A Week in Winter(37)

Lillian was a good hostess. Winnie had to give her that much.

She managed to make her guests move around so that they talked to other people. Winnie had watched the little dance, and was determined to get up and go to the bathroom to avoid being closeted with Lillian.

But she hadn’t moved in time.

‘What a lovely Missoni top,’ Lillian said to her admiringly.

‘Thank you,’ Winnie said.

‘Could I ask where you got it?’

‘It was a gift.’ Winnie closed down the line of enquiry.

‘I hope you haven’t been bored here. I’m sure you think it’s a real country-bumpkin outing.’ Lillian in her cream linen dress and jacket looked as if she were dressed for a smart society wedding.

‘I’ve loved it, Lillian. What wonderful friends you have.’

‘I’m sure you have a lot of good friends in Dublin, too.’

‘Well, yes, I do. Like you, I enjoy people, so I suppose I do have a lot of friends.’ Winnie felt her voice sounded tinny and faraway. She might indeed be a little drunk. She must be very careful.

Lillian’s eyes seemed to narrow but the piercing look was still there. With a shock Winnie realised that Lillian quite possibly hated her. It was as strong as that. This was territorial. Winnie would not get her hands on the golden son. His mother would fight for him. She was almost too tired to fight back. The night of weeping, the exhaustion of all the morning preparations, the breakfast Bloody Mary and all this unaccustomed lunchtime wine had taken their toll. Why take on a battle she could never win?

Then she saw Teddy smiling at her proudly across the table. He did love her. He didn’t think she was old and dull. He was far too good to give up without some struggle.

‘Your home is very elegant, Lillian. Teddy was lucky to grow up in such a lovely place.’

‘Thank you.’ Lillian’s eyes were as hard as they had been last night. Now there was no attempt to conceal the hostility.

‘I can see why you don’t want to go away on holidays. You have everything here.’ Winnie hoped the smile was fixed securely to her face.

‘Oh, but I do like to travel, of course, and see things, visit places. Don’t you, Winnie? I mean, what are your holiday plans this year?’

Teddy had moved over to join them. He was smiling from one to the other. Things were going better than he had even dreamed. Suddenly, Winnie found herself describing Stone House to them both.

Lillian was interested. ‘It does sound good, like a retreat almost. And who do you think you would go with? I’m sure you can find someone, if it’s as good as you say. It’s the sort of place I’d love to go to myself, and I’d have thought it would appeal to a more sophisticated clientele. Do you know anyone who would like it? One of your nursing friends? Or are they all sun-lovers?’ She was not letting it go.

‘Yes indeed, you’re right there, but not everyone wants to escape to the sun when it gets cold here,’ Winnie floundered. ‘I actually like the wind and rain when the place is beautiful, and there’s going to be a nice hot bath and a good dinner at the end of the day. I’m sure a lot of people feel the same.’

‘You’re bound to find someone.’ Lillian was patronising.

‘I was thinking that perhaps Teddy would come with me,’ she said, emboldened by drink and brave as a lion.

‘Teddy!’ Lillian seemed as alarmed as if the name of an international war criminal had been suggested.

‘What a wonderful idea!’ Teddy said, delighted. ‘That part of the country is very unspoiled, and winter would be much more attractive than going with the crowds in summer. Will we be able to get a booking, do you think?’

‘It won’t be any problem,’ Winnie said.

Teddy looked as if all his birthdays had come at once.

‘Why don’t we all go?’ he said. ‘It sounds so wonderful, and now that you’ve got to know each other, wouldn’t it be great if the three of us went?’ He looked from his mother to his girlfriend, enchanted with the way things had fallen out.

How could he have been unaware of the stunned silence that greeted his remark? But it seemed to have passed him by.

‘I can’t think of anything I would like more,’ he said, looking again from one face to the other.

It was Lillian who first found the breath to speak. ‘Of course, as you just said it might in fact be difficult to get a booking,’ she began tentatively.

It was now up to Winnie. Any intelligent response deserted her. She found herself only able to speak the truth. ‘I sort of provisionally booked a week already.’ Winnie looked at the ground.

‘Well isn’t that just great?’ Teddy was overjoyed. ‘Now it’s settled. What date is that?’

Winnie stumbled out the date. This could not be happening. He could not want to bring his mother on their holiday? If they ever did marry, would he invite her on the honeymoon as well? Please God make the date impossible.

She saw Teddy’s face had clouded over.

‘Oh no! That’s the week of the cheesemakers’ conference. That’s the only week in the year I can’t make,’ he said.

Winnie thanked God from the bottom of her heart, and said she would pay much more attention to Him in future.

‘Oh well, it was silly of me to make a booking without checking but it was only a vague arrangement. I’ll call them and tell them . . .’ Winnie was apologetic, and hoped that her relief didn’t show.