A Close Connection (20 page)

P
AULA WAS THRILLED
when she passed her driving test. Why on earth had she waited so long to get a licence? Alan had never encouraged it, which was odd, but perhaps he enjoyed her being so dependent on him, an uncomfortable thought that niggled at her. He professed to be pleased when she passed, but she knew him well enough to know that he was not that pleased.

It was something she ought to have done years ago and she had proved to be a natural, having only the minimum of lessons before being put in for the test, which she passed first time. Maybe it was something to do with sitting beside Alan and observing him – subconsciously maybe – so that when it came to it, she half-knew all the things she needed to do and more importantly the things she must not do.

She had treated herself to a small car and it was so liberating to go off in it on her own that, coupled with everything else that had happened over the last few months, she felt like a new woman. She and Eleanor were friends now, proper friends, and it was all that business with the health scare that had done that, for all the veneer had been stripped away then and she had seen the real Eleanor underneath it. And now Eleanor had finally rid herself of Henry, which was a surprise because she
had half-expected Eleanor to forgive him yet again.

Christmas was come and gone and they had got through it, although Henry not being around had made it tricky. It had been a mixed blessing, though, in a way because trying to keep Eleanor on an up-note and stop her thinking about her absent spouse had meant that she had not had as much time to think about Lucy, and next Christmas there would be a grandchild to spoil to make things even better.

Now it was spring and driving was no longer treacherous, which was a relief because Alan had driven her mad going on and on about icy roads and the perils of winter driving. He was such a fusspot and oddly nervous about her driving, refusing to let her drive when they were together in his car and never setting foot as a passenger in her car. Every time she went out in it, he wanted to know exactly where she was going and then she suffered a lecture about the difficulties of the route and what she must avoid.

She listened dutifully and promptly ignored him, choosing perversely to go by the route he did not recommend just for the sheer hell of it. She might be a new driver, but she reckoned she was competent enough to face whatever the roads and the road conditions and other road users might throw at her.

She had a very minor role in the Amateur Dramatic Society’s midsummer musical production but she was the new girl so it was the best she could expect and she was no singer so she was being kept in the chorus as she should be. But she was still going to be there on stage and she was looking forward to it so much and enjoying going to the rehearsals and meeting like-minded people. She wished she could persuade Alan to join too because he had a good singing voice but he was not yet ready to do that so she was not pushing him.

She knew she had changed recently and Alan did not quite like it. He had not actually said as much, but after all this time she knew what he was thinking. He liked her as she was, as
she used to be, and if things were a little strained between them these days, that was the downside of all this.

People changed.

Today she had waited for the school traffic to clear before setting out for Cornwall. There were several choices that would all lead her to Eleanor’s house but she was taking the scenic route because it was a lovely morning and this road would be quieter. Alan had recommended that she concentrate purely on the driving until she was more experienced and that meant no listening to the radio or a CD.

But she was not only listening to a brand-new CD but singing along with it too as she neared the steep dip towards the river and the boundary bridge. She had spoken on the phone to Eleanor yesterday and she had booked them a table for lunch. Unlike Eleanor, Paula would not drink alcohol, not while driving, but she could take or leave wine so that was not a problem. This morning she was wearing a new outfit from a shop that specialized in petite clothes; expensive but beautiful clothes and she felt good, her hair long enough now to wear up if she wanted, which made it much more versatile.

Honeysuckle Cottage was hidden by the summer foliage of the trees but she stole a glance towards it. Nicola was expecting baby soon and they were all on a high waiting for it to arrive. They had said at first they did not want to know the sex but had changed their mind and now they knew that it was to be a girl, Clementine. Paula was working on the little nursery quilt at her quilting classes and it was coming along nicely.

On the way back this afternoon she might have time to pop by Tall Trees and pay a visit to her daughter-in-law and see how she was faring now that she was nearing the end of her pregnancy.

She checked her speed, slowed a fraction as she approached the next bend and it was then that something ran across the road, a cat, a ginger cat, and she braked and swerved because
she could not run a cat over, not deliberately.

But she was still an inexperienced driver – as Alan had been at pains to tell her – and she could not correct the swerve and the car crashed through the barrier and, in a heartbeat, rocketed downwards towards the river.

T
HE FORECAST FOR
the weekend was good and as a family they were taking advantage of it, meeting in the Green Parrot before taking the ferry across the estuary to Padstow. The tide was in, which meant they could not walk along the beach, but then family walks were impossible these days, what with the baby and the pushchair and Paula being in no fit state for walking any distance.

Eleanor was first in the café with Paula and Alan next to arrive. There had been a text from Nicola to say they were on their way and would be with them shortly.

‘It’s good to see you up and about,’ Eleanor said as Paula lowered herself carefully into a chair with Alan hovering fussily behind her, taking the stick and hanging it on the back of the chair. Following the accident, the greatest damage had been to the legs and it had been an anxious few weeks, but the long-term prognosis was good.

‘She’s worried she’s going to be shorter,’ Alan said, taking a seat too and ordering drinks from the waitress. ‘And she can’t afford to lose an inch.’

They all laughed.

‘You’ll just have to wear higher heels,’ Eleanor said. ‘Once you get properly back on your feet, that is.’ She rooted in the
bag at her feet, showing them the sweet little dress she had bought Clemmie.

‘You two will end up with the world’s most spoilt grandchild,’ Alan told them, shaking his head in disbelief. ‘Paula’s as bad as you. She’s finished the quilt.’

‘Have you? That is marvellous.’

‘I’ll show it you in a minute. It’s in the car,’ Paula said. ‘It was a blessing because it gave me something to do all this time while I’ve been sitting around getting better.’

‘And that’s all that matters,’ Alan said, reaching for her hand and briefly squeezing it. ‘In the end, that’s all that matters, isn’t it, Eleanor? I could have lost her that day and I don’t know what I would do without her.’ He looked at Eleanor, a very direct look, and she knew what it meant. There were so many things that would forever remain unspoken between her and Alan. ‘She was so lucky to walk away,’ he added.

‘I didn’t walk away,’ Paula said with a shudder. ‘I was trapped by my legs.’

Eleanor looked out at the estuary, thinking momentarily about Henry, but quickly dismissing that thought and thinking instead about Clementine, who was by far the prettiest baby this side of the Atlantic. Looking across at Paula and Alan she knew that there had been yet another shift in their relationship, the accident denting Paula’s newly discovered confidence so that they were very nearly back to square one.

Alan was happier now that Paula was once again fairly dependent on him and Paula seemed content too to settle once more into her familiar role. That new confidence, though, might be dented but it was not going to be squashed completely and Eleanor would make sure of that. She liked the new, improved, more confident Paula and she treasured their friendship more than ever now that Henry was gone.

Looking out of the window, she saw a harassed-looking Nicola – brand-new mum written all over her – heading their
way, Matthew carrying the baby in a sling. They had that look of proud new parents and she in turn was proud of her daughter, who was rapidly learning the ropes of motherhood, those silken ties that bind you together for life.

‘Here they are,’ she pointed out to Paula, who had her back to them. ‘Matthew’s wearing the sling.’

‘I can’t wait to see her. I haven’t seen her since last week,’ Paula said, meaning Clemmie of course, and then, speaking quickly, before Alan reappeared from his loo visit: ‘He thinks all this has put me off driving but it’s not. I’m getting another car and I’ll be back behind that wheel before you know it.’

‘Good for you.’ Eleanor saw the sparkle in her eyes and it was a relief to see it, for it had disappeared for a while following the accident.

‘Don’t say anything to Alan yet,’ she muttered. ‘I’ll have to break it to him gently. He’ll kick up a fuss but I’m determined.’

‘I won’t say a thing,’ she promised.

It was sweet of Paula to trust her to keep a secret.

But then, she was very good at keeping secrets.

Eight Days at the New Grand

The Cuckoo’s Nest

Return to Rosemount

Emily’s Wedding

Family Secrets

A Perfect Mother

Rumours and Red Roses

Just Another Day

A Small Fortune

Best Laid Plans