Page 28 of The Forever Cottage

‘I think that’s a jolly good idea,’ said Marjorie. ‘Do things on your own terms; don’t let Charles have it all his own way.’

‘Do you know, he had the audacity to come round to the cottage asking after you, playing the part of the dutiful son-in-law to perfection. He wanted to visit you in hospital, but I managed to persuade him that you were in no fit condition to see him.’

‘Ha, that would definitely have set my recovery back. I presume he will be looking after Barney while you’re away.’

‘Actually, no. I’ve decided I want to make a clean break from Charles so the less I have to rely on him, the better. I’ve got a friend looking after the dog.’ There was that pang of guilt again from not telling her mum about Rob, but she didn’t want her mum to get the wrong impression about the relationship. Not when Tess was still figuring it all out for herself.

‘Good. I’m proud of you, darling, and the way you’re taking positive steps forward. You were always the powerhouse in your marriage. You might not realise it, but Charles was as dependent on you as you ever were on him. And you certainly don’t need him to thrive; you’re more than capable of doing that on your own.’

Tess nodded, a smile spreading across her lips. She would never have believed that to be the case, but her mum and friends were cheering her on from the sidelines, so it was time she had some faith in herself. With each passing day, Tess could feel her resolve and strength growing to a point where she was actually appreciating and relishing the value of being on her own.

‘Do you know, Mum, I’m only just beginning to believe that that might be true.’

21

Tess spent the night before their departure to Annecy tossing and turning in her bed so that she got barely any sleep. She worried that her mum was putting on a brave face and wasn’t as well as she insisted. She would never forgive herself if anything were to happen to her while she was away. Then she thought of Hannah all those miles away in Australia, hoping that she didn’t fall entirely in love with Billy and announce that she wanted to stay out there with him. She imagined a scenario where her daughter might marry the handsome Irishman and start a family with him, meaning she might never return to live in the UK and Tess would only get to see them once a year, if she was lucky.

Then she worried about leaving Barney with Rob and whether it was too much of a responsibility to put on him. She knew he had a lot going on in his head at the moment and maybe looking after the dog might be a distraction he didn’t really need, especially if Barney decided to do one of his disappearing tricks which, if he got the scent of something particularly tempting, he was prone to do. Images of Barney lost and alone in the depths of the woods taunted her. That dog had been a constant support and lifeline to her these last few months and she couldn’t imagine her life without him.

In fact, everything had played over in her mind until she’d reached a point, at about three o’clock in the morning, where she decided it would be best if she cancelled the trip altogether. Gina and Suzy would be upset, but they would get over it and when life had settled down, Tess would take the lead on organising a special break away for them all. It had been a moment of clarity in a whirlwind of torrid thoughts that had finally set her mind to rest and offered her the release of sleep, admittedly for only a couple of hours, but enough to be restorative so that when she woke, the morning sun filtering through the curtains of the bedroom, relief washed over her.

She stretched out her body beneath the cool but comforting duvet and turned to see Barney, lying alongside her, which made her smile. She threw her arms around his neck and nuzzled her face into his fur, inhaling his lovely doggy scent. Charles had never allowed Barney into the bedroom, he was made to stay downstairs in the kitchen, but it was only a few days after Charles had left that Barney had padded upstairs after Tess and had settled at the foot of her bed to sleep. When she woke up the following morning, she’d found Barney snuggled up beside her and that’s how it had been every night since.

‘Oh, Barney,’ she said gleefully, kissing him on the head. ‘My favourite boy!’

He was definitely the only man she wanted in her life, or in her bed, at the moment.

‘Come on,’ she called, leaping up into action, pulling on her pyjamas and heading downstairs with an energy that belied the little sleep she’d received. ‘It’s an exciting day ahead.’

Even before she’d stepped out of bed though and drawn the curtains on the promise of a beautiful summer’s day, she’d known that her middle-of-the-night aberration about cancelling her trip had been simply that. Everything seemed so much more manageable in the encouraging glow of the morning and she had no intention of letting down her friends.

After a wander around the garden with Barney, Tess made a coffee, watered the plants and checked that everything Rob would need for Barney was easily accessible on the worktop, before jumping in the shower and getting dressed. Her case was already packed and waiting to go by the front door and glancing at her watch, she realised it was only half an hour before Gina and Suzy would be arriving and when, a few minutes later, there was a knock on the kitchen door, she thought they must have arrived early.

‘Good morning, reporting for duty, ma’am.’

Rob clicked his heels together and gave a mock salute as he stood on the threshold, a smile lighting up his face. Tess was that pleased to see him, she had to stop herself from throwing her arms around him for a hug. It was funny to think that she’d only known him for a matter of weeks, but that she trusted him completely to look after the cottage and Barney in her absence. His daily presence around the place, the warm, reassuring sound of his voice and the authenticity of his smile had created a closeness that she wondered if she was in danger of mistaking for something more than simply friendship.

‘Hey, thank you. Let me show you where Barney’s food and treats are kept.’

Rob wandered in, saying a hearty hello to Barney, and nodded as Tess gestured to the relevant cupboard.

She took a deep breath. ‘I was thinking, Barney has had a habit of escaping in the past, given half the chance, so maybe it’s best to keep him on the lead when you walk him. The thing is, he can be a bit of a devil and once he gets whiff of a scent, he’s off and…’ Tess paused for breath, feeling her anxiety rising.

‘Hey, it’s okay,’ said Rob with a reassuring smile. ‘I promise you, I won’t lose the dog. I’ve cared for small children, dogs, cats, chickens, goldfish and bolshie staff, and there have been no casualties yet. Well, we probably shouldn’t speak about the goldfish,’ he said, with an endearing smile. ‘But please, don’t spend your whole time away worrying. Go and enjoy yourself and Barney and I will be here waiting for you on your return.’

‘Yes, you’re right, and I’ll try!’ Tess dashed around the kitchen tidying a few bits away, gave Barney a pep talk, her heart twisting seeing his little adorable face looking at her expectantly, and checked her handbag for the umpteenth time to ensure her passport was inside. Hearing the doorbell ring, she turned to Rob. ‘Would you mind getting the door?’ she asked as she dashed to the loo again.

On her return a few minutes later, she found Gina in the kitchen, a look of bemusement on her face as her wide expression asked a dozen questions of Tess.

‘Hi, I’m all ready,’ she breezed. ‘I see you’ve met Rob. He’s kindly looking after Barney while I’m away.’

‘So I hear,’ said Gina, a smile playing on her lips and in her eyes. ‘It’s great to meet you. Hopefully, I’ll get to see you again sometime,’ she said flirtatiously, and Tess could have sworn she saw her eyelashes flutter and a colour tinge her cheeks.

‘Right, shall we go?’ said Tess, grabbing her bag. If she didn’t go soon then she might have another change of mind. ‘You can ring me if there’s any problems.’

‘I’m sure there won’t be, but I’ll call you if I need to,’ he said, steadying her with a firm gaze. ‘Now go, and have a fabulous time.’

As they escaped the house, Gina pulled Tess by the waist into her side. ‘You dark horse, you! Where have you been hiding Rob all this time? No wonder you were in two minds about coming away when you have him waiting for you at home?’ Gina peered into Tess’s face, her expression full of mischief.

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