A Change for the Better? (23 page)

“God!
I’d forgotten they all started again today” she said with a groan as she sat down.

“What’s all started again?” Katie asked intrigued.

“The coach trips!
Burton Hall opens on 1
st
March to the end of December and all the coaches always have a stop off in Laxley – the coach park in the new car park is just down the road there” Cliona explained, pointing to where the visitors were appearing from, “ and
they all troop up the high street! It’s why I set up my little hallway shop – I pick up quite a bit of
business as
the grey army marches past!”

“Cliona!”
Katie gasped, “They might hear you”

Cliona shrugged, “I’ve nothing against them – in fact I intend to be marching at the front of them eventually! I wish I could have a bigger shop really, if they could mooch round a bit more I’m sure I’d sell a bit more, but once a couple of people are in my hallway the rest keep walking on. I wanted to use the living room but Declan drew the line at that” she grumbled.

“I’m not surprised – you’d have probably ended up inviting them all in for lunch too!” Katie laughed

“Well, maybe” Cliona conceded, “but it’s still a good idea, in fact …” she added standing up and surveying the house, “ Tolpuddle would be ideal, look at the big window there” she pointed to the window that looked out from Mo’s bedroom, which was currently Katie’s room. “If you had a really good display in there and a sign above they’d soon be all walking up the path for a look – especially as you can now actually get up the path!” she added thoughtfully. Katie smiled at her friend who was already laying it out in her head and so decided to wind her up a bit more.

“Mmmm, yes, and I could serve tea, coffee and cakes in the front room as everyone sits looking out of the bay window!” she suggested

“Oooo!” squealed Cliona, “What a great idea, Tolpuddle Tea Rooms, Tolpuddle Coffee House – it’d go down a storm” Cliona clapped her hands with excitement.

“I was only joking” Katie cut in, “I can’t open a café in Tolpuddle”

“Why not?” demanded Cliona

“For a start it’s not my house, secondly, where would I live if I have tearooms in the front room and shops in the flat, and lastly, I’d have to be staying here permanently to run it, which I won’t be” Katie finished decisively.

“Oh right” Cliona sounded a bit deflated, “I’d forgotten all that – still it’s not a bad idea” she added a bit loath to let it go straight away.

“No it’s not a bad idea at all”
Katie said graciously, feeling a little guilty for taking the wind out of her friends sails quite so definitely.

“Hmm, oh well” Cliona let it go, “but aren’t you staying around? I thought you’d settled in well here. Are you thinking of going back to London?
And to Marcus?”
Cliona prodded gently.

“Not Marcus, no.
It’s been two months since you know what – and I’ve not had a peep out of him, not even a lousy text!” Katie replied indignantly, “In fact I think I’m off men for the moment, I’m always so wrong about them, I mean I even got it wrong with Bbb … blokes before Marcus” she finished lamely. She had very nearly said Ben and Katie wasn’t ready  to discuss that with Cliona yet, “but I suppose I just
assumed I’ll go back to London once Mo’s back up and running,” Katie said to steer the conversation back to safer waters, “ and the best jobs are in London.”

“I guess so, but we do alright around here and I’m a mean matchmaker – if you let me!” answered Cliona, with a glint in her eye, “but I wouldn’t count on Mo coming back here any time soon – I think she’s looking forward to a bit of fun at Cheadle House with Bert!”

Katie had time to reflect on the truth of that statement later that same day as she got all the things together that Mo had asked her to take to Cheadle House. As well as the karaoke machine, she wanted playing cards, DVD’s and a popcorn maker that Katie hadn’t even realised existed. Katie added a few of the more mundane things such as clothes, toiletries, books and a few of Mo’s favourite baking implements, once Mo was fully up and about she would be sure to make a beeline for the kitchen to whip up some biscuits or a fruitcake and she’d want her measures, spatulas and tins to do that. These were things that became very special to you in cooking, almost superstitiously, if you made a great cake with something then you always wanted to use that one – until it failed you!

Katie was just surveying the cases and boxes that were nearly blocking the hallway when the bell rang and the door opened simultaneously as Lucy bowled in mid-sentence, “no she won’t Ben, we come all the time now we don’t need to wait for someone to answer the door” she argued, without noticing Katie or the boxes in the hallway and promptly fell over them.

“Oh bugger” she said as she stood up, rubbing her backside, “I didn’t see those” she added, stating the obvious.

“No?” Ben raised an eyebrow, “well that’s why you wait for someone to open the door so they can guide you through any obstacles waiting on the other side” he chided.

Lucy seemed unimpressed with this advice but nearly fell back into the boxes as she turned round and walked into Katie.

“Oh – what are you doing there?” she asked, somewhat indignantly

“Waiting for someone to ring the bell” Katie answered sardonically, sharing a smile with Ben as she did.

“Ha ha – funny much?”
Lucy drawled, “You’re nearly as bad as him” she added, flicking her ponytail in the general direction of her brother, “I’m going upstairs to see Poppy – and I won’t have to ring the bell!”

Katie and Ben managed to keep a straight face until Lucy had disappeared round the top of the stairs when they both gave in to their
mirth. Fourteen year old sisters were hugely entertaining! When they’d recovered and exchanged the usual pleasantries Ben surveyed the offending boxes and cases.

“I’m guessing this is all the stuff to take to Mo’s then?” he asked, a tad unnecessarily.

“Yes, just as well you could come! I think this would be about eight trips in my car!” Katie laughed.

“And the rest” Ben added, “but it should all go in the back of Conan”

“Conan?” Katie had to ask

“The warrior – I bought that instead of the Kangoo, all this stuff should fit in the back and there’s enough seats for all of us, so you don’t need to take the car at all” he explained

To be honest, Katie was relieved; she hadn’t felt like driving over to Mo’s. She didn’t like to admit it but she was feeling a bit depressed about Mo’s move, at least with Ben and Lucy talking and bickering all the way, it should keep her mind occupied. Katie and Ben set to clearing the hall of all the boxes and cases and soon they were all stowed in the enormous back of Conan without incident, apart from Ben’s slight double take at the popcorn maker.

Just as the last box had been stowed in the boot and the door was shut Lucy appeared, with immaculate timing, ready to go, and with Poppy in tow

“It’s okay if Pops comes too isn’t it? She’d really like to see Mo” Lucy asked

Ben looked to Katie who had no doubt, “Of course it is – Mo will love to see you” she said, “She can check if I’m feeding you enough - again!”

They all hopped into the wagon and in thirty minutes were pulling up outside Cheadle House with plenty of oh-ing and ah-ing from Poppy and Lucy who hadn’t seen it before. Before they were all out of the van the big front door opened and Mo and Bert appeared at the threshold to greet their visitors.

“Katie, Katie, come and
see
the room they’ve given me, next to Bert’s. It’s like a hotel, TV, digital radio, automatic lights and a minibar!”

“What” Katie said, in disbelief, “a minibar, that can’t be right, I mean, I know you can have a drink if you want one but a bar in your room, that’s outrageous! I’ll speak to Violet about that – how much will they charge? They cost the earth in hotels. I can’t believe it!” Katie was in full swing now, full of outraged decency and ready for battle – so much so that she didn’t immediately notice everyone repressing a smile but she then spotted Mo mid-wink to Bert.

“Oh I see” she laughed, “so you’re feeling much better then?”

“I’m feeling fine, my dear” Mo said, “but still getting used to this bloody stick! Come over here and help me back to the room, Ben, you and Poppy, oh and Lucy can bring the boxes. That’s alright isn’t it?” she asked as she looked at Ben.

“That’s what we’re here for” he said, doffing an imaginary cap, as Mo linked Katie’s arm and they set off down the corridor.

The room was, indeed, fabulous. Spotlessly clean with a
deep, luxurious
, cream carpet that almost ate your feet as you walked on it, there were heavy brocade curtains in a deep plum and a perfectly co-ordinated double bed. Katie looked at the bed and then at Mo, raising a questioning eyebrow.

“Well, you never know” Mo laughed, “I’m not quite past it yet!”

“No, you’re probably not – I think I am though” she added under her breath. Mo appeared not to hear and soon everyone else appeared, ferrying boxes and cases and exclaiming over the room.

“Really, it’s not old fogeyish at all” Lucy said magnanimously, “I could even stay in here - with a few changes” she added.

“Thank you, Lucy!” Mo said, “And exactly what changes would you make?”

Lucy pondered this for a moment, wrinkling her forehead in thought, “ Well I’d have to have my iPod and docking station over there and the
curtains should be black, to add a bit of drama, maybe paint a mural on that wall over there” she continued, warming to her theme

“Yes, well
it’s
not Mo’s room to change” Katie cut in before Mo got too interested in any of Lucy’s more outlandish ideas as she already seemed to surveying the far wall a bit too carefully. “What time is it? I’m starving!” Katie said suddenly, realising there was a fairly loud rumbling beginning in her stomach.

“God, yes, look
its
7.15 – we’ve missed dinner. I was going to treat everyone.” Mo exclaimed, “I know, who’s for fish and chips?”

Everyone, it seemed, was up for fish and chips so Ben and Bert were dispatched to ‘The Happy Haddock’ in the wagon to pick up six times fish and chips as Mo, Katie, Poppy and Lucy finished unpacking the boxes and stowing it all away.

In half an hour they were all sat round on the bed and in the deep comfy armchairs contentedly munching crispy, battered haddock and fat, golden chips out of the paper. There’s something deeply comforting about food eaten with your fingers, still in their wrappers and everyone had gotten so comfortable they were loath to make a move when they had finished. The combination of the warm, comfy surroundings, full bellies and the cold March night outside made the thought of going out there very unappetising, but it was already 8.30pm and Ben knew he had to get Katie and Poppy home to Laxley
Heath and then on to Rawlinston at a reasonable hour so that Lucy wouldn’t be yawning her way through school the next day. Reluctantly they said their goodbyes and promised to be back soon. They all drifted off into quiet reveries as they made their way back to Tolpuddle House, quietly contented. As Ben pulled up outside the house, Katie invited everyone in for a cup of tea and as Ben was feeling a little drowsy, or so he told himself, he decided to take her up on her offer before finishing his journey back to Rawlinston.

Katie opened the front door, giving a silent word of thanks again for Ben’s handiwork that meant she no longer ended up on her backside every time she came in, and they all trooped in behind her. Katie had barely had time to fill the kettle when there was an insistent knocking on the side door. Katie swore Mary could hear the kettle going on from a full mile away! Opening the door Katie was about to invite Mary in when she saw she was drip white and distraught.

“Help, Katie, help – Ken’s collapsed. I don’t think he’s breathing, I don’t know what to do,
I
can’t lose him.” Big tears welled in her eyes and were falling fast down her cheeks. Putting a protective arm around Mary, Katie started to lead her back to the flat as she left she looked over at Ben meaningfully, who, reading the signal, jumped up with a quick instruction to Poppy to call for an ambulance, and then followed Katie and Mary round to the Clackett’s flat.

Ken was lying in the middle of the living room floor and looked terrifyingly still. Ben rushed straight over to him, checking his breathing and looking for any signs of life. Katie watched in a daze as he checked Ken’s airways and began compressions on his chest, 30 compressions, 2 breaths, 30 compressions, 2 breaths, 30 compressions, 2 breaths. Katie shook herself. She needed to be more use and realising
Mary was becoming increasingly hysterical and didn’t know what to do, Katie took her into the kitchen and sat her down with Poppy who had come round to say the ambulance was on its way.

“Mary, stay here with Poppy and look out for the ambulance so they know where to come as soon as they get here” she instructed Mary, giving her something to do. Quietly she told Poppy to keep Mary in the kitchen, Poppy nodded, instinctively understanding the need to keep her occupied and away from the living room.