It was always possible, Ellis thought, that actually he was the problem and not the hot sun, that Tom and Rick regarded him as an interloper. It made sense that if Martha and Willow didn’t approve of him, there was every chance that Tom and Rick wouldn’t either. But Ellis didn’t really think that was the issue, and anyway, Willow had appeared to accept him as being part of the family now.There certainly hadn’t been a problem the last time he had spent time alone with Tom and Rick, when they’d gone for a drink together the day of the fête.
Things had got off to an odd start when they’d all arrived and Rick, apparently bursting with the need to share his and Willow’s news, announced that he had just proposed to Willow, and she’d said yes. Ellis considered it a strange way to propose, while driving, but then who was he to comment? He’d noticed that while everyone had admired the ring on Willow’s finger, she hadn’t seemed as happy as one might expect her to look. If anything, she looked vaguely embarrassed. Naomi must have decided it was an ideal opportunity to share their own news, a way of getting it over and done with, and had held up her own ring for inspection. A more muted round of congratulations followed, which was perfectly understandable.
Later, when Ellis, together with Tom and Rick, had returned to Anchor House from their walk, there had been a tricky moment when he had suggested that what they needed now was an ice-cold beer to cool them off after being out in the blisteringly hot sun for so long. He’d been about to open the fridge for the beers he’d put in there yesterday after shopping with Naomi, when Tom had beaten him to it. They both had hastily stepped back from the fridge as though each had inadvertently barged in on the other’s territory. Ellis knew from Naomi that Tom had been a great support to her after Colin’s death and could always be relied upon to act as her wingman, whether it was offering financial advice or pouring out drinks for people. Did Tom feel his newly acquired position – his promotion within the family – had been undermined by Ellis? If so, Ellis made a mental note to watch out for that in the future;he needed Tom as an ally if he was ever going to win Martha round.
The mood amongst the three of them had changed the second Naomi and the girls arrived back; it was as if they spontaneously relaxed. Breezing in with laughter and chatter and armfuls of shopping bags, it was obvious they had enjoyed a better day than their menfolk.
Now, in the sultry warmth of the evening as they sat around the table on the verandah, with dusk complete and the twinkling fairy lights hanging from the glass roof acting like stars above their heads, Ellis sipped his rosé wine thoughtfully.
For the last few minutes he’d been observing Rick through the flickering flames of the candles on the table. Seated next to Willow, he was leaning in particularly close to her with one of his hands absently twirling a lock of her hair. The gesture was so extraordinarily intimate, Ellis felt uncomfortable observing it, but found himself unable to look away. He had never seen a man openly do this to his partner before and while he wanted to believe it showed the depth of feeling Rick had for Willow, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was actually an act of possession. The thought so perturbed him, Ellis glanced around the table to see if anyone else was looking at Rick with the same curious absorption as he was.
The only one who was, was Martha, and the expression on her face was one of undisguised disgust, as though she’d just caught Rick picking his nose. Then without warning, and maybe because she couldn’t stand to watch any longer, she turned away and her gaze collided with Ellis’s. For the briefest of moments, their eyes held, but whatever she was thinking, there was no pursuing it as just then there was the sound of a mobile ringing.After some collective patting of pockets, the ringing mobile proved to be Willow’s.
‘Sorry,’ she apologised, finding her phone hiding under her napkin on the table. ‘Oh,’ she said, when she checked the screen, ‘it’s Lucy.’
His fingers still playing with her hair, Rick frowned. ‘Don’t answer it,’ he said, ‘it can wait.’
‘I think I should, you know, what with her miscarriage.’
With visible reluctance, Rick unwound the lock of hair from his fingers. ‘Go on then,’ he said with a shrug, ‘if you must. But hey,’ he added with a sudden smile, ‘don’t be long, you know how I miss you.’
They all watched Willow rise to her feet and walk away down the garden to talk to her friend in private. Turning back to look at them, Rick said, ‘I know what you’re thinking, that I’m just too romantic for my own good.’ He raised a hand in the air and smiled. ‘Guilty as charged, so shoot me now!’
‘Somebody pass me a gun,’ muttered Martha.
Tom laughed, but Naomi tutted. ‘Really, Martha.’
‘It’s okay, Mum, he knows I’m only kidding. Isn’t that right, Rick?’
The smile gone from his face, he was about to respond when they heard a cry from Willow.
‘Of course I don’t know anything about it!’ her voice rang out in the stillness. ‘There must be some kind of mistake. Are you really sure that it’s … I mean … after all this time, could you really tell?’
Seconds passed and then they heard another cry from Willow. Then: ‘Lucy, are you still there? Lucy?’
‘What was that all about?’ asked Rick when Willow rejoined them on the verandah and sat down again.
Even in the candlelight Ellis could see the paleness of her face. She looked like she had just received the worst of news.
When she didn’t answer Rick, Naomi said, ‘Willow, what is it? What’s wrong? What did Lucy say to you?’
Willow fiddled with the mobile in her hands, then held it up and showed the screen to Rick. ‘Look,’ she said, a tremble to her voice. ‘It’s Cedric. Or what was Cedric.’
Whoever Cedric was, and whatever Willow was showing him, caused Rick to flinch. ‘That’s gross,’ he said. ‘Did Lucy send that photo to you?’
‘Yes.’
‘What, as some kind of sick joke?’
‘It’s hardly a joke,’ Willow said. She was plainly upset and on the verge of tears. Ellis exchanged a look with Naomi. She appeared to be as puzzled and as concerned as he was.
‘What’s it a photo of, Willow?’ she asked.
‘You don’t want to see, Mum, it’s too awful.’
‘If Rick can stomach it, I’m sure we can,’ said Martha. Willow shook her head. ‘I’m not showing it to you.’ ‘Please,’ said Naomi, ‘just tell us what’s upset you so much.’ Before Willow could reply, Rick said, ‘I think you should put your phone away, sweetheart and calm down.’
‘I’m perfectly calm,’ she told him, sounding anything but calm as her voice rose. To the rest of them, and after taking a deep steadying breath, she said, ‘Lucy and Simon decided to create a vegetable patch in their garden and after pulling down the old shed, they found the buried body of their cat, Cedric.’
