‘I’m sorry, but I live on a bloody farm, I don’t just play at it. What do you want me to do?’
‘Did they come out of the bedroom? That’s my one rule, Molly.’
‘Rule?’
‘The only thing I require of you is that you keep them out of the bedroom. Is that too much to ask?’
Then Betty Good Girl barks, worriedly, at the sound of raised voices and reverts to type. She squats and wees all over Shelby’s shoes. His expensive ones.
Shelby looks down in horror. We both do. His face goes an alarming shade of puce.
‘Betty Bad Dog,’ I say and hurriedly push her out of the caravan, which now smells of dog wee. Little Dog and Big Dog looked perplexed as I push them out too in case there are any further mishaps.
‘Right,’ Shelby says. ‘I’ve had enough.’
‘You frightened her by shouting.’
‘It’s all my fault again? Why did you need another bloody dog? They’re everywhere.’
‘That is a slight exaggeration.’
And, suddenly, we’re in a full-blown argument out of nowhere.
‘I came to surprise you,’ he shouts. ‘Filming has been hell today and I thought it would be a nice thing to do. Instead, I walk in to find my son with a woman I know nothing about and dogs all over the bloody place.’
‘I think you need to calm down,’ I say quietly. ‘This is helping no one. We were having a lovely evening until you turned up.’
‘I can rectify that,’ Shelby spits and he marches into the bedroom, snatches a case from the top shelf of the cupboard and starts to stuff it with his clothes.
‘Where are you going?’
‘Home,’ he says. ‘I can’t stay here any longer. It’s too cramped, too full of dog hair.’
‘I’ll hoover,’ I offer. ‘And I’ll change the bedding. Please don’t leave like this.’
‘I have a perfectly good, pet-free manor house ten minutes down the road. I’m going there. I can’t stand living in such close quarters.’
‘Is this the end for us?’
‘No.’ He calms down a little and breathes deeply before he says, ‘Come with me. We could all move back there. Most women would jump at the chance of that lifestyle.’
‘I’m not most women,’ I remind him. ‘I thought that’s what you liked about me.’
‘I can’t stay,’ Shelby says and there’s a sadness in his voice as if it really is the end and he’s only just realised it.
‘And I can’t come with you.’
‘Then where does that leave us?’
‘You’ll have to decide.’ I sound calmer than I feel. Inside my heart is pounding and my knees are weak. I don’t want Shelby to go, yet I will not beg him to stay.
‘Lucas,’ he shouts. ‘Get your stuff.’
Now I’m horrified. ‘What?’
‘Get your stuff,’ he shouts again.
Lucas appears at the bedroom door. ‘Why are you shouting your mouth off? We’re not your minions on set.’
‘Get your stuff. We’re going back to Homewood Manor.’
‘You might be,’ Lucas says flatly. ‘I’m going nowhere.’
‘You’re my son,’ Shelby points out, needlessly. ‘You do as I say.’
‘No.’ Lucas leans on the door jamb. ‘I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m staying here with Molly.’
‘Look,’ I say. ‘This is all very heated and it doesn’t need to be. Shelby, I’m sorry the dogs were in here, it was a mistake. Also, Lucas is allowed to have friends here without your permission. It wasn’t some master plan or conspiracy to exclude you. It’s just the way it happened. We can arrange another dinner, if Lucas wants that, so you can meet Aurora properly.’
‘I didn’t want him to meet her at all,’ Lucas shouts. ‘You’ve seen what she looks like! He’ll probably want to go out with her!’
Oh, God.
Shelby zips his case closed. ‘I’m clearly not wanted here,’ he says and flounces towards the door.
‘This is ridiculous,’ I say. ‘Let’s all sit down and talk it through.’
I follow Shelby to the door, but I won’t trail after him. He’s across the yard in a nano-second and yanks the gate open.
‘Shelby,’ I shout. ‘Please listen to reason.’
Yet he jumps straight into his car, slamming the door decisively. Turning the Bentley with a screech of wheels on gravel, he shoots off down the lane. He doesn’t close the gate behind him. Cardinal sin.
As Lucas comes to stand by my side, I sigh heavily.
‘He’s a complete and utter tit,’ Lucas says.
At this moment, I can’t really disagree with him. I thought that love had finally found me, but now I’m not so sure.
Chapter Twenty
The next morning, I have a monster headache. It’s as if I have a hangover without having had the pleasure of getting that way. There’s a bitter taste in my mouth.
It took me ages to get to sleep after Shelby had gone. I don’t think I’ve ever had a row like that before, and it’s shaken me. After many years in the romantic wilderness, I trusted Shelby implicitly with my love and feel I’ve had it thrown back in my face.
Dick the Cock is, for once, heralding the dawn and I peer out of my caravan window to see a landscape covered with a sugar coating of frost. The sunrise is a beautiful display of pastel pink sun and lilac-purple clouds. I let the dogs sleep on the bed last night as an act of defiance and they snuggle closer, reluctant for me to get up and disturb them. I also let them sleep with me as I needed a cuddle. In all forms of crisis, they are reliable with their comfort.
I didn’t manage to talk properly with Lucas last night. He locked himself in his bedroom and refused to come out despite my entreaties through the closed door. What a mess.
Despite our domestic upsets, we’ll have to get on with it as we have a busy day ahead of us. Bev has invited a local mental health charity to bring a group of their members and walk around the fields with the animals. This is another new fund-raising venture for us and it fills me with trepidation too. The last thing we need is one of the alpacas tipping someone who’s already suffering from depression into the pond. I agreed to this! What was I thinking? I hope they all behave.
When I manage to stagger up and out of bed, Lucas is already at the table in the living room, angrily bashing his laptop. It seems that his rage has not subsided.
‘Good material?’ I say to him by way of greeting.
‘Total knob,’ he says and, from his pallor, I know that Lucas has also stayed awake half the night brooding. This is all too tragic. An argument should never have sparked so quickly, and it’s spoiled what should have been a memorable evening for Lucas. I wonder if he’ll ever risk bringing Aurora here again. I do hope so.
‘Are you all right?’
‘No,’ Lucas says. ‘But I’ll live.’
‘I’m sorry last night ended like that. She seems like a lovely girl.’
‘Huh,’ is all Lucas says. Now is not the time to try to draw him on the subject. We both know what went wrong.