They’d just stopped to take a break and have a slice of the Christmas cake Cathy had made a few weeks before with tea made in a pot that had last been used so long ago she could barely remember where she stored it. Getting it out again and knowing that there were enough people in her house to warrant its use had been a nice feeling.
Tansy wasn’t too keen on the cake, but she’d brought along a Madeira cake that she’d made using the new recipe book Cathy had bought for her, so they had a slice of that too, and Cathy said that Tansy was perhaps on her way to becoming a far better baker than she herself was. Tansy didn’t smile and she didn’t make a fuss over the statement, because – as Cathy was fast learning – that just wasn’t Tansy’s way. Even when she was happy she looked serious, but that was OK, because Cathy could tell she was flattered by the fact she immediately offered the plate around again with a cautious sort of pride on her face.
‘I love those tiles,’ Erica said as she looked around the kitchen. ‘Bread-basket pattern… seems to be quite appropriate for someone who spends so much time baking. They’re so cute and retro.’
‘Retro would be the right word if I’d intended it as a style choice,’ Cathy said with a smile. ‘In fact, they’re just plain old. They’ve been up since… well, I can never remember anything else being up in this kitchen. I think it’s about time I changed them, though, and I was actually thinking I might redecorate after Christmas.’ She swept a hand around the room. ‘The blinds, the tiles, this flooring… this has all been up since my mum was here. Way before she was ill, in fact. It was just too hard to get anything much done once she got poorly.’
‘Well, I like it,’ Erica replied. ‘But if you want any help just say so; I’ll bring Malc around.’
‘Will he be happy about being volunteered?’ Cathy asked.
‘Probably not,’ Erica said.
Cathy laughed.
‘I’ll help,’ Tansy said.
‘Thanks,’ Cathy replied. ‘I’m sure I’ll need all the help I can get. Decorating is not my strong suit.’
‘It can’t be that hard,’ Tansy said. ‘It’s just painting and sticking things to walls.’
Erica and Cathy exchanged a quick grin.
‘We’ll let you do it all then, Tans,’ Erica said.
Tansy wrinkled her nose and Erica started to laugh. ‘Thought so.’
‘I haven’t showed you the book Fleur had made for me, did I?’ Cathy said, jumping up from her seat. ‘Let me go and get it!’
But as she made her way to the bookcase where she now kept Fleur’s precious gift, there was a knock at the door. Another surprise? They just kept coming today. She wondered if it might be Matthias and was suddenly very aware of the dowdy sweatshirt and old jeans she was wearing. Having no time to do anything about it, she smoothed her hair down as best she could and raced to get the door.
But as she opened up she stopped and stared, the blood rushing from her face.
‘I don’t suppose you were expecting me,’ Jonas said with a faint smile. ‘I ought to be grateful you still live in the same house, or it could have been a very awkward moment just there.’
‘But…’
‘Could I come in?’
‘Jonas…’ Cathy began, gathering her senses again. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘I just needed to see a friendly face. Can I? It’s not a bad time, is it?’
And you had no other friendly faces? None of those people you’ve met since you were with me would do? What about your wife for a start?
‘To be honest,’ she said, her heart thumping as she recalled who was in her kitchen, ‘it is.’
‘Oh.’
‘I’m not sure you ought to be here at all… What if your wife found out?’
‘I won’t keep you long.’
‘You really can’t come in,’ Cathy said.
Despite meaning what she said, her heart went out to him. He looked deeply troubled and she still had enough feelings for him to want to help. In reality, no matter what past they’d had and how they’d split, she probably would always have helped.
‘Oh… I’m sorry, I thought…’
‘Hang on. I’ll get my coat; we can walk and talk, but I can’t be out long.’
He nodded. Cathy ran to the kitchen.
‘I’m sorry…’ she said, aware that she was about to arouse unwanted suspicion and not really sure how she was going to explain it all when she got back, ‘I’ve got to go out for a few minutes.’
‘Is everything alright?’ Erica asked.
‘Yes, yes… I just need to help someone out.’
‘Is it something we can help with too?’
‘No…’ Cathy looked from one to the other and could see already Tansy narrowing her eyes. It probably did sound dodgy and she had half a mind to go back and send Jonas away. But whatever had brought him here had to be serious and she didn’t think he’d give up so easily. Not only that, but in the back of her mind she still recalled how Matthias had needed help when he’d been at his lowest, and if help hadn’t been there for him what terrible consequences could have arisen from that. Even though she didn’t know what was wrong with Jonas, she couldn’t bear to think that he might be at that place now and that a few minutes of her time might have saved him. ‘I’m sorry… I’ll explain it when I get back. Just… help yourself to anything you want for now.’
Without waiting to hear anyone’s response she ran to the hall to grab her heaviest coat from the peg and hauled it around her shoulders. When she got back to the doorstep, Jonas was already on the pavement, pacing in little circles as he waited for her. He was about as agitated as she’d ever seen him, and that included the night they’d split up.
‘I didn’t know where else to go,’ he said as they began to walk. The morning was frosty and their breath rose in plumes in the air.
‘What’s happened?’
‘I’ve…’ He turned to her and took a breath. ‘I’ve left Eleanor.’
Cathy’s mouth fell open. ‘What?’ she squeaked once she’d collected herself enough to reply. ‘Why? And why come here to tell me?’
‘I don’t even know,’ he said. ‘It just stopped feeling right. And I’m here to tell you because…’ He paused. ‘Because I felt you were the only person who’d understand.’
Cathy narrowed her eyes. She didn’t buy it for a minute. Maybe the reasons why he’d left Eleanor were sincere, but the rest of it… Would it sound arrogant to assume that it had anything to do with her? Did it just sound arrogant – was it actually arrogant and perhaps very misguided?
‘But I thought you were happy. All those flowers you were buying, the time I saw you at the theatre…’
‘We looked OK, didn’t we? That’s what everyone will say when they find out. But we haven’t been OK. We’ve been arguing non-stop since we came back from Scotland…’
‘Ah. And this is what all the flowers were about? Trying to make up for every argument? Was Eleanor trying as hard as you to make up?’