The Chocolate Lovers’ Wedding (15 page)

Nadia looked out of the window with Lewis. It was a threehour journey on a direct train from London to Penrith and she’d brought plenty for her son to do to entertain him. By the time they were beyond Manchester, he’d exhausted the delights of his sticker book and a dozen different games on her iPhone, plus he’d eaten most of the stash of chocolate she’d brought to bribe him with. She’d hoped that he might be able to have a little sleep, but he was far too excited. They hadn’t been on holiday together by themselves before and Lewis had been buzzing for days. But, for the moment at least, he was content to snuggle into her and look at the passing scenery. She wrapped her arms around him and hoped that she was doing the best thing for Lewis as well as herself.

They were getting closer to their destination now and the train was whizzing through open countryside that was becoming increasingly green and rugged. As the size of the hills increased so did the number of butterflies in her stomach.

‘Are we nearly there yet?’ Lewis asked in time-honoured fashion.
‘Yes. Not long now and you’ve been a good boy all the way.’ ‘Will Seth and Lily come to meet us?’
‘I think so,’ Nadia said. ‘If not, they’ll be back at the house. You’ll see them shortly.’
‘Will there be lambs yet?’
‘Yes. James said that they’ve got quite a lot now.’
She’d hated leaving the girls behind. It had been a lot of fun when they’d spent Christmas up here together. Making the solo journey was much more nerve-wracking. She knew that one of them would have readily come with her if she’d asked, but that wasn’t really the point. It was time to decide whether she and James could possibly make a future together and part of that was to see how feasible the journey up here was on a regular basis. The train tickets alone had cost an arm and a leg. How often would she be able to afford that expense?
Eventually, the train slowed into Penrith station and she pushed down the feelings of terror and concentrated on hauling their case onto the platform, fussing with Lewis as she did. When she stopped and looked up, James was standing there waiting. The smile on his face told her that he was as delighted to see her as she was to have finally arrived.
What she wanted to do was drop her case and run into his arms like they did in the movies. Instead, she stood there feeling embarrassed and inhibited, waiting until he came to her. When he did, he gave her a stilted and awkward welcoming hug, though she could feel the warmth behind it. Perhaps he just felt as unsure as she did.
‘Hi,’ he said. ‘It’s good to see you.’
‘I’m glad we’re here.’ He was taller, more handsome than she remembered. He wore a Barbour jacket and a flat tweed cap. His face was rugged, lined, but kind. At forty-three, he was ten years older than her but didn’t seem it. She liked that he was solid, reliable and had lived a bit.
‘We saw
massive
mountains,’ Lewis said, bouncing up and down. ‘Everywhere!’
‘It’s one of our specialities,’ James said. ‘Fancy walking up one or two of them?’
Lewis was wide-eyed. ‘Now?’
James laughed. ‘Not right now. We’ve got to go home and see Seth and Lily. They’re waiting for us. But you’re here for a whole week.’ His eyes caught Nadia’s and he smiled softly. ‘Perhaps we can do it tomorrow? How does that sound?’
‘Cool. Can we, Mummy?’
‘I came prepared,’ she said. ‘At least I think so. I brought jackets and sturdy shoes.’ As Lucy had advised, she had eschewed her pretty dresses and shoes in favour of jeans and trainers. She was sure that she didn’t own nearly enough waterproof clothing. If it rained in London, you simply did something indoors – one of the museums – but she wasn’t sure if that was an option up here. If they wanted to go out, it could be in all weathers.
James smiled. ‘You’ll certainly need them in this neck of the woods.’
‘I’m looking forward to it.’ She wasn’t generally an outdoors kind of person, but she found to her surprise that she was keen to give it a go.
‘Ready to head home?’ James picked up her case. ‘The Land Rover’s outside.’
They fell into step beside each other and he took her hand and squeezed it. ‘Glad you made it.’
She suddenly felt shy with him. ‘Me too.’
In the car park, he loaded their case into the Land Rover, which looked very spic and span; she wondered whether it had been spruced up especially for her arrival. There was a sheepdog sitting on the back seat and Lewis clambered in next to him. The dog tried to lick him to death.
‘Sit down, Jep,’ James said.
He helped Nadia to climb into the passenger seat. ‘This looks suspiciously tidy,’ she noted.
James grinned at her. ‘The kids earned some extra pocket money yesterday. This is usually more used to being a taxi for sheep rather than people.’
‘You and your country ways,’ she teased.
‘Had to make a good impression. I didn’t want you getting the next train home.’ James got into the driver’s seat and gunned the vehicle into life. ‘Not long now.’
He set off from the station and they were soon out in the country once again. Dusk was gathering and Nadia wanted a hot bath. Lewis, still excited, would soon be overtired and tetchy. They both needed something to eat and then to get him straight to bed so that he’d be fresh for tomorrow. After that, a glass or two of good red might be in order. It had been a tiring day.
It wasn’t long before they got back to Keswick. It would be rush-hour in London, but the traffic here was light. Though, clearly, it wasn’t yet the start of the main tourist season.
The farmhouse, when it came into view, was much as she’d remembered. It was an imposing building constructed from traditional Lakeland stone and nestled into the landscape. It wasn’t as big as the cottage that James had rented out to them further down the lane, but it was still a substantial family house – certainly compared to her cramped London terrace.
They swept up the gravel drive past a large pond which she hadn’t been able to see at Christmas as it had been covered with snow. The whole place looked so different. The hills that loomed behind the house were now less bleak and looked inviting. James parked up.
‘That’s Blease Fell and Blencathra,’ he said as he got out of the Land Rover. ‘This place is known as Fell Farm. It’s stood here for quite a while now. It was my father’s home before it was mine and it belonged to my grandfather before him.’ Then he laughed. ‘But I’m sure I must have bored you with all this before.’
‘I don’t find it boring at all. It must be nice to have such a heritage.’
‘Yes, but it’s a responsibility too. It’s a mammoth effort to keep this place going, yet I wouldn’t want to be the last of the Barnsworths to be at the farm. One day, I hope that Seth or Lily will take over from me. But kids these days, they want the bright lights. I couldn’t hold either of them here if they don’t want to stay. Thankfully, for now . . . ’ James crossed his fingers, ‘ . . . they both seem to love the mountains and the farming life as much as I do.’
They walked to the house and he swung open the heavy door. They entered straight into the kitchen and a blanket of warm air enveloped her. Clearly something wonderful was cooking in the oven.
‘I hope you’re hungry.’
Her stomach rumbled. ‘I am now.’
‘Penny’s got supper on for us. Chicken stew with a posh name.’
‘Penny?’
‘A woman from the next village who helps me out,’ James said. ‘She was away with family in Cornwall over Christmas.’
‘Oh. You haven’t mentioned her before.’
‘I haven’t? She’s a treasure.’
Wasn’t it a bit strange that he’d never said anything about this lady?
‘I don’t want you lifting a finger while you’re here. This is your holiday. So she’ll still pop in every day. She collects the kids for me from school and, more often than not, gives them their tea. Then she puts something in the oven so that it’s ready when I get home. I don’t know what I’d do without her.’
Hmm. Truly indispensable. She wondered how long Penny had been on the scene and what else James hadn’t told her.
‘She’d normally be here still, but she had to rush off for something tonight. You’ll see her tomorrow.’ He took off his cap and hung it up. His hair stood up in untidy tufts and he ruffled it with one hand, making it worse. ‘Come in. Take your coats off. Make yourselves at home.
Mi casa es tu casa
.’
There were a few steps down into the main kitchen area, which was fitted out with hand-crafted oak cupboards. A dark blue range took precedence on one wall. Centre stage there was a large kitchen table, filled with the detritus of a busy and untidy family. There was a sturdy log burner kicking out heat in the fireplace. It was so cosy and welcoming.
‘Kids!’ he shouted out. ‘Our guests are here.’ A second later they both barrelled into the kitchen cheering. ‘Whoa,’ James said. ‘Calm down. Calm down.’
‘Daddy, can we show Lewis the lambs?’
‘Dinner’s ready now,’ he said. ‘But you can go out afterwards for half an hour, if you’re good. I want you in bed early though as tomorrow we have an action-packed day planned. We want to show Nadia and Lewis our lovely lakes, don’t we?’
They both nodded, earnestly.
‘We have our own pet lambs,’ Lily said proudly. ‘Daddy said that you can have one, too.’
Lewis’s eyes widened. ‘Can I?’
‘Let’s talk about that in the morning,’ Nadia said.
‘Aw! Mummy!’
‘It teaches them about the farm,’ James said. ‘You have to do everything for them, right? No slacking.’
Lily and Seth nodded again.
‘If you pick out a lamb, you couldn’t take her back to London,’ James said to Lewis. ‘She’d belong here. But Seth and Lily would look after her and she’d be here whenever you came back.’
‘I’d like that,’ Lewis said. ‘I haven’t got a pet.’
‘OK then.’ Nadia held up her hands in surrender. ‘Looks as if I’m outnumbered.’
James turned to Nadia and grinned. Her insides melted. ‘We’re going to have a great time,’ he said. ‘I can tell.’

I’m weary when I climb the stairs to the flat after a long day at Chocolate Heaven. I think we’ve had more customers through the café today than ever before, which means more money has gone into Marcus’s coffers. Perhaps I should have negotiated a bonus along with my salary.

I popped into the hospital briefly and Chantal seems to be doing fine. She’s weary and a bit teary, but who wouldn’t be? Now my feet are aching like mad and all I want is a glass of wine, a nice hot bath and some chocolate-based treats. I’ve been so busy today that my chocolate consumption has fallen to dangerously low levels. However, I’m about to remedy that.

For once I’m hoping that there’s wall-to-wall football on the television so I can leave Crush and my dad to their own devices and wallow in the bath until I’m in a vegetative state.

When I reach the top of the stairs Crush, unusually, is waiting for me. ‘Hey, Gorgeous. How’s Chantal?’
‘She’s doing OK. She still looks a bit battered and bruised, but they’re letting her go home in the morning.’
‘That’s good news. She must be relieved. Nothing like your own bed to make you feel better.’
Never a truer word spoken.
He strokes my cheek. ‘You look tired. Busy day?’ ‘The busiest. I’m knackered.’
Raising an eyebrow, he flicks his head back towards the living room behind him. He lowers his voice when he says, ‘We have another visitor.’
‘We do?’
‘Your mother’s here.’
I should be delighted to see her, but instead my heart sinks. My mother is never the easiest of people. ‘She is?’
‘Arrived about an hour ago.’
I can’t help the groan that escapes my lips. ‘Really?’ I peel off my coat and Crush takes it from me. I wonder what she’s come here for. Maybe my father has done something heinous – again – and she’s come to have it out with him in person. ‘I hope there’s not going to be a fight. I’ve no energy for that.’
‘Actually, they seem to be getting along
rather
well,’ Crush says.
‘It won’t last,’ I assure him. ‘Give her another hour and she’ll remember how annoying Dad can be. Then we’ll have to put up with them trying to out-bicker each other.’
He hugs me. ‘Thought I’d better come out and warn you.’
‘Thanks. I love you. One day we
will
get our flat back for ourselves.’
Heavy of heart, I follow him into the living room. It’s not that I don’t want to see my dear mother, but I’d like to do it on my own terms sometimes. Also I’m way too tired to go through the usual knockabout routine of my parents’ relationship.
My mum and dad are sitting together on the sofa watching
The One Show
. Mum has her feet curled underneath her and she’s leaning against Dad’s shoulder. To the untrained it could almost look as if they’re sort of snuggling. But I know better. ‘Darling.’ Mum jumps up and bears down on me instantly. ‘Hi, Mum.’ I allow myself to be smothered with kisses.
She strokes my hair. ‘You look tired, poppet. Working too hard?’
‘Yes, yes. I’m back at Chocolate Heaven. Busy but I’m loving it.’
‘And Aiden tells me that you’ve booked the wedding date.’
‘We have. Only just.’
‘That’s lovely. I’ll have to check my diary,’ she says pointedly.
Ah, yes. Didn’t actually consult the parents to see if they were around before we organised it. My bad.
‘What brings you here?’ I ask. ‘You didn’t mention you were planning on dropping in.’ I gain a bit of ground back there, I think.
‘Daddy and I have some things to talk about.’ Alarmingly, she bats her eyelashes in my father’s direction.
I recoil. He doesn’t. Worrying.
‘What shall we do for dinner?’ Crush chips in. ‘There’s not much in the cupboards. I can nip out to the Tesco Express, if you like. What do you fancy?’
‘I don’t want you to go to any trouble on my behalf,’ Mum says. ‘Is that nice Chinese restaurant still down the road? Shall we go there? My treat.’
All I want to do is lie flat on the floor and sleep, but we’ll have to entertain my mother somehow – she’s not a staying-in-with-feet-up kind of person – so it might as well be with some steamed pork dumplings.
‘Chinese it is then,’ I say. ‘When are you going home?’
‘Lucy!’ my dad says. ‘Your mother’s only just got here.’
‘I know, but I’m concerned about where we’re all going to sleep. There’s one bed. One sofa.’
My mother giggles like a little girl. It’s not attractive. ‘I’m sure we’ll manage.’
Not for the first time since my dad arrived, I consider booking into a hotel. Though I’m now legitimately allowed in Chocolate Heaven, I’m not even thinking about going back there. Besides, Crush would never agree. Once bitten, twice shy and all that.
‘Have I got time for a shower?’
Crush nods. ‘Let me make you a strong coffee to perk you up.’
‘I’ll be ten minutes,’ I say to my parents.
‘Excellent.’ My mother clasps her hands together. ‘Martin Sheen is on in a minute and I don’t want to miss him.’
Even my television is not my own anymore.
I grab some fresh clothes, go through to the bathroom and turn the shower to hot while I strip off. A few seconds later, Crush comes in with my coffee.
‘Are you sure you want to go out?’
‘No,’ I say. ‘Let them go by themselves. We’ll stay here and have sex standing up in the shower.’
‘Much as that sounds like an excellent plan, I do feel we have to make an effort. I feel bad that we hadn’t told them about the wedding arrangements. We should have.’
‘I was getting round to it,’ I say. ‘I just had other things on my mind.’
‘I’ll keep them happy until you’re ready. There’s a cheap bottle of white in the fridge. Unless you want me to stay and wash your back?’
I press my naked body against him. ‘I can think of nothing nicer.’
‘We’ll never get out of the house if you do that, you naughty lady.’
I sigh. ‘Ten minutes then.’
Crush winks at me and leaves. I stand in the shower and let the water do its thing.
* * * ‘Will you have your usual, darling?’ Mum says to Dad. My father looks blank. He’s not even sure what his usual is.
‘I’ll have whatever you’re having,’ he manages rather gallantly.
‘I’m having steamed vegetables and a side of seaweed.’
‘Oh,’ Dad says. ‘Make that sticky spare ribs, sweet and sour chicken and special fried rice for me then.’
Mum giggles. Does she think he’s joking? Or is she simply determined to find every single thing that he says witty and amusing?
Despite my nice, hot shower, I’m still tired and increasingly irritable. We all order.
I bite the bullet. ‘We’ve booked Golders Hill Park for our wedding venue.’
‘Lovely,’ Mum says. She barely takes her eyes off Dad.
‘We thought we’d make it informal. Very informal. Bordering on casual.’
‘Nice.’
I turn to Crush and he shrugs. It seems as if we are slightly superfluous to the proceedings. The food comes and Crush and I eat ours largely in silence while my parents – mainly my mother – go on some romantic trip down memory lane.
It’s all ‘remember when we did this, darling?’ ‘Remember when we did that?’ Quite a lot of it my dad doesn’t really seem to remember at all. I think sometimes my mum confuses him with other husbands she’s had. But, nevertheless, he’s playing along gamely.
After what feels like the longest meal in the history of long meals, we leave. My mum might remember all the fun they were having together twenty or thirty years ago, but she clearly doesn’t remember her earlier promise to treat us to the Chinese. Crush pays the bill.
We walk along Camden High Street back to the flat. It’s a beautiful balmy night – if you ignore the drunks sleeping off their binges in doorways – but that’s doing nothing to soothe my soul. My mother is high on wine and something else. They’re behind us giggling together and holding hands. I try to hurry up our leisurely stroll. They’re like teenagers. Teenagers with no respect for their elders.
When we get back home, the fact that we’ve not addressed the sleeping arrangements cannot be ignored.
‘So,’ I say. ‘What’s the deal?’ Best not to beat about the bush. ‘There’s one bed. One sofa. I haven’t even got a spare duvet.’
Mum goes coy. ‘Oh, I’m sure we’ll manage somehow.’ She flutters her eyelashes at Dad for the millionth time. ‘Won’t we, Cuddlebunny?’
Cuddlebunny?
I think I’m going to be sick. And I can’t even blame it on the chicken with black bean sauce.
She sidles up close to him.
My dad looks like the cat who’s got the cream.
I can’t cope with this. ‘Right,’ I say. ‘We’ll leave you to it.’ Crush and I beat a hasty retreat.
With cursory ablutions, we’re in bed within a few minutes. I can still hear the low murmur of my parents talking in hushed tones. Then I hear embarrassed giggling and the sofa springs start to creak.
‘Oh, no.’ I put my hands over my ears. ‘Please tell me that’s not my parents
shagging
on my sofa.’
Crush doesn’t even try to hide his laughter. ‘I think it might be.’
‘That’s horrible,’ I say. ‘No daughter should have to hear that.’ I stick my fingers in my ears, but I can still hear it. ‘Make them stop.’
‘Perhaps they won’t be long.’
‘Aaaaargh. I can’t listen to that. Put a pillow over my face and press it tightly.’
‘I have a feeling that might end badly, Gorgeous.’
The creaking and giggling increase in volume. I feel like whimpering. I’m going to be traumatised for ever by this.
‘We should encourage your mum and dad to get along,’ Crush says.
‘I don’t think they actually need any encouragement,’ I point out. Another bit of moaning and groaning. And not about there being nothing on the telly, the football results or the useless government that my dad usually moans and groans about. These are my parents’ sex noises. Aaaaargh! ‘Haven’t we got any earplugs? I can’t handle this.’
‘Maybe if they get it together again, they’ll go home to your mum’s house.’
I gasp. ‘Oh, that’s a cunning plan, Mr Aiden Holby.’
‘I have another one,’ he says. ‘Come with me.’