Zoe frowned. She could have pointed out that he had a perfectly good escape route no matter what Chantal did. It was called a divorce, and neither she nor her mum were a stranger to that process. To spout nonsense about Chantal somehow trapping her dad was just that, nonsense. The world didn’t work like that, and even her mum had to know that it hadn’t worked like that for many years. But she didn’t point it out because she realised Cherie was being deliberately obtuse about it. She knew the reality as well as Zoe did, but she needed to vent. It was easier to let her.
‘I’m sorry the wedding is going to be here,’ she said after a pause.
‘You said it had nothing to do with you, so why would you be sorry?’
‘It will have something to do with me, though, won’t it? I live up the road – I’m going to end up involved in some way. And I’ll be there on the day.’
Cherie pursed her lips but said nothing more about Zoe’s statement.
‘You understand this is hard for me?’ Zoe said. ‘It’s hard for me to avoid getting involved, even if I’d prefer not to. I have to be neutral – I love you both, you and Dad, and I don’t want to be forced to choose one over the other.’
‘I’ve never asked you to.’
‘Hmm…’ was all Zoe could think to say.
‘All I want,’ her mum continued, ‘is to be left in peace. I’ve lost, and I tried to be a gracious loser, but it’s hard when he’s parading her around and I’m getting this wedding business shoved in my face every five minutes.’
‘I won’t mention it when we’re together,’ Zoe said. ‘I won’t say a word about it if that makes things easier.’
‘It’s not just you, is it?’
‘Yes, well, I can’t speak for anyone else. I can only make that promise for myself.’ Zoe got up from the bench. ‘I think, if you’re still up to it, we ought to go and see Ottilie. Otherwise we’re going to run out of time and you’ll be dashing in and dashing out again.’
‘It will be nice to see her and the baby…’ Cherie stood up too. ‘Nice to take my mind off everything.
‘I hope she likes these chocolates,’ Cherie said as they began to walk, and Zoe was glad to see her mind going to other subjects than her ex-husband’s upcoming wedding. ‘They didn’t have much of a choice in that shop, did they? If I’d known the baby had arrived, I’d have gone out to get a little romper or something. I wish you’d told me before.’
‘Sorry. I will say, though, the selection in the shop might be small, but it’s top notch because Magnus and Geoff are very particular about what they stock. And everyone will have bought things for the baby. It’s nice to give Ottilie somethingshecan enjoy – she’s earned a treat, after all.’
‘I suppose you’re right. I hope she’s not trying to lose her baby weight.’
‘This is Ottilie,’ Zoe said with a smile as they passed through the gates to the churchyard and back onto the lane. ‘When has she ever worried about things like that?’
‘Does she still talk about that husband who died?’
‘Josh? Of course she does, but she’s with Heath now, so…’ Zoe wasn’t quite sure where this new conversation was going, and she hoped it wouldn’t circle back to negative opinions on marriage and relationships in general.
‘Everyone seems to be on their second go these days.’
‘In Ottilie’s case, she didn’t really have a choice, did she? If Josh hadn’t died, I suppose they’d still be together.’
‘They’d be in the minority. I mean, look at you and Ritchie. Married one minute, done the next, and you with Alex.’
‘I don’t think it was quite that cut-and-dried, Mum. There were complicating factors with me and Ritchie too, if you recall.’
‘But the fact remains…’
‘Haven’t you thought about dating again?’
Cherie turned to Zoe with a withering look. ‘Me? Where would I meet anyone at my age?’
‘Come on, Mum, you’re not that old!’
‘It’s different for men than it is for women. You’re not old enough to learn it yet. Men are seen as distinguished in later life – everyone still wants them. Women are considered to be on the scrapheap after fifty.’
‘That’s comforting to know. Something to look forward to, eh?’
‘I can only speak as I find. No point in sugar-coating it, is there?’
