Mothers and Daughters (22 page)

‘Well Dad wouldn’t like this mess she’s in,’ Laura said petulantly, ‘and giving the baby his name won’t make it right.’

‘She’s not doing it for that reason.’ Alice was exhausted trying to keep both her daughters calm. Perhaps Laura should not have come, seeing Nick’s baby so soon.

The baby, though, stole their hearts, but he too was unsettled and they all had a troubled night, disturbed by his cries. The feeding was not going well and he cried fretfully, obviously hungry, adding to the tension, and Alice was relieved when Ruby the cheerful midwife turned up again. It was so different from Alice’s own happy experience of having the girls, a loving home and, most important, a loving and supportive husband and father for the children.

Ruby wasn’t at all phased by the baby’s parentage. ‘That’s nothing compared to some we have,’ she said when Alice went with her to her car, hoping for a few words of advice about how to cope with the situation. ‘Evie will be fine in a week or so. Becoming a mother for the first time, especially when the father is absent, is always a bit of a shock, but she has you and her sister to support her, and those lovely drawings,’ she smiled. ‘At least she can make a living at home.’

‘But his father, I don’t know…’ Alice tailed off.

Ruby sighed, ‘He’s a bad boy; this baby is not the first of his I’ve delivered. If I was his wife I’d cut off his balls, but at least he does pay maintenance, although that’s about all he does. I hope Evie doesn’t expect more.’ She regarded Alice seriously as if to make sure she understood what she was saying.

‘I know Freya well and like her and I know she’ll never leave him. My husband died two years ago and Evie was here alone and missing him and Nick… well he can be so persuasive.’

Ruby put her hand on her arm, her eyes soft with concern. ‘I know and I’m sorry. It will be difficult, but I’m sure she’ll be fine and you’ll all love him… I see you do already,’ she smiled. ‘He’s a beautiful baby. Well, I must go on to the next one, not such a happy story, I’m afraid, the baby was born with a serious stomach disorder and needed immediate surgery and many more operations to come. I or Stella, who Evie knows too, will come by tomorrow.’

‘I’m so sorry,’ Alice said, thinking of the family of that baby. What agony to go through all that with any child but especially a new born baby. Despite their circumstances her family
was
lucky, luckier than most, Alice told herself firmly – Evie’s baby was healthy and he was loved, it was impossible not to love him, and Evie would keep on working, somehow, around him, after all the publisher had known she was pregnant soon after giving her the contract. The only problem was Nick.

Everyone in the district knew what Nick was like and why would he change for Evie? Though sadly, like so many girls before her, Evie had convinced herself that he loved her that their child was living proof of that and Nick would stay with her. But he was Freya’s husband and father of
her
children, and even if Freya did chuck him out, she doubted he’d stick by Evie. Nick liked a varied love life without commitment, and it appeared that there was no shortage of women ready to jump into his bed, and Evie, having had his baby, was probably now banished from his playground.

‘Mum, phone, its Frank.’ Laura came out of the cottage holding out her mobile. ‘He wants to speak… to congratulate you, I think.’

‘Frank?’ He’d become a hazy memory in this new world of babies and keeping her daughters from going for each other. Laura did care for the baby, often held him and rocked him, though Alice felt she was sort of hoping Nick would suddenly appear and see her with him and… well she didn’t know what, it was all so confusing.

She took Laura’s mobile and stood on the doorstep where the signal was strongest.

‘Hello Frank, it’s lovely to hear you. How are you? Are you back in London?’

‘Yes, I was hoping to see you all, but Laura’s told me you’re with Evie. Congratulations on being a granny, you’re far too young and glamorous for it, but lucky boy, you’ll be so good with him.’

‘I don’t know about that, it’s frightening how much I’ve forgotten about tiny babies and how exhausting it is to lose so much sleep.’ His praise warmed her and this time she was not annoyed by it. Frank meant it; he was not trying to seduce her to curry favour with her.

‘How long will you be there? Laura says she’s coming back tomorrow.’

‘I’m not sure, just until Evie’s settled, which shouldn’t be long. I might even bring them back to London for a while. I’ll see how it goes.’ She had a sudden yearning for Frank to arrive in one of his fast cars and whizz her away, to feel the wind in her hair and that wonderful exhilaration of being alive and free.

‘I was hoping to take you paragliding.’ She could hear the energy in his voice. ‘You said you wanted to try it and so, if you want to do it, I thought I would book a place, then later, if his parents agree, we could take Johnny.’

‘It sounds wonderful, Frank. I would love to do it when I get back.’ She looked up at the sky, there seemed to be so much more of it in Suffolk, wide and open, clear blue scattered with froths of cloud, what would it be like floating across it with Frank?

They talked a little more about how the wedding preparations were going and she promised she’d contact him when she returned to London.

She took Laura to the station on Sunday. ‘I think it so odd that Nick didn’t come to see his own child, don’t you, Mum? Has he finished with Evie? She hasn’t said they’ve split up. Surely he’ll still see her if only to see his child Freya would have to allow that.’ Laura turned towards her; Alice stared straight ahead at the road, not wanting to see Laura’s expression in case she saw hope there, hope that would never be realized, of Nick coming to her. It worried Alice, not just because of Nick’s despicable treatment of his wife and family, but because Laura was engaged to marry Douglas and it did not bode well for their marriage if she was lusting after someone else.

‘I’ve no idea,’ she said firmly, ‘and anyway, no one must forget that he is married to Freya and she loves him and despite his appalling behaviour she is determined to stay with him for their children’s sakes. He had dysfunctional parents apparently, and she thinks that’s one of the reasons he behaves as he does, but she doesn’t want their own children to go through a family break-up so, for the moment, she’ll stay with him.’

‘I can see Freya wants to keep their family together, but she’ll have to let him visit his own son,’ Laura said. ‘He’s a beautiful baby, do you think Evie is pleased she’s got him, she didn’t seem that interested to me,’

‘This is not the first time poor Freya has been through this and we must allow her to cope with it in her own way,’ Alice said firmly, relieved that Laura was returning to London and Douglas. ‘Evie will be fine, it’s all been a bit of a shock, giving birth earlier than she thought, but she’ll soon get the hang of being a mother.’

The weekend had been a strange one, she was glad Laura had come with her and yet Alice sensed there were bad feelings simmering between the two sisters. Evie was too shell-shocked to do much about it and she had warned Laura not to pick any quarrels with her sister so soon after she’d been through childbirth, so both had kept their feelings in check, but she feared that when they met up again they would erupt. Did Evie know that Laura thought herself in love with Nick? She’d be surprised if she did as Laura usually kept her feelings close. She hoped Evie would never find out and tease her about it and what would Douglas think of such a thing?

They arrived at the station and Alice said, ‘It’s been a stressful yet exciting weekend, so thank you for coming, darling, it’s much easier to cope with things as a family.’

‘That’s all right,’ Laura said, lingering as if she had something to say. There were a few minutes before the train was due and Alice felt she must voice her concerns, she wanted no more emotional accidents.

‘You are sure, darling, about the wedding? I mean, you could have it next year, next spring if it was easier, gives you more time to organize it?’ She hoped her voice was light and Laura wouldn’t imagine or, worse, hear the truth behind her question. Inferring that she didn’t think the wedding should go ahead until Laura had sorted out her feelings towards the two men.

There was a long silence and Alice braced herself for Laura to say she wanted to get out of the wedding but with the children and everything she didn’t know how, but she gave a little laugh, ‘Of course, Mum, some of the invitations have gone out and we’ll get the rest done this week. Douglas is very efficient, we’ve booked the place and they have their own caterers and Beth from school will do the flowers. There’s just my dress, if I’d known the baby was coming now I’d have brought down my designs for Edith and Amy to see.’

‘Of course, sorry darling, this baby’s arrival has addled my mind. I didn’t know you’d made up your mind to use them and not buy one in London, though we hardly had time to go over and see them this weekend. You did say you didn’t want the hassle of making trips up here if you found one in London.’ Alice thought to remind her of that, afraid of Laura making trips to see Edith and Amy here in case she ran into Nick and he was on the prowl again and found her a willing conquest.

‘I sort of know what I want, I’ll work on it this week and come down for them to fit me,’ Laura’s face hopeful again. ‘Must go or I’ll miss the train.’ She kissed her and jumped out of the car, her step lighter as she disappeared into the station, no doubt thrilled to have another excuse to return to Suffolk and hopefully see Nick.

A few days later, Alice went over to Amy and Edith to see how the nursery stuff was going. Margot had dropped the baskets and material with them and had called in at the cottage on the way back.

‘Sweet baby,’ she had said, vaguely peering into the basket. ‘Where’s Evie?’

‘Working, she’s got a deadline,’ Alice said. ‘She hoped she’d finish before the baby came, but he caught us all out. But it’s strange, since his birth, her work seems to have taken on a new energy, glowing with life and colour.’

‘Well don’t get sucked in,’ Margot had warned, mistaking her feeling of wonder for Evie’s talent for being swept back into the nursery again. ‘I saw Frank yesterday, he asked after you.’

Alice had ignored a surge of warmth, ‘Oh, how is he?’

Margot had spent the next twenty minutes telling her, saying what fun he was and so interesting compared to everyone else, which was probably due to him living abroad, and Alice was relieved when at last Margot had said she must hit the road as she and Glen were going out that evening.

When Alice told Amy and Edith that Laura wanted them to make her wedding dress, they were thrilled. Alice knew that whatever fears she had about Laura hoping to see Nick, these women were the best bet for a beautiful dress as they had been properly trained in making couture clothes.

They had made a couple of nursery baskets, which were beautifully lined with pretty material and pockets to hold all the baby things. Margot was going to arrange to have them photographed and hopefully get them into a few magazines.

Alice ordered one of the baskets for Evie, wondering what the two spinster sisters thought of married men fathering children around the place as blatantly as Nick did.

On the way back to the cottage, Alice stopped at the supermarket to buy some food, she had a long list with her as she thought she had better stay with Evie until the midwives stopped calling. As she walked towards the supermarket, she saw Freya and Nick coming towards her. Nick saw her at once and pretended he hadn’t but then Freya saw her and came towards her, pushing the overloaded trolley in front of her like a battering ram.

Nick for once looked sheepish and began to walk faster as if he were in a hurry and would pass her, no doubt with some quick excuse, but Freya stopped the trolley and said, ‘Alice, nice to see you, though the circumstances are hardly good. But is Evie all right and the baby?’ She ignored Nick who had taken out his mobile and was studying it intently as if he had nothing whatever to do with the baby’s existence and had far more important things to do than stand here chatting.

‘Yes, she’s fine they both are thank you. I’m sorry…’ If only Nick were not here and she could say how upset she was for the pain Freya must be feeling, but it was difficult with him standing there with little sign of contrition on his face, so she asked Freya about her coup with the V and A instead. ‘Have you sent any of your work there yet? I must go and see it, I’m sure it will be wonderful.’

‘First lot go next week,’ Freya said. ‘I’ll be coming up to arrange it in the shop. If you’re back in London, we could perhaps meet up.’

‘I’m not sure if I’ll be back by then, I don’t know what’s happening just yet.’ Alice felt so awkward standing here talking to the wife of her daughter’s lover and mother of his children – both were mothers of his children – it was like some awful farce, only neither of them were laughing, though Freya became quite animated as she talked about her order from the V and A and Alice was pleased for her. Perhaps she’d put more of her energies into her pottery if it took off, but perhaps that would make Nick behave even worse if he felt eclipsed by her talent.

‘No, it’s early days. Well we better get on,’ Freya moved to leave. Nick threw Alice a regretful smile as though he were a small boy caught stealing sweets.

This infuriated her, fathering a child with her unmarried daughter was not as trivial as taking sweets and it goaded Alice into saying, ‘So Nick, I hope you’ll take your responsibility seriously for this child, give Evie maintenance for him and all.’

Freya looked away, her face set hard, Alice was upset for her but she might not see Nick for ages. Julian would have said the same if he’d been here.

‘Of course,’ he looked affronted as if she’d accused him of dishonesty. ‘I haven’t been to see him as new mothers need time to bond, but I’ll set up something with my bank, you know I will.’

But I don’t, Alice said to herself. ‘Thank you, Nick, please do it soon,’ she gave him a stern look.

‘So bang goes our skiing holiday,’ she heard Freya say to him as they reached their car close by. ‘If you do this again, Nick, I really will chuck you out, in fact I think I’ll book you in for a vasectomy.’