The Cornish Guest House (24 page)

As he came nearer, she noticed something slightly different about him; he didn’t seem in any hurry and was swinging his arms casually, his head held high and a jaunty smile playing on his lips. He was clearly having a very good day.

He stopped short when he saw Oscar, bending down to ruffle his curly hair, which only made the boy screech louder and harder. ‘What’s got into him?’

Loveday explained that he’d been out of sorts all morning and that Tabitha had needed a break.

Luke chuckled. ‘He
was
up with the larks and it was poor Tabby who had to deal with him; he wouldn’t let me anywhere near him. Thank God you’re here to pick up the pieces.’

Still stooping over his son, he looked up, fixing Loveday with his startling blue eyes, so that hot red spots blossomed on her cheeks and she glanced away, hoping that he wouldn’t notice.

‘I don’t know what we’d do without you.’ He grinned, which made her suspect that he
had
noticed. She wished he wouldn’t tease her like that, but she sort of liked it, too.

She was about to continue her journey when he rose and patted her on the arm. ‘Wait there a moment. I’m going to fetch Tabitha. I’ve got something to cheer her up.’

Intrigued, Loveday hung back until she saw the pair re-emerge from the house. Luke was grinning while Tabitha, a step or two behind, just looked harassed.

‘Come,’ he said, when they were alongside, and before Loveday knew it he was leading both women up the street and into the gravelly car park near the swings, where villagers who couldn’t park outside their houses paid a small annual charge to reserve a space.

Loveday had no idea what was coming, but didn’t have long to wait because Luke pointed – ‘There!’ – and her eyes fell on a gleaming sports car, a low-lying beast of a vehicle that made the others round it look like old-fashioned charabancs, apart from his own silky black one, of course, which was in the corner.

She didn’t know anything about cars, but could tell that this one was special; brand-new and shining in the morning light, and so white that it almost hurt her eyes. She’d never seen anything quite like it, only in photos anyway, with glamorous male celebrities clambering in or out in dinner jackets and shades, or women in glitzy dresses and sky-high heels.

‘Wow!’ she said, glancing at Tabitha, whose eyes had opened very wide. ‘It’s amazing!’

Luke nodded. ‘It’s a Porsche Boxster.’ He stroked the bonnet lovingly, as you would a sleek Siamese or a glossy thoroughbred, all the while looking at his wife intently. ‘I’ve just picked it up. Happy anniversary, darling. You’ll look great in it.’

Loveday glanced down at the number plate, which said T4BBY, before turning to her boss. She was trying to imagine how she would feel if someone had just bought the car for her, and couldn’t.

She half expected Tabitha to scream in delight and rush into Luke’s arms, or burst into tears of joy perhaps, but instead she stood there for what felt like an age, staring hard at the car, not moving an inch, and Loveday shuffled from one foot to another, waiting for a response.

Luke was the one who finally broke the silence.

‘What do you think, then? Cool, eh? Seven years on Saturday. Quite an achievement!’

‘I don’t want it,’ Tabitha blurted. ‘You’ll have to take it back.’

Loveday’s mouth dropped open; she couldn’t believe it, and Luke’s face turned to stone.

‘What do you mean?’

Tabitha shook her head several times, working her mouth in a strange way. She seemed upset and, weirdly, very, very angry.

‘It’s ridiculous,’ she said at last. ‘I can’t possibly drive it.’

The air between husband and wife was so tense that you could cut it with a knife and Loveday, confused, was half-inclined to run away.

‘C-could you swap it, for one you p-prefer, I mean?’ she stammered, hoping to lighten things, but they ignored her, standing bolt upright, a few feet apart, like opponents in a duel.

‘Shall I—?’ she started to add, thinking, Please, let me make myself scarce. But there was no time to finish because Luke lunged forward and grabbed his wife by the tops of her arms, squeezing hard.

‘Who the hell do you think you are?’ he hissed, pushing his face up close, and Tabitha gasped, ‘Oh!’

Loveday was so shocked that she remained rooted to the spot, unable to speak or move. Luke seemed cold, hard and terrifying, and her heart started hammering erratically in her chest.

‘How dare you!’ he went on through gritted teeth, still grasping his wife’s arms. She struggled to pull away, but he held fast and shook her several times so that her head swung back and forth. Loveday felt her own knees buckle, her body start to sway.

All of a sudden Oscar yelped, ‘Mamma!’ distracting Luke, who swung around. His eyes fell on Loveday and he seemed surprised, as if he’d forgotten she was there. Instantly his arms dropped to his sides, his stance relaxed and his face softened. Seizing the moment, Tabitha backed off quickly and bent down to comfort her son while Loveday exhaled.

There was only a moment to catch her breath again, though, because Tabitha stood up, her brow furrowed: ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. I was just being stupid.’

Her eyes, still flashing, told a different story, but Luke seemed almost himself again.

‘That’s better. You’ll love it once you get the hang of it.’

He turned to Loveday, grinning, as if it had all been a big joke.

‘She’s a beauty to drive.’

Loveday was so shaken that all she could do was nod pathetically, but he didn’t notice because he was focused once more on his wife.

‘Come and see the interior. It’s all leather.’

Tabitha took a few reluctant steps forward and he opened the driver’s door so that she could look inside.

‘Nice,’ she said mechanically, when she re-emerged.

‘Nice?’ Luke repeated. ‘I buy you a forty thousand pound car and that’s all you can say?
Nice?
’

His voice was sharp but he was grinning at Loveday.

‘We’ll take you for a ride in it sometime,’ he told her. ‘There’s room in the back for Oscar, too.’

The boy had gone very quiet and when she checked, he’d stuck his thumb in his mouth and his eyelids were drooping. Luke, meanwhile, noticing a smear on the car windscreen, took a pale blue silk handkerchief out of his top pocket and wiped it off. ‘That’s better.’ He gave both women a flash of his dazzling white teeth.

After that, Loveday decided to postpone her trip to the park and call on Liz instead. The truth was, she felt jumpy and wanted desperately to talk to someone about what had happened. Before she could leave, however, Luke took her to one side.

‘Don’t mention this to anyone, will you?’ he said, putting an arm round her shoulder, and she shivered, hoping that he wouldn’t notice.

‘Tabitha’s a bit funny about presents and she thinks I’m extravagant. It annoys me because I like buying things for her, but she’s happy now. Everything’s fine.’

He turned back to his wife, who was still standing by the car, and beckoned her over, putting his other arm round her so that the two women flanked him.

‘See,’ he said, pulling them close, ‘that’s more like it. We’re all friends.’

But, still, the hair on the back of Loveday’s neck prickled, and somehow she just knew in her bones that she wouldn’t be recounting what she’d witnessed to anyone at all, though she wasn’t quite sure why.

*

Even so, Loveday was keen to see a friendly face and as Liz was out she knocked on Pat’s door instead. It didn’t take the old woman long to reach the door and she ushered Loveday and Oscar in quickly. ‘Hurry up and bring in that pram. It’s blowing a gale out there. You must be perishing.’

Loveday parked the stroller in the narrow hallway, unzipped Oscar’s coat and eased off his hat, taking care not to wake him.

‘It’s not that cold.’ She kissed Pat’s cheek. ‘And it’s a pushchair, not a pram, by the way.’

‘Pushchair, pram, whatever. Mums didn’t have all these newfangled things in my day, you know. Now, there are so many thingamijigs for babies it’s a wonder anyone knows how to work them.’

Loveday smiled, grateful for a dose of normality. ‘So what did they put babies in back then? Kangaroo pouches?’

Pat huffed. ‘All I know is, raising a child wasn’t anything like as complicated as it is now. Plenty of fresh air, sleep, homemade cooking and a firm hand when needed. Simple as that, and they didn’t give half so many problems neither. There was none of those juvenile distinctives, or whatever you call ’em.’

‘Delinquents,’ Loveday corrected, but Pat wasn’t listening. She was bending over Oscar now, gazing at his adorable, slack mouth, his long, curling black lashes that swept down his cheeks like a fringe. You’d never guess that he’d been such a tyrant earlier in the day.

‘What a lambkin,’ she said softly. ‘A little peach.’ She straightened up. ‘Unlike his mum.’

Loveday frowned, but Pat didn’t notice. ‘Time for a cuppa?’ and, without waiting for a yes or no, she shuffled off down the corridor to put on the kettle.

Once settled in the little front room with mugs of tea in their hands, Loveday was able to tell Pat about Luke’s present, though she was careful not to mention Tabitha’s reaction, or his response.

‘It’s about so big.’ She opened her arms wide to demonstrate the length and width. ‘And bright white, brand new.’

She was expecting Pat to be impressed but instead the old woman was silent until the girl had finished, then shook her snowy head.

‘Sounds like he’s up to something,’ she said darkly, wagging a finger. ‘If you ask me, men don’t go buying their wives expensive gifts like that unless they’ve something to hide.’

Loveday swallowed. She wanted so badly to hear Pat’s opinion about the argument, and to be told what to do.

‘I don’t think you’re right about him,’ she said instead, anxious to convince herself as much as anyone. He was still her boss after all, and up until a few moments ago she’d thought he was God. ‘He’s very generous and he does a lot for other people, you know.’

Pat made a rude snorting sound.

‘Anyway, why shouldn’t he give his wife a present on their wedding anniversary? I wish Jesse would buy
me
things like that.’

Pat’s sparse grey eyebrows knitted together and her mouth set in a thin, hard line.

‘Now, don’t you go finding fault with your Jesse. I’d sooner have him than ten of your Lukes, or whatever his name is. You hang on to that fella, my girl. If you don’t, there’s a dozen others who’d happily take your place just like that.’ She leaned forward and snapped her fingers under Loveday’s nose, making her flinch.

She pursed her lips. Pat was full of homespun wisdom and it was surprising how often she got things right, but a ticking off wasn’t what was needed right now; it was comfort she’d been after.

‘I’m taking Oscar to the swings,’ she said, rising quickly. If she didn’t go this second she might burst into tears and spill all the beans.

‘Is anything the matter?’ Pat asked, making to stand, too, but Loveday gestured for her to stay put. ‘Nothing at all. Thanks for the tea and biscuits. I’ll let myself out.’

*

She didn’t want to go back to The Stables but of course she must, and she sensed a peculiar atmosphere the moment she walked through the door. She’d been hoping that the row would have blown over, and half expected Tabitha and Luke to be out, taking a spin in the new motor, but her coat was still hanging on a peg in the hallway. There was no sign of either of them, though, and only the quiet chatter of guests in the reception room and Shelley vacuuming upstairs, so that Loveday almost jumped when the kitchen door swung open and Tabitha emerged. It seemed that she’d been crying.

‘Are you all right?’ Loveday asked.

‘Bit tired, that’s all.’ But Tabitha’s eyes were bloodshot and Loveday couldn’t help noticing that her hands trembled as she tried to unbuckle her son from his pushchair.

‘Let me do it,’ the girl offered, taking over. ‘He had a really long sleep. He ate half a banana at the park but that’s all. He’ll be ready for his lunch now.’

Tabitha picked Oscar up and perched him on her hip as she watched Loveday put a jacket potato in the microwave, grate some cheese and raw carrot and chop a few slices of cucumber. While she worked, she was acutely aware of the older woman’s eyes on her and could tell, in that instinctive way, that she wanted to say something.

Loveday was tempted to raise the subject of the car herself, but she was too nervous and bit her tongue. She strapped Oscar into his wooden highchair and was relieved when the microwave pinged because it broke the awkward silence.

‘There,’ she said, putting a plate of colourful food in front of her charge and he beamed obligingly, showing off his dimples. He’d completely recovered from his bad mood of earlier in the day.

Tabitha drew up a stool and watched Loveday pop a spoonful of potato into his mouth, before blurting, ‘I hate that car.’

Loveday stopped in her tracks, the plastic spoon suspended in the air.

‘Why?’ she asked tentatively, and Tabitha dabbed her eyes with a tissue that she’d pulled from the sleeve of her sweater.

‘We don’t need it,’ she said, blowing her nose, ‘and God knows what it cost.’

She looked pale, almost fragile, and hiccupped – or was it a sob? Loveday put an arm round her, because it’s what she herself would have wanted under the circumstances.

‘Don’t be upset.’ She sounded more grown-up than she felt. ‘It’s a present, isn’t it? If he wanted to buy it for you, what’s the problem?’

It was a stupid question, given the way he’d treated her in the car park, but Loveday didn’t even begin to know how to broach that.

‘He bought it for himself, not me,’ Tabitha replied. ‘He’s always buying me expensive things I don’t want. He likes the idea of me in it, he doesn’t care what I think.’

‘It’s a gorgeous colour,’ Loveday commented, hoping to cheer her up.

‘It’s flashy and it makes me look like a show-off.’

Loveday swallowed, unsure how to respond.
She
wouldn’t mind attracting a few envious looks now and again, but she wouldn’t want Jesse to shake her or shout in her face. She didn’t understand and felt she must surely be missing something, some vital link in the chain.