Page 35 of Matilda’s Summer of New Beginnings

Jay shook his head emphatically. ‘You didn’t tell me. And I don’t read that bloody magazine, so I would have been blissfully ignorant until someone told me. I just did what you asked me to do. By reading the damn thing, that is.’

‘Sorry I made you read it.’

‘It’s not your fault. I’m glad I did though — because it explains why you’re here.’ Jay looked at me sympathetically. ‘How long are you here for?’

I shrugged. ‘The weekend. I tried to book some holiday off work next week, just in case I wanted to stay longer, but I couldn’t. I could only take Monday. Angelina is away so I’m needed.’ I felt my face grow red and I ducked my head, staring at Jay’s Converse trainers. ‘If she had been around, and I told her it was you I was visiting, she would have let me take the whole week off. Bad timing.’

Jay laughed and I looked up. ‘That’s fine by me,’ he said. ‘I’m happy to have you down here for as long or as little a time you can spare.’ There was an odd look in his eyes, the usual mischief replaced by something wistful — well, it could be described as that if I was prone to flights of fancy. But I can’t think of another way to describe it, so wistful it was. ‘Anyway.’ He nudged me playfully, the wistful look fleeting and disappearing as quickly as it had come. ‘I’ve got loads of stuff you can keep yourself busy with this weekend. It’s the big planning weekend for the Fayre. It’ll certainly take our minds off Rosie and Damien for a few hours.’

‘A silver lining,’ I said, ironically, and wiped my eyes and nose with the back of my hand. ‘Come on then. I’m sorry I got your t-shirt damp and sticky there. But I’d be very grateful for a lift to the pub, if you don’t mind?’

‘I’d be very glad to take you,’ said Jay, reaching over to squeeze my shoulder gently. ‘Come on. Let’s go.’

* * *

Throughout our short journey to the centre of the village, the Rosie and Damien situation hung between us like a large pillowcase hanging on a washing line on a very windy day — not big enough to engulf us if a gust suddenly caught it, but big enough, damp enough and flappy enough to open up like a cosmic maw and flap a bit more if we allowed it to.

I had decided to take the view that, if we ignored the situation, then the whole problem would disappear. Rosie and Damien would not be an item, and I would not soon be ejected from the flat. I knew Rosie would insist I stay as long as I wanted to, but I just couldn’t live there and watch them play happy families while I sat in the corner munching my way through a family pack of tortillas for want of anything better to do.

But still — that was a problem for another day, and today I wanted to focus on Padcock and being away from it all.

As if he was reading my mind, once we pulled up at the Spatchcock, Jay turned to me and said: ‘So, once you’ve settled in, shall I treat you to a coffee? I won’t force you to have a walk around the Padcock Prowl. Even though I might desperately want to stop at the landmarks and see what you’re thinking about creating for the alternative pictures. I mean, I assume you are doing the pictures for us, and we can finally redo our leaflet?’ I knew he was teasing, and I was grateful to him for trying to make things better.

‘I’m not doing them for that reason at all!’ I smiled despite myself. ‘I had a bit of a creative block, that’s all. It was a good way to get myself back into the game.’

‘Seeing Julio’s exhibits would put anyone off their game.’ Jay shuddered. ‘And actually, I can see Damien’s work in there rather than yours.’ He looked at me and frowned, as if he realized he’d mentioned Damien and regretted it. ‘I hope you don’t take that the wrong way.’

It was okay. I could talk about Damien’s art — just not the situation he and Rosie were in.

‘Yes. Exactly.’ I laughed. ‘I don’t know if I’ve recovered from walking through that animated digestive tract yet. Sorry — being squeezed through that animated digestive tract.’

Jay shuddered. ‘Me neither. Okay, well if you’re happy to do the coffee thing, I’ll wait for you in the bar until you ditch your luggage.’ He held his hands up and tried his best to look innocent. ‘And I promise I won’t try to make you show your artwork to the WI ladies while you’re down here.’

‘I do need to move a bit. I’ve been sitting on that train for far too long, and I need to stretch my legs. But no — not the Prowl today. I’m happy to trot over to Cerys’ café though.’

‘Marvellous. Okay — let’s get you checked in and we’ll do that then.’

Jay got my case out of the car and ushered me into the Spatchcock. It felt a bit weird in there. There was the usual lull between lunch and dinner, when just a few people were left in there, enjoying a coffee or a glass of wine, and the evening crowd hadn’t yet appeared.

Sam was behind the bar and grinned at us. ‘Hello Matilda. Good to see you again. Here you go.’ Sam handed me a key card, which surprised me a little. I had expected a heavy iron key for a building this old but clearly there had been some modernisation done. ‘You’ve got the nicest room.’ He winked at me. ‘I upgraded you — no charge.’

‘Oh thank you!’ I was delighted.

‘No problem.’ He shrugged. ‘Just to warn you, it might get a bit lively this weekend as the Planning is beginning in earnest. That means everyone will land here tonight, and it’ll be busy. I love it when it’s buzzing like that.’

‘Jay mentioned some planning for the Fayre was starting . . .’ I was beginning to understand it was a big thing. Sam had made it sound as if “Planning” had a capital P.

‘Yes. The big event of the summer. The Planning for the Padcock Summer Fayre.’

Yes. “Planning” definitely had a capital P. It hadn’t been my imagination.

A different voice joined the conversation: ‘Did I hear that the Planning is definitely starting in earnest tonight then? God help us all.’

‘Hey Cerys!’ Jay raised his hand and waved as Cerys came out of the door marked Private. ‘You did. I’ll be working in the bar though, so it’ll be fine. No need to worry that the landlord won’t be able to cope.’ The way both Sam and Cerys laughed made me realize that the idea of the landlord not coping was pure hyperbole. ‘Is the tea room open?’ Jay continued. ‘We were heading there after Matilda’s checked in.’

‘It is — I came back because I left my phone upstairs.’ She waved back with her mobile. ‘I’ve been racking my brains all morning thinking where it might be, and Polly suggested I retrace my steps. I’d only been at home and at work, so I knew it wasn’t far.’ She laughed. Her bump had grown considerably in the couple of months since I’d last seen her, and today she had a vest top and leggings on, with her apron stretched across. In fact, she was truly enormous.

Try as I might, I couldn’t imagine my little mate Rosie looking like that — but she would. Of course she would. The sick sort of feeling came over me again. I didn’t like change, and I realized again that “change” was exactly what was happening.