Once Bitten

by Oliver, Marina

  He glanced across at them, then, beaming broadly, walked across to grasp Mrs Morton's hand.

  'My dear lady, what a pleasant surprise to see you here. Mr Morton too. Have you come to visit Judy?'

  They explained, and Felicity broke into the conversation to say they really must get on or they would miss the train. Judy almost pushed her mother into the car and scrambled in after her, ignoring Mark. She waved to Justin as they drove away, and could see her mother longing to ask how Mark came to be there. Only Mrs Kaine's presence prevented her.

  They helped Mr Morton onto the train, where he was able to get a seat and stretch out his leg. Judy and her mother sat opposite him, and Judy braced herself for the questions. They soon came.

  'Why didn't you tell us Mark was down here?'

  'He is not important.'

  'But why? Has he come down, followed you, to try and make you change your mind and marry him after all?'

  'That was what brought him down, at first,' Judy admitted, 'but it's my next door neighbour who is keeping him here. Just wait until you see her.'

  'He is such a nice man, and with a nice steady job. We were so upset when you told us the engagement was off. It would have been so suitable.'

  'Would you have me condone him having other girlfriends?' Judy asked, trying to keep the anger out of her voice.

  'Oh, I'm sure you were mistaken. He's not that sort of man.'

  'Forgive me, Mom, but I think I know him and what sort of man he is better than you can. He always puts on his best face when he meets you.'

  'Well, I hope you will not come to regret it, when you are struggling to make a living with these cards of yours. Or do you have your eyes on Justin?'

  Judy felt her cheeks burn. She was attracted to him, but if she allowed her mother even a suspicion of that Mom would be dropping hints and making excuses to leave them together, and she couldn't bear the thought.

  'Just because we happen to be living in the same house, and he's being kind enough to help me with the fair, doesn't mean either of us wants a relationship,' she said.

  She wondered whether to tell them about Barbara, but decided Justin probably didn't want too many people to know.

  'I suppose an architect who designs houses and hotels like the ones he showed us must be fairly well off,' Mr Morton said.

  'But that's another chancy profession. He has to depend on getting new commissions all the time,' Mrs Morton said. 'It would be far better if you made it up with Mark.'

  ***

  Chapter 9

  Mr Morton's surgeon admitted him to the hospital straight away, saying he would perform the operation on the following day, and there would be no point in Mrs Morton visiting until Wednesday.

  'But do ring tomorrow evening to see how it went,' he added.

  'I won't rest until I know it's gone well,' Mrs Morton said as they went out of the hospital, having seen Mr Morton settled in. She was more anxious than her father, Judy felt.

  'Of course not. Let's go and have a coffee before we catch the train home.'

  They found a coffee bar close to the hospital and settled down with coffee and muffins, though Mrs Morton needed some persuading for the latter.

  'I try not to eat between meals, so as not to put on weight. At my age, I won't be able to get it off again very easily.'

  'You can afford to indulge for once, you aren't fat. And you ate almost nothing for breakfast.'

  'I was too worried about your father.'

  'I know, but he'll soon be feeling much easier. The hip's got much worse since I saw you last. It's high time it was done.'

  'He'll have to stay here for several weeks, to make sure all's well. I hope Fay and Paul don't get fed up with us. But you'll be staying for a while, as well, before you go back to Manchester.'

  'I haven't had time to tell you, but I've sold my flat and I'll be looking for another one when the fair is over.'

  Mrs Morton exclaimed at the news, sounding worried.

  'Judy! Why didn't you tell us you were selling up? Is this because of Mark?'

  'It happened so quickly,' Judy excused herself, feeling guilty. She had deliberately not mentioned she had the flat on the market because she knew it would have worried her parents.

  'How long have you had it on the market?'

  'Just a few weeks, and I didn't expect to sell straight away, but I've been lucky, and the buyer wanted a quick sale. Fortunately I can move out and stay with Fay.'

  'Maybe you asked too little for it?'

  'I got more than I paid. But as I said, I've been lucky. With the housing market so slow at the moment I expected to have to wait months, if not years. Isn't it the same in Spain?'

  This diverted her mother, who had tales to tell of her friends who hadn't been able to sell their villas and apartments.

  'Mary Noakes wanted to come back to England to be near her daughters after Graham died, but she can't sell for anything near what she'll need to buy a decent flat here. And Pat and Richard Bowers say that they can't afford to keep their villa since their British pension is worth so much less with the poor exchange rate. You remember their villa, we took you to a party there when you last came out to see us. It's a really lovely place. They want to move to somewhere smaller, but no one is interested in big villas. And there are two apartments which are empty, the people died, and their children can't sell so they don't have what they expected to inherit, perhaps not for years yet. I pray that doesn't happen to you when we die.'

  She swallowed a sob and Judy clasped her hands.

  'You'll not die for years yet, Mom. Don't let's get morbid.'

  Mrs Morton tried to smile.

  'You're a good lass. Tell me more about Justin. How old is he?'

  Judy had to think.

  'I seem to remember he said he was in his early thirties.'

  'Has he ever been married?'

  'I haven't asked! It's not exactly the sort of question I can ask him,' Judy said, cringing as she imagined her mother doing just that.

  'A man his age ought to have been. But these days some men don't seem to feel the necessity for marriage. You would be wise to hang on to one who does, like Mark.'

  'Mom, please! I'm finished with Mark, I've sold my flat, and I'm moving away from Manchester. I'm hoping never to see him again.'

  Her mother sighed heavily.

  'Will you stay near Fay? When you buy another flat?'

  'I don't know. I thought of looking for somewhere near Birmingham. I intend to do a lot of these craft fairs, and that would be the most convenient location for travelling, it's central, and has good motorways.'

  'Yes, we always found it convenient,'

  'Have you finished? If we hurry we can catch the next train.'

  *

  Justin put down the phone with a smile of relief. His idea looked like working. It remained to convince Mrs Morton of the sense of it.

  Some of the cards had arrived, and Susie promised the rest would be delivered on Thursday. That would mean a good deal of work putting them all into the clear envelopes and sticking on price labels, but Magda and Ken would help, and Felicity had offered the help of herself and her teenage daughter Liz all day Friday. Perhaps he could persuade Mrs Morton to help as well, today, when they came back from London, and then she would see what was involved in addition to the painting.

  Judy rang just after he had spread the cards and the envelopes out on the dining room table, to say they were on the train. He set off for the station, calling in at the Green Man to book a table for dinner. He grinned to himself. He was not, he told himself, taking them out in order to soften up Mrs Morton, but it would be easier to suggest his plan over a good meal, and neither he nor Judy had time to prepare one at home.

  They had salad for lunch, then Mrs Morton yawned and said she needed to lie down.

  'I didn't sleep a wink last night,' she said, 'so I'll have a nap now.'

  'We are not to go and visit tomorrow,' Judy told him when her mother had gone upstairs
and they were drinking coffee. 'I want to go on Wednesday, to see Dad's OK, but I don't know if I can persuade her to go on her own afterwards. I really don't have time, and I can't leave you and the others to do all this,' she said, gesturing towards the cards laid out on the table. 'Well, let's start. I'll stuff the envelopes, you put on the price stickers.'

  To Justin's secret amusement, when Mrs Morton came downstairs a couple of hours later, and found neither of them willing to stop in order to talk to her in the lounge, she drew up a chair by the dining room table, and after a few minutes watching them, offered to help stuff the envelopes.

  'I can see that takes more time than sticking on the prices. Judy can't keep up on her own.'

  Lavish praise at her speed made it easy for Justin to persuade both ladies to take a break and go round to the Green Man for dinner. When they arrived, and he saw Mark and Sadie ensconced at the table near the window Justin watched Mrs Morton's reaction. Sadie was wearing a silver lamé dress cut so low he was afraid it would slip off if she bent forwards.

  'Is that Mark's new girl friend?' she hissed as they were shown to their table. 'She looks – well, I won't say what she looks like!'

  Judy was doing her best to suppress a fit of giggles. Justin winked at her and handed Mrs Morton her menu.

  'The duck is good, or the lamb shank.'

  He waited until they were almost finished before broaching his suggestion.

  'I've been thinking,' he said casually, 'it will be tedious for you to have to travel up to London by train every day while Mr Morton is in hospital.'

  'I'm afraid there's no alternative, and I don't mind doing it. When we don't have to go in the rush hour Judy will be able to drive me there.'

  'You saw how much Judy has to do with preparing the cards, and there are twice as many coming down on Thursday, so she really couldn't spare the time every day. But I have a suggestion. I have a cousin who lives a bare half mile away from the hospital, and she occasionally lets out rooms. She's a widow, and needs to supplement her widow's pension. She has a room free at the moment, and would be willing to rent it to you for a few days, until Mr Morton can come out of hospital. It would be a short taxi ride to the hospital, and Veronica would welcome the company. She'd love to go shopping if you felt like it, she's a shopoholic, or go to the theatre with you.'

  He saw Judy frown at him, and open her mouth. He pressed her foot beneath the table. She closed her mouth, but still frowned.

  Mrs Morton looked astonished.

  'Oh, I couldn't impose on a stranger!'

  'It's not an imposition. It's business. You'd be doing Veronica a favour, she needs to let her room. And I know you'd get on with her. Why don't I drive you up on Wednesday, and after you've seen Mr Morton, we'll go and see her? It would only be for a few days, Mr Morton will be out of hospital early next week if all goes well, and there is no reason why it should not.'

  It took tact and persistence, but she eventually agreed at least to visit his cousin. He breathed a sigh of relief. Veronica would do the rest. That would give Judy two clear days before the fair, with no worries.

  *

  When Judy was able to speak with Justin, she demanded to know where this cousin had suddenly appeared from.

  'I thought you didn't have many relatives? I've never heard Paul speak of any cousin Veronica.'

  'Well, she's not his cousin. She belongs to my father's side of the family, and if we want to be accurate she's a second cousin.'

  'Is she an impoverished widow?'

  Justin grinned. 'Of course she is. Aren't all widows impoverished? Actually, she owes me a favour and she really does love new company. She and your mother will get on, believe me. Be grateful. It saves your mother a train journey every day, and you won't have to feel guilty when you refuse to drive her up. '

  Judy still felt unconvinced.

  'Does she always take in lodgers?'

  'Not as a regular thing, but when I explained the situation with your work and your father in hospital, she saw how she could help. And it's true she likes new company. We'll take a case up for your mother on Wednesday, she's sure to agree to stop.'

  All day Tuesday Mrs Morton fretted, unable to concentrate on anything. She rang the hospital at five, to be told Mr Morton was still in the operating theatre.

  'That must be bad news!'

  'Mom, they said ring in the evening! It's too early. Come and sit down, you can ring again in a couple of hours.'

  'A couple of hours! I can't bear it.'

  'Yes you can,' Justin said. 'Come out with me, I'm taking the dogs for a walk. You'll enjoy the fresh air.'

  Judy and Justin managed to keep her away from the phone until seven, and then she was told Mr Morton was back in the ward, all had gone well, and she could visit him in the morning after eleven.

  The following day, therefore, Justin drove them up to London. He dropped them at the hospital, saying he was going to check something at his apartment. They arranged to meet for lunch, and then, he said, he would take them to Veronica's.

  Mr Morton looked sleepy, but he smiled happily at his wife and daughter.

  'Still here, you see. I'm told it all went well, and they'll be getting me on my feet soon.'

  'Walking? Already?' Mrs Morton was horrified. 'Surely they won't want to put any strain on the new hip.'

  'It's the new system, love. Don't worry, they won't let any harm come to me. Now, I wanted to say, you're not to drag yourselves up here every single day. I can manage not seeing you occasionally.'

  'Oh, that's all arranged,' Mrs Morton said airily. 'I'm staying up here, with one of Justin's cousins who lives near the hospital. I'll be able to pop in any time. It's much better than my having to come all that way, whether Judy can drive me or I have to come by train.'

  'That's handy.'

  'Yes, and Judy has such a lot to do for her craft fair. I was helping stuff the cards in those transparent envelopes. It's no wonder they cost so much, with all the work that goes into them.'

  Judy blinked. The short spell of helping had certainly given her mother to think, if she now accepted the cards were reasonably priced, and more important, if she now saw how much work was involved.

  'I'll be sorry I can't come to your fair, Judy love, to see how you're getting on,' Mr Morton said.

  'I'll take some photos to show you what the stall looks like. I hope the weather stays fine, it will be much more pleasant if we can have it out of doors.'

  'Bring out more people too, fine weather. I hope you do really well, you're working hard enough for it.'

  They chatted for a while longer, then Mr Morton's eyelids began to droop, and Judy whispered to her mother they ought to leave him to rest.

  'It's too early to meet Justin, but there's a small park over there, so let's sit down for a while,' Judy suggested when they got outside.

  'And we can talk.'

  *

  This sounded ominous to Judy, and she braced herself for more complaints about breaking her engagement to Mark. However, that wasn't what her mother wanted to talk about, though she began by once more wishing Judy had not broken off her engagement.

  'I've been thinking, love. Now you don't have a job here, why don't you come and stay with us in Spain for a really long holiday, and if you like it, you could come for good.'

  Judy took a deep breath.

  'But Mom, I do have a job, selling my cards.' Would her mother never understand?

  'Just a hobby, that is, and you don't know you can make a living from it.'

  'If I don't, I'll get a part time job to top up what I earn from the cards.'

  'You won't earn much that way. But surely, as it's all done over the Internet, you could do it from anywhere.'

  Judy shook her head.

  'It wouldn't work. How could I advertise at craft fairs? That is how I'm planning to sell my cards, as well as through my web site. Besides, I need to get the printing done here, by people I know and trust. I may not be able to get the right materials ove
r there. And the postage would be more expensive from Spain. Besides, if people pay me by cheque, they may not always be happy sending these abroad. Then I'd have to find a way of paying them in. It would be far too complicated.'

  'But we can overcome those problems. You charge so much already a bit extra to cover postage costs wouldn't be noticed. You can still send the printing to these friends, and order your materials from here.'

  'I'll come for a holiday, but not a very long one.'

  Mrs Morton sighed.

  'I'm so worried I won't be able to cope with your father,' she admitted. 'You know I don't drive, and while people have been very good taking me shopping, while Dad's been unable to drive, I can't depend on them for ever.'

  So that was it. She needed help and Judy was, she assumed, available. If she gave in she would become an unpaid companion, and have no time to build her business. Then her mother's predictions of her not being able to make a living would come true, and Mom would preen herself on her wisdom.

  'Dad will be like new once he's out of hospital,' she reassured her mother.

  Then she felt guilty, a condition her mother had always been able to induce in her.

  'When you go home, if Dad is having any problems, I'll come out for a couple of weeks. But no longer, if I am to make a go of this business.'

  *

  Justin met them for lunch at a small Italian restaurant close to the hospital, then he drove them to Veronica's house. This was a tall Victorian terrace house, and Mrs Morton raised her eyebrows when she saw it.

  'This doesn't look like at all the sort of house a poor impoverished widow lives in.'

  Justin suppressed a smile.

  'There's poor and poor,' he murmured. 'Veronica considers herself poor because she had to sell the cottage in the country.'

  He didn't mention the apartment she still had in the south of France. Veronica had agreed to fall in with his plan because she had always had a soft spot for him, treating him as a son, and he had indicated he had a good reason for wanting Judy on his own, without her mother around.