Page 36 of The Forever Cottage

‘Tess.’

‘Charles,’ she said neutrally, trying to dampen down the rise of emotion his appearance presented. There was no joy or delight this time, only anger and frustration on her part. What a difference a few months could make. ‘I’ve told you before, you can’t brazenly wander in here unannounced as though you still live here. You don’t. And you should respect that by knocking, or at least texting to let me know you’re coming.’

‘What’s got into you, woman? You can’t really expect me to call every time I want to pop in to my own home. And what in God’s name have you done to the front door? It’s pink?’ he said, as though she may not have realised. ‘Really? I don’t recognise you these days, Tess. You’re acting irrationally and this…’ He pulled out a letter from his back pocket and threw it down on the worktop. ‘It’s a bloody outrage!’

‘Don’t lecture me. What I’m doing is taking matters into my own hands. I want a divorce, to finalise everything, to know where I stand with the house. I don’t want you wandering in and out of my life as it pleases you. You don’t get to dictate what I do with my life any more.’

He sighed heavily, running a hand through his full head of hair, now greying at the temples, and paced up and down the kitchen.

‘I’m a bloody solicitor! Did you not think to come to me first to discuss the best way to proceed on this? You’re making this unnecessarily adversarial.’

‘No, Charles. I did not. I need someone who’s going to look after my own interests. And that person certainly isn’t you. You might not like it, but that’s the way it is.’

He shook his head. His eyes were narrowed and his lips pursed, his mouth set in a line of annoyance, an expression she’d grown used to over the years. She’d always done what she could to appease Charles, to make things better for him, and there was a certain satisfaction in knowing that she no longer needed to do that.

He moved across to the coffee machine, holding an empty mug up to her by way of invitation, but she shook her head fiercely, looking away as he helped himself.

‘I’m worried about you.’ She heard the change of tone to his words. Softer now, less antagonistic.

‘Well, there’s no need.’

‘I think you’re rushing things. Who’s putting you up to this divorce?’

‘There’s no one’s putting me up to this. I want a divorce.’ She tapped her hands on her chest for emphasis. ‘What’s so difficult to understand about that?’

‘Why now, though. What’s the hurry? Let’s give it a year or so, and then we can talk about it.’

‘Ha, what, think you might change your mind? Is the grass not as green over there as you thought it might be? No. There’s nothing to talk about. You’ve made decisions about your future. It’s only fair that I should be able to do the same.’

Charles picked up his mug and pressed it to his lips, taking a sip of his coffee.

‘Look, I still care about you. I don’t want you making reckless decisions, something that you may come to regret later.’

Tess exhaled a sigh. ‘I’m quite capable of making my own decisions, thank you, and if I should make a decision that I later regret, then so be it. I’m a grown-up, and can take responsibility for my actions.’

‘You’ve changed, Tess. I feel as though I’m not seeing the woman I married any more. You even look different. Your hair… it’s shorter,’ he said accusingly. ‘And you… you look good,’ he admitted, while she heard the note of wistfulness to his voice. ‘I’d hate to think though that you were being influenced by someone who might not have your best interests at heart.’

Tess wasn’t sure if she’d heard him correctly until she noticed Charles’s none-too-subtle glance in the direction of the annexe.

‘Oh please! You’re not really suggesting that Rob has anything to do with this? Now who’s being ridiculous?’

Tess swung around, barely able to look at Charles, and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She didn’t want to lose her temper, she didn’t want to shout and scream, even if every fibre in her body was striving to do exactly that. Instead, she clutched the edge of the worktop, fixing her gaze out of the front window, steadying her breathing. She flinched when she felt Charles’s touch on her arms as he turned her around to face him.

‘Not ridiculous at all, Tess. I’m just looking out for you. This Rob, he seems to have got his feet right under the table here. Look, I know who he is. Your… friend. What are you thinking letting someone like that into our home? Do you really know what this guy is capable of?’

‘I know that he’s a decent human being, actually. He’s kind and thoughtful, and… What the hell do you mean, you know who he is?’

‘Well, what did you expect me to do? You can’t really criticise me for doing a few background checks on someone who’s living in my house. I worry about you, Tess.’

She shook her head disbelieving.

‘He’s not living in the house. He’s staying in the annexe for a while, but even if he was living here then that’s none of your business.’

‘It is when he’s a convicted criminal.’ Charles’s words were delivered with a firm intent and a steely gaze. ‘Shouldn’t the guy be working now? Why’s he not living with his own family? You’re a vulnerable woman on your own, sitting on a pretty penny. What do you think his true intentions are? I can see that the attentions of a younger man might turn your head, but…?’

‘Oh, will you piss right off, Charles. Stop patronising me. If you’re giving so much thought to my decisions, then you might want to give some thought as to why Melody might want to hook up with a much older, richer man, who’s old enough in fact to be her father. It’s the same thing, right? And despite your low opinion of me, I’m actually stronger and more capable than you’ve ever given me credit for. I don’t need to justify my friendships or decisions to you.’

Charles reeled from her onslaught.

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