‘You don’t!’ he shouted, thumping the steering wheel. ‘You bloody well don’t! You’re like a child with your head up in the clouds singing la-la-la to yourself and blind to what’s going on around you. But here’s the thing, Willow, it’s time now, as the mother of my child, for you to grow up and be the responsible adult you’re meant to be. And that means you don’t go off without me for cosy tête-à-têtes with other men!’
‘Ourchild,’ she said quietly, turning the diamond ring round on her finger.
His expression set like stone, he drove on in silence.
Then: ‘I blame that family of yours. Your parents must have over-indulged you because you’re the baby of the family. You’re a classic example of last child syndrome. Take it from me, an outsider has a more focused perspective on these things. I can see the dynamics that go on in your family much better than you can.And as for your sister, I can read her like a book.’
‘In what way?’
‘In all ways. I told you before that I was convinced that she’s jealous of you and this morning she proved it to me.’
‘How?’
‘It was Martha who told me where I’d find you, that you were on the beach with Lucas.’
‘Surely she was just being helpful?’
‘It was the way she said it and what she was implying. And why does she keep making bitchy remarks about that wretched cat I had to deal with? She does it deliberately to get a rise out of me. To make me feel even more of an outsider. She’s nothing but a bully.’
‘I think it’s a sick joke she’s taken too far,’ said Willow. ‘Not that there’s anything remotely funny about what happened to poor Cedric.’
And poor Rick, she thought. He really didn’t like being made fun of, and for some reason Martha seemed to enjoy reminding him of the lie he’d told. Willow would have to speak to her sister about that. It wasn’t fair to Rick, especially if it made him feel an outsider to the family. She would tell Martha that he’d made a mistake and he’d said he was sorry, so that should be an end to it. She also needed to accept that, but with Lucy and Simon still not talking to her, it was hard for her to forgive Rick fully herself.
A mile or so further on, and in a change of tone, and reaching for her hand, Rick said, ‘I’m sorry I shouted, but it’s only because I love you so much and I’m frightened of losing you. I just want our life together to be perfect.’
She smiled at him, relieved that the storm had been so short-lived.‘Life is seldom perfect,’ she said. ‘We just have to do the best we can.’
Instead of returning her smile, he frowned and snatched his hand away. ‘You’re supposed to say you love me back,’ he said.
‘Oh,’ she said, ‘well, of course I love you. You know that.’
For a moment he didn’t respond and for that moment the silence between them was profound. It seemed to go on for ever as the wipers swished and the rain, heavier now, beat down on the roof of the car, making it sound tinny and insubstantial.
‘Do you?’ he asked finally. ‘Because sometimes I’m not so sure.’
Keeping her smile firmly in place, Willow wondered if she did actually love him. But if it wasn’t love, what was it, and was it enough?
‘Bit late to be asking questions like that, isn’t it?’ she imagined the wriggling baby inside her saying with a wag of a finger.
Chapter Forty-Five
It was a blustery day in late October and with a wintry chill in the air, Naomi decided to light the fire in the sitting room.
For most of that morning she had been preparing for Geraldine’s visit. The main guest bedroom, having undergone a makeover which Naomi and Ellis had done together in the weeks since Rose’s funeral and after Lucas had flown home, was now ready. In the kitchen a ginger cake was out of the oven and cooling on the rack, along with some fruit scones and a pot of homemade raspberry jam.
Geraldine had at least given Naomi twenty-four hours’ notice this time before arriving. She hadn’t sounded her customary forthright self on the telephone, and afterwards Naomi had pondered the reason for her friend’s visit. Not that there had to be a reason, other than two old friends spending time together, but the last time Geraldine had pitched up, she had most certainly had a reason.
‘I expect she’s coming for a progress report,’ Ellis had said. ‘Would you like me to make myself scarce so she can be thoroughly indiscreet with you?’
‘Absolutely not,’ Naomi told him. ‘With Geraldine there’ll be a total absence of discretion whether you’re here or not. Having missed her chance last time she was here,she’ll want to check you out for herself this time.’
‘Will she prod and poke me like a show dog being judged at Crufts?’
‘I wouldn’t put it past her.’
‘I can’t wait,’ he’d said with a grin. ‘But I’ll warn you now, if she makes any attempt to lift up my tail to inspect my nether regions I shall growl and bite her very hard.’
Naomi smiled now at the thought of Ellis biting Geraldine and struck a match before putting it to the kindling and screwed up balls of newspaper in the grate. She watched the flames take hold, thinking that as much as they’d joked about Geraldine’s visit, they would both initially be slightly on edge.
