered as their daughter clip-clopped down the hall.
‘Hi, Muffin. Where were you until this hour? Your mother and I were just starting to worry about you,’ Barry said lightly.
‘Were you?’ Melissa looked inordinately pleased to see them together on the sofa.
‘It’s getting dark earlier these nights,’ Aimee said, patting the sofa beside her. ‘Where were you?’
‘Hanging out with Sarah.’ Melissa flopped down next to her mother.
‘Listen, I was just thinking – you know this new job I have? Well, I’ve three weeks’ holiday to take. How about we head off somewhere for a few days? Barry, would you be able to manage that?’ She looked at him.
‘For my ladies, anything is possible.’ He smiled at them. ‘Where will we go? It would be a relief to get away from this disaster of a summer.’
‘Any suggestions?’ Aimee looked at her daughter, noting the gaunt hollows in her cheeks and the dark circles under her eyes. She felt sick with terror. How could she have missed what was under her nose?
Melissa’s eyes lit up. ‘I’d love to go to Disneyworld in Paris?’ She looked hopefully at Aimee.
‘How about Disneyworld for a day, shopping for two days and a few days in a hotel in the south of France so your mom can relax and put her feet up?’ Barry suggested.
‘Savage, Dad. Can we, Mom?’ Melissa’s eyes were sparkling.
‘Let’s get on the internet and book.’ Aimee held her daughter’s hand tightly.
‘What have I let myself in for?’ Barry groaned, but he leaned down and lightly kissed the top of his wife’s head, and then gave Melissa the biggest hug he’d ever given her as they trooped into the dining room to gather around Aimee’s computer.
‘Look at the time, Connie – it’s well after midnight.’ Drew stared at his watch in surprise.
‘It only felt like an hour.’ She yawned and stretched. It was a sultry night, and they had sat out on the deck and she’d lit candles and Chinese lanterns to lend some atmosphere.
‘You’re easy to talk to.’ He smiled at her.
‘You’re pretty easy yourself,’ she complimented back.
‘I can’t remember the last time I talked so much. I don’t usually spend hours chatting. You have a knack of drawing people out.’ Drew stood up reluctantly. ‘I had a lovely evening, Connie, thank you,’ he said quietly.
‘On one can of beer,’ she laughed.
‘It was the company.’
‘I had a lovely evening, too. Thanks for listening to my moans about Barry and Aimee. It was great to get it off my chest.’
‘Any time. Make sure to bring Melissa to visit Frisky.’
‘I will. Thanks, Drew.’
‘I guess I better go.’ He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
‘How chaste,’ she teased as she stood up.
‘I’m a shy country boy.’ His eyes glinted in the moonlight, and he turned her face to him, stroking her jaw with a long, tanned forefinger before leaning towards her, his intention unmistakable.
‘Are you sure you want to? Maybe I was being forward,’ she said hastily.
‘I love forward women,’ he said huskily, and bent his head and kissed her, lightly at first, with soft butterfly kisses which were gentle and tender, then, more deeply, with a passionate, hungry kiss which she returned ardently.
They drew apart breathlessly. ‘I thought you said you were shy,’ she murmured, pink-cheeked.
‘I am,’ he assured her. ‘Maybe if we kiss again, I’ll get over it.’ He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her soundly for a second time before resting his chin on the top of her head and holding her tightly to him. She leaned her head against his chest and listened to his heart beating beneath her cheek. It was the strangest feeling. She felt that she’d come home.
‘I’m going to go now,’ he whispered against her hair, ‘because, if I don’t, it’s more than kissin’ we’ll be doing. And I want us both to be comfortable with what we’re doing and where we’re going.’
‘Well, you better go quick then, because I like what we’ve been doing up until now, and I’m very comfortable,’ she said slowly, wishing he would stay but knowing that what was happening between them was too important to rush.
‘Me too,’ he said, kissing the tip of her nose. ‘You sleep well, Connie, I’ll see you soon.’
‘Night, Drew.’ She stroked his cheek. ‘I’m so glad we met.’
‘Me too,’ he said. ‘Very glad.’
They walked arm in arm around the side of the house to the front gate, and she stood waving him off with a grin the size of a melon slice on her face. She felt a surge of wild joy. It had been a long, long wait, but she knew with certainty that she and Drew Sullivan were going to be together for the rest of their lives.
Drew drove into his driveway and patted his golden Labrador, Tusker, who stood up lazily and pattered down the steps of the veranda that ran the length of the house. His tail wagged ecstatically, and he looked at his beloved master with total adoration.
‘Hello, boy.’ Drew bent and tickled the dog’s ears, let himself into the house and headed for the kitchen. He took a bottle of beer from the fridge, opened it without even bothering to put on a light and headed back to the veranda to sit down in the rocking chair. Tusker curled up beside him as Drew stretched his legs, and took a swig from the bottle.
He smiled, thinking of the past evening. Who would have ever thought that he’d meet a woman like Connie? He’d known the minute he’d laid eyes on her that she was special. He’d felt completely at ease in her company. They had so much in common and, best of all, she had a sense of humour that matched his own. They ‘got’ each other. It was amazing. He felt as though he’d known her all his life. How rare was that, Drew wondered, to meet another human being and, in such a short space of time, to feel a connection that touched mind, body, soul and divinity? He’d wanted to make love to her and spend the night with her, but he wanted to be absolutely sure it was what she wanted; he didn’t want to take advantage. He was no monk – he’d been with women since his marriage broke up – but this was very different. Lovemaking would come in its own good time. He would woo her, Drew decided, as well as teaching her to ride. The clouds had thinned and parted, and a cluster of stars shone brightly in the inky darkness. A shooting star streaked across the firmament. ‘Thanks, Mam.’ He raised his face to the sky. ‘I couldn’t be happier.’
CHAPTER THIRTY
‘Mrs Baxter, how are you?’ It was Mrs Meadows, the woman who’d shared a ward with her a few months ago. They smiled at each other in recognition in the corridor of the private clinic they both attended. Lily had come for an eye check-up, and Mrs Meadows had been for her six-monthly visit to see her geriatrician. ‘A lovely man, indeed, and very handsome. Not like the rip I went to for my heart trouble recently,’ she informed Lily, holding open the door for her. ‘How are you getting on, Mrs Baxter?’ She settled into step beside Lily as they walked down the long driveway to the main road.
‘Well, it’s been a hard enough time, Mrs Meadows,’ Lily explained. ‘My daughter, Judith, was in a bad car accident and nearly died. She’s still in hospital but coming along grand.’
‘Well, God help you!’ Mrs Meadows exclaimed. ‘Are you in a hurry home or would you have time for a cuppa? We’re so close to the Botanics, and it’s a fine day.’
‘Do you know, that would be a treat.’ Lily was delighted with the invite. Although the other woman didn’t know it, Moira Meadows had been her great inspiration, the one who had shown her how a positive attitude and a degree of bravery could enhance and enrich a life. Had she not met her, Lily felt sure she would never have had the courage to change. When she’d heard her talk about living on her own with not a bother, and not al
lowing herself to become dependent on her sons, Lily had felt ashamed, thinking of how she’d clung leechlike to Judith. Moira Meadows had been a shining example to her, although she would never know it.
Twenty minutes later, the pair were sitting at a window table, sipping tea and eating hot buttered scones with jam. It was a rare, glorious sunny day, and the windows of the refurbished palm house sparkled in the afternoon sunlight. The tropical border was ablaze with colour, and they had decided to go for a walk after their repast. Judith had told her mother not to come visiting because of her appointment with the eye specialist, so Lily was in no rush home.
Mrs Meadows listened intently as Lily described the events of the past couple of months, confiding how nerve-wracking it had been to live on her own at the beginning and how daunting to venture back into the outside world.
‘Well now, aren’t you wonderful, Mrs Baxter?’ she praised. ‘And hasn’t Judith’s accident been a blessing in disguise for you both? There you are, getting on with your life, setting Judith free, and now she’ll have a whole new life ahead of her with her own roof over her head and independence. It’s a strange thing, but I’ve often found that sometimes, what seems like a terrible hardship can be a most valuable gift.’
‘Well, do you know? When you look at it like that, I have to say you’re right, Mrs Meadows. I’d never thought of it that way before.’ Lily nodded in agreement, enjoying her chat with the other woman immensely. ‘And why have you to see a heart specialist?’ she asked, feeling it was rude to spend the whole time talking about herself.
‘I need a stent put in,’ Mrs Meadows declared. ‘But I can tell you one thing, the fella I was sent to was the rudest little ornament I ever met. If there’s ever anything wrong with your heart – and I hope there won’t be – never go to a fella called Davenport. When I think of the impudence of him, it galls me, Mrs Baxter. Galls me. But I gave him his answer, I can tell you.’ Her eyes shone triumphantly at the memory, and Lily listened avidly, marvelling at her companion’s pluck.
‘What happened?’ she inquired, taking a ladylike sip of tea. Mrs Meadows needed no second urging.
‘In I goes to his posh office – my son insisted on me going private, even though it costs an arm and a leg,’ she explained. That wouldn’t be Tom, Lily thought sarcastically, but said nothing, and Mrs Meadows continued. ‘Hello, doctor, said I, holding out my hand to shake his – good manners, like, Mrs Baxter.’ She looked at Lily for affirmation.
‘Indeed,’ said Lily.
‘ “I’m not a doctor, I’m a professor,” said yer man, a big tall fella with a head of white hair on him and a nose like a crow’s beak. But I had the measure of him while he was there, looking down his snout at me.
‘ “You’re not a doctor?” said I. “Oh dear!” I was being sarcastic, of course.’
‘Of course,’ tittered Lily, wishing she could be so outspoken.
‘ “I am a doctor but I’m a professor, my good woman,” he snapped, just like that. “My good woman,” he called me, in a very sneery tone of voice. Something was surely biting him that day, but he picked the wrong woman to give impudence to,’ declared Mrs Meadows.
‘He certainly did, he was a foolish man indeed,’ smiled Lily, enjoying the tale.
‘ “Now my good man,” said I, “if I’m paying you 180 euro – and that’s an exorbitant amount, if you don’t mind my saying so – that means I’m employing you to provide me with a service and, as your employer, the one who pays your wages today, I expect to be treated with courtesy, manners and respect. However, I don’t like the look of you, or the manner of you, so I won’t be having you. Good day to you, professor,” said I, emphasizing the professor. And then I walked out,’ she said proudly. ‘I hope he’s still picking his jaw up off the floor. The cheek of him! Some of them are like little tin gods, Mrs Baxter, and need taking down a peg or two, and I’m just the one to do it. They won’t treat me like dirt.’
‘Indeed, and you’re absolutely right: they forget who pays their wages, so they do. Well done. I’d love to have seen that.’
‘You have to stand up for yourself, Mrs Baxter. No one else will and, from what I’ve heard, you’re doing a fine job of it. Now, you’ll be lonely when Judith moves out, so why don’t we exchange numbers and we could meet for a cup of tea every so often? I don’t live too far from you; I’m just up the road off Griffith Avenue. And, do you know, a few friends and myself go to the bingo twice a week in Whitehall. Have you ever been to bingo?’ Her blue eyes were as bright as two little diamonds as she stared across the table at Lily.
‘Ah, no – the crowds, you know,’ she murmured as her heart gave a little flutter.
‘Now, don’t worry, we always sit by the door because Evelyn, one of the women, is a bit claustrophobic. But, sure, look, come with us one night and see how you feel. It’s great fun,’ Mrs Meadows urged.
‘We’ll see,’ Lily hedged. Some steps took more courage than she possessed.
‘I’ll show you the ropes, don’t worry,’ the other woman said cheerfully and, once again, Lily marvelled at, and envied her, her passion for life.
It was after five before she got home, and she inhaled the unmistakable smell of new paint. Jimmy had done a lovely job on the house. He’d painted the hall, the stairs, and the landing and bathroom as well as her sitting room after he’d finished the bedrooms, and he hadn’t charged her a fortune. It was worth every penny to have the house looking so well. It was fresh and clean, and it shone like a new pin from the thorough cleaning she had given it. Judith was coming home the following day. Jillian was going to collect her from the hospital and stay for the night, so the small guestroom was all ready for her, with the bed made up and brand-new towels rolled up neatly on the chair for her.
Lily had bought three sirloin steaks for the dinner; sirloin steak was Judith’s favourite meal. She’d cook fried onions with it, and creamy mashed potato. She’d bought a pavlova from Thunders, another favourite of her daughter’s. And she had another surprise that she herself was looking forward to.
Tomorrow was going to be a momentous day. It would be strange having Judith back in the house again after all this time. Who would have ever thought that Lily would get used to living on her own? Now, she didn’t get out of bed two or three times a night to check that all the windows and doors were locked, as she had in the early days of Judith’s hospital stay. Neither did she jump at every sound on the street. These nights she said her prayers and went asleep and slept better than she had in years.
She had enjoyed the day so much, Lily thought as she lay in drowsy contemplation of its events, having said her prayers. The unexpected meeting with Mrs Meadows and the tea and walk in the Botanic Gardens had been a wonderful treat. They had strolled along admiring the glorious herbaceous border and had crossed the river to admire the marvellous profusion of blooms in the formal rose garden, with its sundial right in the centre and the weeping willow dipping its graceful branches almost into the river that rushed and roared over the falls beyond the hedge.
She hadn’t been in the Botanic Gardens since Ted had died, and it brought back poignant but comforting memories. She would look forward to meeting Mrs Meadows again. She had written her number down in her telephone book – but she baulked at the notion of playing bingo in a crowded hall. That would be a step too far. She knew her limitations, Lily decided, rearranging her hairnet and settling down to sleep.
‘Post for you, Judith.’ Margaret, her favourite nurse, waved an envelope at her as she walked into Judith’s small room. ‘I see you’re all ready to go. Well done, and take it easy now. Don’t take on too much – let your body and mind recover and get plenty of rest,’ she advised.
‘I will,’ Judith promised. ‘I’m going to stay with a friend of mine for a few weeks, she lives near a lovely lake.’
‘Well, let’s hope the weather improves and we get an Indian summer, because it’s been a disaster, hasn’t it?’ The nurse took her wrist and began to check he
r pulse.
‘I suppose it didn’t matter to me because I was in here, but it’s back to real life now.’ Judith turned the letter over, wondering who it was from.
‘How do you feel about that?’ Margaret asked. ‘You’ve been in hospital for quite a while. It will be hard to adjust, so don’t worry if you find it all a bit overwhelming,’ she said reassuringly.
‘I suppose the worst thing will be getting behind the wheel of a car again – I’m dreading that,’ Judith confessed.
‘Well, don’t rush it, take it all in easy stages,’ the nurse advised, taking Judith’s temperature for one last time.
When she was gone, Judith sat in her chair by the window and opened the envelope. A thank-you card fell into her lap, and she wondered why would anyone be thanking her. She was the one who had many people to thank, and the previous evening she had spent a good hour writing her thank-you notes. She opened the card, a pretty one with a little bear holding a bouquet, and read:
Dear Judith,
I just wanted to thank you for arranging for my increment to be paid. It was kind of you to do it from your hospital bed. It came as a very welcome surprise last payday.
I hope you’re feeling much better. We heard you’re getting out of hospital, so the best of luck and I hope that your recovery goes well.
Thanks again,
Sincerely,
Debbie Kinsella
What an unexpected surprise, thought Judith, pleased that Debbie had gone to the trouble of writing. It was extremely decent of the girl after all Judith had put her through, she thought with a pang of guilt. Not many would have done it. Debbie had gone up another few notches in her estimation, Judith decided as she reread the note. Maybe it was a good omen, a sign that both of them were moving on and making a new start. Judith would hold that thought. She tried to quell the collywobbles she was feeling.
What would it be like living at home again with her mother? Would old ways resurface, and would Lily become dependent? Would Judith feel stultified and resentful, or would it all have changed? Did Lily really mean it about putting her name on the deeds, or would that go by the wayside once things were back to normal? Was getting a place of her own just a pipedream?
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