‘Go on! He’ll be fine. You’re going to be late’ Paula Wright drags Marcus away from the bedroom door as she walks along the landing. ‘I’m sure I can cope if he wakes up’
‘I should have asked before…’
‘Oh, do stop and get going’ She gives him a playful slap and pushes him ahead of her with both hands. ‘I’m really glad you’re going out and having some fun’
‘Just a drink…I won’t be late’ he says, checking his trouser pocket for his wallet and lifting his jacket from the newel post where he’d thrown it before checking on Luke.
‘She’s a very nice girl. I wish I’d thought to introduce you’
Marcus grins as they start down the stairs, looking back at her with his hand sliding on the banister as he hurries down. ‘I’d’ve backed off sharpish if you had done. I don’t like being set up. I get enough of that at home’ He bends to retrieve his shoes from under the telephone table and pushes his feet into them. ‘It didn’t occur to me you’d know her’
‘Mmm…from the library…’ Paula picks a stray hair from the shoulder of his jacket and gives it a brush with her hand. ‘…. and the leisure centre…she swims’
‘Something else we could do before I go back then’ he remarks, picking his mother’s car keys from the shallow brass bowl on the table and lifting them with a nod of thanks.
‘Possibly….’
He rolls his eyes and flicks his head out of her reach as she makes to tidy his hair. ‘Gerroff!’
‘Marcus…she does know you are leaving soon, doesn’t she?’ she asks, folding her arms and waiting to see him off.
‘First thing I said, don’t worry. She knows it’s just a few days…but we can still enjoy them, can’t we?’ He checks his appearance in the hall mirror and makes a final check of his pockets.
‘Of course you can…as long as she knows where you stand…and right now that’s still here when you should have left ages ago’ Paula opens the door.
‘I’ll see you later then’ he says, glancing up the stairs.
Paula groans and pushes him outside. ‘Goodbye, Marcus!’
3 Manor Road
Chapter Eleven
Hill House, Boundary Road
‘What did you expect Leonie?’ Marilyn Ward pauses, the towels she is about to put into the airing cupboard still in her arms. ‘Why would Kester and Helen want you there? You’ve done nothing but badmouth her ever since she started going out with him and your behaviour at that party of Kester’s won’t be forgiven or forgotten by anyone!’ She separates the towels into their appropriate piles and closes the door with a firm snap.
‘Half the village are going and some of them hardly know Kester at all. I’ve known him forever’ Leonie mutters sullenly from the bed, leaning on one elbow and idly flicking through a magazine.
‘You just don’t get it do you?’
‘What’s to get? That was ages ago’ She pouts.
‘Not in their minds it won’t be. He was furious. Forgiving he may be but that was just too much…for him…and for everyone. If you’d gone and apologised at the time….’
‘Apologised?’ Leonie shakes her head and smiles sarcastically.
‘Yes…I know the concept is foreign to you…but if you had…you might have been able to smoothe things over…’
‘Okay….so I’ll go and apologise’ Leonie huffs and swings her legs off the bed, annoyed at the interruption to her reading. She checks her hair in the mirror and leans forward to investigate a mark on her chin.
Marilyn stands firm and not to be put off. ‘It’s a bit too late for that now and I hope you’ve learned something. You can’t treat people the way you do and hope to get away with it’ she says, closing the bedroom door so not to be overheard. She lowers her voice ‘And that includes me and your Dad. He very nearly called your bluff, you know, and insisted you get out when you threw that wobbly before’
‘What wobbly?’ Leonie rubs at the dirty mark with a tissue.
‘See? There are so many of them, even you don’t remember what’s what or what you’ve said. I’ve got used to you speaking to me like dirt…but your father… it came as a bit of a shock to him to see you in action’
‘Yeah, right’
‘Yes, right. You’ve always been a bit of a Daddy’s girl but I’m telling you…now that he’s seen what I see most days, he’s not happy, Leonie’ She softens her words with a careful smile. ‘You think I like being at loggerheads with you? We always got on before..’
‘Before what?’ Leonie rounds on her. ‘Before I finished with Simon and had to come back here?’
‘Well…yes….And you didn’t have to come back…not if you didn’t want to’
‘Where else was I supposed to go?’
Marilyn shrugs. ‘No idea… but if we were the only port in that particular storm, I think I might be a bit upset’
‘I had no choice, mum. I had nothing…not a bean’
‘What do you mean?’
‘What do you think I mean? I was broke. I couldn’t afford a down payment on a cardboard box in a doorway let alone a flat’
‘But…you two never seemed to be short of money…He’d got a good job’
‘Yes and spent every cent he earned….and more besides!’
‘So…’Marilyn hesitates to say anything. ‘All this…high living’
Leonie smiles at the expression but ruefully rather than unkindly. ‘Was on tick. He owed thousands. Probably still does…and me like a bloody fool thought I was set for life. I didn’t find out half of this until after I’d dumped him…when people started chasing me for money!’
‘Oh, Leonie’ Marilyn sinks onto the bed. ‘Why on earth didn’t you say?’
‘And have you laugh?’
‘I wouldn’t have laughed. You know I wouldn’t. Is this why you’ve been so grumpy?’
‘It hasn’t helped’ Leonie sits beside her ‘But no’ she sighs ‘Mum…I’m sorry. I know I’ve been a cow…I hear myself but I just can’t stop. It’s like…oh I don’t know…why should everyone else be happy when I’m feeling so miserable… But…most of all…I thought…hoped..’
‘That you’d get together with Kester?’ Marilyn asks gently.
Leonie nods. ‘I know that sounds stupid when I was all ready to settle down with Simon…but I thought…’
‘He’d realise he’d missed out and come looking for you?’
‘In a way…yes’
‘You’re surely not telling me that getting serious with Simon was to make Kester jealous? You hadn’t ever given him any idea you were interested….well…not in years’
‘I know’ Leonie sighs again. ‘Too many romantic novels and trashy magazines, that was my problem. Life’s not like that is it?’
‘It certainly ain’t!’ Marilyn says with a wry laugh. ‘Leonie…there’s nothing you can do about Kester now. He’s made his choice…and quite frankly…like I said before, you made him so angry that even if he and Helen were to split up tomorrow, he wouldn’t even consider asking you out. You’ve got a lot of ground to make up there, with all of them’
‘Tell me what to do, Mum. I don’t even like myself very much right now’
‘Oh, sweetheart, come here’
The Bell, Woodbury Heights
‘I’ve had a great night, thank you’ Marie smiles. ’Haven’t laughed so much in ages’
‘Shall I take you home or drop you back in the village for your car?’ Marcus puts the car in gear and prepares to move off
‘Seems a bit silly going back if I’m nearer home. I know I could get a bus into work in the morning but I’m not sure I want to leave him on his own all night, he might get broken into’
‘It’s a him?’ he grins as he lets off the handbrake.
‘Of course! No woman would ever get so much of my attention. He needs feeding and keeping clean…he likes to look smart…and he does nothing to help out at all. Just sits there!’
‘You’re nuts’
‘Uh huh’ she laughs.
Still chuckling, Marcus turns the car round to head back the way they have come. ‘Just the one car next time, I’ll be a bit more organised’
‘Next time?’ Marie turns her head towards him and smiles.
‘If that’s alright with you?’
‘I’d like that’
‘Tomorrow?’
‘Crikey! Two nights on the trot?’
‘I haven’t got that many before I go home’ he says grimly.
‘No, that’s true’ Marie looks out of the side window, the movement successfully hiding a fleeting look of sadness. ‘Your mum won’t mind babysitting again?’
‘I will check but I’m sure it’ll be okay. I’ll pop in the library and let you know if I can’t make it…alright?’
Marie nods. ‘Fine…Oh…I live down there’ she says, pointing to the next turning. ‘Number forty-nine. It’s only a flat but it’s quite nice’
‘You’d better write it down’
Marcus laughs softly ‘This all seems a bit ridiculous doesn’t it?’ Do I see you to your car now?’
Marie grins and dips her head to see under the rear view mirror to where her car is parked on the other side of the road. ‘I think he’s sulking’
He gives her an indulgent smile. ‘Jealous, you think?’
‘Of you or your mother’s car?’
‘Both’
‘Probably. He won’t start now just to get me back’
‘In which case’ Marcus says with an exaggerated sigh as he undoes his seatbelt. ’I’d better come with you, make sure he isn’t in too much of a strop to get you home’
‘You’re as nuts as I am!’
‘Is anyone ever that nuts?’
‘Oi!’ She scowls jokingly as she fumbles at her own buckle. Marcus presses the release button. ‘Thanks’ she says as the belt slides back. ‘I always have problems in someone else’s car. You get used to your own, I suppose’
Marie lets herself out of the car and Marcus follows her across the road. She fishes in her handbag for her car keys and opens the driver’s door. ‘Thanks, it’s been really great’ she says, looking over her shoulder. ‘See you tomorrow, then’ She stands with her hand on the top of the door and half turned towards him..
‘All being well. I’ll pick you up between half seven and eight?’ He steps closer as a car passes. ‘As soon as Luke settles’
‘You’ve got my number on that piece of paper. Ring me if there’s a problem, okay?’
‘Will do’
‘Right…night’ She tosses her bag onto the passenger seat.
‘Marie?’
‘Mmm?’
‘I’ve had a great night too….thank you’
‘No probs!’
‘Will you hang on a minute?’ Marcus catches her by the hand as she starts to get into her car.
‘What?’ She turns round.
‘Will you stand still long enough for me to say goodnight properly?’ he says, drawing her closer.
‘Oh’ Marie looks embarrassed and lowers her eyes.
‘Unless you rather I didn’t’ He says softly, stroking her cheek with the knuckles of his other hand.
Marie looks up and as their eyes meet, she smiles.
The Green, Milliwick
