A pause while Boomerang Boy explained.
‘I can’t keep ringing you every five minutes, it costs too much and I sent you a huge text last night telling you where we’d been so what more do you want?’
Dottie found it very frustrating to only be able to hear one side of the conversation.
‘Well frankly, I’m shocked at how needy you’re coming across. Seriously, I’m on holiday with my gran not romping round Ibiza with a bunch of sex mad uni mates.’
Well said, thought Dottie, pressing her ear harder against the door.
‘No, I wouldn’t rather be in Ibiza than with you… I am not being patronising… oh piss off, Lachlan.’
At this Dottie tittered and then scuttled as fast as she could to the bed where she pretended to be looking for something in her bag when Maude walked in.
‘Stop trying to look innocent, Gran, I know you were listening.’ Maude marched over to the dresser and grabbed her car keys before turning to face Dottie. ‘Right, are you ready? We need to get going, and don’t forget your glow sticks and vodka, just in case we decide to go to a rave and get wasted on the beach.’
Biting her bottom lip and trying not to laugh, Dottie picked up her bag and silently followed Maude out the door, resisting the urge to ask if linen trousers, hush puppies and a floaty blouse would pass the dress code, and if the bouncers would even let an octogenarian in?
Maude was packing up, so Dottie began setting out their picnic. It wasn’t fancy, just some baguettes and fruit they’d bought from a supermarket on the way in and a couple of bottles of water. Nothing had been said about the argument on the phone and really there had been no point in asking, it was obvious that Lachlan was feeling neglected.
The thing was, Dottie found herself in a bit of a predicament because as much as she believed The Koala Kid was wrong for Maude, her recent moment of lucidity had reminded her that when you are in love you do, say and feel things that to others seem crazy. All you want is to be with that person, forever, even if it is far away from your family, who love you too. How could she deny her dear Maude that? Even worse, could Dottie let her go?
Maude sauntered across, her long legs that protruded from cut-off shorts were slightly pink as were her arms, exposed in a vest top and adorned at the wrist by stacks of bangles. The straw cowboy hat perched on her head shielded Maude’s eyes but after dumping her painting satchel on the sand, she flopped next to Dottie who scrutinised them, looking for signs of sadness. There were none. Actually, Maude was upbeat and as usual, curious and hungry.
‘Ooh, sarnies. I’m starved… pass me the crisps, Gran, the chicken ones.’ Maude accepted a bag and proceeded to open them. ‘I’ve been thinking, you haven’t told me how you met Hugh. You mentioned that you first spotted him in Scotland with Maude but you didn’t know him properly then. And Uncle Konki, where does he fit into all of this?’
Dottie was repositioning the parasol. The sun was baking now and if it hadn’t been for the brisk breeze, she’d have insisted they found somewhere more shaded, but for now she would survive. She was also thinking about Hugh and where he slotted into the story, definitely before Konstantin. Sometimes her head was such a jumble, like a ball of badly wound wool but all it took was a bit of patience, something Maude lacked, and eventually Dottie managed to straighten it all out.
‘I thought I’d told you, but perhaps not… he’s been there forever so I assume that everyone knows our story.’
Maude shook her head and stuffed crisps into her mouth, crunching loudly.
Dottie tutted, took a sip of water, and tucked a stray curly lock behind her right ear as she concentrated. ‘Now let me think; oh yes, it was just before I met Maude again, in the spring, that’s when he turned up and I must say I was very pleased to see a familiar face, you know, another agent. It reminded me that however tenuous, there was a link back to London, others like me were out there and knew how it felt to be away from home.’
‘Was he pleased to see you? I bet he was, and how did he feel about Vincent, was he jealous?’ Maude was unwrapping her baguette as she quizzed.
‘I have no idea, Maude, but I will allow you your little fantasies about my imaginary love triangle–’ Dottie was at this point interrupted by Maude.
‘Well, technically it was a love square, if you think about it, because somewhere along the way Uncle Konki turns up and goes all gooey-eyed over you, too.’ Maude chortled, then took a bite out of her baguette.
Ignoring the jibe, Dottie carried on. ‘I was going to say that Hugh was and always has been a perfect gentleman and had he any romantic notions towards me he’s managed to keep them to himself for all this time and proved to be a good friend. So no, there were no pistols at dawn or anything like that.’
‘That’s a bit boring, but go on, tell me what happened and then I want to know about Uncle Konki. And you said you met Maude again. I love hearing about her.’
The mood had been upbeat, yet Dottie felt a dip, knowing what was on the horizon of her story, and how she wished she’d seen it coming. Forcing a smile, Dottie then drank some water and while Maude picked the tomatoes out of her food, she got on with the tale, and went back to the day Hugh turned up, and she met Claude.
19
Yvette and Claude
Renazé, 1944
The Café des Amis was full. All the tables were taken, and the bar was lined with men; the stalwarts of the village barely visible through the swirl of smoke. Armand acknowledged Yvette when she entered and with an almost imperceptible flick of his head indicated she should go through to the back. Following the silent command, she pushed through the crowd leaving Polo at the door. He was as eager to see Vincent as she, but he wasn’t allowed inside and had to go home to do his chores.
‘Go now, otherwise your aunt will be cross. You can see him tomorrow, come to the farm and wait there.’
Polo hovered and seemed reluctant to go, staring past Yvette and scanning the faces of the men in the café. ‘Okay, I will be there early. Say hello to him… see you tomorrow.’
Shoving one hand in the pocket of his shorts, Polo wandered off, his shoulders slightly hunched and his head low, leaving Yvette with mixed emotions; disappointment for him and giddy excitement for her because Vincent was waiting inside.
