The Way We Were_ A Novel - Marcia Willett [48]
Just for a moment she allowed herself to wonder what it might be like to run Penharrow with Chris: just the two of them together. It was such an idyllic prospect that she deliberately blotted it out. Her conversation with Matt slid into her mind; their lunch date had had to be postponed, rearranged for next week, but she was very interested in his idea for The Place.
‘It would be quite a commitment,’ he'd said. Instinctively she shied away at such a thought – she liked to sit loose to things – but a tiny part of her was attracted by his ideas. She'd decided to wait until she saw Matt again before she gave the project too much thought; she knew that the chemistry between them would be crucial for such an undertaking.
A blast from a horn echoed up from the valley and she saw a dazzle of sun on a windscreen. A Land Rover bumped slowly across the lower slopes, herding sheep before it, whilst a rangy collie sped to and fro like a shadow at the outer edges of the flock. Liv stood looking down on Trescairn's chimneys and beyond to the stand of trees where the new pale green twiggy fingers of the larch contrasted sharply with the black pines: so many childhood memories. She stuck her hands in her pockets and began to climb higher, leaping and jumping amongst the granite slabs and bony ridges of the Tor.
1976
As the day of Pete's return approaches the twins grow more and more excited. Tiggy helps them to make a banner with the words ‘WELCOME HOME DADDY’ painted across it, which is to be strung outside the front door on the great day. They assemble paintings, things they've made at playschool or at home, and vie to outdo each other in amazing him with their prowess. Charlie, meanwhile, has taken his few first unsteady steps and the twins are rehearsing him for his great entrance. The plan is simple: the moment Pete opens the front door Charlie will be released from the kitchen to walk unaided into his father's arms.
They practise it over and over again; Julia has to be Pete noisily opening the door so as to give the alarm and then, once inside, crying: ‘Golly! Goodness me! Can this be Charlie? Walking? Oh, how wonderful!’ Tiggy has to hold Charlie in position with the twins whispering encouragement. ‘Wait! Not yet, Charlie. Wait. Listen for the door. Now!’ Then Tiggy releases him, pushing him gently towards Julia, while they watch breathlessly until he's achieved the full length of the hall, when they all cheer loudly. It takes many rehearsals before Charlie fully grasps what is expected of him but at last he connects the start of his marathon across the hall with the opening of the front door and he staggers forward, his eyes wide with amazement at his own cleverness, beaming delightedly and eagerly waiting for the round of applause from the anxious trio at the kitchen door as he falls into Julia's waiting arms.
‘The problem will be that the boat will dock at midnight and it'll be too late for Charlie to be up, or he'll be so surprised to see Pete that he'll be struck all of a heap and sit down on the floor,’ Julia prophesies. ‘I shall have to rehearse Pete on the way back from the dockyard.’
‘It'll be fun.’ Tiggy grins, remembering the latest rehearsal. ‘Charlie positively vibrates, you know, when I'm hanging on to him, waiting for him to go. He's like the Turk trying to get down a badger sett.’
‘Let's simply pray that the boat gets