“A case of needs must, more like.”
“It won’t always be like this,” Brenda said. “Especially now we’ve put a rehaul of the heating system to the top of our list.” She raised her eyebrows. “We are still doing a to-do list, aren’t we?”
Flick left the fire and grabbed her cup to pour another drink. She knew this conversation was coming, she just didn’t know what to say, she hadn’t worked out how she felt yet. “When I made my wedding vows, unlike Matthew, I meant them.”
“And now?”
“Honestly? I don’t know. He really did sound genuine about wanting to try again, but how can I trust him?” Flick poured her mum a drink too and took both cups to the table before sitting down. “So much has changed since I last saw him. I’ve changed. What if I agree to give things another go and it turns out I’ve changed too much?”
“Only you can decide whether that’s worth the risk.”
“And what happens to this place?” She glanced around the room, knowing how much she’d miss it.
“Did he mention the chateau?”
Flick shook her head. “No.”
“Don’t you think that’s a bit strange?”
“I’m not sure. If he really wants me back, he might’ve thought asking about it would make him look bad. As if it’s the building that he’s really after.”
“Maybe it is. Maybe he’s playing a sly game. Lulling you into a false sense of security just to get his hands on what he thinks is his half.”
Flick tightened her lips as she considered the possibility. “I didn’t get that impression. But then again, I didn’t think he’d leave me on our wedding day.” She took a sip of her drink. “So, if that is his intention, he’s got a fight on his hands.” She let out a woeful sigh. “Why couldn’t he just stay away? I was moving on, starting a new life.”
Brenda sniffed. “Because he’s like a bad penny, that’s why.”
“I can understand some of the things he said though. Not the stuff about him being a carer, obviously. He’s always known how close we are as a family. Losing you or Dad was bound to pull the rug out from under me. And even if I acknowledge that not all families are like ours, you still do what you can for the person you claim to love. You don’t see them as too demanding, you’re there for them no matter what.”
“Of course you are.”
“As for everything else he said, I have to admit he has a point. I did go into our marriage thinking we’d be just like you and Dad, that everything would be perfect.”
“Ha! I wish.”
Flick smiled. “You know what I mean.”
Brenda smiled too, forced to concede. “We did okay, I’ll give you that.”
“You did more than okay. But when it came to me and Matthew, I should have known it was wrong to keep comparing our relationship to yours. We had to find our own way, start our own traditions. Live our own kind of life, I suppose. No wonder he got scared and felt pressurised into being someone he wasn’t.”
“But it’s not just about you and Matthew now, is it?”
“What do you mean?”
Her mother appeared pensive, as though trying to put her thoughts in order. “I’m not saying you owe anyone anything. At the end of the day you have to do what’s right for you, because you’re the one who has to live with the consequences.”
“Good or bad.”
“Exactly. But people have gone to a great deal of effort and the chateau is attracting a lot of attention as a result. And because of everyone’s help, you’ve been able to think about a different future. You’ve been able to start thinking about turning your dreams into a reality. This place was going to be the art school you’ve always wanted, remember.”
Just the thought of having something like that made Flick smile.
“You’d started to think about you. I mean does Matthew know any of this?”
Flick shook her head. “How would he?”
“But if he did, would he still want you to pack up and go back to the UK? Or would he stay here and help you build that dream?”
