Chapter 26
William
As the folly was Wi-Fi-free, the Dower House had become the unofficial headquarters of Save Buckford Enterprises Limited. This morning, though, rather than beavering away at Mum’s laptop, I was lying on her couch with my head in her lap while she ran her fingers through my hair.
“Stop mourning him before he’s even left,” she said—a sobering choice of words from a widow, but I couldn’t get out of my funk.
“In three days, he’s going back to his life in London.”
“Exactly! You have three whole days. Live in the moment you’re in, William. It’s the only thing that’s real.”
“How can I live in the moment when I know how dreadful the moment is going to be in three days’ time?”
Obviously, I had known Petey wouldn’t stay on at Buckford afterThe Love Manorfinished filming. Unlike me, he had a life outside the estate. But I’d thought maybe he’d want to stick around. Hearing him talk about how much he missed his life in London, I realised he would only be back if the show came back. It was a punch to the gut.
Mum rubbed my forehead with her thumb. “Stop frowning or you’ll have a face like a scrotum by the time you’re fifty.” I batted her hand away. “You know, you could always invite him to stay on for a bit…”
I shook my head. “He’s desperate to get back to London.”
“I lived in London when I was courting your father, and guess what? We had thirty blissfully happy years together. All spent right here at Buckford. If you don’t count your father’s year in the ashram—but we’re all entitled to a little midlife crisis.”
My hand reached for my father’s signet ring, hanging from the chain around my neck. Some days I missed him so much it ached in my bones. God only knew how Mother must have felt, losing him and her eldest son on the same day. My chest tightened. “But you stayed.”
“I did, my dear sweet boy. Do you know why Mummy stayed? Because Daddy pulled on his big boy pants one day and asked Mummy if she wanted to stay.”
“I feel like you’re mocking me.”
“A bit.”
I sat up. “I’m revoking your hair-stroking privileges.”
Mum clasped her hands together. “Well, to be honest, it’s a relief. You’ve had one of your testicles hanging out of your boxer shorts for the last fifteen minutes.”
“Oh God, Mum. You could have said.”
“I couldn’t find an appropriate pause in the conversation. You were being so vulnerable with me. I think you’re past the age now where a mother can flick it back in.”
“You think?”
“I figured Bramley would come along, eventually, and dust it. I thought you’d deal with it then.” The laptop pinged with an email notification. The new version of me, Chief Executive Officer William, kicked into gear. I popped my bollock away and slid into the chair at the dining room table.
“Holy shit.”
“What is it, darling?”
“It’s an email from Petey’s father.”
“I didn’t know you’d met the family.”
“I haven’t.” I read the email aloud:
“The North London Jaguar Car Club would be delighted to accept your kind invitation to visit Buckford Hall on the twenty-first of June, proximo, for our annual Father’s Day Run. We anticipate up to forty cars making the journey and approximately eighty head. Please send payment details to my assistant, here copied. Much obliged, your servant, et cetera.”
“Guests! How lovely. When did you invite them, darling?”
“I didn’t. Petey did. Edward said no.”
“Well, he’s changed his mind! Isn’t that marvellous?” Mum said. “And it’s on the summer solstice. We should invite them to come up early so they can join the celebrations.”
