Thicker Than Water (21 page)

‘So what brought you here? Pam’s migration in reverse?’

‘Work was my motive, too. That, and a feeling I’d stagnate if I never moved from my birth place.’ He gave a strained smile. ‘And I, too, owe my marriage to the move, although some considerable time later.’

Their food arrived, and they settled down to enjoy it.

‘Where are the children this afternoon?’ Pam asked, squeezing lemon juice over her smoked salmon.

Beth avoided her husband’s eyes. ‘Liza’s in charge, but as far as I’m aware, Abby’s riding, Cal is going to William’s, and Jilly no doubt is conferring with her friends about what they should wear this evening.’

Pam smiled. ‘Is it her first dance? I remember mine, at the church hall. I went with Annabel Brown – God, I haven’t thought of her in years! – and spent most of my time avoiding Ronnie Wood, who I seem to remember had a crush on me. He also had spots and bad breath, which did little for his prospects!’

‘I’d no idea I’d such formidable competition!’ Stephen joked.

Beth said in a low voice, ‘At
my
first dance, I met Simon.’

There was an embarrassed pause – though why, thought Pam with irritation, should anyone be embarrassed? She said, rather more loudly than she’d intended, ‘I remember you coming home and telling me about him.’

Stephen came to her assistance. ‘At that time, I believe, a large percentage of people met their future partners at dances. Now, it seems more likely to be at places of work.’

‘Not nearly so romantic!’ Beth commented, sending him a grateful smile. ‘How did you and Pam meet – I forget?’

‘At a New Year party,’ Pam supplied. ‘I saw this gorgeous fellow across the room, and edged my way closer so he couldn’t avoid kissing me at midnight!’

And, as she’d intended, the potentially difficult conversation ended in laughter.

After lunch, they walked for a while along the shores of the lake, enjoying the sunshine and watching the activity on the water. The narrowness of the path permitted only two to walk abreast, and the men had fallen slightly behind.

‘Whereabouts in Scotland are you going?’ Harold asked Stephen.

‘We’ll spend the first night at Callander, then on to Fort William and Skye. Pam wants to see the tropical gardens at Inverewe, after which, if all goes according to plan, we move on to Strathpeffer, Inverness, Nairn, and back down the east side.’

‘Pretty comprehensive.’

‘It’s bed and breakfast mostly. We’ve only booked into a hotel for our first and last nights.’

‘And how long is the trip?’

‘Ten days, which means there’ll be a fair mileage to cover each day.’

‘That’s something I’d really enjoy, but it’ll be years before we’ve a hope of doing it. The children would draw the line at so much time in the car.’

‘A problem we don’t have,’ Stephen said quietly and Harold, cursing his thoughtlessness, lapsed back into silence.

Having stopped at a café for tea, it was almost five o’clock when they drove back down their own side of the lake, and as they came to their turn-off, they were startled to see Liza come running down the drive towards them.

Harold screeched to a halt, and Stephen wound down the window as she stumbled, panting, up to them.

‘Oh, thank God you’re back!’ she gasped breathlessly. ‘I didn’t know what to do – Mrs Telford’s just phoned to say Cal and William have got into difficulties out on the lake. They took—’

Beth’s hand flew to her mouth, as Harold demanded urgently, ‘How far out are they? Has anyone reached them?’

Liza tried to steady her breathing. ‘I don’t know, but, Mr Telford’s taken the speed boat.’

Not again!
Pam thought with cold dread.
Oh, please God, not again!

Harold was already turning the car. ‘Get in,’ he said tersely, and she opened the rear door for Liza, who’d barely time to fall on to the seat before he took off again. Beth, her face like wax, whispered, ‘Oh God!’ And then, again and again, ‘Oh God!’ in an endless litany. Liza reached across Pam to grasp her hand.

‘They’ve probably been rescued by now,’ she said hoarsely.

‘Cal’s a good swimmer,’ Stephen put in rallyingly from the front seat. ‘I remember being surprised how strong he was.’

The Telfords’ landing stage was several hundred yards down the road. As their car swung into the approach, Pam could see figures down on the lakeside, staring out across the water. One of them, a woman, turned on hearing the car, and came running towards them as they piled out of it.

‘Oh Beth!’ she cried, on a half-sob. ‘I’m so desperately sorry about this, but the panic’s over now.’

Beth gripped her arm, and Pam saw the woman flinch. ‘What’s happening?’ she demanded, her voice cracking.

‘It was all pretty confused, but several boats dashed to the rescue, and from what we could make out, one had already reached them by the time Jeffrey got there. I think they’re starting back now.’

‘But they’re – all right? The boys?’

‘They seem to be, thank God. We were watching from the veranda –’ she nodded towards the boat house, and Pam saw the little platform outside, with a couple of deck chairs. ‘We always keep a lookout when William’s on the water.’

‘Weren’t they wearing life jackets?’ Harold demanded.

Sally Telford glanced at him. ‘It seems not. They’d been swimming over the side, I think. Anyway, one of the speed boats went too close, and its wake overturned the dinghy. It all happened in seconds. Our boat was in the water, thank God, and Jeffrey was off within a couple of minutes. I – I felt I should let you know, but perhaps it would have been better to wait till I knew Cal was safe.’

‘Of course I had to know,’ Beth said. She swayed slightly, and as Stephen moved to support her, Harold shoved him unceremoniously aside and took her arm.

‘It’s all right, my darling, it’s all right.’

One of the speedboats was now detaching itself from the cluster and making for the shore. Someone pushed a pair of binoculars into Beth’s hand, and though they were out of focus, she could make out three figures huddled in it, and released her breath in a long, shuddering sigh.

Harold said under his breath, ‘I’ll have something to say to that young man, putting you through this.’

‘It was an accident, old man,’ Stephen protested. ‘Could have happened to anyone.’

‘Well, it won’t happen again,’ Harold said tightly. ‘I shall personally see to that.’

For a moment longer they all stood watching as the approaching boat drew nearer. Then Sally said, ‘I’ll get towels,’ and hurried away towards the boathouse, and Beth, with Harold’s arm round her, walked down to the water’s edge. Liza was still standing by the car, and Pam and Stephen, by tacit agreement, went back to join her.

‘A happy outcome, thank God,’ Stephen said.

‘I feel responsible,’ Liza replied, her face drawn. ‘He was left in my charge, but he
always
goes to play with William. Nothing like this has ever happened before.’

‘It was a fluke,’ Pam assured her. ‘A strong wave overturned the dinghy. No one could have foreseen it.’

‘A freak accident,’ Liza commented flatly. ‘That’s what they said about Simon. When I saw Beth’s face just now—’ She broke off, and turned away.

‘All’s well that ends well,’ Stephen said, aware how fatuous it sounded. But now helping hands were pulling the boat out of the water, and Sally was waiting with towels to wrap round the shivering boys. They watched as Beth clutched her son to her, holding on to him until Harold gently disengaged her arms and they started back towards the car.

‘Do you realize what you put your mother through?’ Harold was saying as they reached the others. The boy, white-faced, was shivering violently, and obviously close to tears.

‘I’m sorry, Mum,’ he said through juddering jaws.

‘Darling, all that matters is that you’re safe,’ Beth answered unsteadily.

‘No,’ Harold corrected her, ‘that’s not all that matters. I shall have more to say about this later.’

The boy turned his head and looked at him, and something in his expression made Pam catch her breath: it was a look of pure hatred. But before she could adjust to it, they were all squeezing into the car, Cal – illegally, no doubt – on Stephen’s knee in the front, and, back on the road, they headed once more for home.

Fifteen

Since dinner that evening was to be a more formal affair, the children had eaten earlier. Jilly was duly collected by Jane’s father and transported to the dance, and Harold, with bad grace, had agreed to bring both girls home.

‘Which means I shan’t be able to enjoy the wine,’ Pam heard him complain to Beth, who’d promptly offered to go herself. But as Pam had known he would, Harold dismissed the suggestion, aware it would reflect badly on him in front of their guests. She was regretfully concluding that the more she came to know her brother-in-law, the less she liked him.

All four of them were subdued as they took their places at the candlelit table and Liza, still tight-lipped, served them with lobster mousse, one of her specialities. The raised voices when Harold took Cal into his study earlier had been heard by everyone in the house, and the stilted conversation round the table was indicative of a general desire to avoid the subject.

Such circumvention carried them through the mousse and the main dish of duck breasts with mango and coriander, but halfway through the cheese course, traditionally served before dessert, Harold, whether perversely or to elicit approval, himself referred to it.

Spearing a slice of Stilton, he said suddenly, ‘I must apologize for subjecting you to a display of family drama earlier. Cal needed a reprimand, but I’d not intended the whole house to partake in it.’ He flicked a glance at Beth, who sat with downcast eyes at the other end of the table. ‘Unfortunately, the boy isn’t used to being taken to task, and reacted accordingly.’

There was a pause, and Stephen said awkwardly, ‘Well, thankfully he’s none the worse for his adventure.’

‘Nor will he repeat it. I’ve forbidden him to go on the lake till he’s learned some common sense.’

Beth looked up at that. ‘Oh, but Harold,’ she exclaimed, ‘he loves being in boats – he spends the whole summer in them! You can’t just ban him!’

‘I can and I have, my dear. I’m aware how you feel about the lake, and I won’t allow you to be subjected to such anxiety again.’

Beth leaned forward, her eyes willing him to understand. ‘But I can’t impose my fears on the children! All I can do is teach them to look after themselves, then allow them to assess the risks. How else will they learn to cope with life?’

‘My point,’ Harold replied evenly, ‘is that he
doesn’t
know how to look after himself, or the upturned dinghy wouldn’t have found him without a life jacket.’

‘All right, but he’s had a fright and he’ll know better in future. He doesn’t need additional punishment, and Simon certainly wouldn’t want what happened to him to rebound on his son!’

‘Well, Simon isn’t here now,’ Harold said, with unaccustomed sharpness. ‘And since he isn’t, it’s
my
duty to look after your welfare and that of your children. Now please, Beth, the subject is closed.’

Beth stared at him a moment longer. Then, with an exclamation, she pushed back her chair and ran from the room. Pam, with a murmured apology, went after her, almost colliding with Liza, who was standing in the hall with a tray of desserts, gazing up the stairs after Beth’s vanishing figure.

Pam caught up with her at the bedroom door. Beth spun round, fists clenched at her side, supposing it was Harold who’d followed her. Seeing her sister, the defiance drained out of her and her eyes filled with tears.

‘You see how it is, Pammy. They hate each other. What can I
do
?’

‘Everyone’s overreacting,’ Pam said. ‘Cal resents having to be rescued – it hurt his pride, if nothing else – and Harold, however strict he seems, is acting on what he thinks is your behalf.’

‘Well, I wish he wouldn’t. His way of dealing with the children is so different from Simon’s and mine.’ At the mention of her dead husband, the tears spilled on to her cheeks, and she brushed them angrily away. ‘Perhaps I shouldn’t have been in such a hurry to marry again.’

‘He loves you,’ Pam said. It was undeniably true, and the only comfort she could offer.

‘Too much, I think,’ Beth acknowledged in a low voice.

‘Can’t you just sit him down over a drink, and calmly and reasonably fix some parameters?’

‘I’ve tried. It doesn’t work. He thinks I let them run wild.’

Pam sighed. ‘Well, we’ve still not had that tête-à-tête we promised ourselves. Let’s postpone any further discussion till then. In the meantime, we’d better make a dignified return to the dining room.’

Beth looked at her quickly, and, seeing her smile, returned it. ‘Or they’ll think I’m running wild myself,’ she said.

Both men rose as they made their reappearance. Beth said simply, ‘Sorry about that,’ and turned to smile at Liza, who had followed them in with the dessert.

‘Thanks, Liza. It’s been a delicious meal. We’ll have our coffee on the patio.’

Pam, seating herself, glanced across at her husband, who closed one eye in a slow wink. They might not have children, she thought, but at that moment she certainly wouldn’t have changed places with her sister.

‘Too bad we’re not leaving today,’ Stephen remarked, as they dressed the next morning. ‘I’m not sure I can stomach Harold for another day.’

‘I’m afraid you’ll have to; I intend to winkle Beth away for a good, sisterly chat.’

‘Do you think she’s happy?’ Stephen asked curiously.

Pam considered a minute. ‘On the whole, yes, but this war between Harold and the children needs to be settled, without either side seeming to give way.’

‘And how exactly will that be achieved?’

‘I’ve suggested to her that we have them for a spell in the holidays. That’ll give her and Harold a time by themselves, when hopefully they can thrash out any problems without interruptions.’ She leaned forward to apply her lipstick. ‘Did you notice yesterday that he wasn’t nearly as worried about Cal’s safety as the effect it was having on Beth?’

‘That’s hardly fair, darling; it’s difficult to distinguish where one ended and the other began.’

Pam shook her head. ‘He didn’t say, “Don’t you realize you could have been drowned?”, as any normal parent would; he said, “Don’t you realize what you put your mother through?”’

‘Probably understandable in the circumstances,’ Stephen said uncomfortably.

After breakfast, Pam suggested that she and Beth should climb the scar behind the house.

‘I’ve meant to, every time we’ve been here, but never got round to it. Are you game?’

‘It’s pretty steep going,’ Harold warned, ‘though admittedly there’s a marvellous view from the top. You’ll need the right shoes, though.’

‘She can borrow a pair of mine,’ Beth said. ‘We take the same size. But we’d better leave soon, before it gets too hot. The forecast’s for soaring temperatures today.’

It was a wise decision; though still quite early, the heat was already gathering, the sky a milky blue and no breath of wind. At first they chatted lightly, by mutual consent postponing a more serious discussion, and indeed as the climb grew steeper, neither had breath to spare for talking. It felt to Pam as if they were in a world of their own up there, the only sounds apart from their laboured breathing the song of birds and, far below them, the whistle of a train.

At last the ground flattened out, and with a gasp of relief, they collapsed on to a convenient rock and turned to look back the way they’d come. In the distance, the far mountains were a purple smudge in the heat haze, their peaks melding into the sky, and between them, glinting silver in the sunlight, lay a tiny prism of Morecambe Bay. Nearer at hand stretched fields, neatly divided by stone walls, their different-coloured crops like an artist’s palette, and closer still the lake lazily spread its length for a blue mile or two. Beth pointed out the pub where they’d lunched the day before, and the scattered farms round the water’s edge.

The Lodge itself, immediately below them, was hidden by outcrops of rock, but as they watched, three foreshortened figures emerged and began to walk down the slope of the garden to the corner that held the swings. From this height, they were still visible once they’d entered the clearing; the largest figure – Jilly – perched on one of the swings, the other two leaning against the slide.

‘They’re spending more time together than they’ve done for years,’ Beth remarked. ‘I don’t know whether to be glad or suspicious.’

‘United we stand?’ Pam hazarded.

‘Exactly.’

‘Why don’t you approach this from a different angle?’ Pam suggested ‘Try talking to
them
rather than Harold, preferably individually. Ask them, for your sake, to make a special effort to get on with him, not deliberately annoy him, as you say they do at present. If he sees they’re trying to be amenable, he’ll probably calm down and be prepared to meet them halfway.’

‘I suppose it might work,’ Beth said doubtfully. ‘Worth a try, anyway.’

‘And if it’s still necessary, you can tackle Harold while the kids are away,’ Pam added. ‘We can take them as soon as they break up, if you like – the end of July? It’s only about a month away.’

Beth patted her knee gratefully. ‘Thanks, sis. That would be a great help.’

She slipped the rucksack off her shoulders, extracted two bottles of water, and passed one to her sister, together with a slab of Kendal Mint Cake.

‘In the best mountaineering tradition!’ she said with a smile. ‘Remember how proud we were, when Hillary and Tenzing ate it on top of Everest?’

Pam laughed. ‘I do indeed.’

Further reminiscing led to shared memories of watching the Coronation on a neighbour’s television set, and from there, to various other events of their childhood. Sitting together on the warmed rock, with the glorious view stretched before them and the familiar taste of mint in her mouth, Pam felt closer to her sister than she had for some time.

Beth was not the only one to wonder at the children’s sudden togetherness. Liza also saw them set off, as she had several times in the past week, and, giving in to curiosity, she hurried up to Abby’s room at the side of the house, where, from the window, she watched them enter the play area.

From this position, she, too, could see inside the enclosure, and was further puzzled to find they weren’t using the apparatus; though Jilly was on a swing, it remained stationary. For the life of her, Liza couldn’t make out what game they were playing. She watched them for a while without enlightenment, until, realizing it was time to put in the joint, she abandoned the exercise and returned downstairs.

Over the past week, the proposed daily meetings had fallen by the wayside, thanks to continuing lack of a plan of action. They’d met a couple of times after school, only for the same ground to be gone over with waning enthusiasm, and the meetings themselves had degenerated into a diatribe of their stepfather’s shortcomings.

Today, however, interest had been revived by Cal’s experiences of the day before.

‘In front of
everyone
!’ he was complaining again. ‘Talking to me as though I was a kid who didn’t know what I was doing!’

‘Well, you did nearly drown,’ Jilly reminded him.

‘I did
not
! We were already trying to right the dinghy when the first boat came alongside.’

‘But you should have had your jacket on. That’s what really riled him.’

‘Ever tried diving in a life jacket?’ Cal demanded scornfully. ‘We were just about to put them on again when the wave hit us. And now he has the nerve to say I can’t sail again until he says so! Who does he think he is?’

‘Mum’ll get round him,’ Jilly said.

‘Well, as far as I’m concerned, this is the crunch. I’m jolly well going to find a way of getting back at him, so any suggestions would be welcome.’

Jilly nodded. ‘We’ve faffed around long enough; it’s time we thought of something.’

‘We could stick nails in his tyres,’ Abby said suddenly, and the other two looked at her in surprise.

‘Good thinking, Abs!’ Cal said, and she flushed with pleasure. ‘That’s the best any of us has come up with yet.’

‘Yes, well done, Titch.’ Jilly slid to the ground. ‘I’m thirsty,’ she announced, ‘and it’s getting too hot down here. We’ve something definite to work on now, so let’s end the meeting and see if Liza’s made any lemonade.’