“Mum. Do you like Cherry?”
His frankness threw her. Her hesitation gave away her answer and he knew it.
“I’m grateful for your concern, but there’s no need to worry. Mum, we’re dating, and I hope we will continue to do so for a long time. I’d like you to be happy for me.”
“Okay.” It was a small squeak of a word, meaningless really.
“Now, what about this BBQ tomorrow? You didn’t have to, you know.”
Should she affirm how much she liked Cherry? Reassure him? How could she, when she didn’t—and now the subject was difficult between them. And shehadliked her—she’d wanted to know her and even be close to her.
“Can I do anything to help?” he asked.
“No thanks. It’s all under control.”
“Right.” He pointed to her empty plate. “You done?” She nodded. “I’ll just fill the dishwasher, then I might pop out.”
She knew where, and he knew she knew. She nodded, covering up the pang, the unfamiliar distance that was suddenly between them from his not saying Cherry’s name. She couldn’t bear it, her son becoming estranged from her.
She watched as he took away the plates, the tightness in her chest intolerable. Maybe shewaswrong about Cherry. After all, Daniel was an intelligent person; he would’ve had a hunch if something wasn’t right. She’d been stewing alone with her thoughts for two weeks, and paranoia had a nasty way of escalating things. Maybethere was some other explanation and she was on the verge of some awful, embarrassing mistake. The tension suddenly lessened. Perhaps this could all be easily solved. Cherry would be at the BBQ the next day; Laura would try to speak to her. Hopefully, there would be a chance to clarify things and she could put her mind at rest.
17
Saturday, July 19
SATURDAY WAS A MUGGY, HAZY DAY AND THE DUST FROM THE BUILDINGwork next door hung in the air. The builders were due to finish at lunchtime, thankfully, but for the moment, tiny particles managed to lodge themselves on the skin and in the mouth, leaving a nasty, bitter taste. Laura was undaunted. She sprayed the entire garden with the hose and looked in satisfaction at the plants and lawn, glowing as green as on a fresh spring day. Howard had been dispatched to the butcher to pick up the meat; Daniel was currently placing bottles of wine in the large fridge in the den. He’d been a little cool toward her since yesterday, but she’d made herself be bright and enthusiastic. After all, this was his leaving-home party and she wanted them both to remember it as a happy time.
The first guests to arrive were Isabella and Brigitte, just back from France.
“How was the rest of your stay?” asked Daniel.
“Wonderful,” sighed Isabella. “We only came back because Richard was complaining he never saw us.”
“Charming.”
“And to come to your BBQ, darling boy,” she said, patting his cheek.
The back garden began to fill up: some of Daniel’s friends from school, now grown up, and their parents, friends of Laura and Howard’s. It wasn’t a large crowd, perhaps twenty or so, and everyone knew each other well. Howard lit the BBQ, and once the smoke had gotten in everyone’s eyes, it finally died down enough to start cooking the homemade burgers and marinated chicken he’d bought from the butcher’s.
Just after six, Laura noticed Daniel looking at his phone, then disappearing back into the house. Ten minutes later, he reappeared with Cherry. Introductions were made and Cherry demurely made her way around the garden. Laura watched from the sidelines as Cherry met each of the invited friends. Everyone was polite and smiling and delighted to meet the girl Daniel was clearly very smitten with. She wondered when would be a good time to speak to her. She wanted to get it over and done with; hopefully, there would be some sort of reasonable explanation.
Cherry was pleased at the way Daniel introduced her. He spoke her name proudly and his fingers were entwined with hers. She was aware that she hadn’t yet spoken to Laura, and she noticed that Daniel and his mother weren’t quite so joined at the hip as they usually were.
“Everything okay with you and your mum?” she said.
“Sure.”
She could tell it wasn’t, not exactly, and Cherry was intrigued . . . and pleased. She wondered what the division could be about.
Laura went to fill Izzy’s glass.
“Thanks, darling. By the way, I have a bit of a surprise for you. Your birthday. I’ve got you a booking at the Bazaar. For Saturday the twenty-third itself!”
“How did you manage that?”
“I told them you were Head of ITV Drama.”
“You didn’t!”
