What about you? - 17

Chapter 17

Her family home was beautiful. If you bought a box of ‘British Fudge’, the postcard scene on the box was a worthy place for the picturesque farm house to appear. Ivy crawled and covered most of the front of the two story building, and it was nestled between two sets of stables and a cobbled courtyard. The winter had stripped the usually vicarious trees of their deep green leaves and any summer blossoms, but they still stood tall and proud around the home.  The lowing of the cows welcomed her as Kate stepped from her car, at the same moment Peanut the scraggy half wild ‘King Cat’ of the farm wound between her legs purring. Bending she scratched between his ears.

                “He’s a feral bastard but he always loved you!” A voice called across the yard, and she looked up to see Stuart, her brother in overalls and muddy welly boots, smiling at her from the entrance to one of the outhouses. Leaving her bags in the car, and ignoring the fact that she had on impractical shoes she rushed across the uneven ground to embrace him in a bear hug. At some point Stuart had grown from the spotty teenager into this image of a man. He was a good five inches taller than her, and slim, toned, yet strong. She felt instantly relaxed in his arms. It was the first time the two of them had been together, alone in years.

Pulling back she left one arm tucked into his elbow and looked up at him, “have you grown since the wedding?” He chuckled. “So how was the honeymoon? And how’s married life?”

He led her across to the back door to the farm, “No I haven’t grown! And the holiday was wonderful; we didn’t want to come back. Married life is...great...” He broke into a knowing smile.

Laughing Kate punched his arm, “too much information!”

                “I didn’t say anything!”

She shook her head, “your eyes spoke volumes Mr Michaels!”

As they got to the backdoor, Kate paused to inhale the heady scent of freshly baking bread. Her mother never rested; there would be food enough for an army come Christmas morning. She swallowed the pang of regret that she wouldn’t be there, and stepped into the warm room.

                “Katie!” her mother squealed pulling her into her arms. “You’re early!” Showering kisses on her hair as she hugged her daughter, she turned to Stuart, “boots off in here young man!”

Stuart laughed, “I’ve a dozen things to do, I was just escorting her!” With that he ducked back outside.

Kate looked at her mother and smiled, “it’s good to see you Mum.”

Her mother nodded and Kate could see she was fighting emotions, “it’s better than good to see you! Have you eaten?”

Considering it was only mid morning and she’d eaten a huge meal the night before, she was starving; the lack of sleep and the alcohol seemed to have consumed her energy. “I’m always hungry for home made food!”

                “Good! Sit!”

Kate watched her mother frying thick slices of bacon to slide between hand cut slices of bread, her mouth watering.

                “So,” her mother glanced across from the stove, “an extra day, I can’t tell you how great it is to see you!”

Kate nodded, “I took some more time off. I wanted to spend more time with you Mum, I’m sorry I haven’t been the best daughter...”

Her mother scoffed, “you’re the best daughter a mother could have. I promise you...”

It was the first time that Kate noted the concern lines etched around her mother’s eyes, “is the new daughter-in-law not all you thought she’d be?”

Her mother tipped the bacon on to the bread, then completed the sandwich, with a sharp knife she cut the bread into two halves then placed them on a plate. When she turned to Kate and put the plate in front of her, Kate was shocked at the despair on her mother’s face.

                “Mum? Is it that bad?”

Her mother slumped into a chair opposite. “Put it like this, the fact that she’s in town ‘shopping’ today is a relief.” Rubbing a hand across her face she paused and Kate could see the strain. Yet another thing she’d not been around to help out with. “Paula...she’s not working. She’s here all day...doing nothing. Before the wedding she was so nice, polite. Now she’s like Lady Muck, expecting me to wait on her. Poor Stuart, he’s running around all the time...” Her mother sighed and she dropped her eyes, “sorry I shouldn’t say this.”

Kate reached out and took her mother’s hand, “no, you should be able to tell me this, in fact I should know. Mum...” she put down the sandwich and added her second hand to the one that held her mother’s. “Things are going to change. I’ve told Clarissa that I can’t do this anymore. I just need to get through Christmas. Then I promise things will change.”

Kate could tell that her mother was smiling with reservation, there was no reason for her mother to believe this was any different to the dozens of previous promises Kate had meant, they’d never really come to fruition. But Kate was seeing her monochrome world in vibrant colour for the first time in years. This was where she deserved to be, where she was REALLY needed, and she’d have to deal with the guilt that that caused.

Her mother needed to go into the village, to collect her turkey and various other things; she was bringing Christmas dinner forward to the following day whilst Kate was there. And now mother and daughter had the chance to prepare the meal together as they had when Kate had been a lot younger. So she offered to go with her straight away.

                “Let me just find my coat,” her mother beamed before heading off upstairs.

Kate stood and collected the dishes from her sandwich and loaded the dishwasher. Then strolling into the hall to wait for her mother, she spotted a new wall mounted flat screen TV in the quaint lounge. It looked out of place, but then the whole place could do with radical modernisation.

As she was leaving the room, her eyes glanced at the photo on the fireplace and she stepped towards it with a sad smile. Her graduation. Was it only six years ago? It seemed like a different life time. Her in her cap and gown, Stuart in his late teens all spotty and awkward, then her parents, one either side of her, her mother as devoted as ever to the family group, and her father.

The unexpected sight of him brought a lump to her throat and she blinked away tears. He’d been everything to her. A giant of a man, he dwarfed the rest of the family, broad strong shoulders, swarthy complexion, but beautiful warm eyes. She’d never really come to terms with him dying in a car accident eighteen months earlier. But then she’d been so engrossed at the time, Peter had been demanding, Clarissa visiting her sister in New York, work was hectic. She’d come to the funeral of course, but almost immediately she left for her chaotic life.

Mentally adding her father to the list of people she’d left down repeatedly, she picked up the framed photo and ran her thumb over his face affectionately. A hand on her shoulder told Kate her mother had found her, and she sighed.

                “I still miss him Mum, I can’t believe he’s not here sitting on his tractor laughing at everything.”

Turning she saw the same longing and emotion in her mother’s eyes, “I know darling, he’s not the sort of man you can instantly replace. Is he?”

Kate cocked an eyebrow, noting her mother’s awkwardness and smiled, “does that mean you...”

Her mother held up a hand, “I’m saying nothing...though I may have had dinner a few weeks ago with a man. Do you hate me for that?”

Kate shook her head rather enthusiastically, “no! I think it’s great. You deserve it...and Dad wasn’t the sort of man who’d want you to be alone! In fact.” She took her mother’s arm and led her out towards the car, “I think living out here, rurally, then it’s even more important to have a companion. It’s not like you can just stroll to the pub, or knock your neighbour’s door for anything. Is he a good man?”

Her mother obviously surprised at her daughter’s positive reaction to the possible new man in her life explained as they climbed into Kate’s car, and the conversation continued to town.

Much later that evening after a soak in the bath, Kate heard voices downstairs. Obviously Princess Paula was home. Pulling on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, she took some time to blow dry her hair. All day she’d been thinking about Mason, Mason and her drunk message. Pulling out her phone she groaned at the lack of message from him. It hadn’t been the best message, but it had been contact. If he cared as he said he’d have responded to her message. Wouldn’t he? Impatiently she dialled her answer phone and listened as the automated voice announced, “you have no messages.”

Tossing the phone onto the bedside table, Kate stood, swept some gloss over her lips, then stepped out into the quagmire that was her mother and the newlyweds.

Kate had met Paula at the wedding, she’d not particularly taken to her, but then it was not her choice. Still, as she descended the stairs she was filled with an anxiety that she couldn’t fathom.

In the kitchen, her mother was stood slaving over a hot stove, several pots were steaming, and when Kate glanced towards the table, she smiled; it was laid immaculately, crystal goblets, china plates, and the best silver all gleaming and awaiting the delicious meal her mother was creating.

                “Smells good! What is it?”

                “Your favourite...Spaghetti bolognaise, with salad and garlic bread, then bread and butter pudding with crème anglais for dessert!” She pointed at the other pot, “and that’s the stock for tomorrow’s dinner!”

                “Mother,” she stooped to kiss her cheek, “you are the most organised woman I have ever known. I wish I was half as competent as you in the kitchen!”

Her mother laughed, “I don’t know about that, and you make a mean bolognaise yourself, so don’t stand there underselling yourself young lady! Now there’s white wine in the fridge, or red in the rack. Do you want to pick which one?”

Kate had her back to the kitchen burrowing in the wine rack when the door to the kitchen opened and voices burst in over the classical music playing from the small radio on the kitchen windowsill.

                “Hi you two. How was your day Paula?” Her mother initiated a polite start to the conversation. “I bet it was cold in London today!”

Paula gave what Kate could only call a grunt in reply. How rude thought Kate even before she stood and made her presence known. Her mother was floundering, and even Stuart sounded a little awkward.

Kate uncurled to her full height from the corner that housed the wine rack and turned to glare at the group gathered.

                “You’re right mother. It was ABSOULTELY freezing in London. Who’d have thought it was warmer here?” AS the words left her mouth two shocked faces snapped around in surprise. Her brother looked devastated, it was then she realised that he was aware of the growing tensions between the two women, his wife and his mother. “If I’d known you were in the City I’d have given you a lift home Paula.” Kate ended the comment with a devastating smile.

Then walking to her mother she handed over the bottle of Chianti for her approval, “Italian red for an Italian meal I thought.” She turned to Stuart, “sorry but I’m the Prodigal Child today, my favourite food for dinner!”

Stuart took the bottle of wine from his mother and started to wrestle with the cork before he smiled at his sister, “You are ALWAYS the Prodigal Child!”

Kate turned to Paula and gave her best smile, “he means I’m spoilt! Which isn’t essentially true, is it Mum?”

Her mother was chuckling obviously enjoying this change in atmosphere, “I love you both the same! I always have!”

Kate slid into one of the places at the table and smiled, “nice answer Mum!”

She and Stuart then became engrossed in a conversation about the farm. Despite Kate’s continued absence, she did like to know all that was happening, after all this was half of her inheritance too. Paula definitely kept herself out of the conversation, instead sitting quietly, a permanent scowl on her face, and immersing herself in some form of texting via her phone. As dinner was served the banter between the siblings continued and as usual their mother was the referee, but it was a fun, pleasant evening, and all three enjoyed. Kate made sure she didn’t leave Paula out of any conversations, but she was quiet and sour faced all evening.

The newlyweds retired to their room not long after food, so Kate and her mother moved into the lounge. Stuart had started a fire after coming on from work, so the room was toasty warm. Curling up at opposite ends of the sofa, an ancient worn comforter covering their feet, they talked.

Kate was reluctant to mention Peter and her new change of heart, Peter was some pink elephant that sat in the room with her family but no one really mentioned. Once she’d talked over Christmas got the new carer’s involved, then she’d come back here for a weekend, or maybe take her mother away somewhere. They both deserved that time apart. For the umpteeneth time that day, she blocked the mental image of Mason from creeping into her mind. She’d made a move and he’d not called back, her phone and been stuck to her all day just in case. No, the future was a new strong Kate and better relations with her family. And she couldn’t wait!