‘They’re all okay,’ said Rick to Vee. ‘I feel a bit like a teacher on a school trip, don’t you?’
She laughed. ‘Yes, I keep wanting to do a head count to check we haven’t lost any of them. I hadn’t realised what a responsibility it would be, but they’re all having a great time, so it’s worth it. I just hope nobody has a funny turn or falls over.’
‘Let’s not worry about that,’ said Rick. ‘At least we’re in this together. We can cope.’
Vee smiled at him and his heart did an uncomfortable flip. It was that word.Together.He was beginning to get used to Vee being around permanently, and that was dangerous. It was a mistake to rely on anyone. Experience of marriage had taught him that, if nothing else.
‘Let’s have a look around,’ he said. ‘Do you want an official guided tour?’
‘No, we can just do our own thing,’ Vee answered. ‘Come on, I want to light a candle for my mum.’
Rick followed her down the main aisle, still unsettled by the rush of warmth that had overwhelmed him for a moment. They were friends, and that was the way it should stay. Vee still had issues with her past and he certainly wasn’t in the market for a new relationship. Best to squash these strange, unpredictable moments of longing that were creeping up on him. They were going to get him nowhere.
When everyone had reached sightseeing overload, Rick and Vee shepherded their tired flock back towards the accommodation, giving them all half an hour to freshen up before it was time to eat. They all reappeared looking a lot more lively. The three older ladies had donned colourful dresses and applied bright lipstick, while the men hadn’t changed their clothes but had clearly had a wash and brush up. A cloud of mingled aftershave fragrances hung over Sid and Maurice, while Frank smelt strongly of Coal Tar soap and Euthymol toothpaste, evocative scents that brought back memories of Rick’s grandfather.
* * *
Dinner in a little bistro next door to the motel was an exuberant affair. All were in good spirits, but they resisted ordering more than a couple of carafes of wine because Beryl warned them that tomorrow was going to bring another early start.
‘Not the crack of dawn again though, darling,’ said Anthea. ‘This is a holiday, after all.’
‘No, but we’re heading south for La Rochelle straight after breakfast,’ said Rick. ‘Next stop, the seaside and some very swanky boats. We’ll choose the yacht we’ll buy when we win the lottery. Now, off to bed if you’ve all finished. We all need our beauty sleep.’
‘You speak for yourself,’ said Anthea, but they trooped out of the bistro obediently enough.
‘Day one of our school trip competed,’ whispered Vee, bringing up the rear with Rick, and they high-fived each other.
‘Let’s hope the rest of the holiday goes as smoothly,’ he answered. ‘If this was a real school party, we’d be going round checking their rooms after lights out to make sure they’re all in the right places. I might be getting the wrong idea here, but I have a feeling that some of them might not be.’
Vee giggled. ‘Well, they’re all grown-ups, aren’t they? So long as none of them have a lovers’ tiff, we’ll be fine.’
Rick hadn’t thought of this possible scenario. Taking six of the older generation away with three potential couples included was obviously a more complicated situation than he’d bargained for. He really hoped there wouldn’t be any ructions between his fellow travellers. Being confined to a minibus with a crew of warring pensioners was definitely not his idea of a fun holiday.
25
Beryl was definitely getting into the swing of this holiday lark by the time they reached La Rochelle the next day. They were all looking a bit jaded though, so she suggested an early dinner after they’d explored the area around their hotel and by nine o’clock the entire party were tucked up in bed. Even Vee and Rick, whom Beryl had assumed would want to go out and find some action later, had said they were ready to sleep.
It was fascinating to watch the chemistry developing between the two younger members of the party, Beryl thought to herself as she dressed the next morning. They’d obviously struck sparks off each other when her new neighbour first arrived in Willowbrook but now Vee and Rick had fallen into an easy kind of camaraderie, teasing each other and the rest of the party and making sure that everyone was safe and well. It was almost as if they were the parents of a crowd of rather unpredictable children, which felt like the case a lot of the time. Beryl considered herself to be easily the most flexible one of the party. The rest of them weren’t always easy to manage, mainly because they tended to want to take off in every possible direction wherever they landed.
‘Let’s go and look at the boats this morning,’ she said, after their usual breakfast of powerfully strong coffee, freshly baked croissants, crusty bread and apricot jam was finished with.
‘But there’s such a lot to see here,’ said Anthea. ‘Maurice wants to visit the Old Town and maybe the Museum d’Histoire Naturelle de la Rochelle.’
Beryl bridled slightly as Anthea showed off her French accent. She sniffed. There was no need for that. Beryl herself had learned most of her own inflections from an old sitcom and thePink Pantherfilms. They could all talk like the cast of’Allo ’Alloif they wanted to.
‘There are some other interesting museums too,’ said Sid. ‘I like a bit of history, I do.’
Rick sighed. ‘How are we going to please everyone today? If you all go off separately, we might never find you again.’
‘We’re grown-ups, Rick,’ Frank said. ‘I’m sure we’ll be fine. You don’t have to watch over us all the time.’
That decided, the group set off in pairs, arranging to meet for dinner later. Winnie and Sid looked to be getting on particularly well and had taken to walking everywhere arm in arm, which was unexpected, to say the least, as Beryl pointed out to Frank as they headed for the harbour. ‘Winnie’s not one for much in the way of… you know… physical contact,’ she told Frank. ‘I mean, with her late husband, yes, of course, that was an exuberant marriage, if you get what I’m implying.’
She paused, noticing that Frank was blushing. Bless the man. ‘As I was saying,’ she continued. ‘Our Winnie isn’t much of a hugger as a rule, but she’s really taken to Sid lately, hasn’t she?’
Frank looked down at Beryl. ‘And what about you?’ he said quietly.
‘Whataboutme?’ she replied, busy swapping her usual spectacles for sunglasses and pulling on a sun hat.
