Page 44 of New Beginnings At Pencarrow Bay
They’d patched up their differences, both apologetic about the part they’d played in the row last night, and were keen not to shadow the day.
‘Got trolleyed and stayed on the boat, is my guess,’ Ted suggested.
She was mildly annoyed with her son. ‘What shall I do about the lamb? It’ll need at least a couple of hours. Shall Istick with lunch or cook it tonight instead?’ She’d taken the meat out of the freezer the night before, and was intending to slow cook it with rosemary and lots of garlic.
‘Put it in. If he misses a delicious lunch, he can have leftovers later,’ Ted stated firmly.
Peggy let out a frustrated breath. Her son’s absence was ruining her image of a cosy family day, where Ted and Liam would bond over her excellent roast potatoes and succulent lamb, find out they had loads in common and agree to go on a jolly run together at the first possible opportunity. ‘Should I text him again?’
Ted’s expression was barely patient. ‘Leave him, Pegs. He’ll come home when he’s ready.’
Liam wasn’t ‘ready’, it seemed, till gone two. He slouched into the house looking like a down-and-out, his eyes red-rimmed, skin sweaty and pallid, a sour reek of alcohol coming off his body– apparent to Peggy even at a distance.
Having acknowledged his greeting, she regarded him in silence. Ted glanced up, then mutely bent his head to the remains of his lamb.
‘Sorry, sorry, really sorry, Mum. Bit of a bender. Forgot my phone was off.’ He slumped onto a kitchen chair, brushing his blond hair off his sticky forehead, his eyes glazed as they swept over the table. ‘Feel like shit.’
He looked, Peggy thought, as if he were about to throw up. ‘Go and have a shower and lie down,’ she said briskly.
Her son nodded. ‘Fun party. Met Gen. You probably know her?’
Ted’s head jerked up from his plate. ‘Gen Dixon? What was she doing on the boat?’
Liam shrugged. ‘Didn’t catch her last name. Runs the dress shop in the village.’ He had the grace to look a little sheepish. ‘We went back to hers.’
‘Jake’s girlfriend,’ Ted said dully, raising an eyebrow at Peggy.
Liam’s bloodshot eyes twitched. ‘Yeah, she might have mentioned that.’
Peggy sighed as she watched Liam get up and go over to the sink, where he gulped down two large glasses of water, then staggered off to bed to sleep off his hangover with a casual wave in her direction.
‘Sorry,’ she said, when he’d gone. Liam was certainly not an edifying sight, shambling about still half cut, stinking of alcohol, at two in the afternoon. Nor was his behaviour in hooking up with Jake’s girlfriend exactly dignified.
‘Poor old Jake,’ Ted commented drily.
They fell silent, consumed by their thoughts.
‘Not making excuses, obviously,’ Peggy said eventually, ‘but maybe this’ll spur Jake on to ignore his bossy mother and commit to Gen. She’s so attractive and charming. If he shilly-shallies much longer shewillfind someone else, not just a one-night stand.’ It was a tawdry image, though, the two of them together in a drunken stupor, and she tried to wipe it from her mind.
‘Hmm,’ Ted said, his tone noncommittal, although the implication was obvious: Ted was not impressed with Liam’s behaviour.
But she felt torn. She’d seen so little of Liam and Dan since they’d moved to Cornwall. So, having Liam ensconced in their guest room, knowing he would be there tomorrow, maybe the day after and the day after that, knowing shewould have proper time to talk alone with him in a relaxed environment and the chance to show how much she loved him… It was so unexpected, like gold dust.Was it really such a sin, her son letting off steam with his friends?she asked herself as she began to clear the lunch.Even if he did fail to text me and rolled in looking like death warmed up.But she found, unusually, that she didn’t want to share her thoughts with Ted– potentially creating more tension between them.
20
Peggy woke, after a restless night, to the sound of voices outside the open window that gave onto the terrace. Half asleep, she rolled onto her back to hear better.
‘Just wondering how long you might be planning on staying, Liam?’ she heard Ted say, his voice not unfriendly. She stiffened, waiting for her son’s reply.
Liam didn’t answer immediately. When he did, his tone sounded cagey. ‘Not sure, if that’s okay? Don’t have a plan yet.’ He hadn’t reappeared the previous day. But his hung-over presence in the guest room had cast a pall over Peggy and Ted’s evening, neither sure if he might want supper or company. ‘But I’m very grateful to you, obviously, for having me to stay. If I can do anything to help while I’m here…’ His gratitude and offer of help sounded a little half-hearted to Peggy.
There was silence for a moment, and she held her breath.
‘Thanks.’ Then a pause. ‘Listen, I know your mum is thrilled you’re here,’ Ted went on, ‘and I realize you needed a break. But your behaviour yesterday seemed a little disrespectful to her, if you don’t mind my saying.’
God, Peggy thought, wincing as she got out of bed. This careful politeness, bordering on hostility from them both, was agony to listen to.
‘I would never be disrespectful to Mum,’ Liam insistedfiercely. ‘I’ve apologized. I don’t know what else you want me to do.’
