Page 23 of A Perfect Devon Pub
She slipped out of bed, showered, dressed and collected her wine books, taking them out into the garden. A neatly mown lawn served as a green backdrop for the flower beds still bursting with colour in the gentle autumn sun. There were clusters of dahlias, asters and late-flowering roses. She scrunched her way over fallen leaves to an apple tree, kicked aside a few windfalls and spread a blanket beneath the canopy. The lingering sweet smell of ripening apples hinted at autumn and the cider making season, but Fiona was soon lost in Spain, exploring the Tempranillo grape. For several hours, she followed that grape’s progress to South America and the excellent Chilean vineyards.
She was daydreaming about qualifying, paying Ru and her aunt back, and emigrating to work for one of the international hotels, travelling from one Michelin-starred restaurant to the next, when Ivy’s voice interrupted her. ‘I haven’t seen you all week. How are things?’
Did her aunt know that Ru was working at the pub? ‘Umm ...’ she muttered noncommittally.
‘Coffee?’ offered Ivy in a tone of voice Fiona recognized. Ivy might as well have added, ‘We need to talk.’
Fiona closed her book. ‘That would be lovely. Let me make it.’
‘No,’ said Ivy firmly. ‘Put your studies away. I’ll bring coffee and cake out in five.’
Fiona tidied her books into a pile, wishing it was as easy to assemble her thoughts and dreams. She felt adrift. If only Ru had listened to her, accepted her decision, allowed her to plotan alternative path after shattering her life plan. Being around him was confusing, sapping her energy and preventing her from moving on. She was focusing all her efforts on reinforcing the message that she was indifferent to him when, every time she saw him, she wanted to feel his arms encircle her.
Ivy returned with a tray and set it on a wooden table. Fiona joined her aunt, who passed her a mug and a plate with a large slice of cake. ‘It’s lemon drizzle. You always liked it as a child.’
‘Rose paid me again. I’ve left you some money towards the bills.’
‘I saw. You don’t need to do that.’
‘I do.’ Fiona wasn’t sponging off her retired aunt!
‘I spoke to your parents last night. I didn’t mention your finances, or your exam, of course, but I wish you would tell them. I know they would happily send you money.’
Fiona gritted her teeth. Ivy always thought the best of people, but this time she was wrong. Her parents were both incredibly successful in their field and they’d be terribly disappointed if they knew the truth: that their daughter was a failure. ‘Why did you call them?’
‘I didn’t. They called me. You should speak to them. They’d love to hear from you.’
‘Hmm.’ She didn’t want to talk to them until she had news worth sharing.
Deftly, Ivy changed the topic. ‘How’s it going?’
Fiona guessed her aunt was talking about Ru, hinting Fiona should contact him to sort out their affairs, but she didn’t want to think about her ex right now. ‘Well, I reckon I’m ready to apply to resit the exam.’ Just saying those words was energizing and she felt a jolt of confidence. After weeks of solitary study, she was sure the CMS would let her resit. The sommelier who’d broken the news of her failure had hinted that Fiona had been a narrow miss – this time she would pass.
‘Umm,’ said Ivy, biting into her cake.
‘You can’t just sit it. They have to allow you to take it.’
‘And what’s this certificate for?’
‘You make it sound so trivial!’ Fiona tried not to mind. ‘It’s the Advanced Sommelier exam. It takes place a few times a year, and each time there’s a limited number of candidates.’
Ivy put down her cake, wiping a crumb from her lip. ‘When are you planning to sort this out?’
‘I can apply to take the exam from anywhere.’
‘I wasn’t referring to the exam.’
Knowing Ivy would find out from Trish anyway, Fiona blurted out, ‘Ru’s working in the pub.’
‘Ah. God moves in mysterious ways.’ Ivy smiled. It was a knowing smile, the sort people gave when they were seeking another’s acknowledgement of being bested, and it made Fiona question if her aunt had already known Ru was in Brambleton. Had the pair plotted this? Is that how Ru had discovered George was looking for an assistant?
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ demanded Fiona.
‘Nothing.’ said Ivy, clearing the plates. ‘I’ll take these in, so we don’t attract insects. You can let me know when you want to talk. I only stopped off because I was gasping for a drink. I’ve got another service to cover. See you later.’
Fiona watched her aunt’s retreating back. Ivy hadn’t called in because she was thirsty. Coffee and biscuits followed every service, allowing the congregation to mingle. Had Ruben put her aunt up to this cosy little chat?
Eleven
