Page 85 of The Only Way Is Up

‘Actually, I wondered if you could come over tonight,’ replied Daisy. ‘About seven thirty? There’s something I need your help with. Will and Ruby will be there too.’

‘How very cryptic.’

Daisy gave him a broad smile. ‘I’m working on projecting an air of mystery.’

‘Right. Because that’s absolutely what I look for in a woman.’

Daisy didn’t bother to wash or put on any makeup, planning instead to slip quietly across the fresh snowfall on the school grounds back to Willow Cottage and have a long shower. She wanted to make a bit of effort before going to Ruby’s school play later. People always asked her and Simon for photos at these things, and it felt rude to say no. So she put on her coat and fished her bobble hat out of the pocket to cover up her bed hair, then added a pair of sunglasses for good measure. She’d heard the bell go twenty minutes ago, so all the students would be in their first lesson right now.

As she gently closed the back gate, two teenage boys walking backwards with a large table almost reversed into her, forcing Daisy to back into the snowy hedge to avoid being mown down. The boys at the other end of the table appeared around the corner, along with several more students carrying chairs and what looked like the poles and canvas for a small marquee. They all stopped and stared at her as Justin brought up the rear, looking stressed and harried.

‘Why have you all fucking stopped?’ he bellowed, then spied Daisy wedged into the yew hedge. He took in the hat and the glasses with a knowing eye.

Daisy cleared her throat and gave one of the boys holding the table a smile. He had bright pink cheeks from the exertion and shifted his weight from foot to foot in that restless way teenage boys do when they want to look cool, although he actually just looked like he needed the toilet. ‘Hi. Is this all for the fete?’

The boy nodded, temporarily mute in the face of a bona fide celebrity who also happened to be a really hot older woman.

‘This is Year 9,’ Justin explained. ‘The school trailer has a flat tyre, so I’ve rescued them from PE to help me lug some stuff down to the lake. Miriam’s planning a last-minute snowman-building contest, and that apparently needs a gazebo so the spectators can buy hot drinks.’ The group glared at him. Clearly lugging furniture in lieu of hockey or rugby wasn’t considered a good trade. Justin rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. ‘Honestly, give me a fucking break. You think this is what I want to be doing on a Friday? Is it fuck. If we get it done without you lot whining like fucking babies, we might get ten minutes for a snowball fight.’

Daisy idly wondered if the governors knew that Justin talked to fourteen-year-olds like they were skivvies in one of his restaurant kitchens, then decided that the students probably quite liked it. Daisy noticed a couple of the girls nudging each other with their elbows. One of them flicked her long hair and eyed Daisy beadily.

‘What are you doing at Mr Clark’s house, miss? I thought you lived over by the stables?’ Everyone stared at Daisy again, a few trying to hide their gleeful smiles.

Justin came to her rescue, waving the students on. ‘Come on, leave Miss Crawford alone. We need to get moving.’

Justin gave her a surreptitious wink as the group trudged off towards the lake. The girl turned back to give Daisy a snarky look, then muttered something to her friend, who snorted with laughter. Daisy definitely heard something about ‘giving head’. Apparently the cat was now out of the bag regarding her and Tom: it surprised Daisy to realise how little she cared.

The trip to Milton Park for Ruby’s play was an unexpectedly lovely evening, even though A Moonsummer Night’s Dream had an entirely impenetrable plot that veered cosmically from the original. The cast of aliens and astronauts prompted Daisy to wonder if the whistling blizzard outside was actually Shakespeare spinning in his grave. But Ruby made the part of Titania, Queen of the Space Fairies, her own, and even Simon managed to turn up on time, having left Archie and Hank at The Shipton Arms. He played the part of doting father who clapped a bit too loud and charmed all the teachers, as well as spending some quality time with his former mother-in-law on the drive over. Will managed to withstand the appraising stares of Ruby’s schoolmates with a seemingly cool, brooding silence that only Daisy knew was crippling shyness. By the time they left, Daisy wasn’t sure which of them had the biggest Milton Park fan club.

On the way home, Daisy decided to capitalise on the positive mood by telling Ruby about Tom.

‘So I have some news,’ said Daisy, glancing at Ruby in the rear view mirror. Her daughter had insisted on sitting in the back with Will, which made Daisy feel like a taxi driver.

‘Is it about you getting it on with Tom?’ asked Ruby with a smirk. ‘Will told me.’

Daisy raised her eyebrows at Will in the mirror; he managed to look both sheepish and embarrassed.

‘I didn’t say it was definite,’ mumbled Will to Ruby. ‘I just said I thought it was possible.’

‘Based on what?’ asked Daisy, feeling somewhat put out despite having spent four nights out of the past six naked with Tom in one of three different beds.

‘He’s just been in a really good mood.’ Will gave an embarrassed shrug. ‘Like he’s won the lottery or something. Usually he’s kind of grumpy.’

‘Well,’ said Daisy, torn between annoyance that her news wasn’t news, and delight that Tom was clearly as happy about it as she was, ‘it’s true. We’re “getting it on” as you so eloquently put it.’

‘It’s fine,’ Ruby told her mother. ‘I like him. You have my permission.’

Daisy snorted. ‘I wasn’t asking your permission, thank you very much.’

Ruby shrugged and smiled. ‘Well, you have it anyway. Look, I’m starving, can we get a KFC?’

They arrived back at Willow Cottage just before 7.30 p.m., having taken a harrowing twelve-mile detour in driving snow for a ten-piece family megabucket. Daisy refused to let them eat it in the car, so by the time they got back to Shipton Combe everyone reeked of fried chicken and was visibly salivating. The three of them ate standing up in the kitchen, reducing the meal to a graveyard of bones and cardboard packaging in a matter of minutes. Daisy hastily cleared everything away before Tom arrived, wiping the grease off her face and adding a slick of lipstick and a spritz of Dior that would hopefully obscure the whiff of the Colonel’s blend of eleven herbs and spices.

Tom arrived on time, looking as handsome as ever in faded jeans and a chunky turtleneck jumper, his hair still wet from the shower. He stood to one side in the doorway so Henry could slip through and bag his favourite corner of Daisy’s sofa, then raised his eyebrows questioningly. Daisy nodded and smiled, squeezing his hand as she gave him a quick kiss. Ruby and Will wandered out of the kitchen to say hello, Will very obviously not comfortable with hanging out with his girlfriend’s mother and her boyfriend, who was also his school headmaster. Better get used to it.

Daisy organised drinks – tea for Ruby and Will, and white wine for her and Tom. Then she perched on the arm of the sofa and stroked Henry’s head as everyone looked at her expectantly.

‘So, it’s the church winter fete tomorrow,’ Daisy began.