‘Does she need the empty calories?’ she’d asked, eyeing Gilly’s basket critically as they got in the car. ‘Biscuits are just an evil combination of sugar and fat and Helena already has a sedentary occupation.’
‘Yes, she does need them,’ said Gilly, possibly more sharply than she’d intended. ‘And she may want to share them with people.’
‘Put the basket in the boot, then,’ said Cressida.
‘It’s fine on my knee. Do you mind if I go in front? I have a slight tendency to car sickness if I’m not driving.’ She kept the cool bag with three bottles of Prosecco near her too. Cressida was sure to disapprove of that.
Thus, she had managed to annoy her daughter-in-law before they were hardly out of the house. Usually she avoided it but just occasionally she couldn’t resist asserting herself, just a little.
Cressida and Martin spent the journey to the exhibition discussing the benefits of private education, not Gilly’s favourite topic. Her ex-husband’s parents, who liked to be known as Gan-gan and Pops, cheery names that completely belied their very formal way with their grandchildren, had gone on about private education a lot. They seemed to think that Martin and Helena would have hugely benefited from being sent to ‘a jolly good boarding school where they’ll make friends who’ll be useful to them all their lives’.
Martin, rashly in Gilly’s opinion, referred to this now. ‘Dad’s parents were always sad we weren’t privately educated, I know that.’
‘Yes,’ said Gilly, ‘they were of the opinion we should sell the house – my house – and live in a hovel to fund your private education. But that’s not the route you’re going down, is it? Mind you, I think you’re absolutely right! Education isn’t only what goes on in school hours; at least half of it goes on in the home. In my opinion.’
Gilly spent the rest of the journey looked pointedly out of the window. No one said anything else until Cressida noticed an AA sign to the venue.
‘It must be quite a big deal, this show,’ she said. ‘Good for Helena, getting in.’
Gilly softened towards her daughter-in-law by a millimetre.
Gilly was buying tickets when Leo came up to her, full of bonhomie and no sign of awkwardness. He kissed her cheek. ‘This is such a lovely occasion, supporting Helena as a family.’
She was too polite to say, ‘You’re not my family,’ so instead she murmured, ‘Hello, Leo,’ and smiled faintly. ‘I didn’t know you were coming.’ Helena wouldn’t be pleased to see him, even if he was trying to be supportive.
‘Cressida suggested I came, said how pleased you’d be if I did. Are you pleased, Gilly?’
‘Of course,’ she said, ‘if you buy one of Helena’s scarves.’ She really hoped that he would buy one and not think she’d be pleased for any other reason. She wished she’d heard definitely if William was coming or not. But with Leo here, she’d rather he didn’t. Her life suddenly seemed rather complicated.
At last they were at Helena’s stall. When Cressida and Martin had said hello, Gilly kissed her daughter and handed over the box and the cool bag.
‘Oh, thank you, Mum! My new friends are addicted to your baking. The savouries went down so well this morning.’
‘Well, now it’s a bit later in the day you can have a glass of Prosecco to go with the snacks,’ said Gilly.
‘Hello, Helena,’ said Leo warmly. ‘I thought I’d come and give you some support. Not that it looks like you need it.’
Helena’s smile was a little tight. ‘It has been really busy.’
‘You don’t seem to have a lot of stock,’ went on Leo. ‘I gather it was all rather short notice so maybe you didn’t have time to make enough?’
‘I did have loads of stock,’ said Helena, ‘but I’ve sold a lot of it. I’ve had to ask if some people can leave their purchases until the end of the day so other people can see examples of my work.’
‘Goodness me! I was going to buy something for your mother but I may be too late.’
‘It’s OK,’ said Helena, obviously making an effort, ‘I give her anything she takes a fancy to. Now will you excuse me? There’s a gentleman …’
Gilly took a step back and watched Helena do her thing with a man who seemed very interested. She gave him a business card and he gave her one back. It would be good if that meant he’d commissioned a scarf. Leo wasn’t going to order one, she realised.
Gilly stepped forward when Helena was free to talk again. ‘Would you like me to take over for a bit? Give you a chance to look around?’
‘I had a look around this morning, but a loo break would be good.’
Leo insisted on standing next to her while Gilly stood in for Helena and she wished she could ask him to go away. Eventually she saw William trying to push his way towards Helena’s stall. He was quite a way away. If she was quick she should be able to get rid of Leo. ‘Leo! Would you be very kind and get us some tea? Then we can have a piece of shortbread? I didn’t have much lunch.’
‘If that’s what you want,’ he said fondly, and kissed the top of her head.
She moved away from him, feeling horribly patronised. Then she looked up and felt even worse. William had stopped and was looking at her, confusion on his face. He had obviously seen Leo’s possessive gesture and didn’t know what to think.
She tried to smile reassuringly but it was difficult to say, ‘I didn’t invite this man, I didn’t want him to kiss my head, it’s you I’m interested in,’ in a gesture like a smile, however hard you tried.
William raised a hand in greeting and then turned back. Gilly felt bereft.
Cressida and Martin came up. ‘Are you OK staying for a bit, Gilly?’ said Cressida. ‘There is some amazing stuff here! There’s a handbag over there that has my name on it. I might persuade Martin I need an early birthday present.’
After they had gone and Helena had come back, Gilly told her where Martin and Cressida were headed.
Helena raised her eyebrows. ‘There’s nothing on that stall that is cheaper than a month’s mortgage payments. I’m glad they’re feeling so flush. The man who makes the leather belts is so nice and I’d love to buy something from him, but I just can’t. Oh, I did buy something that you might like to give Issi for a present though. It’s way above my budget, but knowing how generous you are …’
Gilly looked at the little box that Helena put into her hand. ‘It’s amazing! I love it! And it’s perfect for Issi. I must go and have a look at the other stalls. Would you be all right here for a moment?’
‘Absolutely! Take the shortbread; it may get you a discount.’
‘Oh, here’s Leo with the tea,’ said Gilly, suddenly very depressed.
‘Ooh,’ said Helena. ‘I must just pop over to George with the shortbread. I forgot he brought me a cup of coffee earlier, I promised him something if you brought food.’
Gilly recognised a quick excuse to get out of the way when she saw one but was grateful. Leo and Helena together would have made her extremely uncomfortable.
‘Sorry it took so long,’ said Leo when he arrived. ‘There was an enormous queue and then I met some people I know and couldn’t get away.’