The New Neighbours (58 page)

“I've got to sell my own house first,” Ian warned Mr Harrison, “but I don't think that will be too difficult as it's in Dartmouth Circle.”

Harrison agreed and said, “My firm will happily handle the sale of your house, Mr Haven. Indeed I think I have a client who might well be extremely interested.”

Miraculously, it proved to be so, and contracts were exchanged on both houses just after Christmas, with the sales finally going through at the end of January.

Once the idea of moving had been suggested, and she'd seen the barn, Annabel couldn't wait to go. She lived through Christmas and its celebrations, so much better than last year had been without Dad; she saw in the New Year with Chantal and their parents, no nightmare party like last year, and all the time she was on tenterhooks, in case for some reason one of the sales fell through. She longed to get away from Dartmouth Circle to the anonymity of Stone Winton.

“I can't wait to be somewhere else,” she confided to Charlie. They had met for a coffee at the patisserie in town on Charlie's return from Ireland after Christmas, and were treating themselves to sticky cream cakes and catching up on each other's news. “Dad was right, we do all need a fresh start. He wants to be where no one knows that he left Mum. Mum wants to be where she doesn't have to remember him leaving, and Chantal wants to be miles away from your student house and Oliver Hooper.” She licked a smear of cream from her fingers. “Of course, I still have to go to the Tech, and people there know about the baby, but I haven't any close friends there, so not much has been said.” She smiled across at Charlie. “You're my closest mate now,” she said. “You know how I feel about, well like, everything.”

Charlie was touched and she felt the colour rise in her cheeks. She felt they were very close, was both pleased and relieved that her interference in Annabel's affairs hadn't broken their friendship.

“Any news about Scott?” she asked tentatively.

“Yes, they arrested him for attacking me and he's been remanded in custody, so he's safely locked away at the moment.”

“What about the robbery?” Charlie asked tentatively. “What's happened about that?”

“He'd already been charged with that,” Annabel said. “That was the trouble! Anyway, the two things are being sorted at the same time.”

“And what about you? What's happening about that?”

“That's over too,” Annabel said. “After I was charged, I was what they call fast-tracked, and came to court the next day. I pleaded guilty and then John Belmont explained to the court exactly what had happened. Then I had to wait while they went out and talked about me. Like, it was scary, you know, the waiting, but I was lucky. The magistrates gave me a conditional discharge. They told me how lucky I was, as it is a most unusual sentence for burglary, but they said they'd taken on board what Mr Belmont had said. As long as I don't get into any more trouble in the next two years, I won't hear any more about it, thank God.”

Charlie squeezed her friend's hand. “Thank God, indeed,” she echoed. At least Annabel wouldn't be going to prison or anything because of her, she thought, but she still fervently regretted the impulse which had caused her to send her anonymous tip-off to the police about Scott.

Annabel was saying something about Chantal, and Charlie pulled her thoughts back to the conversation in hand.

“…and luckily we've heard no more from the police about Chantal being under age. We don't know if anything has happened to Dan.”

Charlie had heard all about the infamous party on her arrival home from Ireland in December. She, like Dean, had never liked Dan very much and felt that it was good riddance, but she had little sympathy for Chantal, even if Dan had taken advantage of her. She still thought Chantal was a tarty little piece who'd got what she was asking for, even if she were only fifteen. She chose her words carefully.

“We heard on the grapevine that the police have been to see him and are still pursuing their enquiries,” Charlie said. “Don't know if it's true, we don't see him now of course. Poor Mad is still pretty upset with Chantal, and I don't blame her.” She glanced across at Annabel a little guiltily. “Sorry,” she said, “I know Chantal was led on, but it doesn't make it any easier for Mad to accept what they did in her own house at her own party.”

From that point of view, Charlie was glad that the Havens were moving away, it would be much easier for Mad to put Dan's betrayal out of her mind if she didn't keep bumping into Chantal in the road.

“I agree,” Annabel said, “but I'm not really in any position to judge, am I?”

Charlie shook her head. “Me neither,” she admitted, “ but, like, I'm still angry, on Mad's behalf, you know? Still she's got Dean now. They're going out, did you know?”

“No, I've kept away from everyone.”

“Well, they started going out at New Year, and Dan is a thing of the past. Mad's a different person.”

“You will come over and see us, won't you?” Annabel said. “You're the only visitor I want from here.”

“Of course I will,” Charlie promised. “I'm longing to see the new house.”

They ordered more coffee and Annabel said, “Now tell me your news. What's this about you and Mike Callow?”

Charlie's eyes softened. “Mike? Well he was great when we went over to Cork to the hospital when Kirsty was so ill.”

“Yeah, and…?” Annabel encouraged her.

“And… he told me he loves me.”

“Wow!” Annabel was impressed. “And what about you? Do you love him?”

Charlie gave a self-conscious grin. “Sort of.”

“Sort of!” Annabel gave a shout of laughter, “What kind of answer is that?”

“It's the one you're going to put up with until I tell you something else,” Charlie teased. Then she relented. “We'll be seeing quite a lot of each other I suppose,” she said primly.

“Seeing quite a lot of each other,” repeated Annabel. “You mean because you'll have no clothes on?” Both girls dissolved into giggles at this, the first time that Annabel had really laughed spontaneously since Scott had driven up behind her on the allotment track.

“Annabel Haven you're a disgrace,” said Charlie, when she was able to say anything at all. “That's not what I meant, and you know it.” Suddenly she was serious again. “We're not rushing anything, OK? I've played this game before, remember. Mike's a lot older than I am, and he's married, and he's already got children. You can imagine my parents aren't over the moon at any of it.”

Charlie thought of how her mother had reacted when she had come home with Mike to see Kirsty, and Mike had told them out of the blue that wanted to marry Charlie.

“Doesn't he have one wife already?” her mother had demanded later when they were alone in Charlie's bedroom. “What are you thinking of, Charlotte, getting involved with a married man again, and an older married man with a family, at that? Did you learn nothing from last time? You'll break your father's heart.”

“But Mam, we're not involved,” Charlie protested. “I didn't know how he felt about me until yesterday, I swear it. I just used to help him mind his kids, that's all, honestly.”

Her mother looked sceptical, but she said, “If you say so.”

“Mam, it's true.”

“Then why is he telling us he wants to marry you?” Kath Murphy asked. “ ‘If she'll have me, I intend to marry her,' were his very words. What makes him even begin to think that you'll have him?”

“Mam, when I went to him yesterday to borrow the money to come home, I went to him as a friend. He was the only one I knew well enough who might have actually had any money to lend me, right? I was crying. I was desperate about Kirsty, and he simply put his arms round me to comfort me and then, well, he kissed me, and I felt…” Charlie paused searching for words that might convey to her mother exactly what she had felt, “I felt that I'd come home.”

“Hhmm all very romantic,” Kath said. “And where does his wife fit into this little idyll, may I ask?”

“She doesn't,” Charlie said briskly. “I've never met her. She and Mike have lived apart for well over a year now.”

“Not divorced though.”

“No, Mam, not as far as I know.”

“So, you're having an affair with a married man.”

“No,” Charlie said patiently, “no, I'm not. I'm not having an affair with anyone, right?”

Her mother tried another tack. “Oh Charlie, you're only twenty-two, he must be thirty-five if he's a day. He's too old for you, pet, he's nearer my age than yours.”

“Mam, there's nothing between us, right. He's kissed me once, for God's sakes, but if he does speak to me, like, ask me for a date or something, well, I'll probably go.”

Mike had spoken to her, not asking for a date as such, but he had talked to her about their relationship. They had been sitting in his living room the evening she had come to discuss what Annabel should do about Scott. He poured them each a glass of wine and when they had finished talking about Annabel and Scott, Mike turned the conversation to themselves.

“Charlie, about us,” he began.

“We aren't really an ‘us',” Charlie pointed out. She felt suddenly nervous and shy of him.

“No,” he agreed, “but I do want us to be.” He took her hands and held them against his cheeks for a moment. “Charlie, what I said to you that evening we went to Ireland, I really meant it, you know. I've loved you ever since I first set eyes on you. I've never believed in love at first sight, and all that, but I do now, because it happened to me. Charlie, I know you don't feel the same way about me,” his eyes twinkled at her, “but I'll be working on that, I promise you.”

“Oh, Mike, I don't know…” She felt confused. She liked him very much and she had to admit that she did find him attractive. The memory of his kiss was one she had relived many times. Yet, while they were in Ireland, he hadn't touched her again, and she found that confusing too. She had wanted him to, and yet she was afraid that he would. Kirsty was her priority there of course, and she had found his quiet support very comforting. But Duncan still lurked in the backwoods of her mind, still scaring her away from any deep relationship, especially with an older, married man.

“You'll be under no pressure, I promise you that too,” Mike reassured her. “I just want to be with you, to get to know you and for you to get to know me… properly.”

“Like, just go out, you mean?”

“Just like that,” he agreed. “I don't want to rush you into anything, I can wait as long as you like, my darling. You're worth waiting for.”

“I haven't told you about Kirsty,” Charlie said, pulling her hands away and getting to her feet. She turned to face him across the room. “About what happened.”

“And you don't have to, that's up to you. She's your daughter, that's all that matters.”

“What about your wife? What about Caroline?”

“She's set divorce proceedings in motion,” Mike said. “Nothing to do with you, just decided that we'd been apart too long ever to have a reconciliation and so she wants her freedom.” He thought for a moment about the vitriolic messages which had been awaiting him on the answer machine when he got back from Ireland, but they truly did have nothing to do with Charlie, so he simply said, “It will be uncontested and go through quite quickly, I think.”

“And your kids?”

Mike sighed. “With as little disruption for them as possible,” he said. “They're used to us living apart now. I'll see them as much as I always did, that shouldn't change. I love them dearly and want to be as good a father to them as I can be in the circumstances.” He, too, got to his feet and reaching for her hands again drew her softly into his arms.

“Darling Charlie, I know you've been hurt once, but believe me I wouldn't do anything to hurt you. Just give me a chance to show you how much I love you, OK?”

Charlie felt tears in her eyes as she looked up at him and nodded. As a tear escaped and ran down her cheek, Mike gently wiped it away with his thumb, and then equally gently kissed her lips.

“So?” prompted Annabel as she saw her friend had gone deep into a reverie.

“So,” answered Charlie, “we're not ‘involved' as my mother would say, but it may not be very long before we are.”

“Will you move in with him?” asked Annabel. “Seems silly to be living almost next door.”

“No, I won't,” Charlie said firmly. “If this is ever going to work, we both need our own space while we get used to the idea, and I've exams to pass. Anyway, I've promised my parents that I won't. It'd break their hearts if I actually moved in with him.”

The two girls had met up several times for coffee in the weeks running up to the move, and Annabel had watched Charlie slipping slowly, but irrevocably in love with Mike. Even more did she want to get away from Dartmouth Circle, so that watching the men load up the removal van at last, she knew that she would never come back to the Circle. She had a lecture in an hour, and after her tutorial this afternoon she would join the rest of the family in the White Bear, and then tomorrow they would all go and unpack themselves into their new home in Stone Winton. She picked up her duffel bag and went to find her mother, who was closing the last packing case down in the study.

“I'm off now, Mum,” she said, “I'll see you at the White Bear later on.” She jerked her head in the direction of the van. “Good luck with the rest of it.”

Jill watched the last of the Havens' home being loaded into the removal van from her window. Though she hadn't seen much of them recently, she knew she would miss them being next door.

“I'm so glad you and Ian have got back together,” she'd said to Angela when they'd met Christmas shopping in town and decided to have a coffee together to recover from the morning's scramble.