Summer at The Little Duck Pond Cafe

by Rosie Green

  I slide the phone into my bag and scrape back my chair. ‘Right, I’ve got to go. Sorry about the yoga class this afternoon.’

  Ellie shakes her head. ‘Don’t be silly. Just you get going. Quick, quick!’

  I nod and we all rush outside.

  Climbing in my car and buckling up, I think how much further from the airport I am than Grant. I can only hope they don’t leave before I get to the house. What I’ll do when I get there, I haven’t worked out. But I have to do something . . .

  Ellie knocks on the window, frowning, and I quickly roll it down. ‘I thought Grant was desperate for money when he came this morning. But Titch just said he had lots. Where do you think he got it from?’

  I shrug, not having time to think about the details. I need to be on my way.

  Otherwise he’ll take Titch abroad and I might never see her again . . .

  ‘Good luck,’ calls Fen anxiously, blowing me a kiss.

  As I wind the window back up, I catch Ellie shouting something about the police, but I can’t afford to waste a single minute.

  Waving, I hare off as if a pack of ravenous wolves are after me.

  *****

  The drive is a nightmare. I get stuck behind every tractor and farm vehicle possible and almost come a cropper once, trying to overtake.

  But at last I’m driving into Palmerston and turning into my old street.

  Running up to the front door, I ring the bell, my heart sinking because Grant’s car isn’t on the driveway. Please let it be in the garage . . .

  But there’s no reply.

  They must have left already.

  I jump back in the car and race straight off, trying to remember the quickest route to the airport.

  It’s early evening and a light warm rain is falling as I finally see the signs and drive in, parking as near to the terminal building as possible. I race across the car park and arrive in the departures hall, out of breath. Then I stand there, gazing around at the people milling everywhere, wondering what on earth to do next.

  Grant and Titch may have already checked in, but I walk the length of the departures area looking for them, checking the flights heading for Spain. There’s no sign of them, so I decide they must have gone upstairs. Either they will already have gone through security – in which case I’m too late – or they’ll still be sitting somewhere waiting, perhaps in a café or buying Titch sweets and magazines for the journey.

  Travelling up the nearest escalator, I scan the area below. Nothing. They’re nowhere to be found on the upper level, either, and I check at least twice in all the shops and cafes there.

  In the end, feeling increasingly desperate and on the verge of tears, I decide they’ve probably gone through security and might even now be boarding their flight to Spain. All the same, maybe it would be worth going back down to the check-in desks, on the off-chance that they haven’t even arrived yet.

  I’m not ready to give up yet.

  Gliding back down an escalator, I’m scanning the crowd again – when suddenly, I spot Titch’s distinctive red waterproof. My heart leaps. She’s holding Grant’s hand and they’re at the back of one of the queues, lining up to be checked in.

  I’m down the rest of the escalator in a flash and running across to the spot where I thought they were. It’s harder, now that I’m on a level with everyone, to see them.

  But then I suddenly catch sight of Titch and wave.

  She’s staring vacantly into space and looks right through me for a moment.

  Then suddenly, she sees me and her face lights up.

  ‘Jaz!’ she screams and starts running across, dodging a line of people to get to me.

  I hold out my arms and she runs into them with a big smile, and I see she’s lost another tooth. I sweep her up in the biggest hug ever and we cling tightly to each other, as if we’ll never let go.

  When she pulls away, she starts chattering nineteen to the dozen, breathless with excitement. ‘I’m so gad you’re here. I was looking everywhere but I couldn’t see you. Are you coming to Spain with Daddy and me?’ She gazes hopefully at me and my heart squeezes painfully.

  Now that I’m here, I haven’t the faintest idea what to do. I just had to get to Titch. I wasn’t really thinking beyond that. And now Grant is walking over with a dark expression that warns me instantly that he’s not going to change his mind about this sudden departure.

  ‘Don’t go!’ I shout, when he’s still a few yards away, threading through the crowd. ‘I’d decided I was going to come back. To Palmerston. So you don’t need to take Titch away!’

  ‘Too late,’ he says, taking Titch’s hand. ‘We’re going and you can’t stop us.’

  ‘Daddy, no!’ cries Titch. ‘Can’t we just stay here? I won’t have any friends in Spain and I won’t be able to see Jaz. Please, Daddy!’

  But Grant is resolute. I can tell he’s not going to budge and I feel sick with panic.

  ‘But why are you going? Where did you get the money from?’ I ask, remembering Ellie’s words from earlier. ‘Are you running away from something?’

  ‘You don’t need to know,’ he says brusquely. ‘Come on, Titch, let’s go.’

  To my horror, he starts pulling Titch along with him. She’s turning back and shouting my name but eventually, she gives up and they’re swallowed up by the crowd. I push my way through to a clear space and fall back against the wall, exhausted, tears rolling down my cheeks.

  That’s it, then.

  They’ve gone.

  I can’t believe I made it here and found them – only to lose her again. Perhaps I should go after them, but Grant’s too clever. Then again, they’ll have to come back to the check-in desks at some point . . .

  I’m looking around whenI think I spot a familiar face – just before the person disappears again into the throng - and my heart leaps. I must be imagining things, though. It must be someone who just looked like Grant’s mum, Evelyn.

  The next thing I see is two police officers and to my astonishment, they appear to be with Evelyn. All three are walking over towards me, Evelyn with a frantic look on her face.

  She grasps my hands, her face very pale. ‘Jasmine, thank God! Have you seen them? Grant’s embezzled money from the bank. Can you believe it?’

  ‘What?’ I stare at her. ‘He can’t have. He wouldn’t.’ I glance at the officers and point. ‘He took Titch that way.’

  ‘You mean Summer?’ one of them says, and I nod.

  They disappear into the crowd and Evelyn practically falls against me, her face crumpling. ‘Oh God, Jasmine, I just can’t believe this is happening. Is this a nightmare? Am I going to wake up?’

  I shake my head. ‘I wish it was just a horrible dream.’

  ‘They’ll find them, though, won’t they?’

  ‘They will. Don’t worry.’

  I help her over to a nearby café. We sink down at a table on the forecourt, then sit staring at the passers-by in a daze, each of us deep in our own thoughts.

  Then Evelyn turns to me and lays her hand on mine. ‘I’m so sorry, Jasmine. I believed Grant instead of you and I was so wrong.’

  I smile sadly. ‘He’s your son. Of course you’d think the best of him. I’d probably do the same myself.’

  ‘Look.’ Evelyn stands up. Grant and Titch are coming down the escalator with the two police officers.

  I stand with her, shoulder to shoulder, as we watch their progress.

  We whisper the same words under our breath at the exact same moment.

  ‘Thank God.’

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Titch and Evelyn come home with me.

  Titch must be worn out because she falls asleep in the back of the car almost as soon as we set off. Evelyn and I talk in soft tones about what happened.

  I shake my head wonderingly. ‘I knew Grant had gambling problems but I never imagined he’d be desperate enough to steal money from work to feed his habit.’

  Evelyn groans. ‘I didn’t even know about the gam
bling. But I always suspected he had an addictive personality. One drink never seemed to be enough.’

  We drive along in silence for a while. Then I ask: ‘So how did you know to phone the police? Had Grant told you what he was planning to do?’

  When she doesn’t reply, I glance over.

  Evelyn is fast asleep, her head rolled to the side, facing me. I smile at her, thinking that explanations will have to wait until tomorrow when we’ve all had a good night’s sleep.

  Grant will be at the police station answering questions now. I assume he’ll be pleading guilty of theft. When the police took him away, I could tell Titch was upset but she was trying not to show it, probably for my sake.

  I glance at her in the rear view mirror. She’s out for the count, sliding sideways against the seat back, her cheeks rosy red and her too-long fringe curled over her eyes. She’s borne so much in her short life, what with her mum’s death, then losing me, too. And seeing her dad at his very worst.

  A lump rises in my throat.

  That little girl laughed and danced her way into my heart and I will hold her there forever. Whoever she stays with in the end, I’ll be happy – just as long as she’s safe.

  Later, I lie in my makeshift bed on the sofa, going over the events of the day in my head. I’m actually quite sad for Grant. He’s not a monster. He’s just a rather weak man with a gambling addiction, who’s landed himself in a whole lot of trouble because of it. I suppose now that he’s reached rock bottom, the only way is up. I really truly hope so.

  For Titch’s sake, I hope he gets all the help he needs.

  It’s been decided that Evelyn will stay at the house in Palmerston to look after Titch, while Grant’s future is decided. It will mean Titch’s normal life won’t be disrupted, which has to be a good thing. She’ll still be able to see Chloe and all her friends at school, and I’ll be free to join Jules and the girls at the stables any time I want!

  The feeling that gives me is incredible.

  After all this time of sneaking around, basically hiding away in the dark, it’s so good to feel I can walk out into the sunlight again. Plus I can ditch the terrible glasses!

  A pang of sorrow hits out of nowhere, drawing a dark veil over my new optimism. I’ve no idea what Harry thinks of me now.

  I texted him just before we left the airport to tell him briefly what had happened. I said I was sorry I’d told him I still loved Grant and that it wasn’t true; I’d explain later.

  But so far, I’ve had no reply from him.

  Maybe he thinks I really do have feelings for my ex. Or worse, maybe he’s not bothered one way or the other. In which case, I’ve made a total fool of myself by making it clear I’m very much into him.

  Groaning, I bury my face in the pillow - and next thing I know, it’s morning and light is streaming through the living room curtains.

  We all gather in the kitchen to make breakfast and the atmosphere is quite heavy after the upset of the day before. Titch is quiet, concentrating on ploughing through her bowl of cereal, and Evelyn and I steer away from talk of Grant for fear of stirring up bad memories for Titch.

  Waiting for the toast to pop up, I glance once more at my phone. Still no message from Harry.

  ‘I’m just going to the bathroom,’ says Titch and she wanders out.

  ‘Okay, love. Are you expecting to hear from someone, Jaz?’ asks Evelyn.

  I turn and she smiles. ‘You’ve been glued to your phone, checking for messages practically every ten seconds since we left the airport!’

  I blush awkwardly, completely unaware that I’d been that obvious. ‘I texted Harry to tell him what happened,’ I say, bringing toast and butter to the table, ‘and I suppose I thought he’d get back to me.’

  ‘Oh, well, that’s probably because he’s flying to Jamaica in a few days,’ says Evelyn, taking some toast. ‘Ooh, lovely. Lime marmalade. My favourite.’

  ‘He’s what?’

  ‘Oh, I thought you’d know. A photography agency in London have been practically begging him to go and work for them, but he’s always said no because he’d rather live and work in the country. But yesterday, for some reason, he changed his mind and asked them when he could start.’

  My heart leaps. Did Harry change his mind because I told him I was going back to Grant? Or was it just a coincidence? Then something else occurs to me. I stare at Evelyn, puzzled. ‘How do you know all this?’

  ‘Well, he told me, of course. Yes, it was a bit of a whirlwind, really. He got a phone call from the agency when we were driving to the airport to say they wanted him on a flight to Jamaica for a photographic assignment in a few days!’

  ‘Whoah! Hang on, Evelyn. What?’ I can’t quite believe what I’m hearing. ‘Harry’s going to work for a London agency? And he drove you down to the airport yesterday?’

  She nods. ‘I thought you knew.’

  ‘I assumed you contacted the police and they drove you down so you could identify Grant and Titch.’

  She shakes her head. ‘No, no. It was your friend, Nellie, who got the feeling something wasn’t quite right.’

  ‘Ellie? Right.’ I recall her and Fen listening to the conversation I had with Titch.

  ‘Yes, so she contacted Harry because she knew he’d brought you to see me in Cambridge the other day.’ She reaches over and presses my hand. ‘I’m so sorry about my reaction to you that time, by the way. I feel so ashamed now, bearing in mind what’s happened since.’

  I shake my head. ‘It’s all forgotten. So Harry . . . ?’

  ‘Yes, so Harry thought I needed to know what was happening. He drove up to Cambridge, told me that Grant was taking Titch to live in Spain – and I was so horrified, I got straight in his car and he drove me to the airport, bless him. On the way down, Harry phoned the branch of the bank where Grant works, asked to speak to him and instead, talked to a gossipy receptionist, who couldn’t wait to break the news that Grant was not only under investigation for suspected theft but had now gone awol. She said it was the most exciting thing that had happened in the nine years she’d worked there.’

  I listen in astonishment, my heart beating fast. Harry did all that for me? I think about what that could mean and decide there’s definitely a glimmer of hope. But then I remember that Harry is the sort of easy-going man who would help anyone, not just me,

  ‘So anyway, he phoned the police and two officers were there to meet us when we arrived at the airport. I went in with them but Harry had to go because he needed to get ready for Jamaica.’

  Evelyn gets up to go and check on Titch, and I wander over to the window and sit on the sill, staring gloomily out at the rain.

  Harry and I can’t seem to get our timing right.

  When Harry was keen, I was on my way back to Grant. And now I’m the one wishing we could do the wining and dining thing. But Harry’s off on a photographic assignment, thousands of miles away!

  Maybe I need to face up to the truth – that we were just never meant to be together . . .

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  It’s the following lunchtime and I’m sitting in the café with Ellie and Fen during a quiet period, telling them all about yesterday. I owe Ellie a big debt of gratitude for alerting Harry to the fact that Grant’s behaviour seemed suspicious.

  I shiver. ‘What if the police hadn’t caught up with Grant before they got on that flight. He’d have flown off to Spain with Titch, and God knows what would have been the outcome. I can’t actually bear to think about it.’

  ‘But she’s safe now and she’s going nowhere,’ says Fen.

  ‘Apart from home to Palmerston with her grandmother. Who by the way turns out to be an awful lot nicer than I thought she was.’ I smile at Fen. ‘How are your mum and dad?’

  ‘Oh, having a second honeymoon,’ laughs Fen, ‘if the affectionate looks that pass between them are anything to go by.’

  ‘Aw that’s so lovely,’ I say, meaning every word. I’ve grown really fond of Lady R. She’s got such an ind
omitable spirit and she’s really kind, too. Plus she could show many women half her age a thing or two about hard work.

  ‘I guess now that the scales have fallen from Evelyn’s eyes with regard to Grant, she’ll think a lot more of you, too,’ says Ellie.

  I nod. ‘She says Titch can come and stay with me during the school holidays! I can’t quite believe it.’

  ‘So does that mean you’re not going back to live at the house in Palmerston?’ asks Fen.

  I shake my head. ‘Too many bad memories. And besides - ’

  ‘You’d rather stay in Sunnybrook!’ finishes Fen. ‘Yay!’ She punches the air.

  The door opens and Zak appears. He grins over at Ellie. ‘Any chance you could come outside. I’ve got something to show you.’

  She frowns. ‘You haven’t bought a new car?’

  He shakes his head. ‘Nope. But if you don’t want to come and see . . .’

  ‘No, I do.’

  ‘You go, I’ll take over,’ says Fen, slipping behind the counter.

  ‘Actually, Jaz, you might want to come as well. You and Harry were both involved.’

  I flush at the mention of Harry’s name. It’s just something I do these days. I can’t seem to help it.

  I follow them outside to where Maisie is skipping excitedly around the car. ‘At last! I thought you were never coming!’

  Zak ruffles his daughter’s hair and opens the car boot. He draws out what looks like a cat basket.

  ‘It’s Jessica, Ellie!’ shouts Maisie, unable to keep her daddy’s secret for a second longer. ‘Jessica got all well again and she’s coming home to the duck pond!’

  Ellie’s face lights up. Zak holds up the basket so she can peer inside.’

  ‘Yup. Blue-green bill. That’s Jessica all right,’ she says and gives Zak a huge, warm smile.

  ‘Come on, then.’ Zak puts his arm round Maisie and we all start walking down to the pond.

  We deliver Jessica safely back to the duck pond then return to the café for a celebration cake and coffee. Seeing Ellie, Zak and Maisie gelling so naturally as a family makes me think wistfully of Harry.

  But he’ll be getting ready to leave for Jamaica any time now . . .