Page 25 of One Snowy Day
And earlier, Val had confirmed that she hadn’t imagined the whole thing.
‘Like I said, it was a long time ago. Late nineties, I think. I know they had an affair, Jessie, and I’m so sorry to say that. But I can see from your face that you already knew, didn’t you?’
Jessie had nodded. ‘I knew. But go on.’
Val’s hand had slipped over hers. ‘If I remember rightly, it lasted a couple of months. My Don used to see them at the golf club and then he bumped into them once in Burnbank.’
‘The whole village knew?’
Val had flushed a little. ‘I don’t think so, but it wasn’t the best-kept secret. I’m so sorry, Jessie. For a long time, I felt guilty for not telling you, but I didn’t want to interfere in your family. We didn’t do that back then, did we? We let people keep their lives and their secrets to themselves.’
‘I’m glad you didn’t,’ Jessie had reassured her softly. ‘Because then I might have been forced to do something about it, instead of letting it blow over. Who knows, Val? We just all did what we thought was right and hoped for the best.’
‘So why bring it up after all this time, Jessie? Are you going to do something about it now?’
That was when she’d noticed that over at the basins, Georgie had finished applying Cathy’s colour.
Jessie had taken a deep breath, composed herself, ‘I don’t know. Right now, I’m going to act like nothing has happened and I’m going to enjoy this last party with you all, and then I’m going to think about this later.’ Her old compartmentalisation skills had come flooding right back to her. And they were still holding hertogether now, two hours later, when they all had brand-new hairstyles, hoarse throats from singing and sore cheeks from laughing too hard.
‘You’re all goddesses,’ Grant declared a few minutes later, surveying his finished work as he came back from reception with their coats.
‘Oh, I’ve had the time of my life,’ Cathy chirped, pulling on her duvet-esque fashion statement, before checking out her violet hair in the mirror.
‘Dear God, Aunt Cathy, you could house a family of campers in that coat.’
Cathy pursed her lips. ‘Grant McLean, I’m in my seventies and I have a secret stash of cash under my mattress. You’re still in my will, but I’ll be on to my lawyers tomorrow morning to change that situation if you keep that cheek up.’
‘I was just thinking that’s the loveliest coat I’ve ever seen,’ Grant replied, acting innocent, before blowing it with, ‘Does wonders for your cankles.’
This time, Cathy couldn’t even feign disapproval because she was laughing too hard.
Georgie held Jessie’s coat for her and as she slipped her arms into it, Georgie gave her a squeeze. ‘I’m just going to stay behind and clear up a few things here, Mum. I’ll see you at the party tonight. Do you need me to come early and give you a hand with anything?’
‘Not at all, love. Alyssa has got everything ready to go at the café and I just need to put on a sparkly frock, so we’ll be fine.’ Jessie turned to Grant. ‘What about you, son? Where are you off to now?’
‘Well, I figured you had enough to deal with without me messing up your spare room the night before you desert us for pastures new, so I’m staying with my lovely sister tonight.’ Hebumped shoulders with Georgie. ‘And I’m going to head there right now, because my niece is waiting for me and apparently we have an outfit to choose. I’ve no idea how I got to be the cool uncle, but I’ll take it.’
Cathy checked a text on her phone. ‘That’s Richie outside now and he’s still happy to drop you both off. Never get a taxi in this weather.’
‘Right then, let’s go, ladies,’ Jessie ushered her pals out ahead of her, leaving Grant and Georgie behind after another flurry of hugs.
At the door, Cathy spotted her second husband, the lovely Richie, waiting in his classic old Jag, engine running for heat. It was a miracle that it had got through the snow, but maybe the old ones really were the best. Jessie couldn’t help thinking how lucky Cathy had been. She’d had a lifetime of happiness with Duncan, and then after he passed, she’d had a second great love with Richie. And she deserved them both.
Cathy went on ahead, round to the passenger seat, while Jessie and Val made their way to the back door.
‘Are you okay, pal?’ Val asked quietly, and they both knew what she was referring to.
Jessie nodded. She considered taking Val’s hand, but they were both wearing gloves the size of oven mitts. ‘I am. I just have some thinking to do, but I’ll be fine.’
They got to Val’s house first, and before she climbed out, Jessie gave her a hug.
‘I’ll see you tonight, love.’
‘I’ll be there with bells on.’
Five minutes later, they pulled up outside Jessie’s house and she saw there were the lights in the downstairs windows. Stan was home.
‘Thank you both. Richie, you’re a gentleman – for giving me alift and putting up with this one,’ she gestured to Cathy, who let out a hoot of laughter, before responding.
