‘Well, I’m very sticky but this dress goes in the wash, so not to worry.’
‘Sticky?’
‘From the cocktail?’ Carole pulled her shades down and looked at Lily over the top of them before putting them back in place. ‘You look very pale, Lily. Are you poorly?’
‘I’m fine, thank you,’ Lily said, ‘just a bit tired. Maybe a bit hungover.’ And the mud was finally wearing off. ‘You know. But how are you feeling?’
‘I’m fine. I’m used to a late night or two. What would you like to do today?’ Oh, God. Carole clearly didn’t know.
Matt sat down on the lounger next to Carole’s. ‘Carole, we saw Norm after you left.’
‘Did he say where he was going? Is he playing golf?’
‘He said something about having left a note for you.’ Wow. Matt was brave.
‘What? Why?’ Carole sat motionless for a second and then said, ‘Has something happened?What’shappened? Where’s the note?’
‘In the kitchen, I think,’ Matt said.
Carole didn’t move for another few seconds and then said, ‘It’s bad, isn’t it?’ She very suddenly swung her legs off the lounger. The whole thing snapped together around her and the rest of the cocktail went flying, showering Matt.
When they had Carole out of the lounger and on her feet, she marched inside.
‘I think we should wait here,’ Lily said.
Matt nodded, still brushing cocktail off his lap. ‘She wasn’t wrong when she said this was sticky. Maybe I’ll—’
‘Thebastard,’ yelled Carole. She appeared at the kitchen door and marched back towards them, waving a letter. ‘He’s bloody left me. He’s bloodyleft me. BecauseI’munreasonable, he says. Complete bloody nonsense.He’sthe unreasonable one.’ She walked over to the barbecue and tore and tore the paper until it was in tiny pieces and scattered them in the underneath bit where the coals went. ‘Lol. Hehatesit when I put paper in there. Well now he’s gone. So I’ll put as much paper in as I bloody well like.’ And then she did an enormous snort and tears began to stream down her cheeks beneath her sunglasses.
‘Oh God,’ Matt said.
‘I’m so, so sorry.’ Lily ran over to where Carole had slumped down onto a chair and put her arms round her. ‘Carole, listen. Norm seemed very upset. I think it’s just a tiff from his side. I think he’ll want to come back soon.’
Carole did another massive snort, took the sunglasses off and wiped her eyes with her arm. ‘D’you know what, Lily? I don’twanthim back. Good bloody riddance I say. You leave someone, hurt them, you can’t expect them to take you back.’
‘I’m not sure that’s true.’ Matt had walked the length of the swimming pool and was standing in front of them in his sticky shorts.
‘It’s completely true.’ Carole sniffed, hard.
‘No, it isn’t. And I know for certain that it isn’t.’ Matt wasn’t looking at Carole, he was looking at Lily. ‘I would totally get back together with someone who’d split up with me in the past if they had good reason for doing so. Sometimes you might be right for each other, but it’s maybe the wrong time, maybe you just need some time apart to grow, learn about life. And then be together forever.’
Lily’s breath caught. He wasn’t talking about Carole and Norm any more. It felt like he’d just made a huge declaration of intent.
Twenty
Matt
‘What are you talking about?’ Carole said. ‘You’re being ridiculous. Norm and I have been married for forty years. And I’m sixty-five and he’s pushing seventy. We don’t need to bloody learn about life.’
Lily was half gigantic-smiling and half gigantic-frowning at Matt, indicating Carole with her head and an eye swivel. Yeah, maybe he’d been a little insensitive there. ButGod, it felt like things had fallen into place in his mind and he wanted to speak to Lily about their feelings for each other right now.
‘I think what Mattmeans—’ Lily hugged Carole again ‘—is that maybe you and Norm just need a little bit of space from each other like everyone does sometimes but that obviously you’re great together and maybe you should call him when you’re up to it?
‘Oh, Lily,’ Carole wailed. ‘What am I going to do without him?’ And then she broke into heaving sobs again. Lily pulled her right into her arms and held her and did a zip-it motion at Matt when he opened his mouth to say something to cheer his aunt up.
‘Why don’t you go and change your shorts?’ Lily indicated over to the house with her head. ‘And then maybe fix us all some coffee?’
By mid-afternoon, they – well, Lily, because Matt kept saying the wrong thing and every time he came back from his latest chore and opened his mouth, Lily suggested that he do the dishwasher, clean the pink jeep, make lunch, vacuum the whole of the downstairs of the villa, put the rubbish out, make coffee – had Carole in a better state of mind.
