‘Well, thank you very much for the tour. I expect you’ve got plenty to do back at your place, so we’ll see you later for dinner?’ Beryl said, as she sank down at one of the tables again.
‘Yes indeed, I must dash, as you would say. The devil makes work for idle hands. I love the English idiom,’ said Simone, waving a hand as she sauntered back towards her home.
‘I thought she’d never go,’ whispered Beryl to Rick.
‘I know, a little bit of her goes a long way,’ said Frank, overhearing the heartfelt remark. ‘Mind you, she makes a superb paella, I’ll say that for her. I wonder what she’ll give us tonight.’
‘She’s making coq au vin,’ said Sid. ‘I asked. It’s a sort of chicken stew,’ he added helpfully.
They sat in silence for a while, drinking in the peace of the marketplace. Only a couple of other customers were waiting to order, both elderly gentlemen, and they looked as if they had all day, settling back in their seats, battered straw hats half covering their faces. The village drowsed in the sunshine, and Rick thought how perfect this would all be if only Vee was with them. He was just about to get out his phone and text to tell her where they were so that she could meet the gang for lunch when she heard Beryl shout, ‘Oi! Over here, Venetia.’
Rick looked up and saw Vee walking down the street towards them. Storming down it would be more accurate, he reflected as Vee kicked a stone that had the temerity to get in her way and came to a halt right in front of him.
‘I need to go home,’ she said, eyes blazing. ‘And I need to go now.’
33
‘Home, as in back to Simone’s place?’ said Rick, with a horrible feeling in his stomach that this wasn’t what Vee meant at all.
‘No, home as in Willowbrook. I’ve got to get back. Something’s come up.’
Beryl stood up and came over to where Vee was standing. She looked up at the younger woman. ‘What’s upset you?’ she asked. ‘It’s that Yolanda, isn’t it? She always stirred things up when she visited your mum and dad. What’s she been saying?’
‘It doesn’t matter what she’s said, I must go now. How can I get back?’ Vee turned to Rick. ‘If you drive me to the nearest airport, I can get a flight today, I expect. I’d better go and pack.’
Rick stood up too. ‘Look, I can understand you want to act fast for some reason but let’s talk about this,’ he said as gently as he could. ‘Come back to the pension with me and you can maybe fill me in on what’s bothering you?’
After an initial protest, Vee reluctantly agreed to go with Rick. By now the rest of the party were looking anxious, but a girl with a notepad coming to take orders distracted them enough for Rick and Vee to escape. They hurried back down the street. As they passed the bakery, Rick could see that it was about to close for lunch, so he told Vee to wait and rushed in, just in time to buy a box of delicious-looking cakes.
Vee was pacing up and down outside the shop and raised her eyebrows at him as he came back out. ‘It’s no good looking at me like that,’ he said. ‘We’re missing lunch, and I can’t listen on an empty stomach.’
They reached base and Rick tapped the code into the keypad. The heavy door swung open with a creak, and he peered inside. Would Simone be hovering? The last thing they needed were questions about why they weren’t having lunch in the café, but the house was mercifully quiet.
‘She must still be out, or having a siesta,’ Vee said. ‘Let’s go up to my room before she comes back.’
They tiptoed up the stairs. Rick’s mind was in turmoil. He couldn’t imagine what Yolanda could have said that was serious enough to provoke this dramatic reaction. Once safely in her bedroom with the door closed, Vee flopped down on the bed and leaned against the pillows. She closed her eyes. Rick thought it seemed a bit formal to sit on one of the easy chairs at the far side of the room, so he perched on the end of the bed, as far away as possible from Vee.
‘Come on then, what’s up?’ he said, when she still hadn’t spoken after a couple of minutes. ‘It must be something pretty drastic to make you want to leave here.’
She still didn’t answer so Rick undid the string on the box of cakes and held it out. ‘Open your eyes and eat something, Vee,’ he said. ‘Nothing ever seems as bad after a chocolate éclair, that’s my motto.’
At last Vee stirred. She sat up and made herself more upright on the pillows. ‘Did you saychocolate éclair?’ she asked hopefully, peering into the box. ‘I’m starving. Being angry always makes me hungry.’
They ate in silence. Rick proffered the box again and they both took a meringue. ‘That’s better,’ said Vee. ‘Thank you for getting those. I was beginning to think I was losing my marbles but the sugar rush has helped.’
‘Are you ready to tell me what’s got you in this state?’
Vee licked her fingers to get rid of the last of the sugar. ‘Yes, if you don’t mind me wittering at you for ages. It’d be good to get it off my chest.’
Rick stood up. ‘Let’s go and sit over there,’ he said, pointing to the chairs. ‘I’d rather be comfortable if this is going to take a while. There’s no rush. The others won’t be back for a long time yet and I can’t hear Simone crashing about. So, go for it.’
They settled themselves in the easy chairs which both had a beautiful view of the sparkling pool. The garden looked tempting, but Rick didn’t want to risk suggesting they went outside. This seemed as if it was going to be a very private conversation.
‘I’ll make it as short as possible,’ said Vee. ‘This part of my story really starts about twenty years after my family left Willowbrook. I was in my mid-thirties and I felt as if my life was over. I know that sounds dramatic, but I’m trying to be honest.’
Rick nodded but said nothing. Vee’s face was pale now and she was twisting her hands together.
‘It was a while since I’d finished a run of minor acting roles, and I had a call from my agent who seemed to think I was washed up. Nothing else was forthcoming. The next day, my then-boyfriend told me he’d been sleeping with our divorced next-door neighbour, Cleo, who was in her late forties. We’d been together for ten years at that time and I thought the sun shone out of his backside. He’d been babysitting for Cleo rather a lot. We had never wanted children, or so I thought. Anyway, he moved in with her and her four kids. I was devastated.’
