‘Exactly,’ said Tess. ‘And not everyone has the opportunity to sit around a dining table with their family and friends and to be fed and nourished by the food and conversation.’
‘That’s a very good point. We should have a toast to that,’ said Rob, raising his glass. ‘To our wonderful hosts, Tess and Hannah, for feeding us today, and to the warmth and friendship around this table. To friends and family!’
They took their time over their lunch, enjoying the conversation and the laughter, going back for seconds when they’d finished their meal, with them all agreeing with Dilly that they couldn’t possibly still be hungry, but how could they possibly resist one extra fluffy roast potato?
The fruit crumble, served with a choice of custard, cream or ice cream, or in Danny’s case, all three, finished the meal off perfectly, so that they were all completely full and barely able to move when they pushed their empty bowls away.
The clear-up process was again a real team effort, with Dilly and Danny clearing the table, Rob stacking the dishwasher, Hannah putting away the condiments while Tess took orders for coffee. When Hannah popped to the loo, Dilly and Danny went into the orangery, giving in to Barney’s demands to play tug, as he had been incredibly patient all over lunch, Rob took the opportunity for a quiet moment with Tess. He pulled her in towards him, his arms wrapped around her neck, their bodies touching as their lips met in a kiss, before she melted into his embrace.
‘Thanks for today,’ he whispered into her ear. ‘It’s been great and I really appreciate you inviting Danny along too. He’s had the best time.’ Rob gave a flick of his head in the direction of the orangery from where the sounds of unbridled laughter reached them. ‘I meant to tell you, Michael has commissioned me to paint The Old Post Office.’
‘Really? That’s amazing.’
‘I’m pretty chuffed. You know I’ve been wanting to spend more time on my art so now I have the perfect excuse. It’s one of those things that gets pushed to the bottom of the pile when I have work and other stuff to deal with so I’ll be glad to get stuck back in. So I need to thank you for that too.’ He kissed her again on the lips. As far as she was concerned, he could spend the rest of the afternoon thanking her if it meant she would be on the end of more of his delicious kisses.
‘No, I can’t take any credit for that. That’s all down to your own creativity and talent.’
‘Ahh, you’re too kind. I’m going to pop down in the week and take some photos and do some initial sketches. It’s a bit daunting in some ways. It’s one thing to create a picture for your own pleasure, but to do so for someone else brings a whole different level of responsibility. You want to get it right.’
‘And I know you absolutely will. I have utter faith in you.’
‘I’m glad someone does,’ he said with a lazy smile that Tess always found so attractive.
‘I really do,’ she said, her turn now to kiss him. After all, hadn’t he shown the same degree of faith in her as she had taken the first steps in getting her new business venture underway? She often thought how she might not have had the confidence to follow through without Rob’s gentle but insistent encouragement. It was a mutual thing, and now it was her turn to provide him with the same encouragement and support.
27
After her guests had left, Tess collapsed into an ungainly heap on the sofa. Why she was quite so exhausted, she didn’t know. Admittedly, she’d had an early start and had spent the whole morning preparing food, but she didn’t usually find it tiring. Quite the opposite, in fact; she found it revitalising. She suspected her weariness today was down to the engaging emotional interaction, those extra helpings of roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings and the very quaffable, extra-large glass of red wine she’d enjoyed.
Hannah had disappeared upstairs to speak to Billy so Tess had taken the opportunity for a quiet time with her book, her eyes gently fluttering closed before she even got to the end of the first chapter. She didn’t sleep for long, maybe thirty minutes at the most, but it had the desired effect, bringing her round so that she felt infinitely more human. The events of the day played over in her mind as she remembered snippets of the conversations, the easy-flowing banter sparking around the table making her smile and her satisfaction at the way everyone had got along together so easily.
Sometimes, last-minute, impromptu plans turned out to be the most enjoyable, like today, but Tess still felt a pang of regret that her mum hadn’t been able to attend. She glanced at her watch, wondering what Marjorie might be doing right now at five thirty on a Sunday evening. Tess hoped that she might have enjoyed a roast dinner with the rest of the residents, followed by a game of cards, but worried that she may have been stuck in her room the whole day without speaking to another soul instead.
It was no good; she wouldn’t be able to relax until she’d checked up on Marjorie herself. She picked up her phone and called the home, reaching the duty manager who she explained the situation to, how Marjorie had cancelled her lunch invitation at the last minute and how Tess was worried about her.
‘Did she join the other residents for a roast dinner today?’
‘Actually, no. We tried to tempt her down, but she was insistent that she wanted to stay in her room. We’ve taken her some light meals during the day, some sandwiches and crisps, but to be honest with you, I’m not sure how much of it she’s eaten.’
‘Oh for goodness’ sake,’ Tess exclaimed, after she put the phone down, right at the same time as Hannah wandered into the room.
‘What’s the matter, what’s going on?’
‘I’ve just been in touch with the home to check up on your grandmother and it seems that she’s hidden herself away in her room all day and even refused a roast dinner. I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t like it. If she doesn’t eat properly and if she’s not interacting with people, then she’ll go downhill rapidly. I need to go and see her.’ Tess jumped out of her chair with urgency.
‘I’ll come with you. I’ll drive; I only had one glass of wine at lunch.’
Within minutes, they were in the car and on their way, both of them lost in their own thoughts wondering if this was the beginning of a decline in Marjorie. She had always been such a forceful and vibrant personality, and so well loved. Tess couldn’t bear the idea of her gradually fading away and she was determined to get to the bottom of whatever it was that was going on.
Arriving at the home, they took the stairs to the first floor where Marjorie’s room was located, and Tess knocked on the door. When there was no answer, she looked at Hannah with concern and then knocked again, this time with more urgency.
‘Mum, are you in there?’
When there was no answer, Tess gently eased open the door and popped her head around the corner. The sight that greeted her made her gasp aloud.
‘Mum, Mum, what on earth’s happened?’
Marjorie was slumped in her chair, her head lolling to one side and her mouth open. Around her was an unmitigated mess. Two mugs of tea had been left to go cold, there was a half-eaten sandwich on a plate, empty crisp and chocolate wrappers littered on the makeshift desk and notebooks, pens and papers all abandoned messily over the top.
