Beryl felt her heart expanding. It was so good to hear her son’s name. ‘You liked him then?’ she said slowly. ‘I didn’t think you and Patrick were particularly matey, Rick?’
‘What I mean is, we shared a lot of memories,’ Rick said. ‘I know there was a lot of fuss about the fire, and I don’t think we need to talk about that. As far as I’m concerned, it was just a joke that backfired. No harm was meant and nobody got the blame. It’s in the past. But Vee and I were talking while we were away, and we both wanted you to know that we all cared about Patrick.’
‘You did? Even Venetia? I always had the feeling that she mainly liked winding him up. He used to get upset. My Patrick was such a sensitive boy.’
Rick looked as if he was choosing his next words with care, and Beryl could hardly bear to listen. Was he going to say something terrible? She was going to have to live alongside Venetia in Fiddler’s Row now, and Beryl found herself desperately wanting to think well both of her neighbour and to put to rest some very unpleasant memories of another member of the Prescott family. Their holiday together had been joyful and Vee had gone to a lot of trouble to make sure all the members of the party were well looked after and happy but there was still the other issue to deal with. Even now, Beryl couldn’t think about Vee’s father Ivan without a shudder, and she knew that eventually she ought to bring that subject out into the open. For now, though, this was all about Patrick.
‘Vee was going through a weird time back in 1985,’ said Rick. ‘I think we all were. It wasn’t much fun being a teenager, when I look back on that year. We were full of our own importance some of the time but totally lacking in confidence the rest of it. The school camping trip brought a lot of things to a head.’
Beryl wasn’t at all clear where this was going. ‘What are you trying to say?’ she asked, watching the hands of the clock on the mantelpiece make their way much too quickly towards the moment when the other guests would descend on her.
Rick leaned across the small space dividing them and took both Beryl’s hands in his. ‘Just that we were all battling with our own demons and Patrick was no different. We might have done and said things that we regretted later but we were friends, and that will never change. Patrick was one of us and we miss him. I wish he was here to party with us, but we can still talk about him and remember the good times.’
Beryl squeezed Rick’s hands. She was too full of emotion to speak. What a lovely gesture, to bring flowers and to take the time to make her muddled memories of Patrick’s teenage years fall into a better, less painful shape.
‘Anyway,’ said Rick, letting go of Beryl and getting to his feet. ‘That’s the serious stuff out of the way. How about we open that bottle and have a toast to the future? Get the glasses and I’ll open the fizz.’
Rick gave Beryl a hand to get up, which she was grateful for, because she suddenly felt rather shaky. Too much soul-searching was bad for the liver, as Winnie always said. ‘A very good suggestion,’ she said. ‘And thank you, dear. I feel more peaceful about my boy, somehow. Oh, I know Patrick was no angel, I’m not totally blinkered.’
‘None of us were angels,’ said Rick. ‘Let’s not forget that. Teenagers are a law unto themselves. We’ll drink to being safely over fifty, shall we?’
‘A lot over fifty, in my case,’ said Beryl, watching as Rick deftly popped the cork and poured chilled Prosecco into two champagne flutes. ‘But still here and still ready to party.’
‘Exactly.’ Rick raised his glass. ‘Here’s to future fun and shenanigans. Age is no barrier to the Saga Louts and their friends. Cheers!’
Beryl raised her own glass in response and smiled at him fondly. She wondered what Rick had really wanted to say to her about Patrick. What had he left out, regarding his own and Venetia’s opinion of her son? Best not to know, she told herself silently. Best to focus on the good times and remember Patrick with love. Anything else didn’t bear thinking about.
The doorbell rang, mercifully putting an end to her pondering.
‘Gird your loins,’ Beryl said to Rick. ‘It’s showtime.’
40
At first, Vee thought she wasn’t going to be able to enjoy Beryl’s fuddle because she was so jittery about how everyone would react to Finn when he announced to them all that he was definitely not her nephew, as they’d previously thought. It was Finn’s idea to lay their cards on the table. Vee hadn’t understood why this was necessary, at least not yet, but her son was turning out to be one of the most straightforward characters she’d ever met.
Even as the first drinks were being distributed, Finn had made his way to a place in the room where everyone could see him and clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.
‘Hey, guys,’ he’d said, beaming around the room. ‘We haven’t been properly introduced, but I’m Finn Prescott-Barnes, and you may have heard of me as Vee’s nephew. Well, it’s a long story but she’s actually my mom.’
There followed several loud gasps as everyone except Rick and Beryl digested this shocker. Vee’s eyes were on her hostess. Beryl was clearly not surprised but she was smiling at Finn with the benevolence of one who fully approved of what he was saying. ‘About time too,’ Vee heard her murmur.
‘So, this lady here, it turns out, is one of the most generous people you’re likely to meet. She gave birth to me solely because her sister and her partner couldn’t have a baby any other way. My two moms, Cassie and Marissa, have brought me up with all the kindness and love you can imagine, and I think they’ve done a swell job,’ said Finn.
He did a twirl and a bow at this point, making everyone laugh. Vee felt as if her heart would burst with pride as she watched her son commanding the room. He had everyone eating out of his hand by now and began to briefly tell them about his life in the suburbs of Boston where he lived with Cassie and Marissa and was learning his trade, working alongside a carpenter who made much-sought-after furniture and the occasional wooden sculpture.
Vee opened her mouth to comment, but Finn held up a hand. ‘I think Vee is going to tell you I got into a prestigious law school but dropped out?’
She nodded. ‘That did take me by surprise at the time,’ she admitted.
‘I hated all that studying,’ said Finn. ‘I wanted to create beautiful things, not sit in a lecture theatre for hours hearing some boring dude in a suit drone on about dry-as-dust stuff. The moms weren’t happy, but they came round when I made my first test piece. It was a bookcase for their study. Anyway, that’s my story. Thought it was easier to tell it to you all at once. Looking forward to hearing all yours now. I’m gonna mingle, guys.’
After that, Vee didn’t get chance to talk to Finn for quite a while. He was surrounded by all the others who were keen to chat endlessly about their own experiences of a variety of subjects, including woodwork (Sid and Frank), New England recipes (Winnie and Rick), current American fashion for men (Maurice and Beryl) and holiday destinations near Boston (Anthea). When Sam arrived with Elsie, explaining that she’d had a party of her own to go to first, Finn was more than ready to sit on the floor and investigate the pack of cards she’d found in her goodie bag. He showed her how to play Strip-Jack-Naked, and she picked the rules up almost immediately. When the game palled, Finn began to regale Elsie with tales of all his visits to Disneyland over the years.
‘You’ve been nine times? Really?’ Elsie said breathlessly. ‘Dad, when can we go? Could we visit Finn in America? I really want to see Disneyland.’
Vee was relaxing nearby at this point and was the only one to notice the sudden pause that followed Elsie’s question. She looked up and caught the look that passed between Finn and Sam. It was over as soon as it began, but the moment was electric.
‘Oh, you can come stay anytime you guys like,’ said Finn. ‘We’ve got spare bedrooms. We love guests.’
