‘I feel awful now.’
‘There’s no need to feel bad, Tom jumped at the chance to come along, and the only reason for that is you, Kitty. He’s attracted to you, not me. Unfortunately Robin was caught up in it all, but I’ll let you in on a little secret.’
‘Ooo, go on.’
‘I’m trying to fix him up on a date with Lucinda. I’m sure they would be the perfect couple, and I’m not sure why no one has thought of it before. Sometimes Robin needs taming and, unquestionably, I think she’s the woman to do it. Let’s hope she thinks so too.’
‘Yes, they’d make a lovely couple,’ I agreed.
‘And let’s face it, with Robin’s appetite for all things sugary, those pair would be a match made in heaven.’
Pouring us both a glass of water from the jug on Jeannie’s bedside table, I asked the question that had been burning inside me for the last twenty minutes.
‘But he followed you into the toilet – I saw him.’
‘Who did?’
‘Tom.’
Jeannie dropped her head in her hands. ‘I wasn’t with Tom, honestly.’
She paused. ‘Is that why you disappeared home that night, Kitty?’
‘Yes, if I’m truly honest, I ran out because I thought you were together in the toilets. I heard your voice – you were with someone – and I’d seen Tom disappear in after you. The hurt was too much to bear.’
‘Why didn’t you mention this sooner?’
‘Because you’re pregnant and I thought Tom was the father.’
‘You put two and two together and made five more like.’
‘What was I meant to think? I’m sorry.’
‘There was a perfectly reasonable explanation: I didn’t sneak off to the toilet to be with Tom.’
‘Who then?’
‘Remember I was so keen to get the drinks from the bar?’
I nodded.
‘Well that was more to do with a drop-dead-gorgeous barman that I’d had my eye on for a while.’
‘The barman! What was his name?’
‘Danny!’
‘Oh yes! Danny! The cheeky chappie.’
‘The one and only.’
‘Wow! I’d never have guessed.’
‘Well clearly not!’
We both laughed.
‘So had you known him for a while?’
Jeannie hesitated. ‘Long enough. He’d been having a casual fling with one of the barmaids for a while. It was one of those arrangements where if neither of them had anything else better to do they’d end up together in the sack.’
‘Friends with benefits.’
‘Yes, that’s the one.’
‘There was something about him. We hit it off straightaway; the chemistry between the pair of us was unbelievable, but I would never let anything happen. We came close on numerous occasions, believe me, but I always had this nagging feeling in the back of my mind about him and her. I thought he was a player. I didn’t want to admit my feelings, and I certainly wasn’t going to put myself in the firing line to be hurt, knowing he would more than likely be sleeping with the both of us. Then that night in the pub, he leant across the bar and told me he’d made it clear to her that their current arrangement had to stop because he had his eye on someone else, someone special – me.’
‘Was this all at the beginning of the night?’
‘Yes, once he served the drinks, I put my hand out to pay him the money, and he grabbed my wrists, hauled me over the bar and kissed me full on the lips. I was taken aback at first; I wasn’t expecting it, and then he made me promise to meet him on his break. I didn’t need much persuading.’
My mind began to run over the events of the evening. ‘I remember Danny coming over to the table and then I remember him disappearing through the front doors.’
‘Yes, he did – that was more for his boss’s benefit. The girl he’d been dating on and off, Stacy, was the boss’s daughter and he didn’t want to cause any conflict at work. He wandered out of the front door and straight back into the pub through the side entrance that leads down the long corridor to the toilets.’
‘So there’s another entrance?’
‘Yes – the tradesmen’s entrance. There was a method to his madness. He didn’t want to get spotted and he was waiting for me inside the cubicle.’
‘So who was the romantic set-up for in the stable?’
‘The night of the Easter-egg hunt?’
‘Yes.’
‘It was for Danny. I’d been up bright and early setting the scene. I didn’t think anyone would venture that far down after I’d let Conker out of his stable. On the day of the egg hunt there was no access to the general public in that area and I thought you guys would be too busy to notice.’
‘I think I may have led Robin on a little that day.’
‘Why, what makes you say that?’
‘After I saw how much trouble you’d gone to, I was devastated because I thought it was for Tom. Wandering down to the field, I started to cry. When I looked up, Robin was standing behind me. He put his arms around me, hugged me and told me he liked me. I told him I liked him too, but I was confused. Then I noticed Tom; he was standing at the top of the field leaning against the fence. He was watching us, and then he strolled off in the direction of the stable. I thought he was meeting you.’
‘Well this is all a bit of a mess!’ Jeannie exclaimed.
‘I have no feelings for Robin. He’s lovely, don’t get me wrong; I feel comfortable in his company, but it’s like I’ve known you both for years. It’s just platonic, but with Tom it’s different. The first time we met I just knew he was special. My heart melted the minute I saw him. I was wheeling my bike up the drive towards Bluebell Lodge and unfortunately somehow got caught up in the pedals and ran over Dotty. The next thing I knew I’d landed on the ground with a bump. When those strong tanned arms hoisted me back to my feet and I looked into his eyes, I knew there was something about him. I literally fell for him,’ I said, laughing.
‘Danny didn’t turn up that night, the night of the Easter-egg hunt. Stacy had decided she’d fallen for him and wanted a proper relationship with him. He explained to her straight that he was with me now, and there would never be anything romantic between them. She wasn’t happy to say the least and went running back to daddy, no doubt telling him how Danny had been using her. That wasn’t the case. They were both consenting adults; it was just an arrangement they had. The very next day her father sacked Danny.’
‘She was a woman scorned,’ I chipped in.
‘Most definitely. Danny felt he had to keep the pregnancy quiet for a while. He knew about it the day after the hunt, but we’d already decided to be together before then. We’d been meeting up most nights in the park until things had settled. His parents were upset he’d been sacked from his job, so we both thought it was best to keep quiet about the baby for the time being. However, all’s well that ends well. We told his parents when I was admitted to hospital this week. He couldn’t hide it for much longer. While you lot were visiting in the evening, he was been nipping in in the afternoons.
‘Argh, bless him, is he happy about the pregnancy? And what’s he going to do about work?’
‘Yes, he was a little taken aback; the result of our rendezvous the night in the pub obviously got out of hand.’ She smirked. ‘But Lucinda’s come to our rescue regarding his work. I confided in her a couple of days ago when you slipped outside with Tom, and she’s kindly given him a job on the vans. The timing couldn’t have been better; she was just about to advertise for a driver when I mentioned Danny’s predicament. She offered him the job immediately and he starts on Monday.’
‘That is fantastic news; I’m really pleased for both of you.’
‘Not as pleased as my father. It was difficult enough explaining to him I was pregnant, which came as a massive shock, as he wasn’t even aware I had a boyfriend. I was dreading telling him Danny was unemployed as well, but thanks to Lucinda we were spared that conv
ersation. I have a good feeling about Danny. I think we’ll go the distance and my father’s agreed that he can move into the farmhouse with us; there’s plenty of room and he may be able to give Danny some shifts on the farm too.’
Feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders, I said, ‘What am I going to do about Tom? I feel like a complete idiot.’
Jeannie smiled across at me. ‘You pair are already friends and the attraction is there – anyone can see that.’
‘Can you?’
‘Yes! And Tom spent an hour pouring his heart out to me just before you and Lucinda arrived to visit me. He was devastated. He claimed he’d witnessed you and Robin through the living room window and he felt you weren’t being honest with him.’
‘And I felt he wasn’t being honest with me because even though I was sure I was receiving the signals that he was attracted to me, he never once mentioned the baby.’
‘Well he wouldn’t, would he? He’s not the father!’
‘Robin was at my flat that evening. He turned up out of the blue; he was upset because he was the one who found you lying on the floor, and he felt helpless. I hugged him because he needed a hug – that was all there was to it.’
‘Trust Tom to pick that moment to peer through the window.’
‘Why didn’t he knock on the front door? Robin would have been pleased to see him.’
‘That’s men for you – always jumping to conclusions.’ Jeannie smiled.
‘I thought when he received the phone call saying you’d gone into hospital that he’d shot straight here to be with you.’
‘Nah, the only place Tom shot was up to our farm because my father was here with me and hadn’t finished the milking.’
‘I’ve got this so wrong, haven’t I? I don’t know what to do now,’ I said, shrugging.
‘You go and find him now and that’s an order!’
‘Do you think so?’
‘I know so. He cares about you and that’s a good thing. I’m sure he’s battling the same dilemma. Now go and find him – why are you still here? Go, go, go,’ she said, shooing her arms in my direction. ‘And don’t come back until you’re a couple and living happily ever after.’
‘One last thing before I go, Jeannie. Can I pinch a piece of Lucinda’s flapjack off you?’ I grinned.
‘If you must, but you can only have one piece – the rest is all mine!’
Chapter Thirty-Six
After my visit to Jeannie, I travelled straight to the Lodge. I wanted to talk to Tom and sort this mess out but he was nowhere to be found. The office was locked up and his boots were missing from outside his cottage. I asked a couple of the farm workers but they hadn’t seen him either. I assumed he must be up at Jeannie’s farm helping her father. He was working so hard, but that’s the kind of man Tom was – he wouldn’t let anyone struggle. No wonder he’d looked exhausted and tired the last time I saw him.
I scribbled him a note and posted it through the door of the cottage. I’d taken the liberty of booking us a table in a fancy restaurant in town. I was hoping that would set the tone; we’d be away from familiar ground and hopefully that would give us a chance to open up to each other. Thinking about it now, I realised it was probably the last thing Tom needed after a hard day’s work at the farm. He would possibly prefer to put his feet up and enjoy a takeaway accompanied by a beer instead of getting washed, dressed and making his way to a restaurant he’d probably never heard of.
Me and my bright ideas.
Apart from being nervous, I had no clue what to wear and back at the flat I’d thrown myself into a blind panic. I was beginning to get agitated with myself for not thinking this plan through well enough. In the end I plumped for black leggings, a white tunic and a pair of baby-pink ballet pumps. I was constantly listening out for the phone to ring but it stayed silent.
A couple of hours later I was standing at the impressive entrance to the restaurant. I felt shaky and couldn’t make up my mind whether it was down to the cool air of the evening or the nerves. I thought maybe a little of both.
Entering the restaurant, my eyes quickly flitted around the room – Tom was nowhere to be seen. Feeling apprehensive, I was approached by the waiter. After confirming the booking, I followed him to our table.
‘Your dinner guest hasn’t arrived as yet but would you like me to bring you a drink in the meantime?’ the waiter asked, pulling out my chair so I could sit down.
‘I’ll just have a glass of water for now, thank you,’ I replied, deciding to play it safe. If Tom didn’t turn up I could drink the glass of water and go. I’d not managed a morsel of food since lunchtime and the last thing I needed on Tom’s arrival, if he did appear, was to be tipsy on one glass of wine. Sipping on my water, I began fiddling with the strap on my watch. Tom was already ten minutes late. I took my book out of my bag and began to read. Sitting there on my own, I felt as if the whole restaurant must be looking at me, but they weren’t. And as my eyes darted around the room, I saw the majority of couples were staring off in different directions, not even speaking to each other. I couldn’t make up my mind whether this was sad because they no longer had anything left to say to each other or whether it was a comfort knowing that they were so relaxed with each other that they didn’t need conversation all of the time.
Just then the restaurant door opened and I heard the waiter’s voice.
‘Yes sir, your dinner guest is already seated; I’ll show you to your table.’
Firstly, I was relieved Tom had turned up and secondly, I was speechless. He caught my attention the second he walked through the restaurant door. He was most definitely worth the wait.
‘Hello,’ I said, smiling shyly as he sat down.
‘What can I offer you to drink, sir?’ the waiter asked now, passing both of us a menu.
Tom turned to me. ‘Do you like red wine?’
‘Yes,’ I nodded.
‘Then a bottle of your finest would be grand, thank you,’ Tom replied confidently.
The waiter acknowledged Tom’s request with a nod and walked away towards the bar area to retrieve the wine.
‘Finest? Is it a special occasion?’
‘I hope so. I was happy to receive your invitation.’ He smiled and sat down at the table opposite me but not before kissing me lightly on the cheek. For a moment we sat in silence perusing the menu.
‘Have you chosen yet?’ Tom asked. ‘What do you fancy?’
I smiled.
Tom smiled back then laughed. ‘I mean food wise.’
‘Damn.’ I raised my eyes playfully.
He grinned at me knowingly and I began to relax.
‘You look lovely.’ My heart soared.
‘Thank you – you do too.’
‘I’m sorry I didn’t manage to phone you. I got back late and when I read your note I rushed to get ready to make sure I was here on time.’
‘You’re forgiven.’ I smiled.
The waiter came and took our orders and once we were left alone again I decided to be brave and reveal to Tom what an absolute idiot I’d been, getting the wrong end of the stick about Jeannie’s baby.
Once I’d finished talking, Tom didn’t speak for a while. ‘Are you going to say something?’ I asked gently.
‘Words fail me, and actually I don’t know what to say. Did you honestly think that was my style? Really?’ He looked saddened, disappointed in me.
I couldn’t answer; when he put it like that, I was actually disappointed in myself. All I could manage was a shake of my head.
He paused for a moment while the waiter placed our food in front of us. Once the waiter was satisfied we were happy with our meals he disappeared over to the next table. Tom leant over and squeezed my hand. ‘Kitty, I can’t ever be hurt again.’
‘Again?’
‘Yes, it was a long time ago and I never want to be in that position again – ever.’
‘Do you want to talk about it?’
‘I think I do,’ he answered, ta
king another sip of his wine. I began to eat slowly while I listened. He cleared his throat and began to talk. ‘I’ve not been in a relationship since Rose. I didn’t know if I could ever handle being in a relationship again.’
The hurt on his face was clearly visible. He took a bite of his food then he carried on. I remained silent and listened.
‘We met at school. She was vibrant, full of fun, and we soon became inseparable. She was like no one I’d ever met before; I’d had the odd flirtatious moments before with girls, but when I met her it all stopped. I wasn’t interested in anyone else, and I wasn’t expecting to fall in love – it just happened.
‘Rose was ambitious; she wanted to become a doctor. She was certainly intelligent enough and her grades were always top-notch, whereas I don’t have a qualification to my name. I knew I was destined to work in farming – that’s what I’m about, the great outdoors. It didn’t bother me at all that one day she would earn more money than me. As long as we were both happy, I was all for that.
‘Her studies began to take over her life; it was expected with the amount of work she needed to do. It was her suggestion that we get married. There was no grand gesture on my part, no going down on one knee, but I was happy to go along with it if it made her feel secure. However, things began to change and she began to mix with different circles, distancing herself from our friends. At times it felt like we were an inconvenience; all she ever talked about was her new circle of friends. Hanging out with the medical students and the staff from the hospital started to become a regular occurrence. From what I could gather the majority of them were young, trendy types who were engaged or planning their weddings. I think she wanted to be part of the crowd. She wanted the wedding so she had something to share with the group.’
‘Did you ever socialise with them?’
‘At first she did invite me out for a drink with them on numerous occasions but I felt like a fish out of water – they weren’t my kind of people. I felt inferior, often intimidated and I most definitely didn’t understand their medical speak. She would constantly put me down in front of them, calling me the farm boy, and sometimes I felt I was only there for their entertainment, so they’d have someone to ridicule. In the end I stopped going along and Rose went by herself. I think she preferred it that way.’
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