‘Sammade this happen?’ Vee’s eyes searched the room and found that Sam was rooted to the spot, watching this conversation unfold.
‘Yes, we’ve been emailing and speaking to each other whenever we could since I went back to Boston. After Christmas he realised… well, we both did, to be fair… that we might have a very good thing going if we were both in the same place for long enough to try. So here I am. Can I stay with you for a while… Mum?’
That last word finished Vee off completely, especially as he’d said it in the British way, and she began to cry, hugging first Finn and then Ingrid and Joel. Sam was by her side in no time for his own hug and the four of them stood together, unsure where to go from there.
‘But what about Cassie and Marissa?’ Vee said eventually. ‘They’ll be devastated.’
‘No, they won’t, they both said they’d seen this coming for a while,’ said Finn. ‘I’ve talked it through with them. They think it’s a good opportunity for me to get experience in my trade. They’re pretty sure I’ll be back in Boston eventually, of course.’
He looked at Sam as he said this, and Vee smiled. ‘Ah, the epiphany,’ she said.
‘Yes, and I’m not the only one who’s had one of those,’ Sam said, then stopped talking abruptly. His eyes slid over to where Rick was standing, arms folded, watching them all thoughtfully.
‘Anyway, that’s not for me to discuss. Why don’t we all meet at the pub tomorrow night and celebrate my news?’ Finn said. ‘We can’t do it tonight because there’s turkey and what you Brits apparently callall the trimmingsto eat later. I’m heading back to the cottage now. I’m in charge of roast potatoes. I’ve got my instructions.’
Ingrid said that a pub meeting sounded like an excellent plan and Vee left them to firm up their arrangements. Her mind was in turmoil with so many new developments to take in. Finn was coming to stay with her. They’d have time to really get to know each other, and not only that, it looked as if he was on the brink of a serious relationship with Sam. She’d heard from Cassie that Finn had only toyed with female flirtations as he grew older, but even now that the reason was clear she couldn’t help worrying if her boy and Sam were heading for heartbreak if they let themselves get close and then decided they both wanted to live in different places, far apart. And there was Elsie to think about too. She should come first, whatever happened.
Telling herself sternly that there was no point in worrying and speculating at this point but not at all convinced that she could stick to this resolution, Vee turned to find Rick by her side, but remembered Beryl’s words just as she was about to suggest that they made a move for home.
‘There’s something I need to do before we go,’ Vee said, casting her eyes around the room to look for Beryl and finding that the older woman was already making her way towards her. ‘Hopefully it won’t take long, I’ll be with you as soon as possible, okay?’
Vee took Beryl’s arm as she reached her and they moved towards the kitchen, now empty of people but full of the debris from a successful party.
‘Are you ready to tell me what the problem is?’ Vee asked. ‘You’re worrying me. I thought you and me were on an even keel now?’
Beryl looked over her shoulder to check that nobody had followed them and closed the door between the kitchen and the church hall. ‘I’ll make it quick,’ she said. ‘There’s something I need to get off my chest before I can… beforewecan be proper friends. It’s about your father and the reason you all left Willowbrook so suddenly. It wasn’t just because your folks were concerned about what new mischief you might get up to, was it? Or that he’d got a new job?’
Vee’s stomach flipped. Where was this going? ‘I… well…’ she prevaricated, but Beryl was still talking.
‘I think it was because Ivan… your dad… he wasn’t safe around the ladies, and your mum wanted a fresh start for them. He could be very…’
‘…inappropriate?’ finished Vee, blinking away the tears that always threatened to fall when she let herself think about the way they’d left Willowbrook. ‘Yes, he was, towards the time we left. I’m assuming he did something that offended you? Made a pass?’
Beryl nodded. Her cheeks were pink now and she was staring at the floor. ‘Is that why you left?’ she asked, huskily. ‘For a long time I’ve just had the strangest feeling that I got it wrong somehow. He never seemed like that kind of man, in all the years I’d known your parents. I think I overreacted, but it was such a shock when he did what he did. In this very kitchen.’
‘Yes, you got it wrong, Beryl, but you weren’t to know,’ said Vee, swallowing hard. ‘Dad had been showing all the signs of early-onset dementia and one of the things he did was to… to…’
‘Come on to women? Try to touch them?’ Beryl said. ‘Oh, Vee, I’m so sorry. I should have trusted my instincts and spoken to your mum but I was just so horrified.’
‘I wish you had,’ said Vee. ‘It might have helped Mum to deal with it. Anyway, we didn’t leave because Dad had a new job. It was my mum that had been looking for work to support us all in a new place. Dad never worked again but we did eventually get a diagnosis and some help for him. It was a tough time.’
That was the understatement of the year, Vee thought, as she watched Beryl take in this new information. Watching her father deteriorate had been horrendous for them all but Tallulah had borne the brunt of the stress and it had eventually made her touchy and hard to live with. Now at last they were both at peace.
‘It’s okay, Beryl,’ Vee said, reaching out to give her a hug. To begin with, Beryl felt rigid in her arms but after a moment she leaned in and put her arms around Vee’s waist. They stood together until they heard voices approaching and broke apart just in time to look nonchalant as Winnie came in.
‘What are you two doing in here?’ she asked. ‘My life, what a mess. I’m ready to start the washing up, but you should be on your way home, Vee. Young Rick is chomping at the bit out there.’
‘Are you sure?’ said Vee, but Winnie was giving her a little push towards the door to the hall and Beryl reached out again to kiss Vee on both cheeks.
‘Off you go,’ she said. ‘If I had a handsome chap like that waiting for me, I’d not hang about.’
Still reeling after Beryl’s revelation, Vee made her way to where Rick was standing, deep in conversation with Anthea. They both looked up and beamed when they saw her.
‘Am I still invited for Christmas dinner, mark two?’ Rick said hopefully. ‘The German version was interesting, but I’ve been looking forward to this one so much more.’
‘You are. Let’s go, or we won’t be eating until midnight,’ said Vee.
They left the hall, after saying a quick goodbye to anyone within reach. The Saga Louts and their men were going to be following once the tidying up was done and would join Vee and her guests for a quick glass of fizz before dinner to toast Ben and Yolanda’s reunion. Sam and Elsie were coming too. Vee and Rick walked in silence, their breath billowing out in clouds of mist in the chilly early-evening air. A strange kind of constraint had fallen upon them, and Vee was beginning to regret inviting Rick to eat at Dragonfly Cottage. It was a good job she’d asked Sam and Elsie to join them. That might make things less awkward.
