Page 50 of A Summer Wedding at Pennycress Inn
‘Honestly, Mum, you’ve been travelling. You must be shattered.’ She placed her hand on her mum’s forearm and gently guided her to face the sitting room door. ‘You go and put your feet up and I’ll bring some coffee and a nice slice of fruitcake through.’
Kathy laughed as she shook her head. ‘Oh, love, you know I’m not one for airs and graces. I can make my own coffee and yours too. I shan’t be waited on. I…’
‘But, Mum…’ Ellie watched as Kathy walked back across the hallway and into the kitchen, an immediate silence descending as soon as she’d stepped through the doorway. Her mum’s chatter silenced, Murray’s humming stopped short. She hurried into the kitchen behind her mum and paused as she watched both Murray and her mum standing there face to face with each other. Great. What now? How was she supposed to navigate this situation without it leading to nuclear fallout?
‘Mrs Newton.’ Murray found his voice first.
‘What on earth are you doing here, Murray?’ Kathy almost spat his name out.
Looking down at the tiles, Ellie pinched the bridge of her nose so tight she could almost feel the sting in her eyes. This meeting wasn’t going to end well if this was anything to go by.
‘I’m fixing the decking.’ Murray lowered the mug he was holding to the work surface.
‘Now, shall I get that coffee?’ Without waiting for an answer, Ellie hurried towards the work surface, catching Murray’s eye as she did and silently pleading with him to leave. She understood why her mum felt the way she did about Murray. It had been her parents who had had to pick up the pieces when he’d left her, but that still didn’t warrant this stare-off her mum was currently intent on having with him. ‘Mum?’
‘I should get back to work. Good to see you again, Mrs Newton,’ Murray mumbled before leaving the kitchen abruptly.
Ellie watched as he closed the glass door behind him before she forced herself to turn back to the cafetière and pour herself and her mum a mug. She added an extra sugar cube to hers before pouring in the milk and picking them both up. ‘Shall we go through to the sitting room now?’
‘Why is he here?’ Pulling her gaze from the French doors, Kathy turned to her daughter.
‘Umm, he’s working here, fixing the decking. It’s a small world, isn’t it?’ Ellie laughed nervously before walking towards the door, hoping her mum would follow.
‘You really should give up the sugar in your coffee, love. Not only does it spoil a perfectly good drink, but sugar is so bad for you.’ Kathy’s voice was quiet, devoid of emotion, and Ellie knew she hadn’t heard the last of Kathy’s views and concerns about Murray working at the same place she was. Oh, if only she knew.
‘I know. I will, Mum.’ Ellie refrained from telling her that she didn’t normally take two sugars and the only reason she’d added it into her coffee just then was to give her the energy to deal with the conversation she knew they were about to have. ‘Come through and sit down.’
‘Ooh, isn’t it lovely in here?’ Kathy lowered herself onto one of the large Chesterfield sofas and looked around the room, exclaiming over the decor.
‘It really is, Mum. Pennycress is a beautiful inn.’ After passing her mum her coffee, Ellie lowered herself onto the sofa opposite and drew her own mug to her lips, letting the sweet coffee hit her tastebuds.
‘And you’re working here too, what a coincidence! We’ll be able to spend lots of time together.’ Kathy grinned as she settled back against the sofa cushions.
‘Yes. But why did you choose to stay here and not at the cottage like you usually do?’ Ellie mentally kicked herself. What if her mum decided to change her mind and stay at Ellie’s instead? She’d realise Rick had all but cleared the cottage out, and Ellie would never hear the last of it. Kathy would accuse Rick of thieving and taking advantage of her, which he clearly had, but she didn’t have the energy to hear it over and over again from her mum. ‘And why didn’t you tell me you were coming?’
‘Oh, I’ve not heard from you in days, and you’ve not returned my calls or messages, so I wanted to check in on you myself.’
Drat, her mum had been trying to contact her, but she’d been so wrapped up in what was happening with her and Murray that she’d been putting off getting back to her. Oh, how she regretted that oversight right about now. ‘Sorry, I was just busy, what with my new business and everything.’
Kathy nodded curtly before continuing. ‘And I didn’t like to turn up unexpectedly at your house in case you and Rick had got back together. I didn’t want to impose whilst you were sorting things out.’
Ellie spat her coffee back out into her mug.
‘Eleanor! Manners. Have I taught you nothing?’ Kathy admonished her and pulled a tissue from her small handbag before passing it across the coffee table sitting between them.
‘Sorry, I was just surprised by that suggestion, that’s all.’ Taking the tissue, Ellie dabbed her lips dry. ‘Rick and I won’t be getting back together.’
‘Well, that’s a shame. He was a nice fellow, Rick was.’ Kathy frowned. ‘You don’t think you might rekindle your relationship?’
‘There’s no chance of that, Mum. No chance.’ Ellie shook her head vehemently.
‘Well, I hope your decision not to get back with Rick has nothing to do with him out there.’ Kathy waved her hand in the general direction of the kitchen as she emphasised the word ‘him’.
‘No! My decision to not get back with the perfect Rick is because he’s currently shacked up with the woman he was seeing behind my back!’ Seeing the look of horror on her mum’s face, Ellie instantly regretted spitting out the truth.
‘He was having an affair?’ Kathy blinked as she processed the thought that the once-perfect almost-son-in-law had been cheating on her daughter.
Ellie shrugged. ‘It’s a long story. Things weren’t going well between us, and our relationship had all but broken down, but, yes, he was seeing someone behind my back who he is now living with.’
