He wasn’t wrong about that. Wearily, Didi picked up the ring, rummaged in her shoulder bag and zipped it securely inside her blue leather purse. When Aaron was in a calmer state of mind, she would arrange to post it back to him.
The Tube journey back to Paddington was crowded and stiflingly hot. Reaching the concourse at last, Didi heaved a sigh of exasperation when she saw on the screens that her train was delayed.
An hour later, there was still no sign of one, thanks to major signal failure on the line. Everyone watching the screens was getting increasingly fed up. By eleven o’clock there were no seats left anywhere and last night’s lack of sleep was catching up with her. After yawning so hard she almost dislocated her jaw, Didi gave up and dragged her case up the slope that led out of the station.
Chapter 29
‘Red’s doing OK,’ said Rosa. ‘Well, as OK as can be expected. His chest infection’s sorted out now but he’s had to increase the Oramorph. I made risotto tonight – you know the seafood one you like? – but he couldn’t manage much of it.’ She paused to run her fingers through the back of her hair and let some air get to her neck. ‘Oh, and it’s all still going well with Layla and her chap. Harry the fitness trainer, remember I told you? She sees him two or three times a week. I haven’t met him yet, but I’m sure it won’t be long now. I’ll keep you posted and—’
‘God, is this the kind of thing you talk about?’
Rosa jumped out of her skin. Usually Ingrid wore clattery stilettos, but this time she was barefoot. ‘Sorry, I didn’t hear you.’
‘When Benny told me about you coming here to chat to your dead husband, I thought you’d be having more interesting conversations than that.’ She gave a little laugh. ‘At this rate, if he was still alive he might die of boredom.’
What must it be like to be so blunt, to have that much confidence in yourself? Rosa wondered how Ingrid would react if she were to say, ‘How dare you be so fucking rude?’
Instead she replied, ‘It depends on how much has been happening. But I want to keep him up to date with what’s going on in our lives. Even the little things.’
‘Right. And am I allowed to ask when you might be finished?’ Ingrid indicated the phone in her hand. ‘It’s just that I came out here to make a call and it’s kind of inconvenient having to wait for someone else to talk for ages to another person who isn’t even here.’
‘Sorry, I didn’t know.’ Rosa scrambled to her feet with some difficulty; one of her legs had gone to sleep and was now fizzing like sherbet.
‘I mean, it is our garden. It would be nice to be allowed some privacy.’
With no time to say her usual goodbye to Joe, Rosa hastily crossed the lawn and climbed the wall. As she dropped down on the other side, she heard Ingrid say with another chuckle, ‘Let’s hope your dead husband doesn’t eavesdrop on my phone call. I think maybe he couldn’t cope with so much excitement.’
The air con on the train hadn’t been working, which was always nice on what promised to be the hottest day of the year so far. After having spent Saturday night in a fairly grim hotel a couple of streets from Paddington station, Didi was just glad there was a train running at all. Arriving back at Moreton-in-Marsh, she unstuck her white T-shirt from her spine, opened all the car windows and headed out of the car park.
At least she’d done what she’d set out to do. Who knew what might happen next? Whoops, police car . . . Hopefully the future didn’t involve being landed with a speeding ticket. But no, today even the police were on her side.
As Didi drove back to Elliscombe, her spirits rose. She breathed in lungfuls of clean country air, and when she switched radio stations, there was her favourite Killers track playing as if she’d magicked it out of the ether. Singing along at the top of her voice, she pretended she wasn’t holding her breath about what might lie up ahead. Then she rounded the final bend and abandoned the pretence, because there it was, Shay’s Audi parked on the driveway outside Hillcrest. It was midday on Sunday and he was here, still working.
Her pulse accelerated as her brain considered the options. On the one hand, she was hot and sticky and her shirt was looking like an old dishcloth. On the other hand, would he really mind? Seeing that his car was parked outside, didn’t that give her the perfect opportunity to call in and ask after Red before viewing the progress that had been made with the renovations? And if Shay did happen to ask her why she was back at this time on a Sunday, she could casually mention that the engagement was off. She’d be able to see in his eyes how he felt about that, and maybe an unspoken conversation would ensue. Then who knew where it might go from there.
Her foot touched the brake and the car began to slow down. She’d almost reached the house now and a million possibilities were ricocheting through her brain . . . until a flash of pink appeared at the perimeter of her vision and an entirely new possibility presented itself.
The next moment she was far enough along the lane to see the garden to the right of the house. The pink she’d glimpsed was a bikini top being worn by a female sporting a white sunhat, dark glasses and a short khaki skirt. She was tanned, laughing, and worst of all running her hands over Shay’s chest in a way that allowed no doubt as to the extent of their relationship.
It wasn’t how you’d greet your postman or the guy who’d come to read your electricity meter, put it that way.
Who was she? Didi felt sick. Where had this laughing, playful female sprung from? What was going on? Except the answer to that last question was blindingly obvious, because Shay certainly wasn’t objecting to being manhandled. Oh God, and now she was reaching up to kiss him . . .
Didi shuddered; thank heavens she hadn’t stopped the car. Neither of them had noticed her slowing down as she drove past. Leaving them behind, she glanced into the rear-view mirror and saw them kissing properly now.
While the cat’s away . . .
What was extra frustrating was that she hadn’t even known she was the cat.
‘You’re back!’ Sylvia exclaimed as Didi carried her overnight case up the staircase. ‘Did you have fun?’ Without waiting for a reply, she went on, ‘Ooh, bit of gossip for you. Guess who’s in the Midsummer Suite?’
‘Well, it was booked by a Marcus Williams.’
‘He made the arrangements on someone else’s behalf. It’s Caz Holloway! Exciting.’ Sylvia was beaming with pleasure at being the one to relay the news. ‘You’ll never guess what else.’
And that was it. Like being hit in the stomach with a medicine ball, Didi knew. The woman in the pink bikini top had been wearing dark glasses and her hair had been stuffed under her hat, but with hindsight, of course it was her. Careful to keep her expression neutral, she said, ‘What else?’
‘Caz and Shay, swear to God! Inseparable! Pretty sure he’s spent the last two nights in her room. Isn’t that fantastic?’
‘Wow, yes, great.’ What else could she say? Didi fanned herself vigorously. ‘It was so hot on the train, thought I was going to melt. I’m going to jump in the shower. Anything else I need to know about?’
‘Nothing. All under control here,’ Sylvia said. ‘Everything’s perfect.’