Sue Moorcroft - A Summer to Remember

Genevieve immediately hurried to join them at the truck. ‘I’ll help you.’ And before Aaron could react, she’d ushered Nelson into the back seat of the cab and taken her customary spot in the front.

‘Thank you,’ said Clancy politely, climbing into the back alongside the dog. Aaron suspected that Clancy took refuge in absolute courtesy when she didn’t want people to read her too accurately.

He took the driver’s seat and Genevieve twisted round as Aaron turned in the road, telling Clancy about her favourite subject: waking up one day to a substantial crack in her kitchen wall and discovering the ground was subsiding around the foundations of her cottage. ‘There must have been water leaking underground for ages, the builder thinks.’

Reaching De Silva House in less than a minute, Aaron reversed up to the double doors in the storage area beneath Aunt Norma’s flat, and they all climbed out of the truck.

Aaron turned to Clancy. ‘You’ll appreciate that Lee long ago disposed of his half of their furniture.’ He hauled one of the doors open with a rumble and a creak to reveal a dim interior of sheets flung over large objects.

They began removing dust sheets – disturbing a lot of dust – and assessed what lay beneath. ‘Two beds, a sofa and chairs, a couple of tables and a cabinet. Might as well take it all.’ Aaron indicated a stack of boxes. ‘These came from the Roundhouse too.’ The boxes contained crockery and kitchen equipment, books and ornaments. Then came Alice’s things. Clothes and shoes. Dusty make-up. An outdated laptop and a jumble of pens and paperwork.

Clancy stared at it all. ‘I hadn’t thought about what happened to Alice’s things. I suppose I ought to take them rather than leave them to inconvenience your parents.’

Genevieve came to peer over her shoulder. ‘Where is Alice these days, anyway? Can’t you send them to her? We were quite friendly when she lived here but now I never hear from her at all.’

‘I have an email address. I don’t actually know where she is,’ said Clancy absently, folding the flaps of the box closed again. ‘She moves around a lot.’

Genevieve sounded fascinated. ‘How mysterious she became! Did she really just sneak out while you were on the phone that day?’

‘If you don’t mind taking the boxes, that would be great,’ Aaron interrupted. He was beginning to wish Genevieve hadn’t tagged along on this expedition. He could do without the village rehashing ‘poor Lee being jilted’, especially now Lee was living locally again.

Clancy rose, dusting off the knees of her jeans. ‘Let’s get everything to the Roundhouse and then I can let you two get on with your Sunday.’

Genevieve smiled and patted Aaron’s bum as she passed, as if to emphasise their closeness. ‘I’ll lay a couple of the dust sheets in the bed of the truck. If I know you it’ll be filled with grass and soil.’

Aaron suppressed a snippy remark about the function of the truck being to transport lawn mowers and plants and merely said, ‘Thanks.’

It didn’t take them too long to load up and Genevieve chattered happily to Clancy as they drove down to the Roundhouse, and all through the process of unloading.

Conversely, Aaron found himself working in silent frustration, especially when Genevieve giggled madly at having to squeeze and wiggle the springy mattress through the door at the top of the second flight of stairs, Clancy apparently having chosen the loft as her bedroom.

At that point Clancy called a halt. ‘Thank you both. I can manage from here. Would you like a cuppa before you head off?’

Genevieve blew her hair out of her face. ‘Love one! And Nelson adores a saucer of coffee if there’s enough going.’ She’d obviously taken to Clancy and when she’d settled beside her on the sofa Genevieve returned to her preoccupation with her housing issues. ‘Not being able to live in my place during the building works is going to be a nightmare. I’ve got a whopping excess of a thousand pounds to pay so I’ve nothing spare for rent.’

Clancy blew her coffee. ‘Your insurance company wouldn’t expect you to live under a hedge. They should meet a reasonable rent.’

Aaron paused. He didn’t remember this point being aired before.

But Genevieve was quick with an answer. ‘There’s nowhere available to rent in the village, but the main thing is that I’ll save loads on the utility bills if I can find someone to stay with, which will mean I can afford the thousand pounds.’

Aaron began drinking again. That was true. Genevieve didn’t have a well-paid job and, accordingly, only modest savings.

But Clancy hadn’t finished exploring the subject. ‘That could work in your favour because if there’s nowhere to rent in Nelson’s Bar, they should let you move into the village B&B instead. A B&B rate being inclusive, the utilities won’t come into it so you’ll save just the same.’ She glanced at Genevieve with a faint smile. ‘I interned with an insurance giant when I was doing my MBA.’

‘Oh,’ said Genevieve, smile fading. ‘I suppose I could see if the insurance company will wear it.’ Cheeks suddenly rosy, she kept her gaze away from Aaron’s.

‘I don’t think they have a choice, but I’m happy to talk to them for you if you encounter resistance. You’ve helped me today.’ Clancy began to smile. But then she looked from Genevieve to Aaron and back and whatever she read in their body language caused doubt to flicker in her eyes.

Genevieve drained her coffee. ‘Thank you. It seems my knotty problem isn’t a knotty problem after all. I should have known to ask the insurance company about alternatives.’

Aaron rose, as awkward for Genevieve’s obvious discomfort as it was possible to feel at the same time as being so relieved his whole spine flexed. He wanted to hug both women: Clancy in jubilation for resolving the Genevieve situation without apparently trying … but Genevieve in consolation because he felt guilty. It was really tough to disappoint someone you were fond of. But now she had no reason to pressure him he hoped Gen would return to her old independence and their relationship could revert to the easy-going thing it used to be.

He became aware of Gen’s eyes on him, as if she were reading his mind, seeing and being hurt by his relief, so he hunted for a neutral subject. ‘Clancy, are you starting work tomorrow? It might be a good idea for us to run through things in more detail.’

Clancy nodded. ‘That would be great.’

They arranged a time for first thing tomorrow, Monday, then Aaron and Genevieve said their goodbyes, Nelson stretching and shaking in preparation for leaving.

Outside, the sky had become inky and big drops of rain had begun to spatter the dust of the lane as Aaron opened the passenger door of the truck. ‘Gen, I’m giving Mum a ride to visit Aunt Norma. Fancy coming along?’

Genevieve was standing still, staring up Droody Road towards the centre of the village. ‘I think I’d better go home and examine my insurance policy,’ she said, all signs of her earlier vivaciousness gone.

As he had so often lately, Aaron experienced an uneasy feeling of guilt, which prompted resentment that he felt it. ‘Want me to ask Mum and Dad if you can store your furniture with them if Clancy’s B&B idea works out?’ He winced, conscious he’d called it Clancy’s idea as if to distance himself from it.

She shook her head, still not looking at him and ignoring the rain pattering on the leaves of nearby trees. ‘If the insurance will pay for the B&B then they’ll pay for my furniture storage.’

‘OK. Hop in. I’ll give you a lift home. It’s going to pour down.’ He clicked his fingers to tell Nelson to jump in the back seat. Big, hairy dogs took a lot of drying.