The Golden Oldies Guesthouse (ARC) Read online

  At that moment Tess came in and asked, ‘What would you like to drink, Jackie? How about a brandy and ginger, so you don’t have to mix your drinks too much?’

  ‘Yes, please,’ Jackie replied. She turned back to Celia. ‘I tried to stop him but…’

  ‘It was a terrible picture anyway, so no loss. I’ll paint you another one.’

  ‘Oh, Celia, that’s so sweet of you! But no, you don’t have to do that!’

  Celia didn’t reply.

  Jackie’s brandy arrived at the same time as Dominic, who sat down with his vodka tonic, said, ‘Good evening’ but made no comment on her appearance.

  ‘Did you go to Penzance today?’ Celia asked him.

  ‘Oh yes,’ Dominic said. ‘And I had a look at St Ives, too. What a charming place! Pity there’s so many tourists, though. Have you ever been there?’

  ‘No,’ Celia replied.

  ‘Well, you should go. It’s a mecca for artists, something to do with the light down there.’

  ‘I’ll think about it,’ Celia said.

  They chatted about the lovely weather, the tourists and the traffic, the ridiculous cost of fuel.

  As usual there was no sign of Titania as they wandered through to the dining room. She was always late and Jackie noticed that she always smelled of gin, so she obviously had a bottle in her room. They’d almost finished their starters when Titania swanned in, clad in a full-length orange kaftan.

  ‘Have you had a good day, Titania?’ Dominic asked politely.

  ‘Quite interesting,’ Titania replied, ‘did a bit of exploring.’ Her eye alighted on Jackie. ‘You been in the boxing ring? Hope you knocked him out. Where is he anyway?’

  Jackie smiled but didn’t reply.

  ‘Her husband’s had to go back,’ Celia said, glaring at Titania. ‘So, where did you go today?’

  ‘Oh, just decided to have a look at some of the south coast,’ Titania said. ‘And I have to say it’s quite exhausted me. I think I shall be having an early night.’

  The meal continued without any further reference to Jackie or the missing husband. And, as Jackie headed upstairs afterwards, it struck her that she’d hardly ever slept on her own in the thirty-seven years she’d been married to Joe. She wondered if she’d be able to sleep. Would she lie awake and worry all night? Would she regret not leaving with him?

  She watched an old episode of Morse on television for a while, then began to feel her eyelids becoming heavy, switched off the light and was fast asleep within minutes.

  Eight blissful hours, and she didn’t wake up once.

  28

  ORLA

  Tess felt utterly exhausted. She shouldn’t complain, she told herself, because their guests were all really easy-going. They went out a lot, they rarely wanted lunch, they complimented her on her cooking, they didn’t have parties or make a noise. Apart from Joe Merryweather there had been no upsets of any kind. And Gina helped with the cleaning upstairs five days a week. No, she had nothing whatsoever to complain about.

  It was just that she and Simon didn’t actually ever go anywhere. They didn’t go for an evening to the cinema, mainly because it was some distance away, and the only theatres were in Plymouth, which was even further. There were few restaurants nearby and their only escape was to go for a drink down to the pub, which had a limited appeal. This was not how she imagined spending her retirement years.

  And then Orla rang to say Ricky was delivering something-or-other to Redruth and Truro, and he could drop her off nearby, so could she come to stay for a few days? ‘I know you’re busy,’ she said, ‘but I could give you a hand. And I’m very happy to sleep in Buckingham Palace.’

  ‘Windsor Castle,’ Tess corrected her, ‘and I’d love it if you came!’

  Orla! How she missed Orla’s company, her banter, her humour! And she couldn’t wait to get Orla’s reaction, after the chaotic Christmas visit, now that the work was completed. She couldn’t wait either to get Orla’s reaction to their guests, either. Knowing Orla, she’d have plenty to say.

  The plan was that Ricky would drop Orla off at Bodmin before driving on south and, because he’d be returning overnight or early the next day, Orla would need to make her own way home. Anyway, Orla was coming and Tess cheered up.

  Ricky was due in Bodmin about noon and Orla would keep in touch by phone to let Tess know if they were running late. Fortunately, it was a day when everyone was out, no one wanted lunch and Tess got her chores done early before setting off in the Land Rover for Bodmin, where Ricky arrived, bang on schedule, with several hundred television sets and Orla.

  ‘If you get fed up of her,’ Ricky said, ‘I’ll be heading back upcountry in the early hours!’

  ‘I’ll bear it in mind,’ Tess said as she embraced her friend.

  ‘Here’s me thinking you’d be all bronzed and beautiful,’ Orla said as she clambered into the Land Rover, ‘and you’re white as a sheet!’

  ‘That,’ said Tess, ‘is because I spend most of the day working, not lying around in the sun like some people I know.’

  ‘Ah well, I’m here to top up my tan, and it’s time we got started on yours. You look tired, Tess.’

  ‘I shouldn’t be,’ Tess said. ‘We’ve only been open a few weeks and it isn’t really hard work, particularly as I’ve got Gina doing upstairs five days a week. But you just have to be there most of the time. And we had such a manic winter and spring trying to get everything finished off so we could open at the beginning of May.’

  ‘You should have had a holiday before your guests arrived,’ Orla remarked.

  ‘Well, that would have been nice but there was neither the time nor the money.’

  ‘Never mind, we’ll get out and about now I’m here.’

  * * *

  ‘I told everyone I’m off to stay at Buckingham Palace,’ Orla said as she carried her case across to the caravan. ‘And you should have seen their faces!’

  ‘You’re not, it’s Windsor Castle,’ Tess said. ‘I’m sorry the facilities are a tad limited, but the toilet’s fine for a pee, there’s hot water, and you can come across to our shower room for everything else. I’ll give you a key to the house, and don’t forget there’s a loo in the laundry room, too.’

  ‘I’ll be fine,’ said Orla, ‘and I can’t wait to meet your zany guests.’

  Tess laughed. ‘Simon keeps saying, if you were casting a play with four completely diverse and eccentric characters, you couldn’t do better than our lot!’

  ‘I need to see what you’ve done to the house now your guests are out,’ Orla said.

  Half an hour later Tess gave her the guided tour.

  ‘My God!’ Orla exclaimed as Tess showed her upstairs, with Simon on the lookout in case any of their guests returned unexpectedly. ‘Now, whatever happened to that bathroom we were all queueing for? With the rope from the cistern?’

  ‘It’s been divided into two en suites,’ Tess explained, showing Orla the two gleaming bathrooms attached to the front bedrooms. ‘We sacrificed the two small bedrooms to make bathrooms for the two rooms at the rear.’

  ‘Unbelievable! You’ve had some work done up here. And what about all the painting and curtains and everything? Did you do that?’

  ‘Most of it,’ Tess admitted.

  ‘Well, no wonder you’re knackered.’

  ‘You haven’t seen downstairs yet,’ Tess said as she re-locked all the bedroom doors.

  Orla loved it all. ‘You’ve got a proper kitchen! And radiators everywhere!’ She looked in amazement at Tess and Simon’s bedroom. ‘Wasn’t this our lounge at Christmas?’

  Tess then led her into the two public rooms at the back and, as she pressed the switches, offered up a swift prayer that they’d open fully without any problems. And they did.

  ‘Oh, my word,’ said Orla, ‘I’m running out of adjectives!’ She looked longingly at the terrace bathed in sunshine. ‘Can we sit out here?’

  ‘Of course we can,’ Tess replied. ‘Stretch yourself out o
n a sun bed and I’ll get us some sandwiches. You must be starving.’

  Simon had already thought of that and appeared with a platter of sandwiches, a bottle of Pinot Grigio and two glasses. ‘Sit down!’ he ordered Tess. ‘Don’t move!’

  As they lunched Tess gave Orla the lowdown on their guests.

  ‘They’re all nice enough; the only horrible one left a week ago,’ Tess said, ‘and left his wife, Jackie, behind. Or rather, I think she sent him packing. They had a rip-roaring row and he landed her one near her left eye, so she’s now all bruised. She’s wandering around like a lost soul because she hasn’t got a car or anything. Then there’s Celia, who must be about seventy, never married and very prim and proper. Then, our only remaining male, Dominic, who’s gay. He’s lovely and no trouble at all although Simon reckons he’s got the hots for Gideon, who’s the son of the publican down the road. Apparently, Dominic sits in there most evenings, gazing at Gideon, who’s not very worldly and probably has no idea whether he’s gay himself or not. And, last but not least, there’s Titania. What can I say about Titania? She was an actress back in the days of yore and she’s a walking, talking Norma Desmond, if you’ve seen Sunset Boulevard? You can’t miss her, she’s done up to the nines.’

  ‘I can hardly wait.’

  ‘The best way to meet them is for you to eat with them one evening. But not tonight! Tonight we’ll catch up with the gossip!’

  * * *

  The next day Tess and Orla had a stroll along the beach and climbed up Penhennon Cliff. Tess pointed out Celia sitting amidst the gorse bushes where she probably hoped no one would see her.

  ‘We won’t disturb her,’ Tess said, ‘and you’ll be meeting her later anyway.’

  Then Orla insisted on treating her to lunch at any pub other than The Portmerryn Arms.

  ‘Somewhere where we can sit outside and relax,’ Orla insisted.

  Only Jackie had wanted some sandwiches for lunch and Simon had said he was quite capable of putting some slices of bread together and that Tess should escape for a few hours while she had the chance.

  The pub they found near Boscastle had a pretty garden and tables beside the river. Tess drank a white wine spritzer because she was driving, and Orla had a couple of glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon. They chatted about family and friends, and the general state of the world, and the country, and the dreaded Brexit. If it were left to Tess and Orla to sort things out the world would, of course, be a much better place. With the sun on her limbs and listening to her friend’s banter, Tess was already beginning to feel better.

  ‘Tonight,’ said Orla, ‘I’m going to be eating with your guests. I can hardly wait!’

  ‘Well, Titania will be late because she knocks back gin in her room before she ventures downstairs. Dominic will have his vodka tonic and Daily Telegraph in the lounge, Celia will be reading a book and sipping an orange juice or something, and Jackie will be sunbathing all afternoon and ready to hit the wine. That’s it in a nutshell.’

  29

  COURSE WORK

  Jed was scratching his head. ‘No,’ he said to Gideon, who was with him behind the bar, ‘there’s no way I can pick you up every night at five o’clock for a whole bloody week! Can’t leave your mother ’ere on ’er own when it’s busy like this, can I?’

  Gideon looked crestfallen. Dominic couldn’t bear it; he’d have to say something.

  ‘You got transport problems then, Jed?’ he asked as casually as he could. He’d taken to sitting on a stool at the bar while Jed regaled him with swashbuckling tales of the region in between dishing out pints.

  ‘Oh, it’s just Gideon’s wantin’ to go on some fancy course next week in Bodmin, all about wine and cocktails and stuff. ’E’s got all them ideas about stockin’ more wines and makin’ them fancy drinks now we’re gettin’ all them furriners in ’ere.’

  ‘Well, that would seem to be very sensible,’ Dominic said.

  ‘Thing is,’ Jed went on, ‘’E could get a bus to Bodmin first thing, but there ain’t no bus comin’ back near that time. And I can’t be doin’ without me van all day, and I can’t be leavin’ Annie ’ere on her own in the evenin’.’

  Dominic didn’t want to appear too eager, but this was an opportunity not to be missed.

  ‘It’s not that far to Bodmin,’ he said, ‘so perhaps I could help?’ He avoided looking at Gideon. ‘I normally stop writing around four o’clock and I’ve time to kill until around half six to seven. And, Jed, I’m so grateful to you for all the detail you’ve given me for my book and this is the only way I can reciprocate.’

  ‘You’ve already given ’im a lift to Penzance.’

  ‘I was going there anyway, Jed.’

  ‘Well, that would be more than generous of you, Dominic. But five days?’

  ‘No problem.’ Dominic thought that Gideon might be blushing, or was it the light?

  ‘That would be great, wouldn’t it, Dad?’ he said, without meeting Dominic’s eye.

  Jed shrugged. ‘S’pose so.’ He turned to his son. ‘Don’t know why you’re so keen on doin’ this fancy stuff. We already got plenty of wine ’ere.’

  Gideon rolled his eyes. ‘You’ve got to get into the twenty-first century, Dad. We need a bigger selection of wine and we need to know how to make cocktails that people actually want to drink.’

  ‘Wot do our regulars want with bloomin’ cocktails?’ Jed snorted. He turned to Dominic. ‘’E gets all them ideas, does Gideon.’

  Dominic sighed. ‘Yes, but times change, Jed, don’t they? I mean, you get visitors all the year round now and there’s not many pubs round here specialising in cocktails, is there? It could become a destination pub and you’d have customers coming from all over the place once you get a reputation.’

  ‘That’s what I’ve been telling him,’ Gideon said, meeting Dominic’s eye at last and smiling.

  Dominic felt his heart give a little lurch. ‘Well, Gideon, if you tell me where the course is and what time it finishes, I can be outside waiting.’

  ‘Five o’clock each evening, at the Tregallen Hotel, starting on Monday. I’ll just go and register online. Thank you, Dominic.’

  ‘It’s a pleasure.’ Dominic felt his spirits soaring. He was tempted to offer to deliver Gideon to Bodmin each morning as well, but thought better of it. That would be overdoing it.

  * * *

  Dominic parked the Jaguar in the car park of the Tregallen Hotel at ten minutes to five on Monday. He checked his teeth, his hair and his fingernails as he waited. All seemed satisfactory. He hoped he hadn’t overdone the aftershave. He’d already had the car valeted inside and out.

  And then he saw Gideon appear with several others and once again felt a little shiver of anticipation.

  ‘This is very luxurious,’ Gideon said as he slid into the passenger seat. ‘Makes a change from Dad’s old van.’

  ‘Have you never considered having a car of your own?’ Dominic asked as he pulled out into the traffic.

  ‘I’ve had a couple in the past,’ Gideon said, ‘but they gave up the ghost. Haven’t really thought about replacing them, to be honest. I don’t go away that much.’

  ‘That’s a shame,’ Dominic said.

  ‘Anyhow, I’d never be able to have a posh car like this.’

  ‘Well, I’m nearly thirty years older than you, Gideon. And my work used to involve some travelling around.’

  ‘Up in London?’

  ‘Yes, up in London. Do you get up there much?’

  Gideon shook his head. ‘Only been a couple of times. Don’t like the noise, the traffic, everyone hurrying everywhere as if their lives depended on it.’

  ‘Good point. But where I live in Hampstead it’s very pleasant. Have you heard of Hampstead Heath?’

  ‘Yeah, I’ve heard of it. Sounds nice.’

  Dominic wanted to tell him he could come to stay any time he wanted. Perhaps he’d suggest it later in the week. Instead he asked, ‘How was the course?’

  ‘Really good,’ sa
id Gideon. ‘In the morning we had a talk from a winegrower from the south of France, Long-something.’

  ‘The Languedoc region?’

  ‘Yes, that was it! You’re very knowledgeable! We had some of their wine with our lunch. And this afternoon we learned how to make two American cocktails, an Old Fashioned and a Manhattan. Don’t suppose there’ll be much call for them in Portmerryn, though.’

  ‘You never know, Gideon. Visitors come here from all over the world.’

  ‘I’ve made notes.’ Gideon withdrew a large notebook from the depths of his bag. ‘I’ll forget otherwise.’

  ‘And you’ve never fancied having your own little pub or bar somewhere, like your brother?’

  ‘Never thought much about it, truth be known. Anyway, Mum and Dad are both in their seventies, you know, and need a bit of help. Moving around barrels and that sort of thing.’

  ‘I suppose so.’ Dominic gave him a sideways glance. Here was an attractive man in his forties, still living with his parents, and yet worldly enough to be interested in expanding his knowledge of wines and making cocktails. He’d admitted previously to not having had a girlfriend. Didn’t he feel the need for love, for having a family of his own? For sex? I have a week to find out, Dominic thought.

  As they arrived back at The Portmerryn Arms Gideon said, ‘Thanks so much, Dominic. Hope you’ll be down for your nightcap later? It’s on me!’ And he gave Dominic a cheeky wink.

  ‘Oh, I definitely will,’ Dominic replied.

  * * *

  Dominic found it difficult to concentrate on Tuesday. He sat, gazing out of the window, the laptop open and idle in front of him. He seemed unable to compose a coherent sentence. Whatever was the matter with him? It was almost as if, having planted that hydrangea in memory of Patrick, he felt a sense of release, his heart free to love again at last. But, as he knew to his cost, allowing someone into his heart always risked hurt. It had happened before; it would happen again.