Page 26 of Just for the Season

Gran is sitting in her chair, looking at me expectantly. Marcus has one eyebrow raised, also seeming very interested in what I’m about to say.

‘Yes,’ I continue. Erm. Think, think, think. ‘Well. I’m hesitating because it’s a little embarrassing.’

‘I’m your grandmother. Nothing you can say would be embarrassing in front of me.’

Well, that isn’t true. I’m pretty sure it would be highly embarrassing to admit right now that this whole thing is fake.

‘Very true,’ I say. I look at Marcus, whose eyebrows have risen further up his head, and who looks as though he might be about to laugh. I consider asking him if he’d like to tell our story, before realising that, no, I know very little about him and under pressure he might be a very loose, truth-admitting cannon. Plus, this whole thing is my fault so he shouldn’t have to answer tricky questions. Okay. I’m just going to say anything, and hopefully the story will build as I speak.

‘We actually met down here in Milbury,’ I say. Thank goodness Gran’s recently been staying quite a lot with her sister, Marguerite, who lives in Somerset, after Marguerite had a hip replacement a couple of months ago. Otherwise she’d know this was all complete nonsense. ‘While you were away. I’d popped down to see Ellie.’

‘That’s right,’ Marcus kindly confirms.

‘Yes, so basically Rick and I realised that we weren’t particularly compatible. You know, all he wants to do is play golf, and I don’t.’ I suddenly worry that Marcus might be famously keen on golf, because I actually know nothing at all about him. ‘Although I think that was just a symptom. It was really him. And me. Both of us. Not compatible. Anyway, then, I met Marcus. I was out for a walk and so was he. We literally bumped into each other, coming round the corner of the pub…’ Honestly, I don’t know where I’m going with this at all. Oops, I said it was embarrassing. ‘And I fell over in some mud, and we both laughed about it, and then…’

‘And then there was just an amazing spark between us.’ Marcus has rescued me quite spectacularly, because not only has he kindly finished my sentence, he has done it in the most soulful voice imaginable. It’s so soulful I’m almost vomiting inside my mouth. Although…

I take a look at him, thinking about him as others – like Gran – might see him. He is, objectively, gorgeous. If I were someone who ever wanted to have a relationship with a man again (I am not) it would be quite easy to imagine having a spark with him.

Marcus seems to have subsided after his moment of genius help.

‘That’s right,’ I continue. ‘And so we…’ I nearly said we went to the pub for a drink, but I can’t say that, the village grapevine being what it is. ‘We went for a walk. Just the two of us. And the spark just grew and grew, really fast. And here we are now.’

‘Still sparking,’ Marcus says.

‘Indeed.’ I try to send him a surreptitious frown. I don’t think we need to talk about sparks any more. Enough is enough.

‘That’s lovely,’ Gran says. ‘The sparks are very noticeable.’

I nod and try not to roll my eyes. To my right, Marcus is also nodding.

I think Gran’s waiting for me to continue, but I have no more, and Marcus isn’t offering anything either, and the silence is growing a bit too long, when – thank goodness – the others come back into the room bearing tea.

‘Marcus and Frankie have just been telling me about the spark between them when they met,’ says Gran. ‘It’s so lovely to see them together. I’m going to be honest. I could never understand why you and Rick were a couple, Frankie. I’m so glad you’ve met someone who is evidently so much more right for you.’ She addresses Marcus. ‘Have you told your grandfather about your new relationship yet?’

Marcus chokes on the biscuit he’s just bitten into.

We all leap to pat him on the back but he waves us all away.

‘All good,’ he says, still coughing slightly. ‘No, not yet. But I will. Absolutely. I can’t wait.’ Then he picks up his teacup and takes a very long, slow sip.

I’m going to have to buy him more than just a bottle of wine for this.

‘It’s perfect timing to have you all here,’ Gran says. ‘I wanted to talk to the two of you, Ellie and Frankie, about my birthday party. And now Marcus can help you with it.’

‘I’d love to,’ Marcus says with a completely straight face.

I’m beginning to wonder how I could possibly have disliked him in the café. He’s being an actual angel this afternoon.

‘Thank you,’ I say.

‘It’s wonderful seeing the two of you together,’ Gran says with a beam. ‘You make the perfect couple.’

Marcus murmurs something indistinguishable.

I say nothing.

‘Rose.’ Marcus has risen to his feet. ‘It’s been so lovely to meet you properly but I’m afraid I’m going to have to take Ruby and Sam home now, to finish their homework. It was Ruby’s birthday last weekend, and the celebrations seem to have spanned a full week and spilled into this weekend, so they have a backlog.’ He takes Gran’s hand in a very gallant manner and deposits a kiss on it, which makes her blush and actually simper.