Downstairs, I walked over to where Pat and Bertie were in the middle of their chess game. ‘I’m sorry to interrupt, but Grandma and Grandpa are waiting for us outside.’
‘I’m not going until I’ve finished my match.’
‘Bertie…’
‘Tell you what,’ said Pat, pulling out his phone. ‘I’ll take a photograph of the board, then the next time we see each other, we can pick up where we’ve left off.’
Before Pat had a chance to take the photo, Bertie’s arm swept across the chessboard, sending wooden pieces scattering across the carpet.
‘Bertie!’
‘No, Liv, I understand,’ said Pat. He crouched down beside Bertie’s chair. Bertie had his face in his hands and Pat gently pulled them away. ‘Bertie, we will see each other again, and we will resume our game. Now you need to be a brave boy and do as your mother tells you.’ Pat looked up at me. ‘Perhaps once you’re settled, you could give me your address? I’d like to write to Bertie if that’s all right?’
‘Of course it is.’
Bertie flung his arms around Pat, his shoulders heaving up and down with sobs. ‘There there,’ said Pat, rubbing his back. He pulled Bertie’s arms off and nodded to me. ‘Go with your mother now, Bertie, there’s a good boy.’
I took Bertie’s hand in mine. As soon as we had left the room Bertie snatched his hand away, rubbing it against his trousers as though my touch had tainted him.
‘Liv.’ Harry stood leaning against the doorway of the dining room, a misshapen cardigan covering her shoulders.
‘Goodbye, Harry.’
‘Come here.’ Harry pulled me into a tight hug. ‘You know you are welcome back here any time. Just say the word and you can have your old room back.’
‘Thank you.’
Harry let me go and I walked out onto the drive, Bertie by my side. I looked around for any sign of Seb, but I knew in my heart of hearts he wouldn’t come to say goodbye. Why would he? I’d broken his heart. He owed me nothing.
‘At last,’ said Marion with a sigh.
‘Hello, Albert,’ said Hugo.
‘My name’s not Albert,’ said Bertie with a scowl. He climbed up into the four by four, yanking on his seatbelt so hard it caught.
Hugo started the engine and turned the car towards the track. I looked behind me through the back windscreen. All my friends had gathered to wave us off. At the far side of the building stood Seb, leaning against a wall and staring at the car. I lifted my hand in a wave, but he didn’t respond.
As we drove away from the village Bertie made no effort to hide the tears streaming down his face. I kept my composure, not wanting to give Marion the satisfaction of seeing how upset I was inside. Hugo attempted some small talk, but I kept my answers monosyllabic, and Bertie ignored his grandparents completely. I had no idea what they hoped to achieve by their masterplan, but if it was family harmony, they were failing miserably.
Chapter Forty-Two
After a tense journey punctuated by terse snippets of conversation, Hugo finally pulled his car onto the housing estate, which, though once familiar, now felt like a totally alien landscape. We drove past our old house, and I turned my head away.
‘Here we are,’ said Hugo, pulling into a street made up of new-build terraced houses. Each house was identical, built from ugly orange brick. Several had baskets of plastic flowers hanging from either side of their front doors. ‘Number twenty. This is us.’
Hugo pulled into the driveway, and he and Marion climbed out. No mention had been made of Rob, but I assumed he would be waiting for us inside the house, and I wanted to put off the moment I’d have to see him.
‘Come on, hurry along, we haven’t got all day,’ said Marion, opening the back doors of the car for me and Bertie to get out.
‘Come on, Bertie,’ I whispered. ‘It won’t be as bad as you’re imagining.’
Bertie scowled at me, undid his seatbelt and climbed out of the car. The front door opened, and Rob forced a smile onto his face.He had bags under his eyes, suggesting he’d got as much sleep as I had over the past few weeks.
‘All right, mate,’ he said as Bertie walked up the path. ‘Long time, no see.’
‘Whose fault’s that?’ asked Bertie, scowling up at his father.
Rob laughed and ruffled Bertie’s hair. ‘As lively as ever, I see. Hello, Olivia.’
