A Time for Friends (39 page)

Jonathan stared out of the car window experiencing a sense of déjà vu, as for the second time in twenty-four hours he sat in the back of a taxi, driving down the Mall and around by
Buckingham Palace, and wished with all his heart that Leon was by his side sharing the delights of the city with him.
Don’t think about it now. Enjoy your time with the girls,
he
told himself as they motored past Hyde Park towards Kensington Palace.

The afternoon flew by. After a tasty lunch in Queen Anne’s delightful Orangery, they sipped their coffee served in exquisite china cups and looked out over the immaculately maintained
gardens. They took photos for Margaret, particularly of the Sunken Garden, Hilary marvelling at the lavish regimental displays of tulips, wallflowers and pansies. They spent three hours exploring
the magnificent state rooms and gallery of the impressive palace, listening to the guided tour through their headphones. Jonathan, setting his woes aside, was as engrossed as the others.

‘That was a very, very interesting afternoon. Thanks so much for bringing us,’ Sophie said as they stood at the bank of lifts in the foyer of the hotel waiting to go to their rooms
to shower and change for dinner. They had decided to eat in the tenth-floor restaurant, with its spectacular views over London; starting with pre-dinner drinks in the adjoining bar. That evening,
dressed to the nines, they sat sipping their cocktails, watching the sun begin to set, silhouetting the Palace and Gardens against the sky. It was an eyecatching tapestry of peach and gold, as dusk
began to deepen and the lights of the city to sparkle in the night sky. The London Eye, to the south, dominated the skyline once the city lights came fully into their glory and they reminisced
about their morning on the South Bank. After a while they moved to their window table in the restaurant and ordered their meal, enjoying the soothing ambience, low lights and soft music while the
waiters glided between tables, discreet and watchful of their every need. Millie and Sophie bantered back and forth across the table as they ate the delicious food that was perfectly cooked and
presented and all of them agreed it had been a spectacular meal as they managed to finish the lightest chocolate mousse and French silk pie between them.

‘You and the girls have been balm to my spirit,’ Jonathan said gratefully as he sprawled in one of the chairs in Hilary’s room, having a nightcap after Millie and Sophie had
gone to bed. Hilary had undressed and changed into her towelling robe and slippers and was cleansing her face, sitting on the side of her big double bed.

‘Are you sure you won’t get a flight home with us tomorrow? You don’t really want to fly Ryanair and meet Leon, do you?’ She turned round to face him.

‘No to Ryanair and Leon. And believe me I’ve given this some thought,’ he said grimly. ‘But I’m not going to give him the satisfaction of thinking I’m a
chicken. I’m going to look him in the eye, Hilary, because I know he won’t be able to look
me
straight in the eye. He couldn’t do it the night before last and he
won’t be able to do it now. I want that little user to see that
I’m just fine
,
thank you very much!’

‘We get in twenty minutes before you do if that’s the case, so we’ll wait for you to make sure everything’s OK,’ she insisted. ‘Come home with us and have a
bite to eat and I’ll drive you home.’

‘What would I do without you?’ He smiled across at her and raised his glass.

‘You would do the same for me.’ She raised her glass back at him and felt so sorry for him when she saw the sadness in his eyes and the air of desolation that was once again
enshrouding him.

‘Safe journey, see you later,’ Hilary said when they had all hugged Jonathan before escorting him to the foyer to check out. Hilary too was settling her bill and
they stood side by side while the attentive receptionists, Ailine and Tyrone, settled their accounts and asked had their stay been satisfactory.

‘As ever,’ said Jonathan warmly. ‘It’s a superb hotel.’

‘Ditto,’ said Hilary. ‘My girls loved it. We’ll be back.’

‘Very friendly staff,’ Jonathan remarked, walking over to the couches where the two girls were sitting waiting for them with the luggage. They had got up early and gone clothes and
make-up shopping and all the cases were bulging.

‘Time to go our separate ways. See you at Dublin Airport. Wish me luck. Do I look OK?’ he asked anxiously.

‘Ammaaazzing! That leather jacket is dead cool and those winkle-picker shoes, way to go, JH,’ Millie approved.

‘And I love the D&G shirt,’ Sophie declared. ‘Weep into your cornflakes, Leon, you idiot,’ she added, knowing how Jonathan was feeling about seeing his erstwhile
friend at Stansted.

Jonathan laughed and turned to Hilary. ‘See ya soon. Thanks for everything. I love ya!’

‘I love you too, now go and swan through Stansted as though you hadn’t a care in the world and we’ll meet you at the other end.’

‘Will do!’ he promised, taking heart from her words as the doorman hailed his taxi. As they detoured past the elegant mansions of Belgravia, because there was a delay at Hyde Park,
his courage began to fail and a terrible sadness seeped into Jonathan’s bones. He should have ignored his pride and booked a flight home with Hilary and the girls. By the time they drove
along the Embankment he had almost persuaded himself to tell the driver to drop him at the nearest tube so he could make his own way to Paddington and get the Heathrow Express and try and book a
flight with Hilary. When he saw the pale-brick, glass-canopied building of Liverpool Street Station loom into view and the driver pulled up to the rank beside Platform 10, he was ready to puke.
With shaking hands he paid his fare, grabbed his luggage, plonked it on the ground and stood in the fresh air gulping deep panicky breaths.

Do not have a panic attack here. DO NOT HAVE A PANIC ATTACK HERE! he ordered silently. He stood gathering his composure and decided to buy a bottle of water and some sucky sweets because his
mouth was so dry. Resolutely he set off to WH Smith where he added a copy of
Homes & Gardens
to his purchases. There was a train waiting at Platform 10 although it wasn’t
scheduled to depart for another ten minutes. He wondered was Leon already on it. He stared straight ahead and walked down towards the middle carriages, stowed his luggage in the baggage rack, got a
seat at a window and heaved a sigh of relief as a young woman came and sat beside him. Even if Leon did see him, the carriage was fairly full. When the train pulled out, Jonathan didn’t know
whether Leon was on it or not.

He saw his former friend before the other man saw him. Jonathan was heading airside after checking in his luggage, and he saw Leon strolling across the concourse. Jonathan quickened his step. He
had no desire to spend any time with the man and he hurried onto the transit train to get to departures and find a quiet spot in a bar to wait until his flight was called.

He ordered a beer, opened his magazine and forced himself to concentrate on what he was reading. He left it to the last minute to join the queue for boarding and he could see Leon up ahead
scanning for him. Leon saw him and waved for him to go up to him but he stayed put. He wasn’t going running just because Leon waved at him.

As the usual mad scramble began, Leon shouted to him, ‘I’ll get two seats.’

Don’t bother,
Jonathan thought, annoyed that Leon would even think Jonathan would want to sit beside him.

Making his way down the plane he could see Leon midway along standing up and stowing his bag. Jonathan saw an empty seat in row five, between a man and a woman, and he stopped and hefted his
carry-on bag into the baggage bin overhead and excused himself and sat in between them. He hated sitting in the middle seat normally but he was damned if he was going to make polite conversation
with Leon for the duration of the flight. And he’d be off the plane before him too.

One thing he had to say about Ryanair, they were generally on time if not early, he thought gratefully when the Boeing thumped down onto the runway at Dublin and taxied to the gate. Without a
backward glance Jonathan stood up, got his bag and was ready to move as soon as the doors opened. He raced across to the terminal building, and then remembered he had checked in a case. Damn. Leon
would see him at the baggage hold if he’d checked in luggage too. Maybe it was just as well, he mused as he slowed down a little. He didn’t want to give the impression that he was
running away from him, too upset to talk. That would give him the upper hand.

‘Hey, bro, I’d kept you a seat,’ Leon said, all hail-fellow-well-met a few minutes later coming to stand beside Jonathan as he waited for his luggage.

‘Oh did you?’ Jonathan was proud of his faux nonchalant air. ‘Sorry, I just sat in the first seat that was free.’

‘I knew you had to collect luggage so I came to see if you wanted to share a taxi. We could have a drink and a chat?’ Leon suggested casually.

‘Thanks but I’ve got plans.’ Jonathan kept his eyes focused on the bags dropping onto the belt.

‘Nice jacket, is it new?’ Leon fingered the soft leather jacket Jonathan was wearing.

‘Yep, and most of what’s in this case. Had a ball shopping.’ Jonathan grabbed his case off the carousel.

‘Where’d you go?’ Leon asked eagerly as Jonathan plonked his hand luggage on top of the case and began to walk away.

‘King’s Road, Bond Street.’

‘Ohhh expensive clothes there!’

‘Indeed,’ said Jonathan, politely smiling as though he hadn’t a care in the world.

‘So listen, I know things didn’t go exactly as planned; perhaps we could meet and have a drink and a chat about it next week seeing as you’re tied up now?’ Leon
persisted, falling into step beside him.

‘Sure, if I’m free, that sounds fine,’ Jonathan said casually, knowing Leon had a snowball’s chance in hell of that happening.

‘So did you have a good time after all then?’ Leon probed as they approached the Blue Channel and the exit.

‘I did, had a great time actually. I was disappointed that you weren’t more honest with me before we planned the trip. I thought you had more integrity than what you showed, but hey,
it happens. Sometimes people aren’t who you think they are. Have to leave you now,’ he said as the big doors to arrivals slid open. ‘I have friends waiting outside so I’ll
say goodbye.’ Jonathan looked around at the people waiting at the barrier, saw Sophie waving madly and broke into a smile. Real friends were worth more than gold, and he had the best.

It was hard; he knew he was going to have some tough times because Leon’s rejection had cut deep. He’d been in this dark place before but he’d climbed out of it. It was
something he had to face. The sooner he dealt with it the better. ‘See ya around,’ he said to Leon, proud of his acting and his blasé approach to their final encounter.

‘Absolutely. I’ll phone you about that drink,’ Leon said, but his words were left floating in the empty space between them as Jonathan hurried to the shelter and welcoming arms
of the Jonathan Harpur Rescue Society.

‘Sue, we need to talk. I want to know why would you say what you said to your mother about me being too busy to bring her to the clinics?’ Hilary asked, determined
not to lose her cool but equally determined to let the other woman know that her behaviour was unacceptable.

Sue glared at her. She did not appreciate being doorstepped on a Monday evening after her aerobics class, when she was red-faced and sweaty, and looking less than her groomed self. She did not
relish this encounter with her sister-in-law because Sue knew she had overstepped the mark. ‘For goodness’ sake come in and don’t start arguing with me at the front door,’
she snapped, inserting her key in the lock.

‘Fine, I just want to sort this and then I’ll be off,’ Hilary said coolly. She followed Sue into the magenta-painted hall and pristine white lounge with an aubergine sofa and
one glass coffee table the only furniture. A spray of lights in the corner and a large abstract painting on the wall softened the stark white of the room but Hilary felt it was cold and sterile, a
bit like Sue herself, she couldn’t help thinking.

‘Now, what’s your problem, Hilary?’ Sue went on the attack immediately.

‘My problem is that you said something to your mother that made Margaret feel under pressure, hurt and upset about me bringing her to her clinics. Something I
never
did. Why, Sue?
She’s elderly. There was no need for it. All I did was ask you to help your own mother.’

‘No! What
you
did was try and make
me
feel guilty and under pressure,’ Sue retorted.

‘That’s not fair, Sue,’ Hilary said tightly, determined not to lose her temper.

‘Life’s not fair, Hilary, deal with it,’ Sue retorted.

‘What exactly is your problem? I don’t understand your attitude.’ Hilary stared at her.

‘Oh for God’s sake, my problem is having to listen to how “wonderful” Hilary is, and how great those girls of hers are and what a pity I never had children, blaa de blaa
de blaa!’ Sue snapped. ‘It gets wearing when you’re constantly listening to it, believe me. Not every woman wants to have children. We’re not all earth mothers. I
don’t see why my wishes couldn’t be respected without having to endure my own family constantly trying to guilt-trip me. I live the life I want to live and if people don’t like it
they can lump it.’ Sue’s eyes flashed with frustration and temper.

‘Well I’m sorry about that,’ Hilary said, taken aback by the venom in her sister-in-law’s tone. ‘And I’m sorry for you and Margaret that your relationship is
so . . . so . . . fractured. But please in future don’t use me as a weapon to inflict discomfort on your mother. She’s not going to be around forever, and she deserves as worry-free an
old age as we can all possibly give her. It’s the least we can do for her. I’ll see you.’

Hilary turned and walked out to the front door, relieved that her sister-in-law didn’t follow her. She was glad she had kept her temper. It was clear Sue felt very irked with Margaret.
Their issues were between them and something she didn’t want to get involved in.