Page 74 of Wild Swimming at Croftwood Lake
‘I’m so sorry, but I’m not feeling too well. I’m going to head to bed.’
‘Oh, Nora, is there anything you need? Perhaps the food was too rich,’ Constance said, looking concerned.
‘Thank you. I’ll be fine. It’s nothing a good sleep won’t fix.’ She was certain it wasn’t the food since she’d barely eaten anything at dinner.
As she left the room, she heard Betsy say, ‘Do you think she’s pregnant?’
‘I don’t think so, darling. Archie says she’s had a bug. It’s not exactly morning sickness at this time of night, is it?’
Nora lingered outside the door. She remembered Val had said the same thing. Was she being stupid not to consider that? However reliable it had been until now, the pill wasn’t a hundred percent effective.
‘I had a friend who was sick at all times of the day and night when she was pregnant. But you’re right, she’s probably too old, anyway.’
Nora was aghast at this comment and had to stifle a giggle as she crept away from the door and went upstairs. Perhaps to Betsy, who was probably almost ten years younger than her, she seemed old, but certainly not too old.
She lay in bed, one hand on Tatty, who was dozing on top of the covers and snuggled into her side, mulling over what Betsy had said. She’d dismissed the idea that she might be pregnant because she was on the pill. All the time she’d been with Julian, she’d had no cause to worry, but then it felt as if they’d had less sex in the past twenty years than she and Archie had had since they’d met. Surely it didn’t become less effective the more work it had to do?
She was spiralling. But tomorrow she’d buy a pregnancy test to put her mind at rest. Being stressed about it wouldn’t help her shake off the virus or whatever it was.
27
NORA HAD BEEN asleep when Archie got back from the pub last night. They hadn’t stayed out late but his mother said that Nora hadn’t been feeling well so had gone to bed early, He hoped that’s what had happened and it wasn’t that his sister had been too much to deal with.
He woke the following morning to find Nora gone. He checked his phone and found a message from her saying she felt better and had gone to the lake and she’d be back after lunch. It was after nine now, so even if he went down to the lake she probably would have left by now. She’d pop home for a shower and some peace and quiet and that was completely understandable.
Archie and Caspar had a surprisingly good time at the pub. Away from the rest of the family, Archie found Caspar good company. He loved Betsy but was under no illusions as to how difficult she could be at times.
‘She’s got a bee in her bonnet about this vase,’ he told Archie. ‘I think she forgets that although she’s part of the family, she’s not in that sense anymore. She sees the estate as belonging to the family rather than to you.’
‘I can understand that. She was young when Papa died, so technically I was looking after her financially, and there was never a time when she was told she had to stand on her own two feet.’
‘To be frank, it doesn’t sit well with me that we live in your flat rent-free. I’ve tried to put my foot down about it but the fact is we’d have to move out of central London to find somewhere affordable and she won’t leave Chelsea. The idea of living in the suburbs horrifies her.’
Archie laughed. ‘I can imagine. I’m glad we’re having this conversation, Caspar. I only hear through Mama what Betsy says about your circumstances. I didn’t want to assume anything. And if things were difficult for you, of course I’d want to try and help.’
Caspar shook his head. ‘I can only imagine how tough it is keeping Croftwood Court going. I’ve said to Betsy, it’s wrong to expect anything from you when all you’re doing is trying to preserve the place for your family. For Florence.’
‘It’s a constant headache. The bloody roof has cost a fortune to repair and even then, it’s thousands for a relatively temporary fix. That’s where the money from the vase went. And towards the set-up costs of the wild-swimming at the lake.’
‘Look, Archie. I think we both know your sister well enough to know that she’s not going to change. And for me, I wouldn’t want her to change. High-maintenance as she is, she’s the woman I fell in love with,’ he said. ‘But let’s do each other a favour and agree that Betsy and I don’t need any help. So even if she asks, know that it isn’t coming from me.’
‘In that case, we must also agree that if anything changes, you come to me. I can’t guarantee that I can do an awful lot to help financially, but I’d want to try. Florence is the sole heir to the estate, so it’s only right.’
‘Deal,’ said Caspar. ‘Same again?’
Archie felt much more positive about the rest of the weekend now that he and Caspar were working as one. Betsy’s comments about the vase continued but he found it easy to stand his ground, explaining what the money had been spent on, and even going so far as taking her into the bedroom upstairs where the ceiling had collapsed. It was still in a state of disrepair since he had been concentrating on fixing the cause; the interior side of the repairs could wait without causing any further trouble.
‘I had no idea it was this bad, Archie,’ she said. ‘When Mama said the roof was leaking I didn’t think it was on this scale at all.’
‘It’s not for you to worry about,’ Archie said, kindly. ‘But also, I need every penny I can get my hands on to stop the place from crumbling around us. None of the investment in the lake or the Christmas market is giving me or Mama any income. Everything is going into the estate.’
‘It doesn’t seem right that you’re not benefiting when you’re working so hard,’ said Betsy, doing an about-turn.
‘I have enough from the wage I pay myself from the money we receive from the trust. I don’t need much.’
‘You need to buy some trendier jeans,’ she said. ‘And I don’t mean from the place in Croftwood where Dad used to get all of his clothes.’
Archie didn’t mention that his latest wardrobe additions had all been from there.
