Summer at the Kindness Cafe Page 20

  ‘Are you up for it? It sounds fun; he’s invited lots of people. We could head there straight after our shift.’

  Louise hesitated. She did want to go. She hadn’t seen Alex for a few days and she knew they would have a fun evening, but if she had to watch Julie and him flirting all night . . .

  ‘Please, come. I can’t go without you!’ Julie pleaded, seeing her hesitation. ‘It’ll be fun.’

  She sighed. She didn’t want to let Julie down. ‘Sure, okay. I can’t stay too late though, my sister has just got back and I don’t want to abandon her all night,’ she said, pleased she had a get-out clause in case the night became too uncomfortable for her. Julie beamed and began to text Alex back. Louise had no right to be annoyed but, for some reason, her heart was stubbornly ignoring that fact.

  ***

  Her shift went far too quickly and all too soon, they were grabbing their things and heading out into the sultry evening. They drove separately to Alex’s flat above the vet’s surgery in Littlewood. Louise dropped her car off at the cottage and walked into the High Street, waving at Julie who was parked outside, waiting for her to go in together. They walked up the stairs and knocked. Music and laughter drifted through the closed door.

  ‘Hello, you two,’ Alex said as he opened the door and smiled at them. He was wearing jeans and a dark shirt with the sleeves pushed up and was holding a bottle of beer. His arms and face were glowing with a summer tan and Louise found her eyes going straight to his dimples, and then wishing they hadn’t. ‘Come on in.’ He stepped back to let them walk through.

  The flat was open-plan and the sliding doors that led out on to the balcony were flung open; the smell of the meat cooking on the gas barbeque made Louise instantly hungry. Alex took them into the kitchen and poured them each a glass of wine. They greeted Mike and David, Alex’s friends who they had spent an evening in the pub with, and were introduced to the other people there – a mix of veterinary colleagues, a couple of Littlewood residents who Louise recognised, and Sarah, Alex’s sister, who stood close to the balcony with a friend.

  ‘Hi,’ Louise said, going over to her. ‘How’s Hazel doing?’

  ‘She’s doing well. We’re seeing her consultant in a couple of weeks, so fingers crossed. It’s been so lovely to have her at home. Alex made me come tonight as I haven’t really left her side. Our mother is watching her, but I’ll probably sneak back early when he’s not looking.’

  Louise smiled. ‘I understand. It’s good to have a break though. You have to look after yourself too.’

  ‘I’ll try,’ Sarah replied with a wry smile.

  Louise knew how hard it was to focus on yourself sometimes. She remembered her sister telling her the exact same thing when they made their kindness pact at the start of the summer. Abbie had promised to help a stranger, and then she’d discovered the failing Huntley Manor. Louise had in turn promised to be kinder to herself but was finding it much harder. She watched as Alex went out on to the balcony to check on the food. She knew that by turning Alex down, she hadn’t lived up to her side of their pact. But it had been two years of keeping her heart closed off, and it was hard to break the habit.

  Louise took a deep breath and followed Alex out onto the balcony.

  ‘Not burning the sausages, are you?’ she asked, taking a sip of her wine. The heat from the day had barely cooled and the sky was still cloudless and blue above them.

  Alex grinned. ‘Hey, I’ll have you know I’m an expert at cooking sausages.’ He picked one up with a fork and showed her. ‘See?’

  ‘Looks good.’

  ‘Almost ready to put everything out. I hope you’re hungry.’

  ‘Starved. I didn’t get a chance to have lunch; it was crazy on the ward today. Sarah said that Hazel is doing great.’

  ‘I really hope we’ve turned a corner,’ he replied with a nod. ‘And I heard that Abbie is back in town?’

  ‘Yeah, London didn’t work out for her. I think she’s been surprised by how much she likes it here in Littlewood.’

  ‘I wasn’t sure I’d love living somewhere much quieter than where I was before but it just feels like home now, you know?’ He looked at her and they shared a smile. She had very quickly felt at home in Littlewood as well. ‘You must be happy she’s back.’

  ‘It’s been fun living with her again. It would be great to have her close by permanently, but we shall see.’

  ‘And what are you two plotting out here?’ Louise jumped as Julie poked her head around the balcony. She felt instantly guilty, which was crazy. ‘Is the food ready yet? We’re all dying in here!’

  ‘Yep, grab some trays, would you?’

  The next few minutes were a flurry of laying out the food in the kitchen and everyone piling up their plates with barbequed meat and sweetcorn, salad and coleslaw, new potatoes and crusty French bread. Louise was impressed with the spread and found a chair to perch on while she ate. The flat was warm but a cool breeze had picked up outside and was drifting through the sliding doors. Alex had soft music on, and everyone was enjoying chatting to one another.

  Louise couldn’t help but watch Julie talking to Alex and David across the room from her, failing to listen to Mike and Sarah, who sat with her and were sharing embarrassing stories of their teenage years. She bit into a sausage and had to admit it was perfectly cooked. She saw Julie throw her head back with laughter and wished she knew what they were talking about. Alex caught her eye then and smiled, so she quickly looked down and focused on eating, her cheeks flaring up that he had seen her watching them. What was it about him that made her act like she was a teenager again?

  ‘The things I could tell you about my brother,’ Sarah said then, drawing Louise’s attention back to their conversation. ‘He always wanted to be a vet, and when we were younger he used to beg me to play vets with him. I’d have to pretend to be a sick animal, and he would heal me,’ she said, laughing.

  ‘I always made Abbie, my sister, play doctors and nurses with me,’ Louise said, smiling at the thought of Alex pretending his sister was an ill cat.

  ‘This is the problem with being an only child, I had no one to pretend to be an animal for me,’ Mike said, laughing into his beer.

  Louise glanced back over and saw Alex and Julie going out onto the balcony together, their plates of food abandoned. Louise put her own knife and fork down, her appetite fading. Why was she so bothered about seeing the two of them together? She had told Alex she wanted to just be friends, and she had told Julie to go for it.

  She had no one to blame but herself.

  Chapter Eight

  Abbie stood outside Huntley Manor and looked up at the stone building, the sun starting to set behind it. She felt warm just being back there. The house had crawled into her heart and she hadn’t been prepared for how much she had missed it in London. She was unsure of the reception she would receive inside, but she couldn’t keep avoiding the place. She walked through the door and found herself heading in the direction of the ballroom, incredibly curious to see what progress had been made while she was away.

  When she walked into the Huntley Room, she let out a small gasp. The room was almost complete. She turned around, taking in the freshly painted walls, the now shiny wooden floor gleaming under her feet, the new gold drapes by the door showing off the beautiful grounds, and the crowning glory – the chandelier – was up again in the centre of the ceiling, but it was covered in cloth so she couldn’t see how it had been transformed. The new mirror had been added on one wall, a large, gold-framed glass that made the room look even bigger. Abbie had found it on eBay and it had been refurbished to huge success. A couple of paintings that had been hanging elsewhere had been added on the other wall. That hadn’t been her idea so Thomas must have done it. She was impressed. The room looked like the tasteful, elegant space it had been in the past, and now was again.

  ‘What are you doing here?’

  Abbie jumped to see Thomas in the doorway behind her. She smiled instantly at the sight of
him and felt her heartbeat begin to quicken. She tried to hastily compose herself. He wasn’t smiling, she realised, his arms were crossed and he frowned at her. She swallowed. ‘I wanted to see how it looked. It’s wonderful, Thomas.’

  He nodded. ‘I meant, what are you doing here in Littlewood?’

  She wasn’t at all sure if he was pleased to see her. ‘I’ve come back. I’ve left London; it didn’t work out. I’m back. Indefinitely.’

  ‘Oh,’ he replied.

  She took her chance as he absorbed her words, wanting to show him how much she cared about Huntley Manor. ‘So, how does the chandelier look?’

  ‘I thought it could be unveiled at the party. Make the evening as dramatic as possible.’

  ‘I love that idea!’

  ‘You must be rubbing off on me.’ He stepped fully into the room and they were now just a few feet apart. He looked around. ‘It’s just how I remember it from when I was little.’ His eyes came back to hers. ‘What happened, Abbie? Why have you come back?’

  ‘I should never have gone. I missed this place too much. And Jack . . .’ Abbie looked down, embarrassed. ‘He kept things from me. We’re not going to work together any more. So, I’m back with my sister, and trying to decide what to do next. But I was hoping that you might have me back here? Let me help with the relaunch party?’ She lifted her head slightly, nervous about his reaction.

  ‘You didn’t think I’d sold the place off then?’

  ‘Well, I hoped you hadn’t. You haven’t, have you? Because this room is perfect.’

  He nodded and started to pace, shoving his hands in his pockets. ‘After you left, I talked to the bank again. I found out how much we could sell the house for. And there’s so much land, it’s worth a lot. But when I came in here, I saw the house as it used to be. I don’t know if I can do it, Abbie, but I do want to try. I want to go ahead with the party and give it a couple of months. If there’s no uplift in business, well, then, I’ll have to sell it, but at least I’ll know that I tried.’ He paused and looked at her. ‘I didn’t behave very well when you left.’

  ‘I promised I’d help you this summer, and then I just walked away. I was in the wrong.’

  ‘You don’t owe me anything, Abbie.’

  ‘I shouldn’t have gone back on my word. I’m sorry. I thought that I was a failure, living here with Louise, being unemployed, so I jumped at the chance to get everything I lost back, but I realised that’s not what I want any more. I need to find something that makes me happy. I wasn’t happy there, but I am here.’

  Thomas smiled then, finally. Her chest sagged with relief. ‘Well, then, I am glad to have you back on board.’

  ‘Does that mean I get to see the chandelier?’

  ‘No, you can see it at the unveiling like everyone else. But you can help me plan this party, because we’ve had a lot of people accept the invitations, and time is ticking on.’

  She nodded. ‘It’ll be a great night,’ she said firmly. She lifted her eyes to meet his and felt a little shy suddenly. ‘I have to thank you, for the painting,’ she said, a lump rising in her throat. ‘My grandparents’ house. It has been so long since I have seen it, it’s such a beautiful picture and it just reminds me so much of my childhood. It was such a wonderful present, Thomas.’ Abbie was suddenly worried she might start crying.

  Thomas cleared his throat, looking a little emotional himself. ‘When you told me about their house, and how it made you want to save mine, I really wanted to see it, and when I saw the painting, I knew you would love it. It felt like it belonged to you. It’s a thank you for all you’ve done here. All you’ve done for me.’

  Abbie smiled, flushing a little. ‘Well, it was an amazing find. I can’t wait to hang it in my room. It made me certain that I belonged here. It made me want to come back.’

  Thomas touched her arm briefly. ‘I’m glad it did. I’m so pleased you like it,’ he said, his voice soft in the large room. ‘Do you need to rush off or can I offer you a drink?’

  ‘Sounds good to me.’

  She followed Thomas out of the room, glancing back at it over her shoulder as she passed through the door. She imagined herself in a cocktail dress, the room lit with candles, soft music playing, and Thomas in a suit, holding out his hand to her. She hurried out of there, embarrassed by her fantasy but secretly hoping that it might come true on the night of the party. She wanted to dance in that room. And she wanted to dance with him.

  She went into the library and Thomas came in a few minutes later, carrying two glasses of wine he had picked up from the hotel bar. A definite perk of running the place, Abbie thought. They sat down opposite one another in the large, red armchairs, the fireplace in between them.

  ‘I didn’t think I’d see you in here again,’ Thomas said then.

  ‘I would have always come back for the party. I didn’t realise how much I would miss this place though,’ she said, taking in the library. ‘This house gets under your skin.’

  ‘I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights imagining selling it and never being here again.’

  She regretted ever thinking that he didn’t care about the house. She looked at him closely and saw the dark circles under his eyes, a few days’ stubble on his chin when he was usually clean-shaven and the paleness of his face. ‘You’ve been worrying a lot, haven’t you?’

  ‘I know, I wish I could stop,’ he said, sipping his wine and resting his head on the back of his armchair. He looked so tired.

  ‘Thomas, I’m sorry that I was so harsh with you. I know how much this house means to you. You’ve had to deal with it on your own for so long, I don’t think I realised how difficult that had been. So much responsibility, all resting on your shoulders. I know that if you do sell, it will be because you have no other option,’ Abbie told him. ‘I’ll do all I can to help you in the meantime. At least we can throw one hell of a party, right?’

  Thomas smiled. ‘Deal.’ He held up his glass, and she did the same, and they sipped their wine in the grand library of the stately home and it felt as if they had been doing just that for every evening of their lives.

  Abbie couldn’t help but hope it was something they could do for a long time yet.

  Chapter Nine

  At Anne’s house, Eszter was on the phone to her mother in Hungary. Anne and Zoe were in the kitchen putting the leftover cake from the baking class into Tupperware boxes. They decided to pass them on to Louise to take into the hospital and give to the kids there. Eszter was in the garden, sitting on the stone steps which led down to the lush green grass. It was a perfect summer’s day and she smiled as she told her mother about the class.

  ‘Zoe has already arranged a playdate with one of the girls who came. She’s much happier.’

  ‘I’m pleased. And how are things with your mother-in-law?’

  ‘She and Zoe are really building a good relationship. Anne said she has something to show me; she’s been sorting through things from the past. I think she’s finally ready to deal with everything that’s happened.’

  ‘I can’t imagine how you would even begin to cope with the death of your child. She is a brave woman, and strong too. Just like you are for being there.’

  ‘I’m just doing what Nick asked me to.’

  ‘Which took strength and courage. I wish I could see the place.’

  ‘I think you’d like Littlewood, it reminds me of home sometimes. The peace and quiet, and the community here. We feel more settled here than I thought possible. I do wish we could have come with Nick, though.’

  ‘Of course you do. But for whatever reason, the two of you were destined to discover it on your own. Nick is looking down on you both, I’m sure. Give Zoe a big kiss from me, okay?’

  ‘Of course. I’d better go, she’s waving at me.’ Eszter lifted her hand to wave back to her daughter in the kitchen behind her.

  ‘Take care, Eszter.’

  ‘You too. Love to Dad as well.’ Eszter hung up, missing her parents as she always did after she spo
ke to them and thinking of home back in Hungary. She hadn’t been like Nick; she was content to settle in her home country, instead of travelling the world. She hadn’t had his wanderlust. Though they had always planned to visit the UK one day, she could never have dreamed that she would end up making the trip on her own.

  Eszter began to walk back inside, the sun warm on her back, and she realised that she did feel proud of herself. She had made this journey and had brought her daughter and her husband’s family back together. She hadn’t been sure of how she would manage everything without Nick, but each day she was becoming braver and stronger and increasingly ready to think about a future without him.

  ‘It’s all ready,’ Zoe said, gesturing to the boxes on the table.

  ‘Great, I’ll walk them over to Louise’s later,’ Eszter said. It had been Anne’s idea to give the leftovers to the hospital and it pleased Eszter to see her taking an interest in the community again.

  ‘I was looking through some things earlier,’ Anne said. ‘I thought you might both like to see them?’

  Curiously, Eszter and Zoe followed Anne into the living room, which was filled with cardboard boxes.

  ‘These were all up in the loft, I haven’t looked at them for, well, years, but it was time to do a sort-out. There are a lot of Nick’s things that I thought you might like to see, or even have,’ Anne explained, hesitatingly. She took Zoe’s hand and led her to one of the boxes. ‘In here are some of your father’s books from when he was young. I know you love to read, so why don’t you look through them and see if there are any you want?’

  Zoe knelt down and started to look through the box carefully, her face filled with wonder.

  ‘This is a lovely idea,’ Eszter said to Anne. She had found it so hard sorting out Nick’s things in their flat in Budapest but it had also been good to be reminded of their happier times, and here were a host of memories that Eszter had never seen before. She was eager to know more of her husband’s past.