‘Returning to teaching.’
‘Teaching? I had no idea that was on the cards.’
‘It isn’t. Being here has confirmed that for me. But I do need to find a new job. I walked out yesterday – told Ross Langley where to stick his job.’
I stopped and stared at her. ‘You didn’t! Oh, Jude! What happened?’
‘Apparently I don’t rake out the stables the way he likes. I was already smarting from the calling me June thing so I handed him the rake and told him he could either use it to muck out the stables his way or he could shove it up his arse but, either way, I wasn’t sticking around.’
‘I know it’s not funny, but…’ I couldn’t get the rest of my words out for laughter. I could imagine Jude saying those exact words and the shocked look on Ross’s face.
Jude laughed too. ‘It’s okay. Itisfunny.His face, Grace. I swear the man turned purple.’
‘How are you feeling about it now?’
‘I’m relieved to be away from him, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about my next steps. I should be at the pinnacle of my career right now and I hate that I’m jobless and floundering. My fortnight here couldn’t be more perfectly timed.’
‘We’ll get our thinking heads on together while you’re here.’
We set off walking again.
‘I wanted to get your take on something,’ I said. ‘Nothing to do with animals, jobs or Maddie.’
‘Intriguing. Hit me with it.’
‘Mam and I were talking about Laurie and she said she was really disappointed in how he handled the split – no discussions, no explanations.’
Jude raised her hand. ‘Joining your mum’s club.’
I raised my hand too. ‘She admitted that she’d had reservations about us getting engaged while we were still in ouruniversity bubbleas she called it and was glad we waited a few years to be certain it was right. That phrase triggered something which I couldn’t quite get to at the time but I think I’ve sussed it now. All six of us loved uni but who would you say loved it the most?’
‘Laurie. He loved every second of it.’
‘I agree. Is it possible he wanted to stay in the university bubble forever and that marrying me helped him do that?’
She pondered for a moment before shaking her head. ‘I agree with you about Laurie wanting to stay in the bubble but there’s no way he’d have married you just for that.’
‘But if he hadn’t married me, the bubble would have burst. Even if we didn’t ask them to, everyone would have taken sides. You’d have been on mine, or at least I hope you would.’
‘Absolutely! And so would Erica but… urgh! It’s really messy thinking about it.’
‘Exactly! If Laurie and I had split up after uni, everything would have changed between the six of us.’
‘But if Laurie married you just to keep his university life alive, that would mean…’
‘That he stayed in a loveless marriage for twenty-one years – loveless at his end, that is.’
‘No! He wouldn’t do that, Grace. I understand your train of thought, I really do, but Laurie loved you. I’m certain of it.’
‘How? What did you see that makes you so sure that he loved me as a wife rather than as a friend?’
Jude was quiet for a moment, evidently pondering on that.
‘Even if it was more friendship than romantic love, he still loved you,’ she said eventually. ‘Is it worth putting that theory to him? If you’re right – or at least on the right lines – it would pave the way to him telling the truth and, if you’re wrong, it might encourage him to open up about why he left, knowing you’re questioning the validity of your whole marriage.’
‘I guess I’ll have to try again at some point but, right now, I need to focus on the farm and hopefully some visitors.’
We fed the goats, returned to the farmhouse to wash our hands then set off on a tour of the barns and buildings.
