Chapter 32
When Lauren had turned and left, Mimi reached for the largest of the cases on the pavement. ‘You don’t have to thank me,’ she said. ‘Is everything OK?’
‘Not really.’ Cora’s voice was subdued.
‘Oh sweetheart!’ Mimi took out her front door key. ‘Well, Marcus won’t be home for a while, so why don’t you come along inside and we’ll have a chat. You can tell me what’s on your mind.’
Together they hauled the cases inside the cottage. As she made a mug of tea for herself and found biscuits and apple juice for Cora, Mimi chatted about her time in Puerto Pollensa, about the tiny fish that darted through the shallows where the Mediterranean met the beach, and about the noisy birds she’d thrown crumbs to each morning on her terrace. Then they carried everything through to the living room and she sat down on the sofa, patting the seat next to her.
‘Come on then, what’s been happening? And you can tell me anything, you know. I won’t breathe a word to anyone, not unless you want me to.’
Cora looked alarmed. ‘I definitely don’t want you to.’
Oh Lord, what was this about? ‘Then it won’t happen, I promise. And I’m brilliant at keeping secrets. You wouldn’t believe how many incredible secrets I know.’
‘About who?’
‘Can’t tell you. It’s a secret.’
Cora smiled, and the tension in her skinny shoulders visibly reduced. She picked up one of the pink wafer biscuits that Marcus unaccountably loved and nibbled one end before pulling a face. ‘These are a bit weird.’
‘Yes, sorry about that. They’re Marcus’s favourites.’
‘Dad and Della aren’t seeing each other any more.’
Oh no, was that the problem? Mimi hesitated, then nodded. ‘I know, I heard. How do you feel about that?’
Cora shrugged. ‘All right. Della was OK, but I’m not upset they broke up.’
Well that was something. Mimi longed to know why it had happened, but she could hardly ask Cora. Instead she said, ‘Has it made things awkward between you and Charlotte?’
Another shrug. ‘A bit. But it was like, we were having to spend loads of time together before, and sometimes it felt like too much time, you know? Plus I wasn’t getting to see Lauren so much, even though she was my real best friend, because Della said me and Charlotte were best friends now. Except we never were, not really. It was just like we had to pretend everything we did was more fun than it really was.’
‘That can’t have been easy.’ Mimi’s heart went out to her.
‘But Della won’t bring Charlotte over here any more, so it’s better now.’
‘OK, that’s good!’ Rather than bombard her with questions, Mimi took a swallow of hot tea instead, and waited.
Finally Cora said, ‘I think Dad’s got another girlfriend now.’
The words echoed through Mimi’s brain like pebbles being dropped down a well. She had to catch her breath as they sank in. Because deep down, of course she’d been happy to hear that Cal and Della were no longer a couple. Deep, deep down, she’d fantasised that maybe she might stand a smidgeon of a chance with him after all.
Well so much for that idea. Cal was evidently wasting no time in moving on from one to the next; maybe the new woman in his life was the reason he’d broken up with Della. Mimi felt sick with disappointment, then a split second later sicker still, because this wasn’t about her. She was being confided in because Cora clearly wasn’t happy with the situation. And really, who could blame her? After years of mourning his wife and steering clear of the dating scene, Cal now appeared to be intent on making up for lost time.
‘And?’ Mimi saw the troubled expression in Cora’s eyes and gently stroked the back of her hand. ‘Do you think it’s a bit soon?’
Cora nodded fractionally. ‘Yes.’
‘Have you met her? Is she nice?’
‘She’s OK, but not right for Dad.’ Cora turned her head to look at Mimi. ‘Do you know who it is?’
Mimi was taken aback. ‘No, who?’
But Cora was shaking her head. ‘I can’t say.’
‘Sweetheart, that’s fine, you don’t have to if you don’t want to.’ Mimi wondered if Cal was seeing one of Cora’s teachers, which surely had the potential to be embarrassing.
‘I do want to. It just keeps going round and round in my mind. But I’m scared in case you talk to someone about it.’
‘OK, I one hundred per cent guarantee I won’t breathe a word. Cross my heart. Hang on.’ Mimi jumped up and collected the notepad and pen Marcus always kept in the kitchen for his beloved list-making, then returned and wrote: I hereby promise one million per cent not to say anything to anyone about Cora Mathieson’s secret. I will never ever talk about it. Signed: Mimi Huish.
Cora took the sheet of paper from her. She folded it carefully and pushed it into the pocket of her navy-blue school skirt. ‘You won’t be cross with me, will you?’
‘What? No, never.’ Mimi placed an arm around her shoulders. ‘And that’s another solid gold promise.’
She felt the big shuddery intake of breath, then Cora clasped her hands together in her lap. ‘It’s Lois.’
Now it was Mimi’s turn to be at a loss for words. Lois? More than that, she was knocked sideways. Was it true? Could it be? There’d never been any hint before that Cal and Lois might secretly be attracted to each other.
Then again, Cal had his morals; he would never have done anything to break up Lois and Felix’s marriage. But now that she’d moved out of Fox Court, maybe those rules no longer applied.
Cal and Lois. Oh God, Cal and Lois.
To give herself a few seconds to assimilate this information, Mimi reached over for her cup and took a gulp of tea. How? When? Why?
Finally she said, ‘Are you sure?’
‘Well, yes.’
‘Does your dad know you aren’t happy about it?’
Cora shook her head so vigorously her curls jiggled. ‘He doesn’t know I know.’
‘Does anyone else know? In the village, I mean?’
‘I don’t think so. I haven’t even told Lauren. Because Dad hasn’t said anything,’ Cora explained, ‘so it means they want to keep it a secret too.’
Poor Felix, he would be devastated. Cal was his friend. The fallout in the village once it became public knowledge would be major. No wonder Cal and Lois were so anxious to keep things under wraps.
‘How did you find out?’ Mimi asked cautiously.
‘Dad was painting in his studio last week. I said I was going to take Otto out with Lauren, then we’d watch a film at her place. But Lauren had to go to the orthodontist with her mum, so I just took Otto for a quick walk, then we came home.’ As she relayed the story, Cora edged closer to Mimi’s side and absently pulled at the frayed sleeve of her school sweatshirt. ‘Dad didn’t know we were back because me and Otto just went up to my room. And it was only when I looked out of the window about five minutes later that I saw Lois coming into our back garden. She didn’t ring the doorbell or anything, just came round the side and went straight over to the studio. Then she knocked on the door and Dad opened it, and they were just, like, standing there and really smiling at each other . . . then they went inside and closed the door.’ She rubbed the flat of her hand over her chin and said reluctantly, ‘They were in there for an hour.’
Hope rising, Mimi said, ‘Maybe your dad’s painting her portrait? They could be secretly doing it for her mum’s birthday, or just as a general surprise . . .’
But Cora was already shaking her head firmly. ‘I went over and checked, searched the whole studio. There wasn’t any painting, or any photos or sketches either, anywhere inside.’ She paused, scratched her bare knee, then blurted out, ‘And when they came out of the studio together, Dad had taken off his jumper so he was just wearing his shirt. And they were both looking happy, and kind of hot and out of breath.’
Oh God.
‘I’m not a baby.’ Cora’s cheeks flushed slightly. ‘I know what goes on. And it’s happened two more times since then as well. The exact same thing. The blinds in the studio are drawn and Dad’s fitted a new lock on the inside of the door so no one can get in, and it’s not that I hate Lois, because I don’t, I just don’t feel like she’s right for Dad. Plus, it’s too soon after breaking up with Della.’
‘I know, I know.’ Mimi gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze. ‘Oh you poor thing, no wonder you wanted to talk. It isn’t easy, is it?’
Cora shook her head. ‘I’m not being horrible, honestly. And I do want Dad to be happy. I used to imagine him with someone really nice. But this feels all wrong. I never thought he’d go for someone like Lois.’
Ditto. As she stroked Cora’s tangled blonde hair, Mimi recalled the phone conversation she’d had the other week when Lois had first told her about Cal and Della splitting up. Lois had said brightly, ‘Which means Cal’s back on the market. So that’s a bit exciting, isn’t it?’
It hadn’t crossed her mind at the time that Lois had meant it was exciting for her.
Aloud, she said, ‘Look, maybe it won’t last. Give them another couple of weeks and it might all be over.’
‘I hope so. Ben in my class has a new stepmother he doesn’t like, and he says having to live with her is awful.’
‘If you ever need to talk, I’m here.’ As she said it, Mimi recognised the sound of Marcus’s car pulling up outside. ‘We can chat about anything you want, any time you like.’
‘Thanks. And for letting us have that ride in the Bentley.’ Cora tilted her head, cornflower-blue eyes gazing up at her. ‘I’m really glad you’re back.’
Mimi smiled. ‘Me too.’
Although deep down, she was beginning to wonder now if this was true.