Last Christmas Page 21

  ‘Can you do the school run today?’ Cat had crept up on him unawares.‘I’ve got a really urgent feature to finish by five.’

  Noel pulled a face. He hated the school run, always feeling out of place among the mums comparing notes about PTA committee meetings and children’s tummy bugs.

  ‘I’ve got a fair bit on myself,’ he began to protest.

  ‘Yes, I noticed,’ Cat said drily, nodding at the screen, which was displaying the fact that he’d just lost his third game of Spider Solitaire.

  ‘I was only taking a break,’ said Noel. ‘Didn’t you ask your mum?’

  This time it was Cat’s turn to pull a face.

  ‘I just can’t risk it, Noel,’ she said. ‘She’s become so unreliable. I don’t know what’s wrong with her. But I daren’t ask her to pick them up again in case she forgets. Last time it happened she was so upset, I decided neither of us could go through that again.’

  Noel frowned. Cat had been mentioning problems with Louise for weeks—he felt guilty for not realising how bad things had got.

  ‘Have you tried to talk to her about it?’ he asked.

  ‘You know Mum,’said Cat.‘She would never admit something was wrong. I tried to get her to go to the doctor, but she wouldn’t. She says she feels fine, and I’m making a fuss about nothing.’

  ‘She’s probably right,’ said Noel. ‘Don’t forget she is in her seventies now.’

  ‘Seventy-three isn’t that old,’ said Cat, ‘and, as she keeps telling me, she isn’t senile yet. She never forgot anything till recently, but now it’s really hard to get her to remember the simplest things. Yet when you talk to her about the war, she remembers everything, from collecting shrapnel in the streets to having lessons in the air raid shelters. Weird.’

  ‘Very,’ said Noel. ‘It might just be a phase, you never know.’

  ‘Yeah, it might,’ said Cat, looking unconvinced and rather sad. It wasn’t like her to make a fuss. Normally she did deal with all the domestic stuff. As he were here, perhaps he should pull his weight a little more.

  ‘Okay. I’ll go and pick the kids up, but can you do tea?’

  ‘It’s a deal,’ said Cat.

  She went back upstairs and Noel started another game of Spider Solitaire. He lost. Any more of this and he was going to end up feeling completely emasculated.

  Gabriel was tacking a fence post in. Someone driving a digger from the worksite had accidentally run it into his property. Gabriel wanted to make sure the fence was back in place again before he lost any sheep. It was a lovely clear day and he was enjoying his work. He never felt lonely here, out on the hills, but was very much at home and in his element. If it weren’t for Stephen, he’d be tempted to occasionally sleep the night in the old shepherd’s croft on the top of the hill. Especially in summer. As a young man, he’d often spent time up here on his own with the sheep. He still missed that. Stephen loved being out here too, but he was still young enough to get bored after too long, so this morning Gabriel had left him with his cousins.

  ‘Hello there.’ Gabriel looked up from his tacking and swallowed hard. Marianne was standing before him, the sun playing through her dark curls, the wind ruffling them. He’d been an inch away from kissing her the other night. He wondered if she knew. She hadn’t called him, so Gabriel had assumed she either didn’t know how he felt or was avoiding him.

  ‘Hi,’ he said. ‘I’m just mending this fence.’

  ‘Yes, I can see that,’ said Marianne. ‘Do you need any help?’

  ‘That’s what I like about you,’ said Gabriel, handing her a hammer, ‘you’re a doer not a chatterer.’

  ‘Oh, I can chat,’ said Marianne, ‘but I can’t help having a strong streak of practicality. My dad was most insistent that I learnt how to fend for myself in the DIY department from an early age.’

  ‘Here, can you bang that post in?’ said Gabriel.

  They worked in silence for a little while and then Gabriel found himself unable to keep quiet any longer.

  ‘You didn’t call,’ he said.

  ‘I was going to,’ said Marianne.

  ‘I sense a but here,’ said Gabriel.

  ‘It’s only, well—look, I’m going to be very honest.’ Marianne’s words came out in a babbling rush. ‘I like you—a lot—but there’s Stephen and Eve. What if she comes back? What if she doesn’t? Does Stephen even want a stepmum? Do I want a stepson? And you’ve both been through so much—’

  ‘You can stop right there,’ said Gabriel. ‘I think maybe it’s time we both put the past behind us and said goodbye to the Lonely Hearts Club, don’t you?’ He flung down his tools and, pulling her into his arms with joyous abandon, he kissed her firmly on the mouth. ‘Now, does that answer your question?’

  ‘What question?’ said Marianne, looking stunned.

  ‘The one you were going to ask about whether or not you could put me through this. And the answer is, yes, you most definitely can.’

  Cat was just typing the last words of her feature on ‘How to Make the Most of Your Time’ (honestly, why had she created an alter ego who was so bossy?) when the phone rang. Cursing, she answered it. Didn’t anyone understand about the pressure of deadlines?

  ‘Is there a Mrs Tinsall there?’ a voice with a strong Jamaican accent said. ‘My name’s PC Josephs, and I think I may have your mother here. She seems a little upset.’

  Forgetting instantly all about deadlines, Cat said, ‘Oh my God, is she all right? She hasn’t hurt herself or anything, has she?’

  ‘No, nothing like that,’ said the voice, ‘but one of her neighbours called us. She was found half an hour ago wandering up and down the street in her nightie. She didn’t seem to know where she lived. Luckily her neighbour had a key, so we’ve got her back home and we’re having a nice cup of tea. She’s rather distressed though, and is asking for you.’

  ‘I’m on my way,’ said Cat, ice chilling her bones. All the fear and anxiety she’d been feeling for months was coming together in a hideous rush. She couldn’t let herself think too much about it though, otherwise she’d be sick. Shaking like a leaf, she typed the last sentence and, ever the professional, sent it to Bev with a quick note to say she’d been called away urgently. She rang Noel who, typically, had his mobile switched off, and left him a message, then she got in the car and drove like a maniac to Mum’s, trying to suppress the panic bubbling up inside her.

  ‘I really don’t know what all the fuss is about,’ said Mum when she arrived, looking almost cross that Cat was there. ‘I was just a little confused, that’s all.’

  ‘Mum, it’s the middle of the afternoon,’ said Cat, ‘and you’re wearing your nightie.’

  ‘I felt like a little nap,’ said her mother. ‘And then I got up and forgot I was wearing it. I only went to the shop to get some milk.’ She frowned. ‘But then, it was very strange. Like a shutter going down or something. I couldn’t quite remember where I was. Luckily this kind young gentleman has been looking after me.’

  ‘Oh, Mum,’ said Cat. ‘What are you like?’ She tried to make a joke, but she’d never felt less like joking. There was no pretending anymore. Something was very very badly wrong.

  Cat saw PC Josephs to the door, having prevented Mum from giving him a tip, and thanked him profusely.

  ‘Don’t you worry, love,’ he said, ‘it’s my job. Can’t have a nice lady like that meeting a mugger, can we?’

  Cat laughed and shut the door. She leant against it heavily and took a deep breath. Time to tackle Mum and finally get her to admit they had a very big problem.

  Chapter Twenty

  ‘You know, there’s really no need for you to come with me,’ Mum said crossly as Cat came to pick her up. ‘I’m quite capable of getting to the doctor’s on my own.’

  ‘Yes, but I think it would be a good idea to have someone to sit with you,’ said Cat. ‘Sometimes there’s a lot to take in when you see a doctor. I know it helped me when I was pregnant having Noel there, there was always somethin
g I’d forget to ask.’

  Mum still looked mutinous, but at least she got in the car.

  ‘Now, have you got your keys?’ said Cat.

  ‘Of course I have my keys. Don’t fuss,’ said Mum. ‘Why wouldn’t I have them?’

  Why indeed, thought Cat. One of the hardest things she was discovering about dealing with her mother lately was that she was so adamant about things, and so forgetful, that she really had no idea that there had been a problem in the first place.

  They reached the surgery in good time and, having signed themselves in, sat in the large modern airy waiting room among young mums and babies—it was evidently baby clinic today. Cat thought back with a pang to how helpful Mum had been when Mel was born. She’d come in every day doling out tea and sympathy and taking over on baby duties when she noticed Cat drooping. How things had changed. These days Mum required nearly as much parenting as any one of Cat’s children, and there was no one to prop her up when she drooped. Cat was ever more conscious of a baton being passed to her and it was one that she didn’t want to pick up.

  ‘Louise Carpenter.’ Dr Miles’ voice came over the tannoy.

  Cat and her mum gathered up their things and went into the doctor’s surgery.

  ‘Hello, Mrs Carpenter, and what can I do for you today?’ Dr Miles smiled at them both.

  ‘Well, I feel a bit of a fraud really,’ Cat’s mum said, turning on a charm offensive. ‘I don’t think there’s anything wrong with me really, apart from that I’m a bit forgetful. Only Cat would insist on me coming.’

  ‘And how does this forgetfulness manifest itself ?’ said Dr Miles.

  ‘It’s nothing, really,’ Mum said. ‘Nothing at all. Just that I sometimes can’t remember where I’ve put things. I’m sure it’s quite normal at my age.’

  Cat interposed quickly, ‘Come on, Mum, it’s a little more than that. You rang me up recently because you couldn’t remember how to make pastry.’

  ‘Did I?’ Her mother looked doubtful. ‘I find that most unlikely. Anyway, I’m sure it’s nothing, and we’re wasting the doctor’s time. I’m sure she has really sick people to see.’

  ‘No, of course you’re not wasting my time,’ said Dr Miles. ‘Let’s just run through some points about your general health and take your blood pressure, shall we?’

  Cat admired the deftness with which Dr Miles teasingly pulled the story out of Mum, clearly not at all bamboozled by the ‘I’m perfectly fine’ approach. When it got to the description of what had happened the previous day, she paused and looked at Cat.

  ‘Thank you, that’s very helpful, Mrs Carpenter,’ she said. ‘I think I’ve got enough to build a good picture of what’s happening now.’

  ‘I’m sure I’m wasting your time,’ muttered Mum, ‘there’s nothing wrong with me.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Mrs Carpenter, but I think there does appear to be a problem,’ said Dr Miles gently. ‘Something seems to be going wrong with the hard-wiring in your brain, which is leading to these lapses of concentration. It may be that you are having TIAs—little strokes—which are shutting off the blood vessels in part of the brain, or it may be something else altogether. I need to run some tests to find out.’

  ‘Oh?’ said Cat, alarmed. ‘What kind of tests?’

  ‘They’re nothing to worry about. Just a blood test and an MRI scan to find out if we can get to the bottom of what’s happening,’ said Dr Miles. ‘I just want to make sure we’ve covered all the possibilities. Like I say, the most likely cause of your mother’s problems is that she’s having TIAs. But it’s perfectly normal at her age, and I’m sure we can sort everything out.’ She smiled reassuringly at Cat, who smiled back with a confidence she didn’t feel. Whatever was wrong with her mother, Cat knew it wasn’t going to be sorted out that easily.

  ‘This feels a bit strange,’ Marianne said as Gabriel ushered her out of the car and into the lobby of the country pub where he was taking her for a meal. It was ten miles from Hope Christmas. They’d both agreed that for Stephen’s sake they should take things slowly, and, for the time being, secret. Marianne hadn’t even said anything to Pippa about it, though she was dying to.

  ‘What is?’ asked Gabriel.

  ‘It’s really strange coming on a first date when I feel I know you already so well,’said Marianne.‘I don’t thinkI’ve ever done that before. I almost feel like I’m dating my brother.’

  ‘Thanks a bunch,’ said Gabriel.

  ‘My brother isn’t nearly as good looking as you,’ said Marianne. ‘It’s just—well, this will take some getting used to.’

  ‘In a nice way, I hope?’ Gabriel said, giving her a little thrill as he took her hand.

  ‘The nicest possible,’ said Marianne.

  They were ushered into a small lobby area with dark oak panels and a fire burning in the hearth. The early spring weather had turned cold and heavy rain was forecast for that evening. The friendly owner came over and gave them menus, and they ordered their drinks.

  Marianne, feeling a little nervous, ordered a G&T, but Gabriel, who was driving, ordered a Coke. They perused their menus in silence before Gabriel declared he’d have the dover sole and Marianne plumped for duck.

  ‘It’s lovely here,’ she said. ‘I’ve never been before.’

  ‘It’s a well kept secret to all but the locals,’ said Gabriel. ‘Can’t have outsiders coming here, can we now?’

  ‘Oh, stop it,’ said Marianne. ‘Don’t tell me I need to have lived in Hope Christmas for three generations before I’ll be accepted properly.’

  ‘Five at least,’ said Gabriel solemnly. Marianne threw a beer mat at him.

  ‘Cripes, we’d better duck,’ said Gabriel. ‘There’s Miss Woods and, good lord, is that Ralph Nicholas with her?’

  Miss Woods was indeed being helped up from her seat by Ralph Nicholas.

  ‘This is a bit cloak and dagger, isn’t it?’ said Marianne, giggling from behind her menu.

  ‘You still haven’t cottoned on to how a small village works yet, have you?’ said Gabriel. ‘By the time they’re back in Hope Christmas, everyone will know we’ve had dinner together. And I’d rather Stephen found it out from me than from the village gossips.’ Miss Woods had her coat on and was leaving the restaurant. ‘Phew, I think we got away with it,’ continued Gabriel.

  ‘It’s all right,’ said a twinkling voice over their heads. ‘I won’t tell if you won’t.’

  Marianne wanted the ground to swallow her up. What would Luke’s grandfather think of her?

  ‘I think,’ said Ralph, uncannily reading her thoughts again, ‘you’ve made a much better choice this time around.’ With that he doffed his hat to them, winked and was gone.

  ‘Blimey,’ said Marianne, ‘I’ve gone weak at the knees.’

  ‘And you haven’t even had your entrée yet,’ grinned Gabriel.

  ‘Oh, do shut up,’ said Marianne, laughing. Her nerves had vanished. She was with Gabriel, and there was nowhere else she’d rather be.

  ‘How did it go with your mum?’ Noel had gone out for the day, purportedly to work but, while he had gone into the office, there had been so little to do, he’d left fairly quickly, particularly when he spotted Julie making a beeline towards him. He’d wandered down Oxford Street and done some desultory window shopping but, despite the temptation to spend, had decided now really wasn’t the time to inform Cat they’d just got a new LCD TV, and so eventually found himself in the pub. He’d rung up a couple of ex work colleagues, but they were all busy and had only been able to have a couple of pints each before shooting off, which only served to make Noel feel even more despondent than before.

  ‘Tell you later,’ said Cat, who was standing in the kitchen folding the washing while simultaneously reciting the eight times table with Paige. He marvelled at her ability to do that. It was all he could do to get the washing out of the machine, let alone do maths homework at the same time. Something was bubbling on the stove.

  ‘Something smells good,’ said Noel.<
br />
  ‘Shit, I nearly forgot about that,’ said Cat, rescuing the pan before it boiled over. ‘It’s only spag bol. Mel!’ She called up the stairs. ‘Your turn to set the table.’

  ‘Do I absolutely have to?’ Mel clumped heavily down the stairs, looking for all the world as if she’d been asked to walk over hot coals.

  ‘Yes, you absolutely do,’ said Cat. ‘Your littlest sister has done it three nights running.’

  ‘It’s so unfair,’ sulked Mel, but a look from Noel stopped the rebellion in its tracks. Even Mel knew when not to push it.

  ‘Crikey, you stink of booze, Dad,’ she said.

  ‘You’ve been to the pub?’ Cat looked incredulous. ‘It’s all right for some.’

  Noel looked away. How to say that he’d been in the pub because his job was dwindling away to nothing? How to let her know she was married to a man who was worse than useless? Who very soon might not be able to provide for their children? How to begin to say all that?

  ‘So, how did it go?’ Noel chose a quiet moment when Mel had gone off to call the others for tea and Paige had gone to put her books away.

  ‘Okay, I suppose,’ said Cat. She looked a little teary before saying, ‘Dr Miles thinks she may have had a minor stroke, but she’s going to run some tests to make sure. I just don’t know how serious it is, or how worried I should be.’

  ‘Oh, Cat.’ Noel gave her a hug. ‘Try not to worry. It might not be anything to worry about.’

  ‘No, it might not be,’ said Cat, but she didn’t look convinced.

  She pulled away from him wiping her tears away as the children thundered down the stairs for their tea.

  Noel stared out of the kitchen window. It seemed there was never going to be a good time to come clean.

  It was chucking it down as Gabriel and Marianne left the Feathers. The pathetic excuse for an umbrella that Gabriel had taken out with him had turned inside out in the wild wind that was whipping furiously across the car park, so Gabriel abandoned it and they ran giggling through the rain like a pair of school kids.