* * *
‘Nicholas will be left in safe hands as I will be here,’ Evelyn reassured Rose as she took the used towel from her hands and exchanged it for the fresh one she had asked for. They stood outside his bedroom, each looking at the towel in their hands. Nicholas’s condition had not improved as much as they had hoped and Rose’s plan to return to her shop today was now changed to one of a brief visit to arrange things for a longer stay at Carrack House. ‘You will only be gone for the morning, Rose. Don’t fret so. I will look after him.’
Rose took off her mask and chewed her bottom lip. She wasn’t convinced anyone could be as attentive to Nicholas’s needs as she had been over the past two days. However, she should have opened her tea shop this morning and people would notice her absence. She could not leave it closed for the week without a sign offering some sort of explanation or tongues would be set wagging. But dare she leave Nicholas, even for a few hours?
The weekend had been draining, although that was no one’s fault, other than hers. She had refused to leave Nicholas’s side since her arrival, resorting to sleeping in the chair overnight and eating very little. Worry had a habit of robbing one’s appetite, despite Evelyn trying to tempt her on several occasions with freshly baked mince pies. It also led to a habit of neglecting one’s self and Evelyn was not the only one to notice how dishevelledshe was beginning to look. Rose did too and she didn’t want Nicholas to become aware of it when he started to feel better. Because he would get better — he had to.
Evelyn had offered her some items from her own wardrobe, but Rose had refused. She didn’t want Nicholas to see her wearing his mother’s clothes. It didn’t seem appropriate somehow. Evelyn was a grand lady, whereas she just worked in a tea shop. Thankfully, Evelyn had understood and had immediately offered Rose her car and chauffeur to fetch some clothing and sort out her shop. It would mean a couple of hours away from Nicholas, but it would allow her to arrange things so she could stay with him until he was fully recovered.
Rose relented. ‘I will be back by midday. I won’t stay longer than I need to.’
‘And I’ll take good care of him until you return.’ His mother smiled and hugged her. ‘I’ll arrange for my driver to have the car outside within the hour.’
‘I don’t need that much time,’ Rose said, handing the fresh towel back to Evelyn. ‘I will just say goodbye to Nicholas, then I’ll leave straight away. The sooner I go, the sooner I’ll be back.’
* * *
Rose peered out the window of the car as it came to a rocking halt opposite the tea shop. Christmas’s imminent arrival was making its mark on the street, and her short absence meant she could see it with fresh eyes. The shop windows were more festive than when she left, adorned by lighted candles, Christmas novelties and wrapped gifts to entice customers to buy. The grand pillars standing guard at the entrance of the Molesworth Arms Hotel were now lavishly decorated with garlands made of dark green branches of fir, blood-red berries of holly and the open petals of woody pinecones. The excitement and anticipation felt palpable as people hurried along the street inpreparation for the big day. Yes, the preparations for Christmas had not stopped because of Nicholas’s illness. For the people of Wadebridge, little had changed, yet for Rose everything had. She was in love with Nicholas and there was no longer any point in denying it. Feeling hurt and betrayed, she had tried to convince herself that she was not. She’d almost succeeded, until she was faced with the possibility of losing him forever. She didn’t want to be here. She wanted to be by his side.
Ivor emerged from his shop to speak to Fred who was arranging the display of geese outside the window. There were four rows now, a timely reminder that there were only two more days until Christmas Day. Ivor’s father had always taken great pride in his meat displays and Ivor was no different. Rose felt envious of the bond and respect between father and son, which was evident even when they were apart, by the way they chose to hang their meat.
Fred noticed Rose sitting in the car and nudged Ivor, who turned to look too. Rose half smiled, a little embarrassed at the grandeur of her arrival. The chauffeur opened the door and she shuffled across the seat and got out. Curtains twitched and a face appeared at the window of the hardware shop next door. She took a deep breath as she realised her disappearance, in the company of a fine lady, must have been witnessed by someone and set the gossip vine on fire. She lifted her chin and walked briskly across the road to her tea shop.
To her surprise, the door was shut but not locked. Had she forgotten to lock it in her hurry to leave? Her memory of the moment she had left was now a bit of a blur. Her head had been full of Nicholas at the time. Perplexed, she opened the door slowly and was shaken to find her mother sitting on a chair staring at the Christmas tree. At the sound of the bell, her mother glanced over her shoulder. As far as Rose knew, it was the first time her mother had left their house in four years.
Her mother returned her gaze to the tree. ‘You have decided to come back, then.’
‘Only to collect some things.’
‘Where have you been? With your soldier?’
‘Yes.’
‘Are you eloping?’
‘No. Nicholas is unwell. He has Spanish flu.’
Rose waited for some words of comfort, but her mother remained silent. Rose sighed and headed for the stairs.
‘When are you coming home?’
Rose halted in mid-step. She had not thought that far ahead. ‘I don’t know. When Nicholas is stronger.’
‘I mean home, with us.’
So this was what her visit was about. She was missing her cooking for them. A wave of anger rose up inside her. She had too much on her mind to deal with her mother’s demands right now. She swung round to face her, on the verge of shoutingI am never coming back. Her mother’s glistening eyes looked back at her. Rose’s anger drained away as quickly as it had risen. Her mother was crying.
‘Mother? What’s wrong?’ Rose went to her, knelt down and took her hand in hers. ‘Is father unwell?’
Her mother shook her head and looked down at their hands. ‘Am I so unbearable to live with?’
Rose took a deep breath. She had felt betrayed by Nicholas for not being truthful, now it was her turn to walk the same line.
‘It has been difficult, Mother.’
‘You mean,Ihave been difficult.’ Her mother withdrew her hand and returned her gaze to the tree. ‘Did your soldier bring you that tree?’
Rose nodded. ‘Yes he did.’
