Shelagh will always remember the holiday she took in 1959. Not only was it the first proper holiday she'd had since she was a child, or the first time she had seen Patrick truly relaxed, but it was the holiday where she had left as 'Shelagh' and came back as 'Mum'.
The three of them had been sat at the dinner table on the Wednesday before whitsun half term, when Patrick suddenly announced: "I think we should go away for a few days. Cornwall would be nice" and then grinned at them to the sound of both Shelagh and Tims forks clattering to their plates.
"Really!" Tim exclaimed in excitement, while Shelagh levelled Patrick with a stare. Generally family announcements were discussed with her first, before Tim was informed.
"And when did you decide this?" She asked.
"Today at lunch time." Patrick said. "I was staring at a pile of files, and the phone was ringing and I thought, I could do with a holiday. I never take holidays but I think we could all do with a holiday.' He said pointedly, the disappointment over the trip to Harley Street still fresh in their minds.
Shelagh had to concede that much was true and gave him a small smile.
"Are we going to the beach?" Tim asked.
"Yes. I've booked us a B&B in St Ives. It's a fair journey, so I thought we could stop in Exeter for the night on the way down."
"You've already booked it?" Shelagh exclaimed.
"No time like the present. I've arranged a locum. I just need to phone Simpson, a chum of mine from University, to see if we can stop with him in Exeter, he's a lecturer at the University."
"This is great, I can finally go swimming now those contraptions are no longer on my legs!" Tim beamed.
"And then he went up the attic to find the suitcases. I've never seen him so organised" Shelagh concluded as she told Trixie and Cynthia over a cup of tea the following afternoon.
"Well, when Doctor Turner is determined to have something, he goes out there and gets it! Trixie said with a mischevious wink.
"Yes, without necessarily thinking of the consequences" Shelagh said. "I've got to buy Tim some new swimming trunks, Patrick some new swimming trunks, sandals for the pair of them…."
"Don't forget a swimming costume for yourself!" Trixie added.
"Can nuns swim?" Cynithia asked.
"I don't know Cynthia, you'd have to ask each individual nun. But, I, learnt to swim when I was a child." Shelagh clarified.
"Or even a 2 piece.." Trixie continued on as if uninterrupted.
"I'm not Bridget Bardot" Shelagh said.
The trio finished their drinks and excited the tea room. "Where to now?" Cynthia asked, enjoying her afternoon off.
"Marks and Spencers for me" Shelagh replied, " I need to get Timmy his swimming trunks."
"and your bikini " Trixie giggled. " I could do with a trip to Marks and Sparks myself, I seem to be positively racing through my nylons these days."
Saturday morning found all 3 Turners up early. "It would be a lot easier if London had some sort of high speed ring road we could get on instead of driving all the way through town…" Patrick grumbled as he packed the car. "Still, it will be a pleasant enough journey once we get out on to the country roads".
"I've packed us a thermos and sandwiches" Shelagh placed the picnic basket on the back seat.
"Are you sure you've been to the toilet now?" She asked Tim who was hopping from foot to foot.
"Yes!" Tim exclaimed "I'm just excited and want to get on the road. Dad is making us late"
" I need to check the oil and water Tim, if we break down we will be even later."
Eventually everything was ready and the MG pulled out of Bermondsey Lane, headed for the South West.
"So you met this Simpson chap at Univeristy you said?" Shelagh asked as the car crossed into Devon.
"Yes. He was studying Chemistry. He went to do a PHD at Kings. Then this position lecturing in Chemistry came up at Exeter so him and his wife moved down here. That must be nearly 20 years ago now."
"He's married then…"
"Oh yes. In fact that's how I met Margaret. She and Lilian were friends."
"Oh" Shelagh realised she had never heard the story of how Patrick met his first wife.
"Mummy said that she met Daddy because he wanted a free meal" Tim piped up from the back seat.
Patrick could feel Shelagh looking at him from the corner of his eye.
"Lillian and Margaret had 4 tickets to a dinner dance." Patrick clarified. "Margaret didn't have anyone to go with, so Lillian, who was courting Simpson at the time, asked Bill if he had any male friends who wouldn't mind having the extra ticket. He asked me."
" I see" Shelagh said. A blind date. How romantic. Shame there were no romance stories about nuns being woo'd out of their habbits. Only gossip and speculation.
The trio fell silent until the MG pulled up to the outskirts of Exeter, and Shelagh was required to help navigate. " Prospect Park is the first turning dearest"
"Are you sure?"
"Perfectly"
"Really, I thought it was the second?"
"I can read a map Patrick!"
"You've missed it Dad! It was the first turning"
"Alright!"
Eventually they pulled up in front of Bill and Lillian Simpsons' house. Eager to stretch their legs they family made quick work of getting out of the car. Someone had clearly been on the look out for them as the hall light came on as the Turners opened the front gate.
"Patrick!" Bill exclaimed as he swung the door open "How wonderful to see you!". He ushered the family into the hall and pointed them straight toward the living room.
"Goodness me young Tim you've grown!" Bill said, patting him on the head. "How old were you when I last saw you?"
"About 5" Patrick replied. "And this is my wife Shelagh"
"Nice to meet you" Bill said, jovially extending an arm.
"Likewise" Shelagh replied.
"Bill, are they here?" The front door slammed again, and soon Lillian appeared in the doorway.
"They are indeed" Bill replied, as Lillian smiled and shook Patricks hand, her gaze sweeping across Tim who she gave a hug, before landing on Shelagh. "This is Shelagh, Patricks new wife" Bill made the introduction, and Shelagh suddenly couldn't help but feel as if she was being appraised.
Lillians' smile, though it never faltered, did harden a little, her eyes taking in Shelagh from top to bottom, as Shelagh did her best to try and draw herself up to her full height, which admittedly didn't make much difference.
Lillian was older than Shelagh, at just a year or 2 younger than Patrick and Bill. She was dark, and heavy built, never having been very slim in her youth, she had become more matronly as she advanced into middle age. Her hair, set in enormous waves barely moved, Shelagh suspected it had been hairsprayed to within an inch of its life.
"Hello" was all that Lillian demurely offered by way of a greeting.
Patrick and Bill, oblivious to the minor Mexican standoff that was occurring were talking about traffic congestion in Pinhoe , so it was Tim, who being surprisingly astute, came and leaned against Shelagh's side in solidarity.
"How are you Timmy?" Lillian asked.
"It's Tim" Tim corrected her, perfectly aware that he responded to 'Timmy' all the time at home.
Shelagh prodded him in the side "And I am good thank you."
"Sorry. Tim. It's just that your mother always referred to you in her letters as Timmy. I'm glad to see you looking so well, after everything you have been through in the last few years."
"When is dinner?"
"Tim!" Shelagh exclaimed.
"Soon" Lillian promised, "I had better go check the oven."
There was something in her body language that made Shelagh resist asking if she needed help.
True to her word, dinner was served within the next 20 minutes. Over the meal they spoke of Bills job as a lecturer, Patricks holiday plans, and gossiped about the rest of their university friends. Shelagh felt a little left out, as not knowing any of the university friends, she couldn't enjoy all the banter. It also shocked her to realise that the times they spoke of going to a dance, she herself would barely have been out of her mothers arms.
Afterwards, the men went out to the back garden to smoke and drink brandy. Shelagh and Lillian retired to the living room with a cup of tea. Tim came with them, and sat on the floor playing with the dog.
"It's a lovely home you have here" Shelagh said, hoping to break the uneasy silence between the two women.
"Thank you. I do wonder if it is a little too large now our children have left."
"How many children do you have?" Shelagh asked.
"Two. James is 24 and at Cambridge, and Hannah is 21 and just recently got married. Do you have any children?"
Shelagh blinked at Lillian. Was it a trick question?
"You mean aside from Timothy?" She asked confused.
"Yes. I mean children of your own."
Shelagh's mind whirled. Her gut reaction would be to snap back that she very much considered Tim to be hers, thank you very much, but the sensible part of her brain reminded her that this was Margarets best friend, who was clearly finding her presence difficult.
"No. This is my first marriage." Shelagh decided would be the most diplomatic reply.
"Such a shame. Margaret never want Tim to be an only child."
"Quite" Shelagh gripped her tea cup.
Tim, who had been listening intently, realised that this conversation was veering toward a territory which would make his beloved Step-Mother uncomfortable, left the dog and came to sit on the arm of the sofa next to Shelagh. He put his hand on her shoulder, like he had seen his Dad do many times.
Shelagh smiled up at him.
"I don't mind being an only child" Tim announced. "I get more pocket money this way."
"But don't you get lonely sometimes, especially now your mother is gone?" Lillian pressed.
"No, its been fabbo since the wedding. I'm not by myself anymore, we do lots of stuff together now don't we?" Tim looked at Shelagh.
Sensing she wasn't going to get any further with that line of questioning, Lillian changed tack.
"So how long have you known Patrick?" She asked.
"Well," Shelagh had to stop and think about it "I guess you could say about 10 years."
"10 years! So you knew him when Margaret was alive?" Lillian sat forward.
"You could say we were acquaintances. We've only got to know each other recently" Shelagh said.
"How recently?" Lillian queried.
"Mum and Dad used to work together." Tim supplied. He didn't quite like the tone Lillian was using. "Mum, used to be a midwife and a nurse, didn't you Mum? "
Shelagh wasn't sure who was more shocked at Tim calling her mum, herself or Lillian. Shelagh was fighting hard to stop tears rolling down her face, a mixure of happiness from Tim's words, or anger that Lillian seemed to be implying that she was some harlot who had been involved with a married man.
Seeing as both women were temporarily mute, Tim continued, "Infact, the nuns used to call Mum out when it was the really tricky births because she was the only one who knew how to deal with them. And Mum knows everything about butterflies, don't you Mum?"
Shelagh found her voice "I know a little about butterflies Timmy" she said. "It has only been in the last year that Patrick and I developed feelings for each other. There was nothing untoward happening when Margaret was alive I can assure you." Shelagh's tone was firm.
"Besides Nuns aren't allowed to have boyfriends are they Mum?" Tim said.
"That's enough now Tim" Shelagh patted him on the head.
"You were a nun?" Lillian puzzled. Patrick had clearly left that part of the story out when he had phoned Bill to tell him he was getting married.
Shelagh was saved the trouble of answering by Patrick and Bill returning.
"Everything ok in here?" Bill asked.
"Tickety boo and marvellous" Shelagh replied. She wondered how soon was too soon to go to bed.
"Darling you have to see the funny side" Patrick told her, as Shelagh related the whole conversation in whispers when the 3 turners were tucked up in Bill and Lillians guest room.
"I turn up with this glamourous young blond on my arm, with beautiful blue eyes, who I have married after a seemingly to them, whirlwind courtship. She probably can't believe I was that lucky to bag you based on my charms alone."
"Patrick!" Shelagh exclaimed "I'm hardly glamourous."
"You my dear, in Lillian's eyes, are akin to Trixie in the eyes of the young men folk of poplar. You are stunning. Now, lets get some sleep, we've got another few hours drive ahead of us tomorrow."
TBC