Time to Move On (24 page)

‘And Paul?’

‘Of course. We want you both there. Oh, I’m so pleased that you’ll be meeting my friends at last. I’m looking forward to it so much.’

‘So am I, darling. So am I.’

Luke sat in his sports car at the end of the road wondering about Jessie’s gradual lack of interest in the once successful café. The windows had been half-heartedly cleaned. The sills and the swinging sign were in serious need of paint and from what he had seen of the inside, nothing much had changed there, either. The place had lost its heart.

The business was completely gone and he wondered how much longer they would manage without any money coming in. Paul didn’t appear to have a job and the business he referred to was a mystery. The shop he was renting was empty apart from a few unpacked boxes and there was no indication of the catering supplies Paul had envisaged.

He turned his head sharply when he saw Paul emerge from the side door and stride off around the corner where he usually parked his car. Fortunately Luke’s car was facing the correct way and he switched on the engine and moved slowly towards the corner. As Paul’s car nosed out of the side road he snatched up his trilby and clamped it on his head to hide his face, hoping Paul didn’t recognize the car, although an MG didn’t exactly fade into the background.

He followed Paul, cautiously allowing a lorry to come between them once and stopping for a motorcyclist at a junction. Each time he caught up easily and was within sight when Paul parked outside a small terraced house at the edge of the town. The door opened and Pat Sewell ran out and joined Paul, who then drove away, Luke following.

Fortunately Luke was able to stop near them when they parked and he sat watching them, waiting a few moments before shutting off the engine. For an hour he sat there and all they seemed to do was talk. Once or twice their heads came close together but if it was a sign of affection, it was short-lived. When he heard the engine start, he glanced across and saw them hug for a long moment, then the car turned and went past the
layby in which Luke had parked. Shadowed by his trilby, he saw their faces clearly and they were laughing happily.

After dropping Pat back at the terraced house and waving as he drove away, Paul went back to the flat above the abandoned tea rooms. Watching them had made Luke late for his appointment and he stopped at a phone box to rearrange it. He was dissatisfied with his morning. He was no further ahead with his determination to find out what Paul was up to. That he and Pat were more than employer and employee was
obvious
, but how much more?

As Sunday drew near Jessie looked in her wardrobe wondering what to wear. She chose a summer suit in pale green with a cream blouse. Not exciting but if the weather was warm it would be suitable for an
afternoon
in the garden, and it was one of Paul’s favourites. She was curious about the house her daughter now called home. Badgers Brook sounded countrified and she knew it was on a lane, but visualizing it was
impossible
even though she had paid a brief visit when Seranne had first moved in. ‘It can’t be very grand,’ she said to Paul. ‘When she rented it she was working in a café, she wouldn’t have been able to afford much. It’s
probably
a small and shabby cottage. We can take some flowers to brighten it up.’

Paul agreed. ‘And a bottle or two, there won’t be much to drink either.’

‘Perhaps I could make some scones. I was rather good at scones.’

‘She won’t need your scones! She has a café, hasn’t she? She’ll make them herself.’

‘Of course she will, and they’ll probably be better than mine.’

Paul smiled, but she waited in vain for him to disagree.

It wasn’t until Saturday afternoon that Paul told her he wouldn’t be coming. She hid her disappointment well; she had been half expecting it. ‘Won’t you be able to come if we planned to go later?’ she suggested. ‘The invitation’s for lunch, but we don’t have to arrive early. According to Seranne, no one will be in a hurry to leave.’

‘I’ll try, Jessie, I’ll really try. I know how important it is for you. Look, why don’t you go on your own? Didn’t you say Seranne suggested you might like to stay overnight? It will be good for you to talk to her, meet her new friends.’

‘Luke did offer to come for me,’ she said.

‘Perfect. I’ll miss you, darling, I’ll hate being here on my own, but she’s your daughter and you need to see her, I understand that.’

‘You wouldn’t mind?’

‘Of course I wouldn’t mind. Go and enjoy yourself.’ He looked
serious
as he added, ‘You won’t discuss this new business of mine, will you? I don’t want someone getting there first. Or our plans for reopening your tea rooms in a modern style. That’s our secret.’

‘Of course not, dear. I’ll leave food for you,’ she added, brightening as the idea grew. ‘And I won’t stay. I’ll be back before evening.’

‘No, dear, you must stay. Seranne will be at work on Monday so you can see how she manages her café. She’ll be glad of some of your expert advice.’ He looked at her glowing eyes, the smile opening on her pretty face. ‘No later than mid-afternoon on Monday though, I couldn’t bear to face a second evening without you,’ he added softly.

‘How will I get back, the buses aren’t plentiful?’

‘Didn’t you say Luke offered to take you and bring you back?’

She nodded, disappointed that he hadn’t offered to bring her back himself. It wasn’t that far. But he was very busy and she was being silly to expect him to spoil her like a child.

‘Have we anything to take to Seranne?’ she asked. ‘She said something about a letter which you couldn’t find.’

‘I can’t remember where it is. Probably unimportant and was thrown away. What about offering her some of your unwanted china? Now you’re having a rest from the tea rooms it’s filling the cupboards and making it difficult to sort out what we need to keep. When you reopen we’ll have a fresh start with everything new. Mid-winter has some
beautiful
modern designs, and there are some lovely pieces coming in from places like Czechoslovakia. We’ll look into it as soon as I have my
enterprise
up and running. I have great plans, darling and one day I’ll make you really proud of me.’

‘I always liked the rose-patterned china.’

‘Yes, and so do I, but we have to think modern and the smart new angular designs are what people will expect. Old-fashioned tea rooms are out of date.’

‘Being old-fashioned was its appeal.’

‘Not any more, dear. Trust me, I know what people want. This is the fifties, we’re in the second Elizabethan age now, Queen Elizabeth is on the throne and we have to move on.’ He looked at the green suit spread on the bed. ‘You aren’t wearing that, are you, dear? It’s a country cottage, and you don’t want to look overdressed, do you?’

In a rare act of defiance, Jessie smiled and said, ‘I’ll take a chance. I doubt whether Seranne’s friends will wear tweed and gumboots! I’ll take a skirt and jumper in case you’re right, but I always have a happy time
when I wear this suit, so it’s what I’ve chosen.’

When he left, he walked back into the living-room and hugged her. ‘Jessie, darling, I love you. Always remember that.’

She was puzzled by the seriousness of his expression as he left to hurry down the stairs and out to the car. He often told her he loved her, but there was underlying tension this time and it alarmed her. Perhaps she ought not to go to Cwm Derw. Then she reminded herself that he would probably be out for most of the day and the unease faded.

Ed had received an invitation to the Sunday lunch at Badgers Brook but he didn’t think he’d go. Since the news about his wife leaving the
property
to an unknown niece became known, he felt as though everyone was laughing at him. The implications were that he had married Elsie in the hope of an inheritance, but the truth was that he had loved her. Even learning about her illness hadn’t changed that. He had been shocked to learn of her growing helplessness but he had cared for her and had been happy doing so. So how could she have left the valuable business to someone he hadn’t even heard of? Facing people and being aware of the expression of amusement on their faces while pretending to enjoy a friendly lunch was not possible. Besides, his sister would be there and she wasn’t much better than Elsie, refusing to give him his job and home back.

Tilly came out of the Ship after the lunchtime session and saw him sitting on a bench reading a paper. She waved before walking across and sitting beside him. ‘You’re Betty’s brother, aren’t you?’

‘I am. And you’re the barmaid who took my job.’

‘Oh dear, we are in a mood. I didn’t take your job. It was offered long after Betty had told you to leave. She said you weren’t doing your share. Right, was she?’

‘I had just lost my wife.’

‘So you
weren’t
doing your share. Grief is genuine, but it can only be used as an excuse for a while, then you have to get back on the treadmill and carry on.’

‘You’ve got plenty to say for yourself!’

‘Want to hear some more?’

‘No, I don’t!’

‘I know your wife left the guest house to a niece and the solicitor’s looking for her.’

‘And I hope they never find her, right?’ He was angry but Tilly appeared not to notice.

‘Will the property revert to you then? If she can’t be found?’

‘Not according to the solicitor.’

‘Be glad to get it sorted though, so you can get on with your life. Best to know, eh?’

‘Go away. What’s this got to do with you?’

Tilly patted his shoulder and in a whining voice said, ‘Poor you, woe and self-pity personified. Not a pretty sight.’

‘What’s it got to do with you?’ he repeated angrily.

‘Oh, I might be able to help. You never know, so it’s best to be polite to strangers.’

‘What a misery he is, that brother of yours,’ she said to Betty later. ‘The fact is, I have an idea where this Mary Anne Crisp can be found, or at least where the solicitor might start enquiries.’

‘Then go and see Mark Lacy, get it cleared up for goodness sake,’ Betty said with a sigh. ‘Then perhaps Ed’ll stop feeling sorry for himself. He’s been looked after all his life. First by Mum, then by me and now he expects the same again!’

‘The truth is, the girl might not be called Crisp at all. Elsie’s sister, who was ten years older than her, never actually married Davie Crisp. She lived with the man, had his children but she remained Mary Anne Jones. The three children she had – a son and two daughters – are all dead, but the son married and had a daughter, and named her after his mother, so she’s the likley one to inherit. Better to make a few more enquiries before telling Ed, though. If I find her and she kicks him out, his chin will be down to his knees for the rest of his life.’

On her day off Tilly went to see Mark Lacy and told him her thoughts about the girl they were trying to find.

‘I have found a Crisp, but there’s no record of a marriage and
therefore
, no issue. Searching for a family called Jones won’t be easy, and we have no idea where Mary Anne comes into it, but at least we have a name and an area and an approximation of the date. Thank you, Mrs Tucker. I am most grateful.’

Tilly went home feeling pleased with herself. Memory is a funny thing, she mused. So many things forgotten, drifting in and out of her head, but a conversation heard in whispers as she hid behind the couch, as her mother told a friend the guilty secret of a woman called Mrs Crisp who had a man and children but hadn’t been ‘churched’, had remained in her mind as clear as clear. Gossip might be wicked, but it was certainly more entertaining than some sermons, she admitted to herself cheerfully.

The weather was perfect for the Sunday lunch. Seranne woke before six and went outside still in her dressing-gown to drink her first cup of tea. The birdsong had woken her and from the trees and hedges around the garden they put on their finest performance. The tranquil start to the day was spoilt when she began to wonder whether her mother would come. Luke had promised to bring her and she hoped they arrived early so there would be a chance to talk to her. There were many worries that she needed to discuss and once the rest of her guests arrived there’d be little chance of finding a private moment.

Bob and Colin came before nine o’clock and brought tables and chairs, borrowed from various people, and set them up on the lawn. Kitty came soon after with her contribution of food. Kitty was quickly followed by Betty and Stella, both arriving in the car with Alun, with boxes of food and sheets for tablecloths. Bunting was spread around the trees, with no real excuse apart from wanting Jessie to feel welcome. Everyone
disappeared
then, to return later as guests.

Sitting in the garden Seranne began planning what she would say to Jessie, how she would approach the subject of Paul and the abandonment of the tea rooms that had been in the family for three generations. It had fallen apart since the arrival of Paul. She had to make her mother see what he had done. Jessie’s personality had undergone a change that was alarming, but how could she persuade her mother that it was due to Paul’s influence without alienating her mother completely?

Then something happened to make her change her attitude towards both her mother and Paul. The worries in her mind, like snarled-up tangles of wool, seemed to unwind and everything became clear. He was her mother’s choice and she was happy with him, happier than she had been running the business alone.

Looking around the garden, she was conscious of a lifting of her
spirits
. A robin searched the newly turned soil looking for worms, a
blackbird
sang from an apple tree, the day was calm and a peace settled around her. The magical place had set the mood for a perfect day. Why should she put herself up as judge, and try to persuade Jessie her life was in a mess? She no longer believed she should try. Paul was her mother’s choice and if she no longer wanted to run the tea rooms, and instead devote herself to him, then the decision was hers. The house settled, making small sounds that calmed her even more and she felt the comfort and peace of the house settling around her as though it approved.