‘Me?’ Erin said. ‘As if I’d ever be able to keep anything back from you. You’ve always been able to tell when I’m lying or trying to fudge an issue, even when I was really tiny. No, honestly, it’s all gone wonderfully. Well, OK, there were a few glitches earlier – not worth bothering you with at the time – but they’re mostly all sorted now. No, Mum, I can promise you, there is nothing on earth that’ll stop us having the perfect wedding day we’ve always planned.’
‘And are your parents
still asleep this morning, darling?’ Deena asked in Jay’s cottage, the day after the Boswells arrival. ‘Are they totally exhausted?’
Erin nodded. ‘Completely. Day’s night to them at the moment. But Mum and Dad are really looking forward to meeting you – and Mum particularly is looking forward to discussing all the joint Mother-of-the-Happy-Couple stuff with you.’
‘As I am.’ Deena nodded. ‘Will tomorrow be acceptable, do you think?’
‘Perfect.’
‘Good. And as for that little incident, yesterday … I think the least said about that, the better, don’t you?’
Erin blushed a bit and wanted to giggle. ‘Well, I’d prefer it if you didn’t feel the need to share it with my parents, yes. But I’m not ashamed of sleeping with Jay. Far from it. Why should I be? We love each other madly. We’re days away from our wedding. We adore one another. We –’
‘I know, darling.’ Deena
patted her arm. ‘And I was young once, too. I do remember what it was like. And it might have been a teensy bit my fault by just bursting in on you.’
Erin smiled to herself. She knew that was as far as Deena would go in admitting her culpability in the barging-in-unannounced situation. It was more than she’d expected to be honest.
‘Anyway –’ Deena smoothed down her vivid daffodil-yellow frock and, this time, Erin noticed, the jewels were citrines to match ‘– least said, soonest mended. So we’ll say no more about it.’
‘Good. Thank you. So, shall we go to the pub now? We’re meeting Jay and Nalisha for lunch.’
‘Yes, of course, darling. That all sounds lovely. I can’t wait to see Nalisha again.’
Neither can I, Erin thought, laughing now at the prospect.
Having locked the cottage door behind them, Erin indicated to Deena that they needed to cross the green. It was still scorching. Everything was dusty and drooping and baking in the sun. The banks of the Nook were crammed with children paddling and fishing and just sitting, too exhausted to move, dangling their feet in the crystal-clear shallows.
‘Oh, that looks divine,’ Deena said, teetering across the green’s rock-hard and uneven surface. ‘I was very tempted to do the same when I had my breakfast by the river this morning.’
Erin chuckled at the mental image.
‘And,’ Deena continued, ‘I had a little word with Abigail, your wedding planner, this morning, too.’
Oh God. Nooo. Just when everything seemed to be going so well.
‘Really?’ Erin said. ‘Lovely, isn’t she?’
‘She’s very efficient, certainly. And
I’m so pleased the problem with the
mandap
has been resolved. I knew you’d be able to use it, darling. I knew you’d love it. Didn’t I say so on the phone?’
Erin gaped. She hadn’t mentioned the
mandap
to Abbie again. As far as she knew, it was still packed up in the storage shed behind the Swan’s swimming pool.
‘Er, yes, you did.’
‘Abigail said you were all a little dumbfounded when it arrived,’ Deena laughed. ‘But again, it’s all been sorted out now, and I can’t wait to see it in all its glory. Oh, your wedding day is going to be so wonderful, darling. I’m so glad that we’ve managed to meet each other halfway.’
‘Um, yes, me too.’
Erin’s head swam. Either she was suffering from pre-wedding amnesia and she’d completely forgotten some vital
mandap
conversation with Abbie, or Abbie was an even better peacemaker than Kofi Annan.
Whatever, it was something else to worry about later. Right now, there were absolutely no clouds on the immediate horizon.
‘Here we are,’ Erin said, leading the way through the brightly umbrella’d beer garden outside the Merry Cobbler.
‘I’ve always thought this was an absolutely gorgeous little country public house, and the landlady – Gina? – is fabulous, isn’t she?’
‘She is.’
Erin led the way into the pub’s cool, dark interior and threaded her way through the ever-present crowd.
Gina, looking young and amazingly sexily pretty in a very short rose-sprigged spaghetti-strapped frock and with her curls caught back with little rosebud hair-clips, beamed at them both.
‘Good
morning, Erin. Bet you’re over the moon to have your mum and dad here at last, aren’t you? Can’t wait to see them and catch up. And hello again, Deena. Lovely to see you, and what a fabulous dress. Oh, I do wish I was as slim as you.’
Deena preened.
‘And you’re all booked in for lunch? Table outside suit you?’
‘Perfect, thanks.’ Erin nodded. ‘Er, you look particularly amazing this morning. You look radiantly happy for the first time in ages. I’m so pleased.’
‘Thanks,’ Gina giggled. ‘I feel pretty great too.’
‘Morning, young Erin,’ Sam called from across the bar where he was happily pouring beer slops into the waste bucket. ‘And Mrs K.! Nice to see you again. Sight for sore eyes, you are, my love. Right little Reita Faria, you are, duck.’
Erin raised her eyebrows and held her breath.
Deena beamed. ‘Well, thank you so much. That’s a wonderful compliment.’
‘Who’s Reita Faria?’ Erin asked.
‘A former Miss India – she won Miss World in the nineteen sixties.’ Deena preened even more. ‘She was a doctor, too. An exceptionally beautiful and wonderfully talented woman.’
Well done, Sam, Erin thought.
‘Ah.’ Sam nodded happily over his slops. The smell was pretty rancid. ‘Gorgeous, she were. And clever. Just like Mrs K., here.’
Deena almost purred with pleasure.
‘Shall we sit here and have a drink?’ Erin indicated a quiet corner table. ‘Or would you prefer to be outside?’
‘No, here’s lovely.’ Deena sat down gracefully. ‘Oh, I do love this pub.’
‘What would you like
to drink? I’m having cider.’
‘That sounds very refreshing, thank you, darling.’
Erin hurried to the bar and smiled at Gina. ‘Two ciders on ice, please, and who is he?’
‘Who?’ Gina poured the drinks.
‘The man who’s put the oomph back into you.’
Gina laughed. ‘Oh, I wish. There’s no man, Erin. I’m just starting afresh, you know? I made a mess of things with Doug and it’s over and I’ve moved on at last. It’s like being reborn. I’m a whole new woman.’
‘Well, if you ever want to share the secret –’ Erin grinned ‘– feel free. You look fabulous.’
‘Thanks – Oh, hi, Kam.’ Gina looked up and grinned. ‘Er, surgery finished early?’
‘Mine has.’ Kam leaned on the bar. ‘Jay’s still working.’
Erin laughed. ‘Blimey, I think you could do with whatever Gina’s on. You look like you haven’t slept all night.’
Kam looked at Gina and laughed. ‘I know. I find it almost impossible to sleep on these hot nights.’
Gina giggled.
‘Oh –’ Kam squinted into the pub ‘– and is that your redoubtable ma-in-law-to-be I can see down there, Erin?’
‘Yes, please come and say hello,’ Erin said quickly. ‘I’m going to run out of conversation in about five minutes.’
‘Will do. I’ll just get myself a drink – non-alcoholic, sadly. I’ve got a big op this afternoon.’ He lifted the flap and wandered behind the bar. ‘I’ll be with you in just a moment.’
Erin paid for the drinks and took them back to the table.
‘Thank you, darling.’ Deena smiled. ‘Is that Kam behind the bar talking to Gina?’
‘Yes. He’ll be over
in a minute. He’s just getting himself a drink. He works here sometimes.’
‘As a barman?’
‘Mmmm. Well, he has a room here until he finds his own place, and Gina’s often really busy, so he just helps out.’
‘Really?’ Deena sipped her cider. ‘How very odd. I wonder if he’s told his parents?’
Erin tried hard not to laugh, wondering again if any Indian parents ever thought their children were adults and deciding probably not.
Kam, clutching a St Clements, joined them, kissed Deena and uttered the expected compliments before he sat down.
‘Erin’s just told me you work here as a barman,’ Deena said. ‘I was very surprised.’
‘Only on a very as-and-when basis,’ Kam laughed. ‘I’m not intending to give up being a vet anytime soon.’
‘I should hope not.’ Deena looked horrified. ‘Not after all the sacrifices your parents made.’
Erin giggled quietly.
‘Oh, they think it’s pretty cool, actually. And I did work in a burger bar all through uni, if you remember.’
Deena remained silent for a moment. Then she sighed. ‘Well, yes, of course you did. I’d forgotten. And Jaimal worked in that pet shop, didn’t he? And Tavish said that Mr and Mrs Gupta’s son worked in McDonald’s all through his Oxford divinity course. And not just in the vacs, either. Sometimes he did evenings and weekends. Fitted his shifts in round his studies and he still got a First.’
‘Good for him.’ Kam
nodded. ‘But I don’t think he’s the greatest example to quote, do you?’
Erin frowned.
Why on earth not?
Deena laughed. ‘Well, they were obviously proud of the fact that he managed to support himself throughout his course, and of his final degree, but no, there were issues.’
Erin couldn’t bear it. ‘Why?’
‘Because,’ Kam laughed, ‘Gupta junior went over to the dark side.’
‘Uh?’
Deena pursed her lips. ‘He abandoned his Hinduism and became a Church of England vicar.’
‘Jesus!’
Kam and Deena stared at her.
‘Well, no sorry,’ Erin muttered, ‘but you know what I mean.’
Kam was still chuckling into his drink.
‘At least this is a very nice class of public house,’ Deena said, ‘not rough or rowdy. And Gina seems like an extremely pleasant woman. Do you have bed and breakfast?’
Kam continued to splutter into his drink.
‘Gina’s great.’ Erin stared at Kam, then looked across at Deena. ‘Kam’s very lucky to be here. I’m going to pop back to the surgery and see if Jay’s ready to join us for lunch when he’s finished, OK?’
‘Lovely, darling,’ Deena said with a nod. ‘And Nalisha?’
‘Oh, yes, and Nalisha. I think she’s over at the shop with Uncle Doug at the moment.’
Deena raised her eyebrows. ‘Really? Goodness me, that’s not a relationship that will please her parents.’
‘I don’t think it’s anything more than a temporary friendship.’ Erin smiled ‘Nothing at all to worry her parents.’
‘Let’s hope not,’ Deena said. ‘I know they have very high hopes for her making a suitable match, and pleasant as Doug is, he certainly wouldn’t be their first choice. Or even their thirty-first. Now, Kam, come along. Tell me everything that’s been going on here.’
Kam was still laughing as Erin
left the pub. Men, she thought, grinning to herself, did they ever grow up?
Erin was still chuckling when
she walked into the vet’s surgery.
Sophie was on the phone and made flapping movements with her hand.
‘Yeah, me too, David … Yeah, it was brilliant … Oh, yes – tonight? Great. Can’t wait. With Bella and Aiden – yeah should be a laugh. About eight o’clock, yes – oh, hang on a sec, Erin’s here.’ She put her hand over the phone. ‘Hiya. Do you want Jay? He’s in surgery with a booster jab and check-up puppy, and then he’s got a patient waiting. Just the one. He should be fine for lunch. Just go in and wait.’
‘OK, I’m just going to nip across to the shop and tell Nalisha that we’re ready for lunch. Back in a minute.’ Erin nodded at the phone. ‘And give my love to David.’
But Sophie was already cooing again and didn’t hear her.
Stepping carefully over the doormat, Erin peered into the cavernous gloom of the Old Curiosity Shop. There were a few people wandering about amongst the larger pieces of furniture at the far end and someone leafing through the collection of books. Dust motes danced round them in the shafts of sunlight like a summer miasma.
‘Uncle Doug!’
‘I’m over here. In the
maritime section.’
Erin giggled. When Doug had a customer he was trying to impress he always tended to make the shop sound like an offshoot of the Ashmoleum. The maritime section had a couple of telescopes, two ships-in-bottles, a few flags and a battered model of the
Mary Rose
.
‘Actually –’ Erin swerved her way through a narrow gap ‘– I was looking for Nalisha. We’re supposed to be going for lunch with Deena.’
Doug emerged from the maritime section clutching one of the ships-in-a-bottle, followed by a man who looked like Captain Birdseye.
‘She’s waiting for you in the garden. She’s been helping me with some cataloguing.’
Hoping this wasn’t a euphemism, Erin smiled her thanks, beamed at Captain Birdseye and headed outside again.
Nalisha, in a floaty pale green sari, was sitting reading at the table under the lilac trees with Florence sprawled on her lap.
Honestly, Erin thought, that cat has no sense of solidarity at all.
‘Hi.’ Nalisha looked up from her book. ‘Scorching, isn’t it? I thought I’d be used to the heat after California, but I forgot how stifling English summer days can be. Are we all ready for lunch?’
‘Almost.’ Erin flopped on to the opposite chair. ‘Deena’s in the pub with Kam, and Jay has a couple of patients still to see. Actually, I wanted to catch you on your own.’
Nalisha put the book down, cover upwards. Erin was disappointed to see that it wasn’t a bonk-buster or a grisly police procedural, but a law book on historical torts.
Nice light
reading …
‘Go on then.’ Nalisha smiled. ‘I’m all yours – although if you’re going to warn me off your uncle, I can spare you the trouble. He’s been a charming escort while I’ve been here, I find the, um, antiques fascinating, and we get on very well, but I shan’t be joining your family.’
Erin raised her eyebrows. ‘No, I didn’t think for one moment that you would. Actually I just wanted to talk to you about Jay.’