Page 20 of The Second Chance Supper Club

‘Well, you are a bit reclusive, here. The village is so remote.’ Helen was off again.

‘That’s exactly what I wanted, Helen. It’s how I like it. It’s beautiful here … and it’s quiet.’ She needed that quiet life, that time away from stress and work and feckless husbands.

‘Oh, I’m sure the novelty will wear off soon enough …’ ‘Why? Why should it? I chose this, I wanted a change.

I was sick of life down in Leeds. There’s not only one way to live, Helen.’

Helen looked a bit shocked. ‘Well, I’ll be telling the gang all about my stay. I’m meeting up with the girls on Tuesday, actually. Coffee at Hugo’s in town.’

Oh yes, the latest ‘ladies who lunch’ venue. Cath had heard about it; it was just about to open when she’d left. That get-together must have been planned in advance, Cath mused grouchily, Helen’s opportunity to give a full report on Cath and her new surroundings.

‘Oh yes, go ahead. Feel free to run me and my little rural life down,’ Cath hissed.

‘What? Of course, I won’t be …’

‘Well, that’s all you’ve been bloody well doing since you got here.’

‘I haven’t.’ She sounded so indignant, which was laughable. ‘You bloody well have … first the country smells, then the lads not having antihistamine, as though that was the crime of the century. The farmers around here aren’t allowed to move their sheep according to you … and the country pub is too old-fashioned. Well, that’s exactly what it’s meant to be.’ Cath was sick of her going on.

Helen just glared at her.

Cath bit back once more. ‘Well, I don’t suppose you’ll be wanting to stay here again then. And you know what, that’s fine by me.’

This sent Helen into even more of a tizz, announcing, ‘Well, I may as well go home now, if you feel like that!’

Cath took stock, having said her bit, and merely looked at her friend calmly, ‘You can’t.’

‘What do you mean? Are you going to hold me here against my will?’ Cath couldn’t help but chuckle at Helen’s indignation.

‘What?’

‘Helen, you’ve already had two glasses of Merlot and a Prosecco …’

‘Oh.’ She let the facts sink in – driving right now was not an option. ‘S-sugar.’

There was an awkward silence for a few heavy moments. ‘Come on, I’ll make us a coffee.’ Cath felt calmer. She’d said her piece, sticking up for her village and new, if still slightly tentative, friends, but she wasn’t going to stew on it. And, she had a feeling there was more to this than Helen was letting on. She gave her friend a bit of space to visit the upstairs bathroom while preparing a cafetière of coffee. Helen came down looking a little chastened.

‘I-I’m sorry … for flying off the handle with you. You’re just trying your best to settle in here, aren’t you?’

‘Yeah,’ Cath responded. ‘Look, Helen, is everything okay with you? It’s just ever since you got here, you just seem so … prickly.’

‘I’m fine …’

The two women looked at each other.

‘Ah, well, I don’t know. It just feels all wrong. You being here. Our group’s all in pieces, back home … and everything’s the same old … but then it’s not, not anymore. You’ve gone … and the kids are grown up and gone …’ Helen looked deflated. ‘Empty nest syndrome hitting you, too?’ Cath asked empathetically.

‘God, yes. Nothing’s the same anymore, is it? And then there’s the getting old … the wrinkles. And I can’t even laugh without peeing a bit these days.’

They both started chuckling then.

‘Don’t bloody start me off.’

But that just made them laugh louder.

‘I actually don’t think I could cope with country life, though.’ She paused, as if thinking. ‘But you know what, good on you for giving it a try. For going out there, after everything you’ve had to contend with, and shaking things up.’

‘Thanks.’