Page 10 of Be More Capybara

‘Of course. I’m sorry.’

‘It was a long time ago, and you know we never got on.’

‘No.’ She looked thoughtful. Hopefully,he wasn’t remembering the circumstances of his father’s death. Nigel tried to replace the image of his naked father handcuffed to the king-sized bed in his London flat after a steamy, heart attack-inducing session with his mistress. He could hear Jack’s mother’s voice in his head saying, ‘At least he died doing something he loved.’

But he was forgetting why they were here. ‘Let’s get your hand under the cold tap.’

He led her into the kitchen.

‘Oh wow!’ Helen said as she walked in. ‘I was thinking how everything looked the same. But the kitchen’s unrecognisable - apart from the Aga.’

‘Yes, I barely recognised it either. No more bright orange 1970s cupboards.’

‘And those white tiles with green veins. What were those even meant to be? I worked on a house renovation a couple of years ago, and it had exactly the same ones. It took me straight back to sitting at that table with your mum making us hot chocolate.’

‘Hot chocolate?’ his mother said as she walked in the back door with Klaus. ‘That sounds like an excellent idea.’

6

HELEN

Helen concentrated on the hot chocolate swirling around in the mug Klaus had put in front of her. If it wasn’t for his presence, this would be just like old times, sitting in the warm, welcoming kitchen at The Grange. At one time it had felt like her second home.

She sneaked another look at Nigel as he sat on the other side of the kitchen table. Whenever Helen had wondered about what he was doing with his life, she’d pictured him still having chestnut hair, with a touch of grey at the sides in the last few years, not a full head of grey. The silver fox look suited him though.

Nancy joined them at the table. ‘Klaus mentioned he bumped into you a couple of days ago.’

‘Yes, I walk the cliff path with Rocky most mornings now I’ve moved here permanently.’

Rocky lifted his head at the mention of his name, and Nigel took that as a cue to lean over to give him a pat. Helen felt strangely relieved that they were getting on.

‘Permanently?’ Nancy asked.

‘Yes, I had to sell the house in London to pay off my ex. So when Dad passed away, it made sense to move back to my parents’ house rather than sell that too.’

Nigel briefly glanced up at her, then turned his attention back to Rocky.

‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ Nancy said. ‘But Cove Cottage is in a lovely location.’

‘It needs lots of TLC, but I’m sure it will all work out for the best. I’m enjoying the fresh air, anyway.’

‘Are your boys moving here too?’

‘No. My eldest has got a job at the Treasury, so he’s got a flat share in Fulham, and my youngest is at uni in Bristol. He barely comes home now - except for today. I’m being honoured with a visit later. I’m not sure why. I suspect it’s woman trouble.’

Why did you say that? You’re sitting opposite a man who’s possibly got woman troubles of his own.

But if that comment had struck a chord with Nigel, he wasn’t showing it. He was keeping his attention firmly focused on Rocky.

Helen would love to know more about why he’d come here during the Christmas holidays without his wife and children, but it was probably all too raw. He was hardly going to pour his heart out here, and he and Helen were strangers now, so he probably wouldn’t have told her even if Nancy and Klaus weren’t sitting next to them.

Nancy filled the silence. ‘I’m sure you’re looking forward to seeing your son again. I know I enjoy it when my boys are home.’

Nigel shuffled uncomfortably on his chair. Was he taking that as a dig about him rarely coming back to Dashford?

Klaus put his hand over Nancy’s. ‘You’ve got both of them home now, dear.’

‘Yes. Though I’m not sure for how long. Mark and Lucy are house hunting, and Nigel hasn’t shared his plans yet.’