Chapter 16
Kate sat patiently holding her wife's hand and listening intently as Caroline spoke. Her intuition had been accurate and she was neither shocked nor surprised at what she heard. Kate's few encounters with Gillian had already convinced her that the sheep farmer was a volatile individual who did not always follow the normal rules of society. This story, this well-guarded secret, only served to confirm her opinion. While she recognised the benefit that Gillian's friendship had brought to Caroline, it had clearly come at a huge cost; the burden had been immense and she was pleased that her wife no longer carried this alone.
As Caroline came to the end of the story they embraced, holding each other tightly and reassuring one another that everything would be okay. The weight of keeping the secret had dissipated and the relief was evident on Caroline's face. They were soon back on the road, both women lost in their own thoughts as they absorbed the enormity of Caroline's revelation, sharing the intimate silence that passed between them when no words were necessary. After a few minutes, they were interrupted by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's version of The Entrance of the Queen of Sheba; Celia's wedding song and her ring tone on Kate's phone.
"Hello, Celia."
"Kate. Hello. Are you on your way? Is Caroline driving? I'm only ringing you because I didn't want to disturb her if she is."
Kate mouthed 'your mum' to Caroline and put the phone on loud speaker.
"Yes, Celia, Caroline is driving and we're ten minutes away."
Caroline stared back at the road and said loudly, "Yes, mum. We're almost there. Is there something wrong? We're not late. You said one o'clock for one thirty and it's only twelve thirty."
"Oh Caroline, I didn't want to disturb you while you were driving that's why I called Kate."
Caroline's eyes met Kate's and they both rolled their eyes and shared a knowing smile.
"Mum, you know you can call me while I'm in the car. I paid goodness knows how much to have Bluetooth installed in the Jeep for the precise purpose of answering calls while I'm driving."
"Well you know equally that I don't agree with people driving while they are on the phone. I read in the Daily Mail just the other day that it's just as dangerous, even if it is on one of those free hands things, because of the concentration factor."
Kate touched Caroline's hand gently and tried valiantly not to laugh while she joined Caroline in the eye-rolling.
"Celia, it's me, Kate. You've phoned ME on my phone. Is everything okay?"
"Well, I'm just ringing to see if you're on your way. I've missed you both, you know? I'm looking forward to seeing you and I just wanted to know how long you were going to be. That's all. No big drama."
Caroline frowned. "Is that it, mum? I only spoke to you last night to confirm that we were coming. Is everything alright at the farm? Is Alan ok?"
Caroline's tone had gone from exasperation to concern; something was not quite right. She looked questioningly at Kate who shrugged her shoulders and whispered "your guess is as good as mine."
"Yes, everything is fine. Alan's peeled enough potatoes to feed an army. I hope Lawrence is hungry. We'll need his appetite to help us through the mountain of food."
"Sorry mum I thought I told you yesterday that he's not coming. Either you're losing your mind for not remembering or I'm losing mine for thinking that I'd already told you."
Kate smiled, squeezed Caroline's hand and thought how much she enjoyed listening to the exchange between the mother and daughter. Their verbal sparring at its best was quite humorous. It was just another facet of Caroline that Kate adored.
"Well if you told me I have no recollection and as you can't actually remember yourself, we're as dotty as one other," chuckled Celia.
"Mother, have you been on the Sherry already? Has Gillian been leading you astray; it's not even lunch time yet!"
At this point Kate couldn't contain her amusement any longer and snorted with laughter.
"Celia, did you actually want anything else? We're five minutes away now. Look down the lane and you'll probably see us."
"Oh, no. I don't want to disturb you while you're driving. I'll pour you a drink and see you in five minutes, love. Bye, bye-bye."
As Kate ended the call both women were hit by a fit of the giggles.
"Heavens! We're going to be in for an entertaining afternoon if Mum's already got a few Sherries down her. Mind you, it's not like her to get any more than a little tipsy."
Their arrival time prediction was accurate and within five minutes they were parked up outside the farmhouse. With a bottle of wine under her arm, Caroline grabbed her Mulberry bag with one hand and squeezed Kate's hand with the other. She stopped on the path below the steps that led to the front door.
"Are you ok, Kate my love?"
"Yes, I'm fine. I could swing for Gillian, for putting you in that position, I really could but I'm so glad you told me at last. There's no need to tell Gillian that I know." With that she kissed her wife tenderly and led her up the steps just as an apparently slightly inebriated Celia opened the door, swaying and pulling her daughter into a tight hug.
"Hello darling, come on in, come in!" Celia kissed Caroline square on the lips. "You too Kate come in, anyone who's a friend of our Caroline and makes her happy is a friend of mine." Kate found herself being hugged tightly to Celia's ample bosom and she had to stifle another fit of the giggles when she caught her wife smirking at the spectacle. Raising her eyebrows quizzically, she gave Caroline a beseeching look that screamed 'rescue me' but Caroline seemed to be enjoying Kate's plight and she just smiled and shrugged back at her. Only when Celia released her hold on Kate and then started fussing over her daughter did Caroline actually speak.
"Mother you're so funny when you've been at the Sherry," and with that she took Kate's hand and they followed a beaming Celia into Gillian's front room.
"Look everyone, Caroline and Kate are here and a finer pair of lesbians you will not meet anywhere, even if I say so myself."
Gillian came out of the kitchen wiping her hands on a tea towel. "Celia, love, why don't you sit down and I'll fix you another drink?" she said, tactfully steering Celia into the nearest empty chair. "Oh what type of family has my dad married into, I don't know!" she exclaimed, rolling her eyes in an exaggerated way and smiling at Caroline. The step sisters smiled fondly at each other and swapped heartfelt hugs. Kate watched them, standing back slightly and reflecting that she hardly knew Gillian at all and, after what she'd heard today, she couldn't really imagine them ever becoming friends, so to speak. Yet she could see the genuine affection on Caroline's face as the two women were laughing together over some piece of news and she knew that they had a particularly close friendship. They must have, she pondered, for Gillian to have confided such a monumental secret.
"Well, isn't this lovely now?" said Celia, slurring her words slightly and clearly a little worse for wear. "Everyone's here together, all the family sitting down for dinner just how things should be." Patting Alan's hand gently she smiled beatifically at the gathering from her seat on the sofa. "It's so lovely that everyone's getting to know each other and muddling along so well. Lovely of you to have us all here for lunch, Gillian. So kind."
The new arrivals took themselves into a corner of the kitchen and Caroline quizzed Gillian, feeling uneasy at the state of her mother.
"However much has she had to drink, Gillian? I don't think that I have ever seen her so tipsy."
"That's the thing. It doesn't make sense. She's only had a very small Sherry and half a glass of wine. I've seen her knock back far more than that and not behave like she is. Rather strange."
"I think we'd better keep an eye on her. If she keeps going like this there will be trouble ahead."
Very shortly afterwards the extended family took their seats around the table for a very generous Sunday roast with a vast assortment of vegetables. They all ate heartily and with deep enjoyment. Celia quietly enjoyed her meal without consuming any more drink, and Caroline's concern started to wane although she noticed that her mother left the table three times to use the bathroom. The newlyweds were pleased that they were able to hide their lack of alcohol intake without any comment from the others.
Gillian and Robbie got up to clear the debris from the first course and when they returned to the table he was carrying bottles of Champagne and clean glasses. Gillian sat while Robbie remained standing.
"In case you are wondering, there was a specific reason for wanting you all here today and not just to enjoy my cooking." He poured the Champagne with a smile on his face as he spoke. "I fell in love with Gillian over 30 years ago but she was less than enthusiastic about me." He looked in her direction as he continued. "I am pleased to be able to say that my persistence has won through and she has, at long last, agreed to marry me. Champagne all round to celebrate my, our, news."
Caroline and Kate raised their glasses and pretended to drink while all present expressed congratulations and best wishes. The celebrations seemed to provoke Celia again and she spoke directly to Kate and Caroline.
"Drink up ladies. I've noticed that you've not touched your wine or the Champagne. It's lovely stuff, Robbie. Oh, at least we know that the ladies are not leaving the alcohol because they're pregnant! Can't decide who's to drive home, eh?"
Kate and Caroline exchanged shy smiles and Kate leaned over to her wife and whispered in her ear, "I think that's too good an opening to miss."
"Well actually, mum. You're wrong there. We are not pregnant but that's the plan. Kate and I are keen to have a child and we've cleared the first hurdles at the clinic. Kate will start treatment in a couple of months so she's getting herself ready and, as I drink too much anyway, I'm abstaining to keep her company. We're very excited but anxious too as we know it may be a long journey but we'd love your support and understanding."
More congratulations and best wishes reverberated around the room but not from Celia.
She took another generous swig from the glass of wine Alan had just poured for her. "Really lovely!" she said, emphatically. "Everyone being nice to each other while the long and the short of it is that we all know Caroline thinks she's above everybody else and that Gillian thinks Caroline is just a snob really and Kate wonders why I don't like the fact that she turned my Caroline into a lesbian and now they're going to have a child. At their ages. I ask you. And how Alan has put up with Gillian all these years with everything she's done I'll never know. Robbie are you really sure you know what you're doing?"
She looked on each one at the table in turn, with a smile on her face which was not reciprocated.
"Oh, I need the toilet again." With that she rose from the table and promptly collapsed in a heap at Alan's feet.
Robbie was the first at her side on the floor.
"It's ok. She's conscious. Let me check to make sure she hasn't hurt herself."
The remaining adults looked on anxiously but it soon became clear that there was little wrong with Celia other than a hole in her tights where she had knocked her knee on the flagstone floor. Caroline took control.
"What is going on, mum? Are you ill or drunk?" Her tone was not particularly sympathetic and Kate felt it necessary to intervene.
"Celia, as you stood up from the table you mentioned that you wanted the toilet. I think we need to give you some help to get there, just to be on the safe side. Robbie, can you give her a hand to get up the stairs?"
While they were gone Kate took the opportunity to explain what she thought might be the problem.
"Caroline, I think she might have a urine infection. I've seen those symptoms before. The frequent trips to the loo. The strange behaviour."
Alan contributed to the conversation.
"I think you might be right, Kate. She's been using the toilet in the night more than usual. She did go to the doctor's on Friday and told me that it was just a routine review of her medication. I thought it was strange at the time as she'd only seen Dr Cross a few weeks ago. Let me check her handbag while she's upstairs."
He soon found confirmation, a short course of antibiotics dispensed two days previously and a quick check showed that his wife had taken just one of them. At that precise moment the lady herself walked back into the kitchen.
"I know. I'm so sorry, Alan. It made me feel so sick that I decided I'd get better without them but the symptoms are getting worse. I'm so sorry everyone. Robbie just told me that I've been rather awful," she mumbled through a flood of tears.
"It's alright love," Alan reassured his wife. "Come 'ere ya daft ha' peth."
Caroline could only smile at the way Alan cuddled and kissed his wife, any brief smattering of anger at what her mum had said, quickly disappeared.
"You're alright lass!" he smiled.
"Mum, what are you like, you silly moo?" She strode toward a still sobbing Celia and put her arm around both of them.
"You had me worried from the minute we walked in. I'll forgive your little outburst but please, no more drinking and stick to taking your tablets. You've said enough and we all know how you feel."
Gillian and Kate shared embarrassed smiles.
"She's not backward in coming forward is our Celia. You need broad shoulders and a thick skin sometimes," the farmer whispered to the teacher.
After a pudding which matched the roast course in its excellence, all seemed to have been forgiven and on the way to being forgotten but the stubble-faced Policeman amongst them was less than convinced that illness was the sole reason for Celia's tirade.