Looking at her wide-eyed, I gasp out, ‘Marriage? That M word? How exciting!’
My friend glares at me in return. ‘Not you too!’
I hold up my hands in surrender. ‘Is it not a good thing? I thought you two were getting on famously.’
‘We are!’
‘So why is Alan wanting to marry you a problem? I thought you were planning on moving in together before Christmas?’
‘We are!’
I look at her blankly.
Bev sighs and she genuinely looks troubled. ‘There’s a whole world of difference between living together and getting married. When you get married it all goes tits up. They take you for granted and then bugger off with someone younger.’
That does make me smile. ‘I can’t see Alan doing that.’
Then Bev starts to cry – something that she rarely does.
‘Hey, hey,’ I say and go to put my arms around her. ‘Just because that happened with your first husband, doesn’t mean it’ll happen again. You’re at a different stage in your life, Alan is a completely different person. He adores you.’
‘It’s going so well that I don’t want anything to make it go wrong,’ she sobs.
‘I’m sure that’s not his intention. Far from it.’
‘What do you think I should do?’
‘Stick to your plan. Move in together. See how it goes from there. There’s no rush to get married, take your time.’
‘I’m being stupid, aren’t I?’
‘Yes.’ I put my hands on her shoulders. ‘Relax. Enjoy this.’ She sags beneath my touch. ‘Stop damaging all the pots and go up to the barn. Take Alan some cake. Kiss and make up.’
She sniffs. ‘I like the sound of the kissing bit.’
I hug her tightly. ‘You silly sausage.’
‘You’d better go, too.’ She pulls off a bit of kitchen roll and wipes her nose. ‘Don’t keep that Hot Mayor waiting.’
Then Jack puts his head round the door. ‘The alpacas have escaped and have tipped over the food bins.’
‘Right. I’m coming.’
Bev and I exchange a weary glance. I think there must be something in the air today as everyone’s having a crisis.
Chapter Forty-One
Once the alpacas are secured and admonished, I go up to the workshop and find the mayor. He turns out to be a whizz with a hammer. Together we spend the rest of the day repairing broken bits of barn so it looks smart for the open day. It’s late afternoon when we’re finishing stringing up the lights together and it feels like a job well done.
The students have calmed down too and they’ve had their lessons this afternoon with no reports of mass hysteria, brawls or refusals. I can rest easy tonight. I say goodbye to them all and it seems as if Erin and Lottie are the best of friends again. For now. I show Lottie the deep scratches to my hand and she looks suitably chastened.
Their guardians come to collect them all and I wait with Asha until his taxi arrives. Tomorrow is another day. Thank goodness.
Alan shuffles across the yard and leaves without saying goodbye. A few minutes later Bev comes out of the tea room. ‘See you in the morning, Mols,’ she shouts.
‘Is Alan OK?’
‘He’s having a sulk. Says he’s not feeling well. Attention-seeker!’
She waves and jumps in her car.
‘Small domestic,’ I explain to Matt. ‘Alan has started to mention marriage and Bev’s less than keen to jump into a white frock and race down the aisle again.’
‘Ah. They seem well-suited.’
‘They’re perfect together. Bev’s just got the collywobbles.’
Matt hooks up the last set of lights and climbs down the ladder. When we try them out, suddenly the yard is transformed. Just that little thing gives the place more of a Christmassy air.
‘That looks great. So much better.’
Lucas appears as Matt and I are standing admiring the lights. He slopes into the yard and comes to stand with us.
‘Hi, Lucas.’ The mayor high-fives him and Lucas doesn’t look at him as if he’s a loser.
‘Hey,’ Lucas says. ‘The lights look good.’
I risk putting my arm round his shoulders. ‘Where have you been all day?’
‘I had a long walk round the fields,’ he says with a shrug.
He does really well with the kids that come here, but perhaps we all need time to ourselves and he gets very little of that.
‘You missed lunch.’ I’d called his phone, but he wasn’t answering.
‘I’ll get something now.’
‘I could do an early supper. What do you fancy?’
‘I’m going out with Aurora tonight,’ he says. ‘She’s picking me up soon.’
‘Oh.’
‘We’re going to work on some poetry together. Hang out.’
I guess that’s a good thing, though I’d rather he was doing it at the caravan where I can see him. ‘Tell Matt of your triumph.’
‘Molly,’ Lucas huffs. ‘Do you always have to be embarrassing?’
‘Yes. I’m very proud of you. I want to show off.’
Lucas sighs and, as if it’s no big deal, mutters, ‘I won a poetry slam competition last night. At the King’s Arms in Stony Stratford.’
The mayor looks suitably impressed. ‘Brilliant. Well done.’
I go all showy-offy. ‘He got a hundred quid and a slot at the Green Scene Literary Festival.’
‘Fantastic,’ Matt says. ‘I always try to get to that. We should all go and make a day of it.’
‘Sounds like a plan,’ Lucas says, trying to appear as if none of this matters to him when I know how much it does.
I realise that he’s yet to tell his dad about his triumph and I wonder whether Shelby will manage to find time to call today. I’d love to hear how his opening night and party went.
‘I’m going to get a shower,’ he says. ‘See you later, Matt.’
‘See you. And well done again.’
Lucas lopes away.
‘Don’t use all the hot water,’ I shout after him.
‘He’s a good kid,’ Matt says.
‘Yes. I think so.’ Then I look away from Lucas and turn towards the mayor. ‘You’ve been brilliant today. Thank you for your help.’
‘I’ve enjoyed it.’
‘I feel a little less anxious for our Christmas preparations now that I can see something happening. But I should let you go. I’m sure you have things to do.’
‘Not really,’ Matt says. ‘In fact, I was just planning to go to the local pub for something to eat. If you’re going to be home alone, do you fancy joining me? My treat.’
And, for once in my life, the appeal of being by myself in the caravan with just the dogs for company doesn’t seem all that great.
‘I’ll need some time to scrub up.’
‘Fine by me. I can come back in an hour?’
I don’t really like to say that my ablutions generally take me roughly five minutes, but an hour will give me time to try and catch Shelby before tonight’s performance.
‘An hour it is.’