‘So why don’t you change things, then?’ This was from Gina.
Robin sat back, tired, her spine aching from sitting upright and she had the greatest desire to lie down for a very long time. To give her body and her brain a much-needed rest, and with her next words, squashed any chance of that.
‘Because I simply cannot abandon Willow. The thought makes me shudder because Edmund has already hinted that she needs better care than I can give her and with Nate gone, I’m her only hope.’
Gina’s face suddenly showed signs of comprehension, most likely at the mention of Edmund. ‘Ah, I see. And I agree, she needs you to protect her from the warped mind of our dear reverend and her philandering good-for-nothing husband.’
The bitter sarcasm in Gina’s words wasn’t lost on Robin and neither was another fact that she chose to keep to herself – that just as she had been trapped by faith and duty, Willow was in a similar situation. Her beliefs and the fear of breaking a commandment was holding Willow prisoner inside her head and there on earth.
Edmund hadn’t helped. Robin would do whatever it took to prevent Willow from harming herself but unlike Edmund, couldneverstoop to mental cruelty. Willow was tormented enough and to use her faith as a tool was warped especially when it, and her own father should be bringing comfort.
The clink of glass connecting with a side plate saved Robin from her plagued mind as Babs took the bottle from the table, sighing as she poured.
‘I don’t know, the things we do for our children boggle my mind. We never stop being mothers, do we? Even when they’re grown up we still love them and want the best for them and that makes it harder, to make decisions for ourselves.’
‘Unless you get lumbered with a mother like mine who had no trouble whatsoever doing exactly what she wanted. The person she cares about most is herself.’ Gina was scraping her pile of shredded serviette into a neat pile. ‘As far as I’m concerned you two are perfect, and you’ve always looked after me like I was one of your own and for that I’m so grateful.’
Babs placed a hand to her chest. ‘Oh, that’s a lovely thing to say, Gina, in fact I remember you once told me that me and Robin reminded you of a mummy bird, who’d put the little baby bird under her wing. Stayed with me for days that did. But I’m not perfect, but I reckon our Robin here is…’
Robin halted Babs mid-sentence. ‘Whoa. No way am I perfect I can assure you of that!’
To this, both Gina and Babs rolled their eyes which made Robin laugh, and as she did, in an unguarded moment allowed her innermost secret to escape.
‘Ha! Well, what if I told you I’d been having a mad passionate affair for the past fifteen years and instead of going to visit Francesca, I actually meet my secret lover whenever he can slip away. We have rendezvous all over the place and make love for hours and hours.’ Robin’s eyes swept around the table, suspecting hers were as shocked as the ones staring straight at her, open mouths adding to the looks of horror, until…
‘What are you like, Robin! You’re a bloody nutter sometimes. I don’t know, I’d more likely believe that our Pete was having it away with Mrs Boland down at the library. You daft bugger. Right, shall we clear this lot away then we’ll be getting out of your hair. Secret lover…’
Babs stood, chuckling, and shaking her head, and accompanied by Gina who also thought the idea was hilarious, they began moving plates over to the sink.
Robin remained seated, watching them as they fussed and tidied. She was glad the night had ended on a merrier note after their soul-searching and revelations but still, one thing, one person was weighing heavy on her heart and mind.
She couldn’t help thinking of him, them, and how they’d ended up so far apart, yet so deeply in love. Before she stood to help Babs and Gina, Robin spoke to the man she’d put last. And in many ways, had trapped, just because he loved her so much.
I’m sorry, Arty, my love, I truly am. And somehow I’m going to put it right, I promise.
CHAPTERFORTY
GINA
It was a sunny,dry Thursday and as she walked back home that morning, the picturesque village of Little Buddington was carpeted in golden-russet leaves. It had been two days since their very heavy, yet illuminating girls’ night in. And between the school and nursery run rigmarole, and life in general, Gina had thought of nothing else. The advice she’d been given played on a loop in her head.
Just reminding herself of what sheshoulddo made her stomach turn and had it not been for the parcel that had arrived that very morning, she might have convinced herself again that it was a silly mistake. If only she had the courage to talk to Jimmy about it, the whole thing would be cleared up in a roll of the eyes and a ‘What are you like’ jokey moment. Or perhaps not.
Ginaneveropened Jimmy’s parcels when they arrived and vice versa. It was a rule they both adhered to simply because she’d once ruined a Valentine’s Day gift that arrived much earlier than Jimmy expected. However, now it was spooky season and that didn’t warrant a cheeky pressie. Her birthday wasn’t until next April, with their anniversary shortly afterwards.
Therefore the box she accepted from the courier was unlikely to be for her. And that was why she opened it.
Two new mobile phones. Identical apart from the cases. One was gold, the other silver. Cheat phones. What other explanation could there be? Gina had sat and stared at them for… possibly hours, she couldn’t remember. It was only when she realised that he’d know they’d arrived from the tracking advice, that she panicked. Not because she’d broken their rule, but because their presence was forcing her hand, goading her into asking him who they were for.
Minutes later, they were back in the nondescript jiffy bag that she’d laid face up on Jimmy’s desk in the hope he wouldn’t notice she’d opened it and if he did, she was going to bluff it out and blame Mimi. Mimi owed her one anyway, for the time she’d put one of Jimmy’s favourite limited edition trainers down the toilet. The bowl hadn’t been empty, either and it took ages to get rid of the stains.
From the arrival of the parcel, the day had crawled torturously on and when Jimmy came home from a meeting, later than expected but in a particularly upbeat and attentive mood… or was he nervous? He seemed agitated for sure.
Gina put it down to one thing. Guilt.
He hadn’t even gone into his office when she told him a parcel had arrived and she’d left it on his desk. He didn’t rush to open it but of course he wouldn’t, would he. He’d then insisted on making dinner; and made quite a point of telling her all about his meeting and how tedious it was.
He was currently giving her a running commentary of the conversation he’d had with his mum on the drive home.
