The Way We Were (32 page)

‘I'm still wondering,' Val was saying, ‘whether we need to be quite so generous. I mean, do we really need to leave cakes and bread and stuff for the visitors? Rush about putting milk and butter in the fridge and all the fiddly bits in the bathroom? That kind of thing.'

Chris was silent. He didn't glance at Liv as he would once have done, just to check out her reaction, but continued to eat his sandwich thoughtfully with his eyes on his plate.

Liv made an effort and brought her professional judgement into play. ‘Yes, I think we do,' she answered firmly. ‘You only have to look at the visitors' books to see how much it's appreciated. I know there are shops fairly close at hand but if you've driven a long way the last thing you want to do is go out again because you've forgotten your shower cap or the soap. It's the kind of thing people remember afterwards when they're about to book a weekend away. Boxes of tissues in the bedrooms, kitchen towels. I think the details are crucial. Does it affect the profit margin that much?'

She spoke directly to Chris and he looked at her at last, and then at Val.

‘No, it doesn't,' he said. ‘We're not cheap, which is reasonable given the location, but I think those small extras make the punters feel they're getting their money's worth. After all, Debbie bakes every day anyway, so the cakes and bread aren't a problem, and we bulk-buy everything else. I think it's a positive approach that will pay us in the end.'

Val shrugged, still dissatisfied. ‘OK. But I think your idea of preparing a meal for each arrival is going much too far, Liv. It would be a nightmare.'

‘I agree with that,' said Chris. ‘After all, think how much you'd have to liaise. There could be problems with vegetarians or nut allergies and God knows what. It's a nice idea in theory but I think that
is
going over the top.'

‘You're probably right,' said Liv. ‘I read about a complex in the Cotswolds that does it and apparently it's a huge success but I agree that it's probably more trouble than it's worth.' She paused; now was the moment she'd been dreading. ‘By the way, I hope this doesn't come as too much of a shock but I've been offered a rather exciting job beginning in the autumn so I think I ought to warn you that I shall be moving on. You don't really need me now and you'll find the extra revenue for the annexe very useful. The way we're booking up I think you'll be glad of the extra space very soon.'

‘Oh.' Val was disconcerted, even embarrassed; she wondered if Liv could have guessed her feelings, or if Chris had voiced them, and she experienced a little flare of irritation that Liv should have got in first. ‘Well, we don't really want to turn you out.'

Liv grinned at her, knowing that Val would have liked to be the one in control here. ‘You've always looked on the annexe as an extra bit of income, we all know that. I think you're quite ready to manage without me and I shall only be in Truro. It's not a million miles away if you have a problem.'

‘Truro?' Chris tried to hide his shock so as to match her cheerfulness. ‘So what exciting thing will be happening in Truro this autumn?'

‘An acquaintance of mine has bought a wine bar and he's extending it. He seems to think I'm the right person to get the new extension up and running and I agree with him. It's certainly a challenge but, hey!, so was Penharrow.' She looked away from the bleakness in Chris's eyes and smiled inwardly at the expression on Val's face: relief battling with indignation. ‘It's just a warning shot across the bows, as my dear old dad would say. There's plenty of time to get used to the idea and make adjustments. And now I'm off for an hour. See you later.'

She went out and Val looked at Chris. ‘Why didn't you say something?' she demanded. ‘I felt a bit of a fool. Did you know anything about this?'

Chris shook his head. ‘Not a thing. But it was on the cards, wasn't it? She wasn't going to spend the rest of her life with us. And you've been saying that we could use the income from the annexe.'

‘I know, but it's still a bit of a surprise. I think she should have consulted us before accepting this new job.'

Chris shrugged. He was shocked but strangely relieved: Liv had let him off the hook and he was grateful to her. He wondered about this acquaintance with whom she would be working, and felt an odd stab of jealousy.

‘I thought it was what you wanted,' he said.

‘It is,' said Val after a moment. Her indignation at being wrong-footed was tinged with a slight anxiety. ‘Well, in a way it is. But, if I'm honest, I shall miss knowing she's there. There's something reassuring about having Liv around. I know I go on sometimes about her but you were right when you said that we wouldn't have coped so well without her. There is much more to it than I'd imagined.'

Chris pushed back his chair. The prospect of managing without Liv was a desolate one but he knew it was the right decision: it would encourage him to be whole-hearted.

‘Well, we'll have a few weeks to get used to it,' he said. ‘I'd better get on, I suppose.' He paused and then, to Val's surprise, he put his arm round her shoulders and gave her a hug. After a second or two she responded.

‘What's all that about?' she asked lightly, slightly embarrassed by such an uncharacteristic gesture.

‘I think we've been getting our priorities a bit confused just lately, that's all,' he answered. ‘We need some “us” time.'

The sharp retort with which she would have replied a few days earlier seemed unwise; some instinct warned her that, without Liv around, Chris's love and support would be crucial to her and to Penharrow.

‘Sounds good to me,' she said casually. ‘When do we start?'

‘I think we might book a few days away sometime at the end of summer, before Liv goes anyway. Not too long for starters but I'm sure Myra and Debbie could manage for a long weekend. I think it would do us good.'

Once again a sarcastic rejoinder trembled on Val's lips but she swallowed it down. She sensed some kind of change in him; a new concentration on her and a commitment to their bond that had been lacking lately. Whatever it was, the same instinct warned her to nurture it and she nodded agreement.

‘OK, then,' he said cheerfully. ‘Have a trawl on the Internet and see what you can find.'

He went out and she began to clear away the lunch things with an unusually light heart.

Julia just had the time to thrust her knitting into the bag on top of the Merlin and hang it on the back of the kitchen chair as Liv came into the kitchen.

‘Hello, darling,' she said, flustered. ‘I wasn't expecting you.'

‘I passed Aunt Em at the bottom of the road,' Liv said. ‘She said you'd been over to see Caroline.'

‘We had coffee with her and we haven't been back very long. Is everything OK?'

‘Oh, I just needed to get away for a minute.' Liv bent to pat the recumbent Frobisher and then sat down at the table. ‘Driving around calms me down. You know the feeling?'

‘Yes,' said Julia. ‘Yes, of course I do. As long as nothing's really wrong …'

‘No. Well, I've decided to take up Matt's offer and I can't decide whether I'm deliriously happy or scared to death.'

‘Oh, darling.' Julia sat down opposite, almost forgetting the bag hanging at her shoulder in her delight. ‘But that's wonderful news.'

‘I hope so. After all, Penharrow was never going to be for ever, was it? To be honest, I think the time's come for us to make the break. And Val and Chris will need the extra income from the annexe.'

‘Well, it's a very wise move. You know how I felt about you being a bit too close …' Julia paused rather awkwardly, wondering if there had been a particular problem. ‘You can always come here, you know, until you find somewhere of your own. I imagine you'll go on working at Penharrow for a little while yet?'

‘Oh, yes. Until the end of the season. Thanks for the offer. Are you OK, Mum? You sound a bit breathless.'

‘I'm fine. Of course I am. I told you, we've just got back from Tavistock.'

‘My decision to come and see you was a bit sudden.' Liv smiled reluctantly. ‘Like I said, I'm having a fit of the wobbles. By the way, what's all this about the little Merlin? Andy keeps going on about it. Something to do with an art fraud, apparently, and one of the pieces looks just like ours. He mentioned it weeks ago and asked me to ask you about it but I forgot all about it, I'm afraid. Have you seen anything about it in the papers?'

Julia kept her eyes fixed on Liv's; carefully she assumed an expression that combined faint surprise with a casual indifference.

‘I don't think so.'

‘I've told him he's nuts.' Liv snorted. ‘He must be to be going out with Cat. Apparently it's her idea that our Merlin is this missing treasure. It's just so likely, isn't it? Where is the Merlin, by the way? I don't remember seeing him around for years.'

‘I've no idea. I expect he was some kind of cheap copy. Like one of thousands of Michelangelo's
David
or the Madonna and Child. He probably got lost when we went out to Washington. Is Andy still seeing Cat? I hoped it might have just been a flash in the pan thing. He can't be serious about her.' Julia shivered slightly at the prospect of Cat as a daughter-in-law. ‘I hope she hasn't been back to Penharrow, causing any more trouble?'

Liv shook her head. ‘It was embarrassing, though. It really worries me that I can dislike someone as much as I do her.'

‘I think it must be genetic.' Julia tried for a lighter note. ‘I felt exactly the same way about her mother, though with some cause. Cat's a troublemaker. From childhood onwards she's had a destructive gift for upsetting people and she enjoys the results. I think we both instinctively fear that aspect of her character. I've always felt guilty that Zack found out the truth from her rather than from me. That was my fault. Nevertheless, I know that even at eight years old she would have really enjoyed telling him. I suppose that's why neither of us wants to see Andy involved with her. We fear that she'll hurt him. Well, there's nothing we can do about it. Have you had some lunch? Would you like something?'

‘I had a sandwich with Val and Chris. A kind of working lunch. Thanks, Mum, but I have to get back. I've just told them I shall be moving on and I thought we all needed a short breathing space.'

‘Well, I'm absolutely thrilled at your decision,' Julia told her. ‘Matt sounds great and he's obviously got some very good ideas for The Place. And so have you. It's certainly clever of him to ask you to help him.'

Liv smiled. ‘You couldn't be the least bit prejudiced, could you?'

‘No,' answered Julia firmly. ‘You're perfect for the job and I just know it's the right thing. You'll be great.'

‘I've never taken on such a big commitment.' Liv made a face. ‘I suppose it's about time, though. At least Dad'll be pleased.'

‘He'll be over the moon. We'll text him.'

They went out together and Liv climbed into her car and drove away. Some instinct made her pull over into a gateway and fish out her mobile: no signal. She drove on slowly, keeping one eye on her phone, and then stopped again as soon as the signal showed. She keyed Matt's number, waited. At the sound of his voice she was seized with a mixture of relief and excitement.

‘Well, I've finally done the deed,' she told him. ‘I've given in my notice.'

‘That's fantastic.' His voice was jubilant. ‘You won't regret it, Liv. I just know that this is going to be so good.'

She laughed at his delight. ‘It had better be. So what happens next?'

‘Champagne,' he answered at once. ‘Soon. Where shall we meet?'

‘You tell me,' she said. ‘Cornwall's crawling with emmets. Have you any ideas?'

‘Yes,' he said. ‘Actually, I have. Somewhere very special. I shall take you to Aqua. It's a restaurant owned by a friend of mine, Richard Smithson, down on the Welsh Back in Bristol and you haven't lived until you've tasted his Done to Death Duck. As a matter of fact, I'd like to talk to Richard. He's planning to open a second restaurant in Walcott Street in Bath. It's going to be called Aqua Italia. Rather like us calling our new project The Place Upstairs, isn't it? Richard might be able to give us a few ideas.'

‘Fine. But Bristol? Isn't that rather a long way to go for champagne?'

‘Not a bit. You'll love Richard. And it'll be fun driving back in the dark. I love driving in the dark, don't you? Lovely empty, quiet roads. I get my best ideas driving about in the car.'

‘So do I,' she said, surprised. ‘OK. Let me know when Richard can fit us in.'

‘I will. And thanks, Liv. I can't tell you how very pleased I am.'

She switched off her phone. Filled with excitement and with new resolve she drove back to Penharrow.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

2004

Julia went back into the house and ran upstairs to the loo. She was washing her hands when she heard the car: perhaps Liv had forgotten something. Frobisher barked and she dried her hands, combed her hair and went out on to the landing. Someone was moving about downstairs.

‘Hello. Is that you, Liv?' she called as she came out. At the bottom of the stairs in the sitting-room she came face to face with Cat. ‘Oh, my God,' she gasped.