Page 40 of Clara's Secret Garden
‘If I come over and find you’ve been spring-cleaning the cottageor clearing out the loft, I’ll be very cross.’
‘I won’t. I promise.’ She smiles mischievously. ‘The ladderto the loft needs fixing first.’
Laughing, I shake my head. ‘Right, I’ll see you later. Goand put your feet up. Tell you what, I’ll make you a cup of tea before I go...’
She laughs. ‘No, you will not. I really appreciate yourhelp, my love, but I think I can be trusted to fill a kettle without droppingoff my perch.’
I shiver. ‘Don’t even joke about it.’
‘Sorry. Now, go. I think it’s time to take Bertie home forhis tea.’
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
I strap a tired Bertie into Birdie’s back seat anddrive home in a daze.
There are times in life where nothing much seems to happenapart from the routine stuff. Then you get a day like this that lifts you upwith a celebration of the very best kind – Gran coming home – and in the spaceof a few hours, hurls you to the ground when you realise you’ve been living incloud cuckoo land for the past few weeks.
I really thought Rory and I were growing closer. And that itmeant something. To both of us. More fool me.
Why didn’t either of them tell me they were getting toknow each other?
Lois and I aren’t exactly loving sisters who confide in eachother about everything. Quite the opposite, really. But even so, you’d thinkshe would havementionedshe’d been chatting to Rory. But then, thinkingabout it, I’ve long had the feeling that Lois and Irene view me as an unpaidhelp around the house, to be tolerated because of my domestic skills.
I’m just part of the furniture in Lois’s eyes. And youdon’t keep the three-piece suite in the loop, do you?
But it’s Rory who’s hurt me the most. We lounged on thegrass and divulged our ‘hopes and dreams’ and I thought we were being honest,so I opened up and told him things I don’t usually tell anyone. But he nevermentioned a thing about Lois. Even when he talked about wanting to settle downand have kids, it was just a vague notion... something he’dlike to happen at some as yet unspecified time in the future. When heeventually met the right person.
He didn’t mention he had someone in mind already!
I swallow, recalling how hearing him talk about his futuremade me feel all warm and gooey inside, and how I’d hoped our accidental kisswasn’t an accident at all, but was ‘meant to be’ in some mystical way.
I shake my head, angry at myself, as a wave of emotionengulfs me.
If Rory is going to be settling down with anyone, it’slikely to be Lois on the evidence of today. Those tender looks that passedbetween them... the way he gathered her into his arms andthat blissful expression that spread over his face, as though he’d finallyfound his soulmate.
Maybe it’ll be just a flash in the pan for them...a fling. They’re very different people. I wouldn’t have said they werecompatible. But then again, the oddest of pairings do happen.
If they do stay together, Rory will be mybrother-in-law?
My insides shift uneasily at the thought.
Of course they won’t stay together. They’re totallyincompatible. It’s never going to happen.
But as I draw up at the house, the first thing I see is thepair of them in the front garden looking like a 1950s advert for shears. Roryis clipping the hedge and Lois is sitting on the grass, laughing at somethinghe’s saying. The only thing that’s missing is her apron.
I smile ruefully. I guess that’s how it began, then, whenRory started mowing the grass.
My heart is beating very fast now. What the hell am I goingto say to them?
I can’t believe you two!(Forced laughter.)Whydidn’t you tell me you were getting to know each other?
Too accusatory.
So you two are an item now? Wow! I’m so pleased for you!
Too fake.
I really think you could have told me, instead of gettingtogether behind my back!
