Cheska started to pace up and down. ‘She won’t hate me, will she? For leaving her, I mean. It was impossible to send for her at the beginning. And then, as time went by, I thought it was unfair to unsettle her when she was obviously so happy here. You do understand, don’t you?’
LJ nodded slowly. She felt too numb to begin a fight.
‘But do you hate me, LJ?’
‘No, Cheska,’ she replied wearily. ‘I don’t hate you.’
‘Good, because now I’m back I promise I’m going to make up to Ava for all the years I’ve been away. Wow, it’s hot! If you don’t mind, I’m going to go and change into something cooler. I feel horribly sticky. Can I use my old bedroom?’
‘That’s Ava’s room now. Use the old nursery. It’s been turned into a guest room,’ LJ said coldly.
‘Okay. If Ava comes back while I’m upstairs, don’t tell her I’m here, will you? I want to surprise her.’
Ava returned exhausted after her day out on the farm. She felt exhilarated as, a week ago, she’d received her A-level grades, and they’d been more than good enough to secure her place at the Royal Veterinary College in London. And, yesterday, she’d passed her driving test, which meant she could finally drive LJ’s old Land Rover.
LJ had been as thrilled as she had, although Ava had initially been concerned about how much the course and her living in London would cost. They’d discussed it over a celebration dinner that night.
‘Darling girl, you’ve helped me on the farm since you were small and never asked for a penny. Besides, there is a legacy, Ava, from your grandfather. It’s quite a lot of money, and will comfortably cover the cost of your board and lodging in London. I know it’s what your grandfather would have wanted. I’m so very proud of you, darling. You’ve achieved your dream.’
Ava swung open the kitchen door and saw Mary was preparing a rack of lamb.
‘Hello, Mary. I thought LJ and I were just going to have a salad for supper tonight?’
Mary looked up and shook her head. ‘There’s been a change of plan, fach. You have a guest, see. They’re out on the terrace. I think you’d better go and say hello.’
‘Who is it?’
Mary shrugged noncommittally. ‘Go and see for yourself.’
As Ava walked into the drawing room she could hear the sound of LJ’s voice, and another vaguely familiar one, with the faintest twang of an American accent. She took the steps down to the terrace and saw the back of a woman with a mane of blonde hair sitting in a chair next to LJ.
Ava stood stock-still, unable to move. The woman must have heard her footsteps, for she turned around.
The two of them stared at each other for a long time.
Then Ava heard LJ’s voice. It sounded strained and unnatural.
‘Ava, dear. Come here and meet your mother.’
LJ watched the two of them together, her heart a churning cauldron of emotions. When Ava had first appeared on the terrace, LJ had seen the apprehension in her eyes. Cheska had stood up and flung her arms round her daughter, and Ava had stood numbly, unable to respond. Then they’d sat down and talked like the strangers they were. Slowly, as the evening had worn on and they’d drunk the champagne Cheska had brought with her and insisted they open, Ava had lost a little of her shyness.
During the supper that followed, LJ saw that Cheska was working hard to bring her daughter under her spell. She told stories of her life in Hollywood, the people she’d met and anecdotes about other cast members of The Oil Barons.
LJ thought she knew Ava inside out, but it was hard to know how she was feeling tonight. Outwardly, she certainly seemed to be listening in delight to her mother’s stories.
Eventually, after coffee, Cheska yawned. ‘Pardon me, but I’m exhausted. I’m going to turn in now. I was in the air all last night and didn’t sleep a wink.’ She stood up and kissed LJ on the cheek. ‘Thank you for supper. It was delicious.’ Then she moved to Ava and put her arms round her. ‘Goodnight, honey. I do hope you don’t have much planned for the next few days. I want us to spend as much time together as possible. We have a lot of lost time to make up for, don’t we?’
‘Yes. Goodnight, Cheska.’ Ava nodded calmly. ‘Sleep well.’
As Cheska’s footsteps retreated inside the house, LJ stretched across the table and placed a hand on Ava’s arm. ‘Are you all right, darling? I’m so sorry I couldn’t warn you, I had no idea she was coming. It must have been a shock.’
Ava turned, her face shadowy in the dim light. ‘It wasn’t your fault. She’s very beautiful, isn’t she?’
‘Yes, but not as beautiful as her daughter.’
Ava chuckled. ‘Some of the stories she had to tell. Can you imagine living that kind of life?’
‘No, dear, I can’t.’
‘Do you think she’s staying long?’
‘I have no idea.’
‘Oh.’ Ava stared at a moth that was flickering near the night light on the table, then gently steered it away and off into the dark.
‘Are you sure you’re all right?’ repeated LJ.
‘Yes. I mean, she’s very nice and everything, and seems like fun, but it doesn’t feel like she’s anything to do with me. I’ve always wondered how it’d be if I ever met her, and what I felt was . . . nothing, really. I feel a bit guilty.’
‘Well, you mustn’t. It’ll take time to get to know her. You do want to, don’t you?’
‘I . . . think so. The only problem is, I don’t think I can ever regard her as my mother – I mean, not in the proper sense. You’re my mother, and that will never change. Never. Darling LJ, you must be exhausted. Shall I help you up to bed?’
When LJ was settled, Ava went and sat in her usual spot on the edge of the bed. She kissed her great-aunt tenderly on the forehead. ‘Don’t worry about me, LJ. I’m fine. I love you. Goodnight.’ She left the room and closed the door softly behind her.
LJ lay staring into the darkness. She felt confused, concerned and, for the first time, every one of her eighty-five years. There were things she wanted to tell Ava about her mother; she wanted to warn her that Cheska was not all she seemed. But she couldn’t. It would sound like sour grapes, and LJ didn’t want Ava to feel any guilt about getting to know her mother if she wanted to. And David had telephoned from Delhi only yesterday to say that he and Tor were setting off to Tibet and would be incommunicado for the next few weeks. She felt insecure and vulnerable without him.
She eventually drifted into a restless sleep. At some point, she woke with a start, a strange noise disturbing her. She switched on her bedside light and saw she’d been asleep for less than an hour. Yes, she could definitely hear someone, or something, moaning softly. Then she heard a high-pitched laugh. Just as she was about to reach for her walking stick and haul herself out of bed, the moaning stopped. She lay listening intently, but the noise was not repeated.
She switched off the light and tried to relax.
She’d heard that laugh once before, a long time ago, and wracked her brain as to where and when.
Then she remembered.
It had been the night she’d found Cheska in the nursery, tearing apart the poor, defenceless teddy bear.
45
On Saturday evening, a week after Cheska’s arrival, Ava sat on the terrace with LJ, drinking lemonade and enjoying the sunset.
‘Where did you go today, dear?’ asked LJ.
‘Shopping in Monmouth. Cheska seems to have a lot of money and keeps buying me clothes she thinks will suit me. The only problem is, people keep recognising Cheska and asking for her autograph. It was okay at first, but now I’m finding it a real pain. She’s very patient with her fans. I know I wouldn’t be.’
‘And do you feel you’re getting to know her?’
‘She’s very good company, and we laugh a lot, but I can’t get it to sink in that she’s my mother. She doesn’t really act like one, in the way you do. She’s more like a sister, I suppose. Sometimes she seems terribly young.’
‘H
as she said when she’s leaving?’ LJ asked tentatively.
‘No. But I suppose it’ll be soon. She has all her commitments in Hollywood. To be honest, I’ll be glad when she’s gone. I’ve got a million things to do before I leave for London. The village children are coming over next weekend and I’m taking them on a nature tour of the estate. I can’t imagine Cheska donning a pair of jeans and helping out with the barbecue afterwards.’ Ava chuckled.
‘No. She’s not cut out for the country.’
An hour later Cheska joined them with a bottle of champagne she’d bought on their shopping trip and poured out three glasses.
‘To celebrate us being together after all this time. Cheers, as you say over here.’
‘Yes, cheers,’ said LJ weakly. Cheska always seemed to find a reason to open another bottle, and she was getting rather bored of pretending to drink it. Fizz didn’t suit her stomach at all.
‘Oh, I thought you might have put on that pretty dress I bought you today, Ava,’ Cheska pouted.
‘As a matter of fact, I live in these jeans,’ Ava replied. ‘I’ll save it for a special occasion. You’ve bought me so much, I don’t know what to choose.’
‘Well, it won’t hurt to stock up your wardrobe, will it? And what about some new glasses? Those really aren’t very flattering, you know. You have such lovely eyes – my colour, I reckon. It seems a shame to hide them behind those heavy frames.’
‘I have contact lenses, but these are much more comfortable.’
‘I think glasses give Ava’s face character, Cheska,’ said LJ.
‘Yes, of course they do. Anyway’ – Cheska smiled – ‘I have something to tell you both. I’ve enjoyed this week so much that I’ve decided to forget about going home and stay on here for a while longer. That is, if you’ll have me.’
‘But surely you have filming commitments for your television show and, besides, won’t you be bored? Marchmont is hardly Hollywood,’ LJ said slowly.
‘We don’t start shooting until the end of September, and of course I won’t be bored, LJ,’ replied Cheska, the annoyance plain in her voice. ‘The peace here is just what I need after LA. Besides, this is where my family is,’ she added, reaching for Ava’s hand and squeezing it. ‘I’m just sorry dear Uncle David isn’t here, too.’
So am I, thought LJ.
‘Cheska, I hope you won’t mind, but I have some things planned over the next few days, so I won’t be able to come out with you as often I have been,’ said Ava.
‘Of course I don’t mind. I’ll be happy just to enjoy the scenery and relax.’ She stretched, then sighed. ‘Oh, I’m so glad I came home!’
Cheska had insisted on taking Ava out to lunch at an expensive local hotel the following day, even though Ava had promised to help Jack on the farm. To keep the peace, Ava agreed to go, hoping it would let her off the hook for the rest of the time her mother stayed at Marchmont.
‘I can’t believe you want to be a vet, honey.’ Cheska shuddered, putting a dainty morsel of beef onto her fork. ‘I don’t know how you could contemplate it. The sight of blood makes me faint.’
‘Well, the sight of you eating a piece of that poor cow makes me feel faint,’ retorted Ava with a smile.
Cheska raised an eyebrow in irritation, then continued. ‘By the way, you told me yesterday that LJ is paying for your expenses whilst you’re studying. How will she find the money? Living in London can be very expensive. I feel it’s my job to pay.’
‘Apparently, my grandfather – your father – left me a legacy. She says it’s quite a lot and will easily cover everything, so really, don’t worry, Cheska.’
‘Oh, but your grandfather didn’t—’ She stopped herself. She had been about to say that Owen had died before she herself was ten, so how could he possibly have left money to a child who hadn’t yet been born?
Ava was oblivious to the sudden steely look in her mother’s eyes. She was chattering away about her dream of eventually starting up her own veterinary practice locally.
‘Well, you do have your life planned out, don’t you, Ava? Unfortunately, the future isn’t always as predictable as we’d like to think, but I’m sure you’ll learn that as you get older.’
‘You may be right, but I know what I want. And if I plan it carefully, I don’t think anything can really go wrong, can it?’ But her mother was now staring blankly out of the window. ‘Are you okay?’
Eventually Cheska looked back at her daughter and smiled slowly. ‘I heard you, honey. I’m sure everything will turn out just fine.’
A gentle September mist, which hung lethargically over the valley, greeted Ava every morning when she opened her bedroom curtains. She soaked in every second of the beautiful view, storing it up for when she was in London and unable to see it. As she’d told Cheska she would, she’d been spending most of her time out on the estate, helping the farmers bale the hay for winter. She only saw her mother at supper, as she was long gone by the time Cheska rose at mid-morning. Occasionally, returning to the house through the woods, Ava would see a small figure in the clearing, standing by Jonny’s grave. She supposed that Cheska was paying her respects to her twin brother, who had died when he was tiny. She could hardly believe how quickly the holiday had flown and wondered when her mother would be flying back to Hollywood. Any time now, she supposed.
A week before Ava was due to leave for London, Mary rushed up the drive to greet her on her way back from the estate farm.
‘What is it, Mary?’ Ava’s heart began to pound.
‘It’s your great-aunt, fach. She took a fall this afternoon. Cheska saw it and said she stumbled on the staircase.’
‘Oh God! Is she all right?’
‘I think so, yes. Just badly shaken. Dr Stone’s with her now.’
Ava dashed into the house and ran upstairs. She opened the door to LJ’s room, panting hard. Cheska was standing at the bottom of the bed, her arms folded, watching as the young doctor took LJ’s blood pressure.
‘Oh LJ!’ She rushed to the side of the bed and knelt down, taking in her great-aunt’s ashen complexion. ‘What have you been doing? I told you to leave those hurdles alone while I wasn’t here to watch you!’
LJ managed a weak smile at the joke she and Ava had shared since her hip operation.
‘How is she, doctor?’
‘Well, nothing broken, just some nasty bruising,’ he replied. ‘But I’m afraid your blood pressure has shot up, Mrs Marchmont. I’m going to increase your medication and I want you to promise me you’ll remain in bed for the rest of the week.’ He turned to Ava and Cheska. ‘Absolutely no excitement, please. We want Mrs Marchmont to remain calm and rested and see if we can get her blood pressure down. And if you don’t behave’ – he wagged a finger at LJ – ‘I’ll have no choice but to put you in hospital.’
‘Honestly, doctor, I’ll make sure she doesn’t move a muscle.’ Ava gripped LJ’s hand tightly. ‘I can always delay going to London.’
‘No, you can’t, Ava. I can look after her.’
It was the first time Cheska had spoken. Ava glanced up at her mother and thought that she looked odd, somehow. ‘But I thought you had to get back to Hollywood?’
‘I do, but I can’t leave you to cope alone. I’m going to call my agent and tell him to let the studios know. They can film around me for a while, or write me out of the first few episodes. After all,’ Cheska added, ‘family is much more important, isn’t it? You mustn’t miss out on the start of your course, must she, LJ?’
‘Of course not.’ LJ shook her head wearily. ‘But remember: I do have Mary here, too. Please, Cheska, don’t stay on my account. You should go back to Los Angeles as planned.’
‘I wouldn’t dream of it, darling LJ, so you’ll just have to put up with me being your nurse.’
‘Do you want to see me out, Ava?’ asked Dr Stone.
‘Of course. I’ll be back in a moment, LJ.’
‘And do try and behave yourself for five minutes, Mrs Marchmont.’
&nb
sp; ‘I’ll see that she does.’ Cheska smiled at him. ‘Goodbye, doctor, and thank you.’
The doctor blushed and mumbled a goodbye.
Ava accompanied him down the stairs. ‘Are you sure she’s going to be all right?’
‘As long as she rests, I would hope so. The problem with high blood pressure is that it can lead to strokes. Your great-aunt’s had a nasty shock and, although she’s very fit for her age, the hip operation has taken it out of her.’ The doctor turned to Ava at the front door. ‘By the way, was that really Gigi from The Oil Barons?’
‘Yes.’
‘A relation?’
‘My mother, actually.’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘I had no idea. Anyway, I’m sure she’ll take good care of your great-aunt. Rather convenient she’s here, with your uncle being away and you off to London. I’ll pop in tomorrow. Goodbye.’
The doctor left and Ava closed the front door. She turned and saw Cheska standing on the stairs behind her.
‘I thought I’d get LJ a cup of tea,’ Cheska said.
‘Good idea. I’ll go and sit with her for a bit.’ Then she noticed the tears in her mother’s eyes. ‘What is it?’ she asked, climbing the stairs towards her.
‘Oh Ava, I feel so goddamn guilty. I mean . . . I was right behind her and then . . . she tripped and fell.’ She crumpled onto the stairs and began to sob.
Ava sat next to her and put an arm round her shoulders. ‘Don’t cry, Cheska. Of course it wasn’t your fault.’
Cheska looked at Ava and grasped her hand. ‘Ava, whatever LJ tells you, I love you very much. Very much.’ Her eyes looked huge, like steel saucers. ‘You do know that, don’t you?’
‘Why, I . . . yes, Cheska,’ Ava said, bemused.
Cheska was staring off into the distance again. ‘There are so many things we do . . . things that—’
Ava saw her mother shudder, then visibly pull herself together.
‘I’m sorry, I’m just upset, that’s all. And I do wish you’d call me Mother, not Cheska.’
‘I . . . of course. You go and sit in the kitchen for a bit . . . Mother. I’ll go up to LJ.’
The Angel Tree Page 38
