Echoes of Love (13 page)

‘I don’t know – I mean, we only got together a few months ago, and we’re young. Who knows? It depends what happens . . .’

‘What’ll happen is that he’ll be sent off to some remote corner of the globe to kill people,’ Cassandra said emphatically. ‘Doesn’t that bother
you?’

‘Well, yes, of course – I mean war’s awful and I know I could never shoot someone, but on the other hand, if people like Felix weren’t prepared to . . .’

‘Oh look – here he comes,’ Cassandra butted in. ‘Time for a change of subject, I think.’

As he drew closer, dodging the clusters of onlookers, Felix caught sight of his mother. He stood stock-still, staring at her open-mouthed.

‘Surprised to see me, darling?’ She went up to him and planted a dainty kiss on his cheek. ‘Thought for a moment back there that you were going to fall flat on your face. So
good on you for —’

‘I tripped, that’s all,’ he retorted, eyeing her suspiciously, turning to Anna. ‘So this is your surprise?’

‘No,’ Anna said, without thinking. ‘As if I would do that, knowing . . .’ She checked herself just in time. ‘I’ve only this minute met your mum.’

‘Oh. Sorry. Anyway, why are you here, Mum?’

‘It’s Families Day, Felix,’ Cassandra replied. ‘And I’m family.’

‘You swore you wouldn’t come. So what’s changed?’

‘Darling, I may not agree with what you’re doing but I do care about your welfare. I wanted to see where you’re based, what’s in store, all that sort of thing. And
it’s lovely to meet Anna,’ she concluded, giving her a glittering smile and patting her arm.

‘Yeah, well . . . you’d better come and see my quarters,’ he replied grudgingly, slipping his hand into Anna’s and gripping it tightly.

For a minute or two they walked in silence towards the accommodation block.

‘So how was Dad last weekend?’ Felix asked suddenly, turning to face his mother.

‘Well, I didn’t see him . . .’

‘Don’t tell me,’ Felix cut in, ‘you didn’t go? You’re unbelievable!’

‘I didn’t see him last weekend because I had a bug and that’s the last thing he needs,’ Cassandra said firmly.

Felix had the good grace to look embarrassed.

‘But Oscar went and said he was much the same as usual. One of the carers said he is still trying to wander off.’

‘Like, maybe he wants to go home?’ Felix snapped.

‘Felix, we’ve been over this a hundred times,’ Cassandra replied. ‘It hurts me as much as it hurts you, but having him back is simply not an option. He needs specialist
care.’

She touched Felix’s arm. ‘But he seemed really happy with the new keyboard I bought.’ She turned to Anna. ‘He is – was – a great musician. He does still seem
able to play a bit but playing the piano in the lounge disturbs everyone, so I got him one of those little electric things. Now he’ll be playing the same thing over and over because he
won’t remember.’

Anna could see that, behind her unconcerned manner, Cassandra hid real sadness. And she was obviously very caring and generous. She couldn’t work out why Felix was so hard on her. She was
relieved when Felix went off to change and directed Anna and his mother to the hall where there was to be a talk by his commanding officer. They were about to sit down when Cassandra suddenly
turned to Anna, an anxious expression on her face.

‘Sorry about all that back there,’ she murmured. ‘You probably think like Felix, that I’m self-centred, career-minded . . .’

‘No, I . . .’

‘And maybe I am,’ she went on. It seemed as if the floodgates had opened and, once she’d started, she couldn’t stop. She wasn’t really addressing Anna; it was as
though she was talking to herself.

‘But you know what? The point that Felix doesn’t seem to get is that I can do far more good pressing the Government for changes, more help for carers, wider availability of drugs to
deal with this awful disease, than I ever could keeping myself shut away at home trying – and failing – to look after my husband.’ She smiled ruefully. ‘I’m a very
determined woman, and when I believe in something, I’ll stop at nothing to bring it to the notice of as many people as I can . . .’

‘Yes, I know,’ Anna smiled. ‘My dad was really keen to get you on the show after that time when you threw all that underwear out of —’

‘Oh my God.’ Cassandra stared at Anna. ‘Anna Eliot,’ she said. ‘Walter Eliot’s your father, isn’t he?’

Anna nodded. ‘He’d really love to get you on his programme – I mean, what you’ve just said, it’s right. It’s so important and if the major parties
aren’t doing enough to change things, then the public should realise that it’s time to vote for the individual, not the party.’

‘You’re clearly smart,’ Cassandra commented. ‘I’ll think about it. Although, as I told the producer at the time, I prefer to walk the . . .’

‘Walk rather than talk the talk,’ Anna finished. ‘But sometimes you have to talk so that other people get fired up to walk the walk, right?’

Cassandra eyed her thoughtfully. ‘I like that,’ she said. ‘I like it very much. Talk to get others to walk – I might use that.’ She nodded. ‘You might mention
our chat to your father, and I’ll get on to it my end. Oh look, here comes Felix – about time. Now let’s hear what these military types have got to say for themselves.’

Cassandra had got up and left her seat quickly, without waiting for them.

‘Oh God, now what’s she doing?’ Felix grabbed Anna’s wrist and pointed across the room. Cassandra was striding up to the commanding officer, and her shrill tones could be
heard above the babble of the assembled guests.

‘Glorifying war, that’s what you lot are doing . . . hypocrisy . . . make it sound like a jolly game of soldiers . . .’

The commanding officer grew more red in the face with every second, and several people paused and turned to stare in amazement.

‘All your talk about a nuclear capability . . .’

Felix pushed his way through the crowd and strode over to his mother. Anna couldn’t catch what he was saying as he seized Cassandra’s arm but she noticed the officer nod
imperceptibly before turning and walking briskly away.

‘It’s all propaganda and . . .’ Cassandra stopped in mid-sentence and glared at his retreating back.

‘Well, that makes a change from the usual routine I must say!’ A short, stocky man glanced at Anna as she pushed past him and shoved a notebook into his breast pocket. ‘Livened
things up a bit, that did.’

‘They say there’s lunch!’ Cassandra beckoned to Anna as if nothing untoward had happened. ‘I need the loo – see you in the mess hall in ten minutes?’

She gave a cheery wave, apparently oblivious to the critical glances of the other parents, and headed for the door. Anna scanned the room for Felix, and saw that he had caught up with the
officer and was deep in conversation. He was rubbing the back of his neck with his left hand, the way he always did when he was uptight.

‘Are you OK?’ she asked, several minutes later, when he finally made his way towards her.

‘I’ll never forgive her, never,’ he said, his voice shaking. ‘The Commandant was great; he said he didn’t hold me responsible.’

‘He could hardly do that, could he?’ Anna reasoned.

‘I’ll be a laughing stock with the lads,’ he mumbled. ‘Thank God she’s gone.’

‘Actually, she’s waiting for us over at the mess hall – they said lunch is ready,’ Anna ventured.

‘She’s what? You mean, she expects us to sit and eat with her after all she’s done? She’s got to be kidding.’

Anna followed as Felix strode across to the mess hall. They found Cassandra sitting calmly at a table surveying the menu card.

‘Now before you start, I’m sorry,’ she said, the moment Felix was within earshot.

‘It’s a bit late for that,’ Felix said. ‘Mum, what were you thinking?’

‘I know, I know, I should have kept my mouth shut,’ Cassandra admitted. ‘I just got so angry when that man went on about . . . Oh damn!’

She paused as her mobile phone shrilled from her handbag.

‘Mum, they’re supposed to be switched off,’ Felix hissed.

‘Sorry, I’ll just take this . . .’ She flipped the cover and clamped the phone to her ear.

‘What? No! Really? They said that – oh my God!’

As her voice rose to a crescendo, diners at the nearby tables stopped speaking and turned to stare. Impervious to their glares and raised eyebrows, she carried on.

‘So tell me, how did the Tories react to that one? Did they now?’ She whipped a pad and silver pencil out of her bag and began scribbling. ‘Got it! You bet I will! This could
be just what I need.’

‘Mum, for God’s sake,’ Felix pleaded, as a man on the neighbouring table muttered audibly about the manners of some people being beyond belief. ‘Can’t you read the
sign?’

Cassandra waved her hand impatiently. ‘OK, so let’s see . . . I could be with you in . . .’ She glanced at her watch. ‘Four hours max. OK.
Ciao
– oh, and
thanks!’ She stuffed her mobile back into her bag and turned to Felix.

‘Darling, I’m so sorry,’ she began. ‘But something’s cropped up – I’m going to have to go.’

‘That suits me fine. Go and be embarrassing somewhere else.’

‘Felix, don’t be like that. I’ve said I’m sorry. I know I was out of order.’

‘Mum, just go, OK?’ Felix said. ‘It’s fine. Anna’s here. And you know what? She actually wants to be here and, surprise, surprise, she knows how to
behave.’

‘OK, well, I’ll be on my way,’ she said, bending forward to give Felix a kiss which he deftly dodged, and then turning to Anna and briefly squeezing her hand. ‘Good to
have met you,’ she continued. ‘And I’m sure we’ll meet again, one way or another.
Ciao
now!’

Anna was so busy concentrating on Felix that she didn’t notice the stocky man from the talk get up from a neighbouring table and hurry after Cassandra. Nor did she notice that slung over
his shoulder was a very expensive-looking camera bag.

While the Harvilles went off to Exeter for the evening, Felix and Anna headed into Exmouth, bought fish and chips and sat on the sea wall, eating them out of paper and talking non-stop. At
first, all Felix could talk about was his anger at his mother, but when Anna mentioned his mother had said she was keen to campaign for drugs to be made available to everyone suffering from
Alzheimer’s, he calmed down a bit and grudgingly said that time would tell, and at least if she focused on that she might leave him to get on with his own life and do something, however
indirect, to help his dad.

‘And now, your surprise,’ she said, desperate to change the subject, and handed him the concert tickets. ‘It’s way ahead, but you said they were your favourite band and I
had to act fast – they were all sold out within hours of going online.’

He was totally overwhelmed, and told her that no one had ever meant as much to him as she did. ‘The fact that you went to all that trouble and expense just for me – I’m blown
away!’

And then the talking stopped and they had walked down to the water’s edge, and, ignoring the rapidly falling temperature, kissed and sank down on to the sand and gazed up at the darkening
sky and tried not to think about all the weeks that would have to pass before they could be together again. He walked with her to the station and waved the train off, and suddenly Anna realised why
everyone cried at
Brief Encounter
. She tried to remain upbeat because Mrs Harville looked weepy and Phoebe was far quieter than usual, but when she finally got home and closed her bedroom
door, and flicked the pages of her diary to count how many days would have to pass before she saw Felix again, she couldn’t hold the tears back any longer.

CHAPTER 8