Ed blew on his mug and took a sip of tea. ‘I think they were pretty stunned. I mean, they’ve never seen me so boiling angry before. I ripped into them, didn’t hold back, didn’t give them a chance to speak; I wanted to make sure they listened, didn’t want to leave them in any doubt about my feelings. Thinking about it now, my mother’s face was a picture, but I guess it’s cos I’ve never really stood up to them before. Even Luella, who always loved a good scrap, sat there with her mouth hanging open.’
Florrie couldn’t help but giggle at the mental image Ed’s words had triggered in her mind. ‘I almost wish I’d been there.’
‘I’m glad you weren’t – they still managed to fire back a load of their toxic nastiness. I wouldn’t have wanted you to witness that. Dragged my grandfather into it as well which, as you know, is like a red rag to a bull for me.’
Florrie bristled at hearing that. ‘Me too. I think I’d have had to pipe up if I heard them say anything bad about Mr H.’
Ed hung his head in his hands, an air of weariness descending upon him as if suddenly defeated. ‘Sitting here, listening to myself talking about having the worst sort of blazing row with my parents, all the thingsIsaid, the spiteful thingstheysaid, and the way I feel about them, makes me feel incredibly sad.’ He looked up, his eyes filled with anguish. ‘They’remy parents, I shouldn’t be feeling this way about them. But the truth is, your mum and dad have been more like parents to me than my own ever have, and I daresay ever will be. Mine aren’t interested in what I’m doing with my life, if I’m happy, what my plans are.’ He took a shuddering breath. ‘In fact, my mum didn’t hold back on telling me exactly how she felt. She told me I’d never been wanted, that I was a mistake, that their life plan had no room for children but that she was too far on in her pregnancy to do anything about it. Even my father had the decency to look sheepish at that.’
‘Oh, Ed, that was unbelievably cruel. She was way beyond wrong to say that to you.’ Florrie rushed over to him, throwing her arms around his shoulders, all the while fighting against the urge to storm down to Dawn’s B&B and give her a piece of her mind, no holding back. She kissed his cheeks, saddened to find they were wet with tears.
Sensing her dad’s sadness, Gerty jumped up from her bed and rushed over to him, pushing her head into his lap and whimpering.
‘You’re a good lass, Gerty-Girl.’ Ed smoothed his hand over the Labrador’s velvety head.
Pulling her chair close, Florrie eased herself onto the seat, taking his free hand in both of hers. ‘Let me tell you this, Ed, you’re more than wanted here. I love you so much I can’t even begin to think how to put it into words, the nearest I can get to it is to say that I love you with every fibre of my body. And my parents mean it when they say you’re like the son they never had; they adore you, as did your grandparents. And let’s not forget all our friends think you’re amazing, they’re always singing your praises. Bear thinks the world of you, he told Maggie you’re like a brother to him.’
‘He said that?’
‘He did. And your grandad was over the moon when you got in touch – and don’t get me started on how wrong it was of your parents to deprive you both of having a proper grandad/grandson relationship for all those years. But getting to know you all over again gave him a new lease of life, and he got so excited planninghis trips to see you in London, he was bounding about like a teenager, singing away to himself.’ She chuckled at the memory. ‘When he came back it was all, “Young Edward this, young Edward that”.’
Silent tears trickled down Ed’s cheeks as he listened.
‘And then there’s Gerty here, she absolutely adores you. You know yourself she makes a beeline straight for you whenever we land back home. I’m definitely chopped liver by comparison.’ She was pleased to see that triggered a smile, albeit a watery one.
‘Thanks for saying all that, I appreciate it, particularly after what my mother lobbed at me.’ Ed sniffed and wiped his face on his sleeves. ‘I’m just tired of all their drama. It’s never been any different and it’s exhausting. My mother’s words hurt so much, it felt like having a bucket of freezing cold water thrown over me, but once I’d got over the shock, they actually made me stop and think. They were the wake-up call I needed. Made me realise I don’t have to put up with their crap anymore –wedon’t have to put up with their crap anymore – that it needs to end and they need to fully understand that. I should’ve taken a stand long before now, but…’ He shrugged.
‘They’re your parents, that was never going to be easy. And it’s never too late, Ed. The time had to be right for you.’ Florrie wasn’t sure how he was going to get his parents to fully understand any of what he hoped, especially when their despicable, cruel behaviour was so ingrained, but she was relieved to see he’d finally seen sense instead of simply taking whatever they threw at him.
‘I’m going to make an appointment at Cuthbert, Asquith & Co as soon as they can fit me in and see what legal action I can take to keep them from contacting us – Luella, too, especially after the eggs. I doubt a cease-and-desist letter would do any good, they’d just laugh at it and ignore it completely. I think I might need something more formal and legally binding.’
Florrie took a moment, absorbing the implications of what Ed had just imparted. And though there was a new firmness in his voice, his navy-blue eyescouldn’t hide the sadness behind his words. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to take a bit of time to think about it before you head down that route?’
‘I don’t. I want to get this moving as quickly as possible,’ he said decisively. ‘Let’s not forget their efforts at manipulation stooped to new depths when they got my volatile ex involved, hoping to break us up. No, I’m making a start as soon as possible.’
A thought struck Florrie. ‘Did you find out what it was they were arguing about in the street, and why Luella decided to egg the window?’
‘When I asked, my father started to tell me, but my mother just shot him down and they ended up arguing again. He kept yelling that it was all her fault and they wouldn’t be in “this position” if it wasn’t for her.’
‘Goodness, I wonder what he meant by that.’
‘I doubt we’ll ever find out now. And as for Luella and the eggs, she tripped herself up. After denying she was there, she later admitted she’d thrown the eggs cos no one wanted to see our “pathetic” wedding scene. Seemed to find it hilarious, too.
‘Wowzers.’
When they finally went to bed, Florrie snuggled in close to Ed and he wrapped his arms tightly around her. They’d been through a heck of a lot over the last few days, but bizarrely she’d never felt closer to him. As a rule, he drifted off to sleep in a matter of seconds and she’d lay listening to the soothing sound of him breathing, but tonight there was no sign of that. She knew he’d be dealing with the encounter with his parents, processing it, waiting for the residual tension to leave his body. She wished she could magic it away. He hadn’t deserved his mother’s cruel words – no child did, no matter how old they were.
His chest rose as he inhaled deeply, sleep apparently out of reach for now. She snuggled into him even closer and whispered, ‘I love you, Ed Harte.’
He squeezed her tight. ‘And I love you, Florrie Appleton. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.’
‘I’ll take that,’ she said with a giggle, making him laugh, too. His words had never sounded more welcome to Florrie’s ears.
TWENTY-FIVE
FRIDAY 17TH APRIL
Florrie couldn’t help but notice that Ed was still a little subdued as they made their way along the top prom to the bookshop, but it was hardly surprising after what had happened yesterday. In contrast, she was feeling brighter since she’d had a call from her mum that morning, saying her dad had spent a comfortable night and had been cracking jokes with the nurses. ‘One of them even asked if he wrote jokes for Christmas crackers cos they’re that bad,’ she’d said chuckling. ‘Your dad thought it was hilarious.’ There was no doubting the relief in her mum’s voice.
