The Holiday Home

16


Francis unpacked the shopping and put the lobsters in the salad compartment of the fridge to quieten them down. Then he made a large pot of tea and went out into the hall. ‘Anyone for tea?’ he shouted up the stairs. ‘It’s in the kitchen. Come and get it.’

Greg came out of the rumpus room looking sly. ‘Hello, old man. How did lunch go with B?’ he whispered.

Francis, not liking this subterfuge, said, ‘Fine. How was your phone call?’

Greg rolled his eyes in rapture as an answer.

‘Did Pru wonder where I was at lunchtime?’ asked Francis.

‘No. I told her the truth. Belinda had taken you shopping for supper.’

‘Why did you tell her that?’ Francis hissed.

‘The truth is always best.’ Greg looked up as Connie and Pru descended the stairs. ‘Hello, girls. Golly, you look as if you could do with a cuppa.’

Connie pushed her fringe out of her eyes with the back of her rubber-gloved hand. ‘Pru and I have finished upstairs. The last lot of clean curtains are up. How did your phone call go with Janie?’

Francis looked sharply at Greg, who seemed completely relaxed.

‘All fine. She wanted to run a few things past me and there were plenty of things I needed her to do for me.’

Connie gave him a hug. Over the top of her head, Greg gave Francis a wink as he mouthed, ‘The truth, see.’

Pru walked through the middle of them all, clanging her bucket and mop. ‘Good of Belinda to take you to the shops, Francis. Did you get everything we need?’

‘Yes. Sorry I wasn’t here to prepare lunch.’

‘No problem. Greg did pretty well as a one-armed sandwich maker. Cheese and pickle.’

Greg winked at Francis again. ‘See, old man. Nothing to it.’

Francis relaxed. ‘Well done on completing the spring clean, girls. I see you’ve managed to get a tarpaulin on the hole in the roof.’

‘Yes,’ said Pru. ‘The weather forecast is looking a bit iffy, so I had to ask Merlin to do that. I’ll find a proper roofer tomorrow.’

They moved into the kitchen and helped themselves to tea and slices of shop-bought Madeira cake.

Dorothy appeared at the back door with Henry’s iPad in her hand. ‘How do I turn this on?’

Connie laughed. ‘Mummy, I showed you the other day.’

‘No you didn’t. I would remember if you had.’

‘I did. But, anyway, if it’s to find a chandelier cleaner, I think you’ll find we don’t need one. Come into the hall and look.’

Connie got up and escorted Dorothy into the hall. The afternoon sun was slanting through the mullioned windows either side of the front door and glinting on the glass drops. The hall was lit with the refracted sparkles of light.

‘Oh, darling!’ Dorothy clasped her hands in front of her chest. ‘You’ve beaten me to it! Doesn’t it look wonderful? Who did you get to do it so quickly?’

Connie smiled. ‘A marvellous company: Johnson and Johnson. They have all the specialist gear. I’ve some left over, if you want it.’

‘Ooh, yes please, darling.’

‘They’re in the kitchen.’

On the kitchen table lay the packet of wet wipes. Connie handed them to her mother. ‘Here you go.’

*

At six thirty, Belinda came round with a large jug of Pimm’s and Emily. Henry and Dorothy were strolling over from The Bungalow at the same time.

Dorothy smiled a welcome and said, ‘Pimm’s! My favourite. Good evening, Belinda. Hello, Emily.’ The women greeted each other with kisses and Henry followed suit.

He spoke to Emily. ‘Now, young lady, have you any idea how an iPad works?’

‘Yes, of course. I haven’t got one, but I’ve used my friend’s.’

‘Ah. Could you help me with it? My daughter, Connie, tried but she’s not much better than me and she gets so impatient. Would you give me a lesson or two?’

‘Of course!’ Emily smiled.

‘Thank you. Oh, I say, look at the firepit and the table. Doesn’t that look nice. Would you sit next to me?’

The entire family were gathering round the table and Henry chose his seat at the head with Emily to his left. ‘We can watch the sunset from here. We might even see the green flash.’

She turned and stared at him. ‘Do you believe in the green flash? I mean, does it exist?’

‘Oh yes. Cornwall is full of myth and legend, but the green flash is real enough. It’s a trick of the light that sometimes happens at sunset. We might be lucky tonight.’

Francis staggered out of the kitchen and on to the terrace with an enormous bowl of cooked lobsters.

‘Frankie, why didn’t you call me. I’ll help you with that.’

Belinda was up on her feet and following Francis back to the kitchen. Pru, who was stoking the firepit, looked at Jeremy. ‘Jem, go and help your father … and you, Abi.’

The kitchen was steamy from the enormous pan of water in which the lobsters had been cooked. Francis was busy pouring his mayonnaise into a sauce boat. A small drip landed on the worktop. Belinda and he both reached for it with their tasting fingers.

‘Great minds, eh!’ laughed Belinda. She dipped her finger in and licked it lasciviously, rolling her eyes in ecstasy at the same time. ‘You are the King of Sauce, Frankie.’ Her cleavage jiggled as she laughed again at her own joke.

Abi and Jem arrived in time to witness Francis and Belinda with arms looped round each other’s shoulders, shaking with mirth.

‘Hey, Dad,’ said Jem, ‘I haven’t seen you laugh like this for ages.’

‘Yeah, unc. It, like, suits you,’ agreed Abi.

Belinda let Francis go and flicked her tea towel at Abi and Jem. The kids started laughing and a chase ensued round the kitchen table. As soon as Belinda got round to the sink, she dipped her hand in the sudsy water and began flicking them all with bubbles. Abi and Jem retaliated by picking at a bunch of grapes and chucking them at Belinda and Francis.

Pru, hearing the laughter from the garden, came to see what the joke was. They were having such a good time with their playfight, no one noticed her. Standing at the French windows, however, Pru noticed the way Francis seemed so relaxed in Belinda’s company. A tremor of fear and – jealousy? – blew into her heart. She coughed loudly and walked in. ‘Hi, guys. Having fun?’

The noise stopped and they all stood awkwardly.

‘You sort of had to be there,’ said Jem. ‘Belinda’s been splashing us.’

Pru looked at Belinda. And said flatly ‘Well, that does sound hilarious. Any chance of supper?’

Between them they loaded the garden dining table with dishes of buttery new potatoes, asparagus, salad and mayonnaise.

‘Tuck in, everyone,’ said Francis. And they did.

Slowly the sun sank lower in the sky until it was almost touching the horizon. Henry wiped his fingers clean of lobster juice and nudged Emily. ‘Keep watching the sun as it slips further down.’ Emily had never seen or noticed how quickly the sun travelled. In a few minutes there was only half of it left, then a quarter, then, at the moment it finally slipped from view, there was a definite green blink of light.

‘Oh my God! The green flash! Was that it?’

‘Yes, my dear. That was it.’

‘Wow. Cool.’

‘As you say,’ Henry chuckled, pouring her a small glass of rosé with which to celebrate. They toasted each other quietly and Belinda, watching from the other side of the table, smiled to herself.

The firepit was sending tracer sparks into the warm night air and the moon was playing peekaboo with the racing clouds.

Henry turned to Pru and raised his glass. ‘May I say, Pru, what a fine choice of husband you made all those years ago. Not only has he put up with you …’ he paused for the gratuitous laughter, ‘… he cooks like a dream. This lobster was delicious.’ He raised his glass. ‘Here’s to Francis the chef. Cheers!’

‘Cheers!’ echoed the assembled throng.

‘Uncle Francis, would you help me with the food for my birthday party?’ piped up Abi.

‘Ah!’ said Henry. ‘So the parents are letting you have the party on the beach, are they?’

‘What’s this?’ Connie, slightly tipsy, tuned in.

‘My party, Mum. My birthday’s only a week away. Jem and I have invited some people—’

‘How many people?’ Her mother tried not to slur.

‘A few friends, that’s all. For a tin of beer on the beach and some food, some music.’

‘Did I say yes to this?’ Connie tried to focus on Greg. ‘Did you say yes to this?’

Greg, in an expansive mood following his lengthy and erotic call with Janie, said, ‘What the hell, you’re only seventeen once. Yes, she can have her party. But … she’ll have to fund it herself.’

‘Oh, Daaaad.’ Abi’s face had fallen from triumph to tragedy. ‘I haven’t got any money.’

‘You have your monthly allowance.’

‘I’ve spent it.’

‘Then you’ll have to get a job.’

‘Where?’

Belinda butted in, ‘I’d be more than happy to help with the organisation. It needn’t cost a fortune.’

‘Would you?’ asked Abi hopefully.

Pru leapt in, ‘Well, that would be very kind, Belinda. Thank you. Connie and I simply won’t have the time to help as we are full on with finding a roofer and watching Merlin like a hawk while he fixes the plumbing. And, of course, neither Greg nor Francis are able bodied enough to cart party things up and down the path to the beach. So, are we all agreed? Connie?’

Connie had her head flat on the table. Greg tried to wake her, but she was in a deep wine-induced sleep.

Belinda beamed. ‘I’ll be your Uncle Francis’s kitchen helper.’

A frown crept onto Pru’s brow – had she just scored an own goal, she wondered?

Abi, however, was delighted.

‘Mum’s out for the count! Good, she won’t remember that she didn’t say yes!’

‘Don’t be disrespectful to your mother. She’s exhausted with all the cleaning she’s been doing,’ said Greg, filling up his own glass.

Dorothy surveyed her unconscious daughter with a curl of her lip. ‘Doesn’t know her limit. Never did. Remember that summer, Henry? We found her in a terrible state. She’d been at your brandy.’

Henry thought for a moment, ‘That was Pru, wasn’t it?’

‘No.’ Dorothy was quite definite. ‘Connie.’ She turned to Pru: ‘What was it all about? A row over some boyfriend, as I recall.’

Pru looked into her own glass and said quietly, ‘I really don’t remember.’

‘Yes, you do,’ said Dorothy. ‘You and Connie didn’t speak to each other for months.’

‘God, yes,’ Henry breathed. ‘It was over that boy – Merlin.’

Greg sat up, suddenly attentive. ‘Merlin? He told me you two girls had had a falling out. Don’t tell me you got in a fight over that no hoper!’ Greg waved his glass at Pru. ‘Come on, spill the beans. Did he break poor old Con’s heart? Or yours?’

Pru stood up and started to collect the dirty plates. ‘It was a summer of parties and friends and Merlin was just one of the gang.’ She reached across the table. ‘Pass me your plate, Daddy.’

Registering Pru’s discomfort, Belinda leapt to her aid. ‘Gosh, look at the time! Come on, everyone, let’s get this lot tidied up so we can head off to bed. Emily, you wait here – I’m just going to give Pru a hand clearing up.’

As they busied themselves in the kitchen, Belinda chatted away brightly.

‘Frankie and I had a wonderful morning in Trevay, today. He’s such a lovely man.’ She put the last of the dinner plates on the worktop. ‘Did he tell you we had lunch?’

‘Yes, he said you had been kind enough to give him a lift.’ Pru reached for an apron.

‘How did you two meet?’ asked Belinda, loading cutlery into the dishwasher.

Pru told her the story. ‘And he has looked after me, and then Jeremy, ever since,’ she concluded.

‘So you’re very good friends?’

Pru ran the hot tap into the sink and squeezed in a measure of Fairy Liquid for the larger bowls and pans. ‘Yes, that’s true. We are very good friends.’ She gave Belinda a gimlet ‘back-off’ stare. ‘We are an excellent team.’ She emphasised the last word.

Belinda smiled to herself and picked up a tea towel.

‘That’s nice.’

Pru lifted a soapy saucepan on to the draining board. Belinda picked it up and started drying it. ‘So, tell me about Merlin. I’ve seen him working on the house.’

‘Nothing to tell,’ said Pru, scrubbing a pot. ‘We were all friends. It was years ago.’

‘You and he together?’

Pru looked at Belinda steadily. ‘No, me and Connie, and a large group of friends.’

‘One of whom was Merlin?’

‘Yes.’

‘And …?’ pushed Belinda.

‘And, nothing,’ said Pru.

‘Strange. Outside just now, the way you were talking about him, it sounded as if you and Merlin and Connie had a bit of a history.’

Pru gave her a withering and bemused look. ‘Puh-lease, as the young ones say.’

They continued washing up for a few more minutes, then Belinda said, ‘He’s a good-looking man.’

Pru pulled out the sink plug and dried her hands on her apron. ‘Yes. Merlin was always rather handsome.’

‘I meant Francis,’ drawled Belinda.

*

Greg had somehow managed to steer Connie up to bed. His one good arm was still strong enough to hold her, even though on every stair tread she stopped and kissed him. She had always been an amorous drunk, and tonight was no exception. Greg, fired up with thoughts of Janie, was quite happy to oblige. He swiftly got his wife undressed and comfortable on the bed.

Afterwards, he kissed her and held her and told her how much he loved her. It was possible she was asleep and couldn’t hear him, but he felt a pang of guilt all the same. He promised himself that, as soon as the summer was over, he’d cool it with Janie. Maybe.

Connie, meanwhile, had been quite aware of what was happening to her but she’d chosen to close her eyes and imagine that it was Merlin in her bed. His beautiful face, his lean, tanned body, the mischievous charm of him. He had first made love to her in this house. He’d come one day when everyone else was out. Connie had poured him a shandy – the most grown-up drink she could think of. He had teased her and said he couldn’t drink it alone, she’d have to have one too. After a couple, she’d been desperate for him to kiss her. They’d sat talking, head to head, almost nose to nose. He’d told her about the sea, and what it was like to grow up in Cornwall, and he’d told her how good she looked in her bikini when she came to the beach. When he finally moved in for a kiss, she closed her eyes and let him do what she wanted. Just as she had let Greg do this evening.

She smiled when he told her how much he loved her. He was sleeping now. Once again she thought how lucky she was to have a husband she could trust. It had taken a long time for the pain of Merlin’s betrayal to fade.

*

Pru watched Francis as he got himself ready for bed. She tried to see him with fresh eyes. He had strong legs and only a tiny bit of belly. His face was pleasing. His kind eyes were large and well set, his nose of average length and straight. His teeth were good and his hair, although slightly receding, was otherwise thick and cut well. Handsome? She supposed he was, but that wasn’t what had attracted her. It was the man inside that mattered. She knew they were a team. A partnership. They could rely on each other. She looked again at his familiar face.

‘Francis?’

‘Hmm?’ He was concentrating on applying athlete’s foot powder to his toes.

‘I think you have an admirer.’

He froze but managed to say, ‘Oh yes?’ in a tight voice.

‘Yes – Belinda! How funny is that!’