Chloe. In her day, the only way was to remain celibate, but modern science means we can enjoy the pleasures of life. We don’t have to worry about an unwanted pregnancy.’
‘When you took me home last week, Mum was really on edge. Well, you could see it, couldn’t you?’ Chloe had invited him in to have a cup of coffee. ‘She’s afraid for me, Adam. Afraid I’ll get into what she calls trouble. Once it’s happened in the family, the horror stays with us.’
‘We’ll have to give her time to get used to me,’ he said. ‘She’ll trust me eventually.’
Chloe got Adam to drive her home. It was just after half ten when he drew into her drive. ‘Mum thinks this is late,’ she said.
‘The generation gap again.’ Adam smiled. ‘People of our age think that’s impossibly early for a Saturday night.’
‘She’s waiting up for me.’ The lights were on in the sitting room. ‘Come in with me,’ Chloe said.
He was hesitating. ‘Last week, she wasn’t pleased to see me.’ ‘She needs to get to know you better.’
She led him into the sitting room, and Adam was as charming as ever to her mother. ‘How are you, Mrs Redwood? Well, I hope?’
Chloe went to the kitchen to make some coffee. Her mother, who was not at ease with Adam these days, came to take over from her.
‘It’s a very late hour to bring visitors in,’ she said.
‘You need to get to know each other,’ Chloe told her. But that seemed to make Helen more uneasy, because it implied Adam was going to be a permanent fixture in her life.
‘Can you ask him for lunch tomorrow?’ Chloe whispered, so Adam wouldn’t overhear and know she’d prompted the invitation. Helen’s face told her she didn’t want him here again.
‘It’s the only way, Mum. You’ll like him once you get to know him.’
‘I’ve already invited Rex, and there’ll be Gran and Marigold too.’
‘A good thing if everybody gets to know him,’ Chloe told her.
Her mother rushed to the fridge. ‘I’m not sure the joint will be big enough.’
Chloe almost smiled. ‘Mum, that’s an enormous leg of lamb. It would feed ten people.’
She got what she wanted, Adam was invited for twelve thirty. That meant they could go out in his car afterwards and have the rest of the day to themselves.
On Sunday, Gran was already dozing in her chair, while Rex was sipping sherry and trying to talk to Marigold about the new Labour government and Harold Wilson’s financial policy. He hoped to steer her away from giving another interminable account of the infirmities she and her mother were suffering. Helen was in the kitchen making gravy, and Chloe was pacing restlessly between the window and her chair.
When Rex heard the front doorbell ring, it came as quite a shock to see Chloe rush to answer it and then bring Adam in to introduce him. Helen hadn’t told him Adam was invited too. He’d brought a magnificent bouquet of flowers for her and an expensive box of chocolates for Chloe. Rex felt socially lacking; he hadn’t thought to bring gifts. He made a mental note to bring a bottle of wine next time he was invited. It seemed Marigold and her mother had not met Adam before, and he got a frosty reception from them.
‘A boyfriend?’ Gran came to life and adjusted her spectacles to peer at him. ‘How long has this been going on?’
Marigold looked shocked. ‘You’re very young to have a boyfriend.’
Especially one like Adam, Rex thought. He looked sophisticated, almost a man about town in his navy blazer with gilt buttons, silver and navy silk tie and silver-grey slacks.
When he told them he’d driven from Manchester, they were shocked again that he had a car of his own and that he was prepared to come so far to see Chloe. They were bouncing questions at him. How old was he? Twenty-four? What sort of work did he do? How did he meet Chloe?
Rex tried to break the questioning up and help everybody feel more at ease, but before long he realised Chloe was doing a
‘When you took me home last week, Mum was really on edge. Well, you could see it, couldn’t you?’ Chloe had invited him in to have a cup of coffee. ‘She’s afraid for me, Adam. Afraid I’ll get into what she calls trouble. Once it’s happened in the family, the horror stays with us.’
‘We’ll have to give her time to get used to me,’ he said. ‘She’ll trust me eventually.’
Chloe got Adam to drive her home. It was just after half ten when he drew into her drive. ‘Mum thinks this is late,’ she said.
‘The generation gap again.’ Adam smiled. ‘People of our age think that’s impossibly early for a Saturday night.’
‘She’s waiting up for me.’ The lights were on in the sitting room. ‘Come in with me,’ Chloe said.
He was hesitating. ‘Last week, she wasn’t pleased to see me.’ ‘She needs to get to know you better.’
She led him into the sitting room, and Adam was as charming as ever to her mother. ‘How are you, Mrs Redwood? Well, I hope?’
Chloe went to the kitchen to make some coffee. Her mother, who was not at ease with Adam these days, came to take over from her.
‘It’s a very late hour to bring visitors in,’ she said.
‘You need to get to know each other,’ Chloe told her. But that seemed to make Helen more uneasy, because it implied Adam was going to be a permanent fixture in her life.
‘Can you ask him for lunch tomorrow?’ Chloe whispered, so Adam wouldn’t overhear and know she’d prompted the invitation. Helen’s face told her she didn’t want him here again.
‘It’s the only way, Mum. You’ll like him once you get to know him.’
‘I’ve already invited Rex, and there’ll be Gran and Marigold too.’
‘A good thing if everybody gets to know him,’ Chloe told her.
Her mother rushed to the fridge. ‘I’m not sure the joint will be big enough.’
Chloe almost smiled. ‘Mum, that’s an enormous leg of lamb. It would feed ten people.’
She got what she wanted, Adam was invited for twelve thirty. That meant they could go out in his car afterwards and have the rest of the day to themselves.
On Sunday, Gran was already dozing in her chair, while Rex was sipping sherry and trying to talk to Marigold about the new Labour government and Harold Wilson’s financial policy. He hoped to steer her away from giving another interminable account of the infirmities she and her mother were suffering. Helen was in the kitchen making gravy, and Chloe was pacing restlessly between the window and her chair.
When Rex heard the front doorbell ring, it came as quite a shock to see Chloe rush to answer it and then bring Adam in to introduce him. Helen hadn’t told him Adam was invited too. He’d brought a magnificent bouquet of flowers for her and an expensive box of chocolates for Chloe. Rex felt socially lacking; he hadn’t thought to bring gifts. He made a mental note to bring a bottle of wine next time he was invited. It seemed Marigold and her mother had not met Adam before, and he got a frosty reception from them.
‘A boyfriend?’ Gran came to life and adjusted her spectacles to peer at him. ‘How long has this been going on?’
Marigold looked shocked. ‘You’re very young to have a boyfriend.’
Especially one like Adam, Rex thought. He looked sophisticated, almost a man about town in his navy blazer with gilt buttons, silver and navy silk tie and silver-grey slacks.
When he told them he’d driven from Manchester, they were shocked again that he had a car of his own and that he was prepared to come so far to see Chloe. They were bouncing questions at him. How old was he? Twenty-four? What sort of work did he do? How did he meet Chloe?
Rex tried to break the questioning up and help everybody feel more at ease, but before long he realised Chloe was doing a
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