Blanche’s return smile was sheepish. ‘I feel bad saying it, but I slept like a baby,’ she replied. ‘I usually do, but whatisannoying is waking up so damn early. All those years when I was working and had to get up at the crack of dawn, and then the minute I retired and could stay in bed as long as I wanted, could I heck? Wide awake at dawn.’ She shook her head. ‘Bloody ridiculous state of affairs.’ She got up and collected a mug from the draining board. ‘One cup of tea coming up.’
‘I’ve heard from Sofia,’ said Peg, watching as Blanche poured her drink. ‘And Henry’s still with us. He woke briefly, but the nurses seem to think he’s doing okay.’
Blanche slid the mug across the table with an audible sigh of relief. ‘Thank God. Adam would never have been able to forgive himself. When Henry is back in good health again those two need to have some proper conversations. Sort out whatever’s gone wrong between them.’
Peg nodded. ‘I think Sofia’s feeling it too. She was very quiet on the phone. Adam was asleep, so she was trying to keep her voice down, but I could tell she’d been thinking things over too. There but for the grace of God comes to mind.’
‘It does. Families are such horribly complicated things, aren’t they? My daughter has something on her mind at the moment that she doesn’t want me to know about, and it’s been that way for the past couple of years. No matter how hard I try to get to the bottom of it, she just pretends all the harder that everything is fine. She and Adam weren’t always the way they are now. This materialistic social climbing is a relatively new thing. Sofia’s business doesn’t help – pandering to people with more money than sense, or worse, to people with no money but who are desperate for some kind of validation of their worth. I wish they could see it doesn’t lead to happiness. It’s like they’re on a hamster wheel they can’t step off.’
‘Ah, but it’s the stepping off that’s the problem, isn’t it?’ said Peg. ‘While you’re on it everything is fine – you can keep on keeping on – but try to jump from it while it’s still moving and you end up in all kinds of trouble. Perhaps that’s what they’re trying to avoid.’
Blanche narrowed her eyes. ‘You could well be right. Although I’ve no idea what could be so bad.’ She swallowed a mouthful of tea. ‘I’m changing the subject completely, but would it be weird to have pigs in blankets for breakfast?’
Peg leaned towards her, hair spilling over her shoulders as she did so. ‘Weird possibly…but very, very good.’ She grinned. ‘I’ll go and see if Mim’s awake. She’ll need a hand to get dressed.’
‘I’ll go,’ said Blanche, placing her hand over Peg’s to still her from getting up. You finish your tea, dear.’
Peg had always loved this kitchen, and she especially loved it at this time of the morning when it was still early, and it was hushed and expectant, waiting for the day to begin. One of the windows faced east and Peg had seen many a sunrise through it, enjoying her first cup of tea of the day, and the opportunity to let her thoughts slide and quietly think things through. And having Blanche take care of Mim was exactly what had brought her current thoughts to mind.
Because Mim lived over two hours away, and if Peg were to look after her, that was something which needed to change. Either Mim needed to move closer to Peg, or Peg needed to move closer to Mim, it was as simple as that. And Peg knew that only one of those options was the right one. What troubled her was that if this was truly going to be her last Christmas in this house, then so far it had been memorable for all the wrong reasons.
‘I’ve had a thought,’ she said, when all three women were tucking into their breakfast.
Mim frowned. She was cross at having her food cut up for her.Like a baby, she’d scorned. She speared a piece of sausage. ‘Well I hope it’s not about me,’ she said.
Peg ignored her. Given the direction of travel of her recent thoughts, Mim’s comment was a little too close for comfort. And it was not a conversation she wanted to get into. She stuck out her tongue instead, her way of teasing her aunt. ‘No, it’s not about you, Mim. I was just remembering when the girls were little – I think it was the year Phoebe was born, so she would have only been about six months old – Julian and I decided to postpone our Christmas dinner because the day was just running away from us. I don’t think I even managed to brush my hair the entire day. Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is that we had the dinner on Boxing Day instead, when things were a little calmer. And it was lovely. It didn’t really make any difference, and I wondered if we should do the same thing this year. I’ve invited Sofia and Adam over for some food when they’re ready, but perhaps we should make it a definite arrangement. Provided all is well at the hospital, of course.’
‘Haven’t we just eaten the pigs in blankets?’ asked Blanche.
‘We’ve eatensomeof them,’ replied Peg. ‘But only a few from the ones Sofia had already prepared yesterday.Istill have sausages and bacon left. Plus a chicken…and anything else we might want can be easily rustled up.’
A quick phone call to Sofia confirmed that there was no change in Henry’s condition, and she seemed grateful for the opportunity of a few hours to escape. The hospital would call if there was a problem, and even if she and Adam didn’t stay at Peg’s for long, at least they would have had a hot meal and a decent cup of tea.
With dinnertime set for three o’clock, Peg began to think about what to prepare. Henry’s accident might have cast a shadow over festivities, but the way she saw it, nothing they didwould change the situation, so they might as well try to make the best of it. Besides, the quiet Christmas she had been looking forward to had gone out of the window as soon as she’d had the call about Mim and her wrist. There was, however, one thing Peg wanted to do before preparations got underway. Otherwise the opportunity would slip through her fingers and she would regret it deeply come bedtime.
‘I’m just going to take a spin around the woods,’ she said. ‘I’m not used to eating such a big breakfast, and some fresh air would be good.’
‘I could do with some of that myself,’ said Blanche. ‘Would you mind some company?’
It was the last thing Peg wanted, but she could hardly refuse. Before she could reply, however, Mim chimed in. ‘Oh, Blanche, I was about to ask you if wouldn’t mind helping me to sort out my hair? If we’re having guests for dinner I shall need to put a few rollers in, but this blasted cast on my wrist makes everything impossible.’
Blanche agreed straight away – perhaps as Mim knew she would. Peg was in no doubt that her need for an assistant hairdresser had been invented solely for Peg’s benefit. She was, however, very grateful – she and Julian had much to discuss.
The moment Peg was surrounded by trees, she inhaled a deep breath and leaned her back against a stout oak. Its broad beam was solid and comforting, a constant in the ever-changing world in which she found herself.
‘Oh Julian,’ she murmured. ‘What am I going to do?’
Half an hour or so later, she turned for home, conscious that both Mim and Blanche were on their own. Pausing suddenly as she walked, she stopped to listen, her ears detecting something she didn’t often hear – footsteps. Someone else was in the woods.
Hearing a rustle which was much closer than before, Peg spun around to see Blanche walking towards her.
‘It’s okay,’ said Blanche, the moment she could see she’d been spotted. ‘Don’t panic, there’s nothing wrong.’ She flapped a hand as if she was out of puff.
‘Sorry,’ said Peg. ‘Have you been looking for me?’
‘Only because I wanted to let you know that Sofia has called again – your phone rang and I answered it when I saw it was her. I hope that’s okay?’
‘I should have brought it with me,’ Peg replied. ‘Only I usually leave it behind when I walk. Force of habit.’
