Lizzie, I wouldn’t have blamed you for leaving Jamie anyway, you know that. I wished you had left him ages ago, but this is brilliant isn’t it? Kind of reminds you what’s important. It is strange though, how in all this time, you only found it this week…’
‘Imagine if I’d found it a week later,’ Lizzie said.
‘I never thought Jamie was right for you,’ said Katie. ‘He sapped the life out of you. You stopped laughing and doing mad things. I know that was partly because of your Mum, but I never imagined you’d marry him…’
‘ Oh Katie… I’ve thought about so much these last few days,’ Lizzie told her. ‘You wouldn’t believe it! It’s the crying I should have done a year ago! You should have seen me at Antonia’s! It comes and goes,’ her voice wobbled again. ‘But at last, for the first time, it’s a little easier. It really does help to talk about it. And I think I need to.’
‘I always thought you coped so well,’ Katie said softly. ‘Just the same old Lizzie, life going on as usual.’
‘Well, on the outside maybe. I only pretended I was fine because Jamie was so unsympathetic. The one time he saw me cry, guess what he said: now chin up Eliza, don’t let the side down. Can you believe it? What sort of thing is that to say to someone whose mother’s just died?’ A tear trickled down her cheek.
‘ So what now?’ said Katie, ever practical.
‘ I’m not really sure,’ Lizzie said, ‘beyond this evening. The quiz night starts in half an hour and I’ve promised to join Antonia against the farmers! And then, once I have my car back, I need to decide what comes next. I mean, I thought I’d head towards Cornwall of course, but after that, I was thinking… maybe… about being a garden designer… but I’m not sure – it seems a rather big step...’
Katie ’s eyes lit up. ‘Seriously? That would be perfect, Lizzie! You could advertise locally, have a website, start in a small way…it wouldn’t be difficult at all. Where, though?’
‘I haven’t got that far.’ Small steps at the moment - one at a time... ‘I – I think I’ll go to Cornwall first, and decide after that. But you think that maybe it would work?’
‘Absolutely!’ Katie said. ‘You’ve been designing gardens on paper for years haven’t you – it can’t be that different…’
‘ Only that I’ll be on my own,’ said Lizzie slowly. ‘I don’t know… I need to think about it. Look at the time! I think we should find Antonia.’
Antonia was already halfway through her drink by the time they went down to the bar. The farmers were gathered round a couple of tables, leaning on their elbows and muttering amongst themselves, throwing hostile glances in the general direction of the girls.
‘Oh excellent!’ said Antonia, her eyes lighting up. ‘Had a horrible feeling you’d had a better offer!’
‘ Not much chance of that! Antonia – this is Katie, my er, matron of honour and my best friend!’
‘Oh Lord… haven’t brought the boyfriend, have you?’
‘No!’ Katie grinned. ‘I happen to think Lizzie made one of her better decisions, even if her timing was a bit out…’
‘Couldn’t agree more.’ Antonia nodded. ‘I told her exactly that – should have married the bugger first and got her hands on his money.’
Katie looked at her - then realising she was serious, hooted with laughter.
‘Now Lizzie, have you met Tilly ? Tilly ?’ Antonia yelled across the bar making everyone wince. ‘Come over here a moment… We need another girl. What do you say?’
Tilly looked at them slightly uncertainly. ‘I’m supposed to be working...’
‘Nonsense,’ said Antonia. ‘Th e old codgers’ll drink much more later once we’ve thrashed them. They’ll be drowning their sorrows for hours, just you wait…’
In the end, Tilly wangled the night off and both
‘Imagine if I’d found it a week later,’ Lizzie said.
‘I never thought Jamie was right for you,’ said Katie. ‘He sapped the life out of you. You stopped laughing and doing mad things. I know that was partly because of your Mum, but I never imagined you’d marry him…’
‘ Oh Katie… I’ve thought about so much these last few days,’ Lizzie told her. ‘You wouldn’t believe it! It’s the crying I should have done a year ago! You should have seen me at Antonia’s! It comes and goes,’ her voice wobbled again. ‘But at last, for the first time, it’s a little easier. It really does help to talk about it. And I think I need to.’
‘I always thought you coped so well,’ Katie said softly. ‘Just the same old Lizzie, life going on as usual.’
‘Well, on the outside maybe. I only pretended I was fine because Jamie was so unsympathetic. The one time he saw me cry, guess what he said: now chin up Eliza, don’t let the side down. Can you believe it? What sort of thing is that to say to someone whose mother’s just died?’ A tear trickled down her cheek.
‘ So what now?’ said Katie, ever practical.
‘ I’m not really sure,’ Lizzie said, ‘beyond this evening. The quiz night starts in half an hour and I’ve promised to join Antonia against the farmers! And then, once I have my car back, I need to decide what comes next. I mean, I thought I’d head towards Cornwall of course, but after that, I was thinking… maybe… about being a garden designer… but I’m not sure – it seems a rather big step...’
Katie ’s eyes lit up. ‘Seriously? That would be perfect, Lizzie! You could advertise locally, have a website, start in a small way…it wouldn’t be difficult at all. Where, though?’
‘I haven’t got that far.’ Small steps at the moment - one at a time... ‘I – I think I’ll go to Cornwall first, and decide after that. But you think that maybe it would work?’
‘Absolutely!’ Katie said. ‘You’ve been designing gardens on paper for years haven’t you – it can’t be that different…’
‘ Only that I’ll be on my own,’ said Lizzie slowly. ‘I don’t know… I need to think about it. Look at the time! I think we should find Antonia.’
Antonia was already halfway through her drink by the time they went down to the bar. The farmers were gathered round a couple of tables, leaning on their elbows and muttering amongst themselves, throwing hostile glances in the general direction of the girls.
‘Oh excellent!’ said Antonia, her eyes lighting up. ‘Had a horrible feeling you’d had a better offer!’
‘ Not much chance of that! Antonia – this is Katie, my er, matron of honour and my best friend!’
‘Oh Lord… haven’t brought the boyfriend, have you?’
‘No!’ Katie grinned. ‘I happen to think Lizzie made one of her better decisions, even if her timing was a bit out…’
‘Couldn’t agree more.’ Antonia nodded. ‘I told her exactly that – should have married the bugger first and got her hands on his money.’
Katie looked at her - then realising she was serious, hooted with laughter.
‘Now Lizzie, have you met Tilly ? Tilly ?’ Antonia yelled across the bar making everyone wince. ‘Come over here a moment… We need another girl. What do you say?’
Tilly looked at them slightly uncertainly. ‘I’m supposed to be working...’
‘Nonsense,’ said Antonia. ‘Th e old codgers’ll drink much more later once we’ve thrashed them. They’ll be drowning their sorrows for hours, just you wait…’
In the end, Tilly wangled the night off and both
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