Martin shared some of his father’s faults although Cressida would never be bullied, and back there she had been a little bit on Gilly’s side. Although Gilly realised now she and Martin had set her up with Leo, to try to get him to persuade her to sell her house. However, she doubted if they’d intended that Leo should ask her to marry him in the bizarre way he had.
She realised these thoughts weren’t calming and tried to focus on something else, but at that moment there was nothing else. She tried some deep breathing and that did help.
Then she heard what she’d been dreading: slamming car doors and raised voices. She stepped behind a tree, hoping she was hidden, and heard a car drive away at speed, shooting past the tree where she was sheltering. Sebastian always set off before he thought where he was going, before he’d done up his seatbelt, and, latterly, before he’d put on his glasses. Now, he’d have been better off looking for her on foot, but that wasn’t his way. Thank goodness.
Although she was anxious lest the cab would arrive and the driver not be able to find her, she stayed where she was. It was possible that Martin would also go in search of his mother.
There was the sound of a second car but as far as she could tell it was going in the opposite direction. So Sebastian and Martin had both gone off in their fast cars, looking for a woman who wasn’t exactly a speed-walker.
There was a little park not far away from Martin and Cressida’s house. Gilly had spent a lot of time in it years ago when Ismene was a toddler.
Martin would know about this park but Sebastian wouldn’t. She made her way to it. If Martin found her it would be OK. Just as long as Sebastian didn’t. The thought of being alone with him in a lonely place in the evening was not pleasant. She wished Helena wasn’t so far away, somewhere in the hills above the Wye Valley.
She had time to wish she’d been wearing her Fitbit and that she hadn’t fallen on the wine in quite such a desperate way before she had a text from her cab driver asking where she was. She told him about the park and within a very few minutes he was there and she was being driven back to Fairacres at speed. She wondered when her heart would catch up with her brain and stop beating so fast.
As the cab approached the Fairacres drive, Gilly saw William’s car parked in front of the house and then William himself, waiting by the front door. She thrust a couple of notes into the cab driver’s hands, ignoring his protest that it was too much money, and got out of the cab and ran towards him and into his arms. ‘Oh, William! How lovely to see you! What are you doing here?’
‘Your weird text told me something was wrong. I didn’t know where your son lives so I came here. What’s up?’ He held her and stroked her back and her hair, murmuring words of comfort.
‘Let’s go in the house and I’ll tell you.’
Now she was safe Gilly felt as if she’d panicked and knew that if she hadn’t had too much wine she wouldn’t have been so impetuous. But Sebastian could be frightening and Martin could be dominating.
‘Well, it was my fault really. I had too much to drink.’
‘Why do women always blame themselves for things? Or have you been conditioned to do that?’
William wasn’t usually so blunt but it made her think. She headed towards the kitchen and he followed her. They sat opposite each other at the kitchen table.
‘I probably have been conditioned to do that. Everything was my fault in my marriage, from the roof leaking to the weather being bad to the fact I had a difficult relationship with my mother-in-law. Although she was a very strong character, my ex, Sebastian, blamed the problems we had entirely on me.’
‘So why did you feel the need to drink too much? Although you don’t seem remotely drunk.’
‘I’m not drunk but I’ve probably had too much to be legal to drive. And I did it because Martin sprung Sebastian on me. I panicked. He and Martin together can be very overbearing.’
‘You haven’t told me much about your marriage. When you were getting divorced you were always so careful to keep it as businesslike as you could. Although his attempts to get his hands on your house must have been devastating.’
From habit, she got up to put the kettle on. ‘It was. Fairacres had been my parents’ house, as you know. Sebastian never contributed much to it financially and yet he made it so I had to pay him off by selling the orchard and that bit that went for a building plot.’ She paused and smiled as she sat down again. ‘I should have let it go by now and really, I have, but seeing him tonight and him being so awful about—’ She stopped.
‘About what? Let me guess, the thought of another man going to live in what had been his home?’
‘Yes, basically. He and Martin were very territorial. I suppose it’s different for Martin but Sebastian has no right to be like that at all.’
‘Has he married again?’
‘He did, for a short while, but it didn’t last.’
‘Oh well, we won’t invite him to our party then.’
She laughed.
William picked up a pepper grinder that was on the table between them. ‘You haven’t changed your mind? Martin being unhappy about it hasn’t made you feel you’d rather I didn’t move in?’
‘If I worried about what made Martin happy I’d never redecorate! Or if I did, I’d have to keep the same colours. He’s always had a rather rosy view of what his father was like. But I’m sure he’ll come round.’
‘And if he doesn’t?’
‘Well, we’ll still have the party! And you’ll still come and live with me. And I’ll still move his old desk to make room for yours.’
‘But you’d be unhappy about it.’ It was a statement, not a question.
‘Well, of course I’d prefer it if he gave us his blessing but if he doesn’t then maybe I have to live with that.’ She paused. The kettle was boiling. ‘Do you actually want a hot drink of any kind?’
‘Not really,’ he said, getting up and going round to her side of the table. ‘I think we both need an early night.’
She smiled and put her arm round his waist as they went upstairs.
Chapter Thirty-five
‘Helly! Darling!’ It was late the following morning, and Jago and Helena had just arrived back from their time away. Helena found herself enveloped in one of her mother’s special hugs as Gilly intercepted them at the door. Gilly had waved William off a few moments earlier.
‘Everything all right, Mum?’ she asked.
‘Of course! Come in. Jago! How are you? Are you hungry? What can I get you?’
Jago kissed Gilly. ‘It’s lovely to see you again. And as always I’m starving. Breakfast seems a long time ago and I only had toast.’
‘There are few people I love more than hungry ones, especially when they are always so appreciative,’ said Gilly. ‘What would you like? Why don’t I make you a proper B & B full English? With or without baked beans – not a fan myself. I’ve got some black pudding and some homemade hash brown potatoes to go with the usual things?’
‘Oh my goodness,’ said Jago. ‘That all sounds like heaven.’
‘You could go and eat in the dining room. I’ve opened the doors to the garden, it’s such a lovely day.’