“That’s not—” he huffed out. “Let’s just get you inside.”
I stared straight ahead, immobilized as he climbed out and rounded the front to my side. I swear, everything in my life was a mess. Next, Mum and Dad’s old house would crumble, defy the decades she’d stood there cracking but not giving up, allowing all who lived in her to slap yet more money and time and energy into her.
To finally disintegrate. And bury me with her.
My body blushed and burned, mortification charring all my insides. How could I ever face my life again?
Tim opened my door, held out a hand to help me down, and checked the house. “Why hasn’t the entry lightbulb been changed?” He sighed. “Be careful walking across the lawn.”
I thought about all the stuff my parents hadn’t done. “Stop criticizing the place,” I mumbled. Ignoring his hand, I tumbled out onto unsteady feet.
I strode toward the front door, the path completely grown over, and tripped on a rake that had probably been there for decades.
A cry and a rustle signaled that Tim had started after me.
“I’m fine.” I waved my hand back at him without turning around. “Good night.”
9
Tabitha
“Tabitha Millicent AmandaBalfour! We have guests, darling.”
The cut-glass vowels sliced through my doorway and seared into my throbbing head. Mum? What was she doing in my flat in London? Ugh. Why did my head feel like my parents’ llama had trodden through it? How many cocktails? So many cocktails.
I sat up, swayed, and looked around. A single bed, floral wallpaper, my grandmother’s handsewn Winnie-the-Pooh on my great-grandmother’s mahogany dresser. Oh, that was right. It was Saturday morning, and I was in the Cotswolds. And I hadn’t told my parents about the filming yet.
Mum knocked again. I checked the time—7:30 a.m. A series of clinks and thuds and unfamiliar voices intruded from downstairs. The film crew.They’d arrived already?
I dragged myself out of bed, knowing I had so many bad things to face today. Hangover, blurk, throwing myself at Tim, blurk, telling Mum and Dad about the filming.
Ughugugugh. Why had I agreed to the filming again?
Oh, right. Without that extra money, I had to keep draining my account for the renovation and the launch of the “Must Love Animals” weekends for pet-lovers who wanted to find their soulmates.
Unfortunately, the filming came with Tim needs-bigger-doorways-for-his-huge-head Langston.
I thought about Tim’s rejection last night and squeezed my eyes shut. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as I remembered it?
What was I going to say when I saw him this morning? Hopefully, he’d just make a joke, and we could forget about it. Yes, that would be his response for sure. He made a joke of everything—he always wanted to keep things light and funny.
My bedroom door thrust open, and Mum appeared in her fifties swing dress. She stepped to the foot of my bed, and I felt grateful for one thing. Perry wasn’t here to remind me that I hadn’t inherited what he called my mother’s elegant, built-for-the-ballroom physique. According to him, I was more of the dairymaid type. Mentally, I rose from my milking stool and slammed my full bucket over his head.
“It’s me. Mummy. Your old mater,” she said as though I couldn’t see her right in front of me. She carried a bucket of chicken feed like she’d been mid-feed when everyone had arrived, and she’d been so excited that she’d headed straight up to my bedroom.
What sort of messy hell awaited me downstairs? My head pounded with the stress. Was there any way I could boycott today and start again on Monday? Nope. Better get up.
“The animals are going to be on the telly, darling. They’re all terribly excited and promise not to be naughty. I told them, ‘Darlings, I have complete faith you’ll be on your best behavior.’ Mostly. Apparently, you signed us up last night for appearing on the telly. Just like that! Not like you to be so spontaneous. Heard you crashing around last night when you came in too. Bit blotto? Not like you either, darling. What in the dickens is going on?”
I took my hands away from my face.
“Ooh,” she said. “Golly, yes, you do look a trifle seedy.”
All this, and barely a grunt from me.
“So, wait. You’re okay with the crew being here?” I asked. “You know it’s just until the renovation is done. Two months. But it’s going to be mayhem.” Not their usual mayhem, I wanted to add, one with many additional humans.
“You know the animals and us, darling—more the merrier, and we love guests. Wonderful to have a change of pace.”
