Chapter 26

John looked thunderstruck as his wife's words sunk in. His arrogance was such that he had not imagined an outright refusal of his suggestion; in his head the worst-case scenario was that Caroline would ask for time to consider and he had not prepared a plan B. His conscience did trouble him, momentarily, at her condemnation of the way he had involved Lawrence and now he dreaded the aftermath. Still hoping to gain some ground it took him several moments to put words together.

'No room for doubt in those sentiments. I hear you loud and clear.'

'I know you, John. Your imagination runs away with itself and you'd have put your slippers by the bed if there'd been any hint of hesitancy in my words. Believe me, whatever you feel now, the hard conversation is yet to come. Lawrence needs to be told.'

'The thing is, and bear with me on this, I can't go back there. I just can't. Please.'

Their conversation continued for some time and Caroline reluctantly agreed that he could move back in, if everyone was clear that it was a holding arrangement until he found alternative accommodation. Her conditions were that Lawrence would need to be sure on the details, so he did not think that the change meant any more than it did, and John would need to actively look for somewhere else to live. Caroline also insisted that she would be involved in the discussion with their younger son, not trusting John to deliver the news with any degree of honesty, compassion, or common sense.

Once that task had been done John set off for Judith's flat to collect his belongings and Lawrence consoled himself in front of the Xbox, thinking that at least he would be able to stay overnight with his dad once he had found somewhere else to live and in the short-term he would have him back at number 46 and maybe, just maybe, his mum might yet come to her senses. In the meantime, Caroline seized the opportunity to talk to her mum, knowing that her imagination would have been in overdrive since the first sight of John's car.

Celia was at her table, once again on her laptop.

'John's gone. Gone to fetch his things. I've said he can move back in but only in the spare room.'

'Seems a bit easy after all that he's done.' Her lips thin and straight, eyes steely.

'Spare room, mother. I've marked his card and he's under no illusion that it means anything other than putting a roof over his head. Turns out Judith's a bit of an alcoholic.'

'A bit of an alcoholic? No such thing. She is, or she isn't, and I can't believe he's only just realised it. Can't he rent somewhere?'

'That's the plan and if he doesn't put effort into sorting it, I'll do it for him.'

'I'm worried about you. You're an easy target when you're tired and stressed, and he'll soon be after being back in the master bedroom.'

'Don't worry, mum. I've no intention of caving in to his so-called charm. He's tried that already and has been on the receiving end of an Elizabeth Bennett put-down which I don't think he'll forget in a hurry.' Seeing her mum look perplexed she continued, 'As in Pride and Prejudice but with more graphic language than Jane Austen's 'You could not have made me the offer of your hand in any possible way that would have tempted me to accept it.'!'

'Oh yes, but don't forget Darcy eventually turned her around. Perhaps John ought to have my spare room. A few days with me would spur him on to sort out somewhere to rent as well as leave more space for you to be free to see whoever it is that you're seeing.'

Celia looked enquiringly at her daughter, whose jaw dropped, and she swallowed hard before looking away as she replied.

'I don't know what you mean.'

'Don't you? I may not have a black cat or whiskers on my chin, but I don't need witchcraft to decipher the signs.'

Caroline laughed and set out to change the subject and pointed to the laptop.

'Have you asked him for another photo?' She realised her mistake straight away.

'Talking about photos, you were going to show me the photos of the wedding. Just as well I remembered.'

Caroline's phone was on the table in full view and there didn't seem to be any way she could avoid the inevitable. While she had rejected John's plea, her heart was still not beating in time to Kate's dream and she didn't want to declare their relationship to anyone until she was sure they were agreed on a future. While her mother tapped her fingertips on the table Caroline's memory tracked through the wedding photos and, although they would all upset Celia, the main problem was the selfie of her with Kate, taken in the garden at the hotel before the wedding. Certainly, any further attempt to dodge Celia's request would cause more difficulties than it solved, her thoughts concluded.

'Oh, yes. The photos.' She picked up her phone. 'There's only a few, when I can find them. I'll move my chair, so you can see. Ah, here they are.'

Caroline had gone to the second photo of those she had taken, hoping to ensure Celia didn't see the one with Kate. She showed her mother how to scroll through them, which she did without comment until she came to the last one.

'How funny; I'm assuming one is these women is the bride but there doesn't seem to be a photo of the groom.' Celia looked determinedly at her daughter, tilting the phone slightly towards her to show the group photo of Meg and Severine with their parents and Caz.

'That's because there wasn't one. No groom, that is. Same sex marriage has just been made legal there.'

The penny dropped with Celia, who now studied the photo intently, her eyes flicking between the two brides while her brain tried to conjure up the face of the young woman she had seen on the photo with her daughter a quarter of a century ago.

'The taller one is Meg, my friend from Oxford. The one you warned off, if you remember.' Caroline decided to bite the bullet to gain the upper hand and, hopefully, avoid her mother's third-degree. Celia thrust the phone into her daughter's hand just as William knocked and entered.

'Dad's just got back so I sneaked out of the side door to avoid helping him get his bags out of the car. What are you two doing.'

'Your mother was just showing me the photos she took last weekend, at a lesbian wedding.' Celia's sneer was very evident, and she used her fingers to indicate inverted commas around her last two words.

William would always be his mum's protector whoever the foe and he didn't disappoint.

'Yes, isn't it great that some parts of the world are beginning to wake up to equality? Let me see, mum.'

Caroline handed him the phone, knowing that he was quite able to navigate her phone without direction. He looked through them, his face showing the expected disinterest of a teenage boy. He gave a short intake of breath as he placed the phone on the table.

'Not that I know much about what makes a lovely wedding but it's history in the making and I wouldn't turn down a weekend in France with my friends. Has Gran shown you the photo of Alan?'

He deliberately shifted the focus firmly back on Celia, who couldn't help but smile.

'He wants to meet me!'

'Are you going?' Caroline probed politely, her thoughts anything but positive towards her mother.

'No.' The smile faded as quickly as it had appeared.

'Go on, Gran. It will be something different for you to do. You don't need to see him a second time if he's boring, and it will give you a chance to see if you do remember the boy from the next street.'

'I've told him that I'm not available so there's an end to it.' Her abrupt conversation reflected her annoyance at what she saw as Caroline's duplicity.

Knowing that Celia's negativity knew no bounds once it was out of the blocks, her visitors made an easy decision to escape.

'I'd better go and start cooking. Are you joining us as planned?'

'I don't think so. I'll stay here and have my mackerel.'

Caroline and William kissed Celia and said their goodbyes. As they walked back to the main house William put his arm around his mum's shoulders and squeezed.

'I'm glad Kate went with you to the wedding, mum. You could have told me that I was rather late championing her cause!'

Caroline stopped walking and looked questioningly at her son.

'I saw the way you looked at each other yesterday. When I said not to forget that Lawrence and I will be off to Uni soon what I was trying to say, um, you might want to know, ah. I'm happy about the two of you.' He rushed through the last part of his declaration before his courage failed him.

'Supposing if I, err, if we were, would you mind?' The mortification of talking to her teenage son about her relationship echoed his embarrassment.

'Not if she's someone who deserves you. Obviously the same wouldn't be true of Gran.'

'I'm glad you haven't got her bigotry, but you do have her sorcery genes, that's for sure!' She linked arms with her son and they laughed together, while his words set her thoughts racing.

Meanwhile, back at the flat, Celia typed her e mail reply to Alan, saying that she would be happy to meet him for a coffee in Skipton. Afterwards she sat brooding about her daughter, now sure that she was seeing someone and determined to find out the details, convinced and nauseated at the idea that it might be another woman.

ooOoo

John did his best to charm and ingratiate himself in Caroline and William's eyes from the beginning of the next day. He could see that there had been a deepening of the bond between them since he had moved out, so reasoned correctly that William rather than Lawrence might be the key to the advancement of his cause. He set about gaining ground at the earliest opportunity, encountering his older son in the kitchen mid-afternoon.

'How are your A levels going, Will?'

'Fine.'

'I'm happy to help if you need anything.'

'I don't.'

'I see there's a Shakespeare season at the Lowry until June. Shall I try to get tickets for us? It might help you and I'd enjoy it.' John persevered with his charm offensive.

William stopped what he was doing and looked intently at his father. He was nobody's fool and hadn't been taken in for a moment.

'Oh, just stop being a plonker. I know you have no time for Shakespeare and I have no time for you. I've already got tickets for two plays, anyway, with school. Just so you know, I don't want you here, so I'd appreciate you staying out of my way. Stop trying to worm your way into my good books because it's not going to happen. I'll come back later when the kitchen is free.' He returned the milk to the fridge and left the room without a backward glance.

ooOoo

Caroline's phone rang just after they had finished their evening meal. John was clearing the table and the boys had settled down to watch a film. Seeing that the call was from Kate she left the kitchen without making comment. John tried to hide his annoyance that not only was she leaving him to finish the task but also that he would not be able to listen to her conversation. He couldn't remember her ever taking calls in private and wondered about its significance. She rushed to her bedroom and closed the door before accepting the call.

'I was beginning to think that you didn't want to speak to me!' Kate joked.

'As if. How was your weekend?'

'Odd, in a word. It was good to catch up, but I spent most of the time thinking that I was back at school, organising teenagers. Most seem to think that the purpose of the weekend was to recreate the drunken antics of our student days! How about you?'

'Odd here too, to use your word. It seems like we'll have loads to talk about.'

'Do you realise that it's the longest we've gone without talking since I was in America? I didn't call for a chat now as I don't like to disturb you and the boys on a Sunday evening, but I wanted to tell you I was back home safely. I know what a worrier you are.'

Caroline smiled at Kate's observation. While not normally someone who imagined problems, she was quite different where Kate was concerned.

'Thank you! And I know that you'll be tired, after what sounds like a trying weekend.'

'More wired than tired so I'm going to have a soak in the bath. Care to join me?!'

Caroline quickly considered the invitation, even though she knew it had been said in jest and wondered how this would go down with John. He was sure to suspect something if she went out just after receiving a call but, on the other hand, she owed no consideration to his feelings and did it matter if he linked the call to her going out?

'I do care to, definitely. I'll just check that the boys are ok and I'll be over. I won't stay for long, but it would be good to see you.' She smiled as she spoke, her pulse quickening as it always did at the thought of seeing Kate.

'I wasn't expecting that response. Maybe I should go away more often.' Kate was astonished and pleased at Caroline's acceptance and took it as being a positive sign.

'Just one thing, Kate, I haven't reached a decision yet. About the future, the baby. Am I still welcome?'

Silence reigned for several seconds, as Kate absorbed the news, her hopes having been raised and she mentally kicked herself for jumping to the wrong conclusion.

'I understand. You need time and it's only been, what, less than three days. Of course, you're still welcome. Always.'

'I'll be there, then. As soon as I can for as long as I can. See you soon.'

'Ok. Bye.'

Caroline wasted no time in getting ready to go out. She didn't change but did put on some lippy and brushed her hair. She slipped her shoes and coat on before putting her head around the lounge door. John had joined the boys there, wine glass in hand and an almost empty bottle close by on the coffee table. She'd had less than half a glass with her meal, making a conscious effort not to match John's intake. The sight before her did not bode well for the state he would be in when she returned.

'I'm going to see a friend. You can get me on my mobile if I'm needed. Boys, both of you to shower when the film finishes and pack your school bags ready for the morning. Your rugby kit is clean in the airing cupboard, Lawrence. See you later.' With that she was gone, not giving John anytime to question or object although it was enough to increase the twitching of his antennae.

As she drove off Caroline realised how much the thought of seeing Kate had lifted her spirits, which had started the weekend at a low ebb and plummeted to new depths with John's return. Manoeuvring in the driveway, and only being used to having one other car there since John moved out, her preoccupation meant that she did not notice the absence of her mother's BMW. The Jeep pulled out of the driveway as Celia was approaching from about fifty yards away, returning from filling up with petrol so her car was ready for the trip to see Alan the following morning. Caroline was not alert enough to realise; unlike her mother, who made a split-second decision to follow from a distance.