Never Too Late (20 page)

“Tom Smithson,” Maggie scolded him, “you should be ashamed of yourself!”

“I know, I know,” he pleaded, “Please don’t be too hard on me. I kept an eye on the bed situation and we’ve always had at least one spare. And I did feel a bit woozy for a while. It could have been dangerous, me trying to operate farm equipment feeling like that.”

Maggie was amazed. “It’s over a week you’ve been here.” She was scandalised. “What about leaving everything to your wife to deal with?”

“Well, she gets away with the children for a couple of weeks every year to see her family in Wales. I’ve never had a break, not since I took over the farm when Dad was killed in the accident when I was 16.” His eyes were far away as he recalled that time, then he snapped back to the present and returned to his theme. “And you have to admit, she’s a capable woman.”

Yes, that was certainly true. She’d not been introduced at the time but she’d noticed Sian when Tom was admitted. Sian was a woman who exuded confidence in her ability to deal with anything thrown her way.

“It’s been a wonderful few days,” Tom sighed. “Just reading my poetry and playing cards, daydreaming, listening to music.”

“Was it poetry you were writing the other day?” Maggie wanted to know.

Tom looked sheepish. “Yes, well, I used to dabble a bit. I just wanted to know if I still could.”

Maggie, too, loved poetry. “Would you allow me to read it?”

“Only if you accept my invitation,” he grinned.

“You haven’t issued an invitation yet,” Maggie laughed.

Tom looked serious for once and took her hand. “You’re a fine woman, Maggie, and you’ve a big burden on your shoulders at the moment, one no-one knows the extent of with Iain as he is.”

Maggie nodded solemnly. She was all too aware she couldn’t plan anything with any definite time scale attached.

“I want you to promise me that if it all gets a bit much for you, you’ll leave the care of your husband to that son of yours and come to stay with me and Sian for a while.”

Unexpectedly tears filled Maggie’s eyes at this kindness and she blinked them back rapidly. “Thank you, Tom. I really appreciate that.”

He reached under his pillow for a slip of paper which he pressed into her hand. “There you are – that’s our address and phone number and email address as well – but don’t expect me to pick up an email. I leave that to Sian and her family, and the children of course.” He shook his head. “Can’t get them off the damn computer these days. All that lovely fresh air outside and they’re stuck indoors, glued to the screen. Mind, you should see what Kate achieves with her photos of the farm with that picture editing whatsit. Quite impressive, professional looking, you know?”

“I should like to see those if I get to visit the farm,” Maggie smiled at him. “And I’ll keep you to that deal with the poetry. You can’t wriggle out of it.”

Maggie stood up as Tom shooed her away. “Go on now, or you’ll be late for your dinner date with James.” He felt self-conscious now, having seen how Maggie was affected by such a simple offer on his part, as he saw it. “Phone us first if you want, but just turn up on the doorstep and you’ll be just as welcome.”

“This is time to say goodbye, Tom,” she reminded him and leant forward to kiss his cheek. “I won’t be back in the morning before Iain is transferred and you’re leaving too. Be happy, and give my best to Sian and the girls.”

“I will, Maggie, I will, but she’d like you to come and stay too, so let’s just say ‘till we meet again’.”

She smiled at him and nodded, then left to say her farewells to the nurses. She slipped into the ward kitchen first and popped a nice tin of assorted biscuits into the cupboard for them to have with their tea breaks. They deserved that and much more for the care they’d given Iain, and the support and friendship they’d offered her.

*

The ringing of the front door bell made Chloe jump. She hadn’t expected anyone to call round today. All she knew was that she’d have got no peace at all from James if she hadn’t agreed to go round to check that the house was all in order for her mother’s return. It had made no difference that, as she pointed out to him, Nora had been seeing to the cleaning, what little needed to be done. What he really wanted was that she should be there to welcome her back rather than walking into an empty house.

Why he didn’t just said so outright is beyond me. It all seems a bit false and silly. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time no-one else was home when she got back, and James is with her already. Never mind family solidarity – won’t it just emphasise the fact that Daddy isn’t here too?

She thought it was rather handy that Nora seemed to have taken it on herself to stock up the fridge, as she’d forgotten that part of her brother’s instructions until she’d arrived. The house was warm and clean. Angela had been round regularly to keep all the houseplants watered. There was nothing to do, she was bored, she wanted to be out with her friends or back in her own flat.

Her sullen expression brightened on opening the door. “Richard!” She took in his tall muscular frame, set off to advantage in a cable knit sweater and slim fit jeans. “Come on in out of that awful weather.”

“Hi Chloe,” he greeted her. “They’re not back yet then?”

“No,” she confirmed, “They expected to be back by now but James phoned to say it’ll probably take a bit longer with the road conditions.”

The expected rain had arrived early, just as Chloe left for Holmsford, and that had done nothing to improve her mood.

As they entered the hall Chloe sneaked a look at her reflection in the big hall mirror, wishing she’d paid a bit more attention to her makeup and outfit before leaving home that morning.

They went together into the warmth of the sunshine yellow kitchen with its big oak table and comfy chairs with moss green, yellow and orange patterned covers and cushions. This room had always formed the hub of the home. The benched porch into the garden had been an invaluable mud room between both children and gardeners and the comfort of tea or lemonade and cookies indoors. The chairs either side of the table had seen many hours of children sat with homework books out while Maggie had cooked around them, helping when called on. Maggie’s favourite armchair in the winter was to one side of the Aga, where she would pore over her gardening books while planning the planting for the year ahead, her summer one in the bay window where she liked to research new recipes to tempt jaded palates at Iain’s dinner parties.

Chloe remembered it as the place she and her brother had been taught to read, curled into their mother’s lap. The place they had recited their times tables and spellings ready for the test next day at the village school. The place James and Adam had teased her and her friends. The place where she and her school friends had got away with as much as they could. They had migrated to her bedroom when they reached their teens, giggling over the things they’d seen and heard about adults and the way they behaved, the way things were with their own generation and the trials and tribulations of relationships they didn’t fully comprehend. But this was the place that always felt safe and warm.

“I was half hoping that might be the case,” Richard replied. He indicated the briefcase he’d dropped in the doorway. “I need to speak to Margaret quite urgently about the business and I’ve quite a bit of work to do before I see her. It was just impossible at home, though, with Amy and Peter both suffering with this cold that’s going about. I was hoping to use Iain’s study for a while, if that’s OK?”

Chloe’s disappointment showed clearly on her expressive features. She quickly regained her poise though. “That’s fine. No problems with the business I hope?”

“Nothing to worry about,” Richard was quick to reassure her. Too quick, was Chloe’s unbidden thought. “There are just a few things that need to be sorted in the next few days and I need Margaret’s agreement and signature.”

“But Mummy’s never had anything to do with the business before,” Chloe protested.

“Iain’s never been away from the business before,” he reminded her. “And with no known return date.”

*

The journey home was a depressing grey wash of rain and spray from other vehicles, driven by a blustery wind, but Maggie felt a glad anticipation. Every passing mile took her nearer her haven, the home and garden she had made her own through the years of loving care. She was also determined that she would lose no time in visiting Deefor to restart the process of getting him to regain an interest in life and in herself. She realised it was a chance for her to love, and be loved in return, unreservedly, without the complications of human relationships in which, at the moment, she didn’t trust her own judgement.

She looked across at James and was worried at how tense he seemed these days. It was not just the difficulty of the driving conditions. He was a deeply troubled young man. Previous to their conversation over dinner she might have thought it was due to pressures of work, work which she had come to realise did not suit his personality as well as he had anticipated. It had surprised her that he had taken that career path and was sure that it had been in reaction to his father’s pressure to study architecture, to learn how to take over the family business eventually. That seemed to pale into insignificance now, though, compared to whatever troubled him in his marriage.

And what of her own marriage? She prayed the doctors were right and that Iain would soon come out of his comatose state. She badly needed to talk to him, for him to explain to her why he had turned from her to other women.

I needed and wanted him so badly, why did he not want me?

Above all others it was this one recurring question that she so needed an answer to. It was not just for the lovemaking, for all that had once been such a wondrous joy for her, but for the companionship that they used to share.

Has Iain always found me wanting? Has all my married life been based on a false premise?

She leaned her head back against the rest and closed her eyes for a moment.

“Not much further now,” James assured her.

She looked across at him and smiled. “It will be so good to get back. Not that I’ll be able to catch up on my gardening if this weather continues.”

“There’s certainly still plenty of planting out to be done once it clears and the ground dries a little.” His face brightened as he contemplated it. “Keela and I will come and lend a hand. She’s got green fingers and no mistake. No plant would dare sicken or even wilt when under her care,” he stated.

“It’s been very good of you both to spend your weekends keeping the greenhouse and veg patch ticking over while I’ve been with your father.”

He grinned and seemed to relax a little. “She’s enjoyed it. She’d like to do more at home but our own garden is nowhere near big enough to warrant growing the number of seeds and cuttings you do.”

“You’re a fair gardener yourself, James. What you achieved for my birthday was a small miracle.”

They both realised that that particular project would always be associated with the time of Iain’s accident, and the revelations it had caused.

“Don’t worry,” Maggie assured him softly, “it’s a place that I will remember was created with great love from you and Chloe and Adam. It will always be a special place for me because of that.”

James decided to bite the bullet and ask the question that had haunted him and Chloe since that time. “Will you divorce Dad once he’s recovered?”

Maggie felt a stab of pain at the prospect. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “It rather depends on what he has to tell me.” She sighed. “Let’s take it one step at a time and get him better first.”

Chloe and Richard both heard the car pull up in the drive and stood in the doorway to welcome Maggie home.

“Chloe, darling,” Maggie exclaimed, hugging her daughter. “I didn’t expect you to have made the effort to come out tonight. I hope it hasn’t interfered with your plans at all?” She was well aware of how busy a social life Chloe led. She always seemed to be out with her friends, down the gym, playing squash (a passion she shared with her father) or whatever.

“Where else would I want to be tonight but here?” Chloe asked her. James raised an eyebrow at her over Maggie’s shoulder.

“And Richard… ” He looked awkward, recalling the last words they had spoken in the hospital. “I know we’ve spoken on the phone but I want to apologise in person.”

He leaned forward to kiss her cheek. “No need for any apologies, Margaret,” he assured her.

“But there is,” she insisted. “I realise now you were placed in an impossible situation. We’ve been friends for a long time, and I hope we will remain so.”

“I don’t know if you’ll feel that way when I tell you why I’m here tonight,” he smiled ruefully. “I know you must be tired but I have some documents I need you to sign before tomorrow. I’ve been putting it off as long as possible but if you hadn’t been coming home I’d have had to come to the hospital.”

She put her hand on his arm. “Richard, I may not know what to do for the company, but I know one change I want to make. My friends call me Maggie and I’d like it if you did too.”

“Certainly, but…”

“It’s Iain who insisted on me being called Margaret by people he knows. Well, he’s not here right now. My friends call me Maggie. I badly need friends to help me through this.”

She regarded him steadily, remembering how, long ago, Iain had made her Company Secretary and she had been excited at the prospect of being involved in his new venture. Then came the disappointment as it gradually became apparent Iain had no intention of her ever being anything more than a name on official company documents. This was the first time she had been called upon to participate in company affairs. However, now that her chance had come she no longer felt confident in her ability to meet the challenge.

“Let’s get some tea and then we’ll discuss business.”

In the study Maggie went to the wall safe to retrieve the papers Richard believed Iain had put there before the accident. It took a couple of attempts to get the combination right as she did not often have the need to go into it. When she finally got it open she just froze in surprise.