‘Yes, it’s been a revelation, even to me. I could never have expected to find myself in this position, but, without tempting fate, I’m at a point where I’m really happy in my life.’
‘So, it’s going well between you and Rob? You looked pretty comfortable together the other night,’ she ventured with a glint in her eye.
‘Yes.’ Tess exhaled. ‘He’s lovely. Very kind and supportive, and I really enjoy spending time with him.’
‘I’m glad that he makes you happy, Mum. It’s almost as though you’ve discovered the person that you were always meant to be.’
Tess pondered on Hannah’s words before breaking into a smile, realising the truth of the sentiment. If anyone had ever asked her, she would have told them how happy she was in her marriage and how much she appreciated the life that she’d built with Charles, without even thinking twice about it, but their separation had forced her to look back with a more critical eye. Perhaps she had been guilty of subsuming her own wants and needs for the greater good of their marriage, without even realising she had been doing it. Charles leaving had forced her to be more resourceful, to consider herself first, for once, before anyone and anything else, and like Hannah, she liked and was only slightly surprised by the woman she’d become.
‘I will take that as a compliment, my darling.’
‘You should. I will never understand why Dad would choose someone like Melody over you, but then there’s no accounting for taste, is there?’
Tess gave a wry chuckle. ‘I don’t think it’s as straightforward as that, but I do appreciate your vote of confidence.’
‘Always, Mum.’
‘And dare I ask how it’s going with you and Billy?’
‘Good!’ There was a big, wide grin on Hannah’s face, which lit up her eyes. ‘He’s being really sweet, trying to make amends for the way he treated me. He doesn’t need to. I’ve explained that to him, but it’s been difficult for him too, you know. Coming to terms with the loss.’ A flicker of sadness swept over her features, before she quickly gathered herself. She went across to the larder and peered inside. ‘Well, maybe I’ll make a cake for Grandma instead. I can go and visit her this afternoon and see how she’s doing. I picked up a puzzle book for her and I’ve got another couple of cosy crime paperbacks for her to read. Although, if that book she gave me is anything to go by, then they will probably be far too sedate for her tastes.’
‘Really?’
‘Honestly, Mum, you should read it. It will make your hair curl. It’s utter filth. Compulsive reading obviously, but I’m so surprised it would be the kind of thing Grandma would enjoy.’
Tess laughed, placing a mug of tea on the worktop for Hannah.
‘I think I’ll give that one a miss, thank you, but it just goes to show that you should never underestimate anyone, especially not your grandmother. What you forget is that Marjorie was part of the sixties revolution. She wore miniskirts and saw the Beatles play live. She’s always been very progressive in her outlook.’
‘Maybe, but I don’t think I’ll be returning her book to the library at the home any time soon. I would hate to be the one held responsible for causing a heart attack to one of the residents.’
Tess laughed.
‘Right, I should get on,’ said Hannah, opening cupboards and pulling out the weighing scales. ‘This cake isn’t going to make itself.’
22
As soon as Tess and Rob walked through the doors of The Royal Oak, they were met by a wonderful sense of bonhomie, an expectant energy and the sound of animated chatter. Before their last visit, Tess had assumed The Royal Oak was full of old men, perched on stools, reminiscing about the good old days, and maybe there were still one or two of those characters around, but she had been pleased to discover the pub had so much more to offer.
‘Hello, Tess, thanks for coming.’ Carol greeted them with a friendly expression. ‘We should be in for a good night.’
‘We’re looking forward to it. This is Rob, by the way,’ she replied, realising she hadn’t properly introduced him the last time they were in.
‘Good to see you again, Rob.’ While Carol saw to their drinks order, she placed a clipboard down on the bar in front of them. ‘If you’d like to perform tonight, then pop your details down on here.’
Tess laughed. ‘I’m pretty certain no one in the vicinity would want to hear me sing. No, we’ve just come along to watch. We thought we’d come a bit early because we wanted to nab a table. We’ve got some friends coming along too.’
‘Excellent. Don’t let a lack of talent stop you from performing. It’s never stopped anyone else around here,’ she said with an earthy chuckle. ‘Really, though, it’s the opportunity for anyone to get up and have a go, if they want to, in a friendly, supportive environment. If you change your minds and decide you might want to do a turn later, then just let us know. The more, the merrier!’
With their drinks in hand, they wandered through to the back bar, where they found a long trestle table, big enough to seat their group. In the corner of the room, they were setting up for the night’s performances and Tess was looking forward to hearing some live music. She felt excited and energised by the prospect of spending time with her friends, with some entertainment thrown in too. It wasn’t the kind of event she and Charles would have attended together. They would occasionally visit London, where they would go to the ballet, the opera, or a highly reviewed theatre show, but it wasn’t always Tess’s cup of tea. It was more of a worthy, cultural experience rather than light-hearted entertainment. This promised to be much more spontaneous and fun.
Soon, the others arrived. First Gina and Suzy, then Michael, followed by Dilly and then Danny. Hannah said she would try to come along later if she and Billy were back in time from visiting friends in London. Once people were settled with their drinks, the chatter spilled over across the table, with several conversations going on at the same time and laughter punctuating the air, so much so that when George, the landlord, stood up by the makeshift stage and called for some order and quiet so that they could get the entertainment underway, there was a discernible ripple of disappointment that spread around the table. It didn’t last for long though because quickly, the first act was on stage, a brother and sister duo, who played the guitar and sang. They were surprisingly good and had the crowd toe-tapping and side-swaying within moments. When they finished their short set, they were met with a huge cheer and a round of applause which created the mood for the rest of the evening.
Not that all the following acts were as good. There was the guy who sang without any accompaniment which was a shame because at least then there might have been a tune to find. There was a young girl who was so self-conscious that she couldn’t look at the crowd and instead lowered her head and set her gaze to the floor, and all Tess had wanted to do was to wrap her in a hug and tell her how amazing she was. Strangest of all was an older lady who barely opened her mouth to sing which meant she emitted a strangulated warbling noise that sounded as though she was in terrible pain. Tess avoided Dilly’s eye because she knew her expressive facial reactions would only set her off laughing.
In fact, Gina quipped that they were getting progressively worse with each turn, but that was unfair because they all had something to offer in their own individual way and Tess was full of admiration that they had the courage to get up there in the first place. It was something she knew she could never do. Still, the half-time break came as a relief to everyone concerned, with a chance to regroup and to catch up on their conversations. Dilly and Gina looked to be plotting something secretive, Michael and Suzy were getting on fabulously, and Danny and Rob announced that they would go to the bar for another round of drinks for everyone. Tess took the opportunity to pop to the loo, running into Carol on her way.
‘That was great, really fun,’ said Tess.
