Katie Fforde - Going Dutch

'I do wish Jo had been a bit more specific than just "red wine" ', said Dora, looking at the rows of bottles in the wine aisle. 'I don't know much about wine.'

‘I'll choose it if you like,' said Tom.

‘You drink home-made wine a lot of the time. I'm not sure I trust your palate.'

‘My palate is fine, we just don't want to spend too much of Jo's money. Although I will buy a bottle. I ought to. I'm always having meals with you two.'

‘That would be nice but we still haven't decided what to have. John always chose the wine when we went out. I just drank it.'

‘Mm,' said Tom speculatively, in a way that made Dora glance anxiously at him.

‘But I can read a wine list as well as anyone! Honestly, you've got me so I daren't say anything in case you turn it into a dare.’

He laughed. 'I promise to give you lots of warning when I do it next time. I do admit that the first two were rather sprung on you.'

‘Kinda!'

‘You know one of them is to go to a festival?'

‘How could I forget?' said Dora trying to sound breezy and unconcerned.

‘So you can't say I've sprung that one on you. It's just a shame I haven't managed to get tickets for the one I really wanted to take you to.'

‘That is a shame.’

Tom gave her a sideways glance but let the subject drop. Dora was sure he knew exactly how unenthusiastic she felt about music festivals. She was glad that he changed the subject. 'Do you know why Jo decided to cook Sunday lunch today? It seems a bit barking to me, when she obviously doesn't do it every Sunday.'

‘Well, I'm not a mind reader, but I think it's to do with yesterday.'

‘Yesterday?’

Dora nodded, picking up a bottle of red that was part of an offer. 'What about this? It's a bogof.'

‘I'm all for buy-one-get-one-free.' He took the bottle from Dora and inspected the label. 'So what did you do yesterday?'

‘We went back to her old home. It was horrid for her. She didn't say much but I could tell she felt as if her past hadbeen swept away by her husband's new girl. It really shook her confidence. I think the big meal is a way of reminding herself that she does have skills.'

‘But of course she's got skills! What about that restoration stuff she's doing?’

Dora shook her head and loaded the trolley with bottles. 'I know. I think the cooking thing represents what she did before and she wants to prove she isn't rubbish at it, or something.' The fact that Jo hadn't been able to have more than one child probably made her feel pretty worthless, she reflected, although she didn't share that thought with Tom. She also didn't think he was very interested in Jo's psyche but he was polite enough not to look bored. 'If we get six bottles there's quite a good discount, and it'll come in handy.'

‘I don't know if we should buy six bottles of wine with Jo's money,' Tom objected. 'I know, we'll buy three and she can buy three, then we don't have to feel guilty about eating with her all the time.'

‘I don't feel guilty,' said Dora primly. 'I'm a lodger. My meals are thrown in.'

‘I'll pay for the extra wine then. What else is on the list?’

‘Something to make crumble with, but we mustn't be too long. There's still all that stuff in the passage.’

The stuff had all been crammed back into the glory hole. The cabin had been hoovered and the table was set. Jo was kneeling on the floor staring into the oven as if it contained the secrets of the universe when Dora and Tom came back.

‘What are you hoping to see?' asked Tom curiously.

Jo sighed, slammed the oven door shut and got to her feet. 'The meat is already resting and now I'm trying to decide if the potatoes will ever brown or if I should take them over to Tilly's. She's got a fabulous state-of-the-art cooker. Did you get the wine? Goodo. Let's open a bottle. I'll need it for the gravy, anyway.'

‘We bought six bottles. There was a discount. But Tom's paying for three of them.' Dora looked at Tom, waiting for him to get his wallet out.

‘Oh no, don't pay for the wine!' Jo flapped at him as he reached into his back pocket. 'You're clearing out the forepeak, and coming with us to Holland – if Marcus agrees of course. I think you've earned some wine.'

‘Oh God, Jo! You've cleared the passage! We were going to do it!'

‘I got in a panic. He'll be here in a minute. You could organise it a bit better in the glory hole, so it looks as if it could be somewhere to sleep, eventually.'

‘I bought some flowers,' said Dora. 'They definitely are a present. They were reduced,' she added. 'So I bought two bunches.'

‘You honey! They're just what we need! Thank you so much. Put them in a jug. I think there's one that would suit.’

Dora put the irises in a jug, as instructed. Tom opened a bottle of wine and stowed the other bottles in the rack that was built into the worktop. Jo opened the oven door again. 'It's no good,' she said. 'I'm going to Tilly's with these. They're never going to get brown.’

Dora edged Jo out of the way and had a look. 'He's not even here yet. You're not going to put lunch on the table the moment he appears, you'll give him a drink first. I should think you've got time for them to brown. Why don't you take a glass of wine into the back cabin and make yourself tidy?’

Jo looked at Dora. 'You know, I think it's a good thing you've got bossy since moving in with me. Tom, pour me a glass of something soothing.’

It was cooler in her cabin. Jo put down her glass and burrowed in a locker for her make-up bag. Since the parade of boats, she had kept everything hidden away. When Marcus had inspected his quarters, she'd set up her dressing table again. It was only the surface area of a box of tissues, but she liked having a hairbrush and a lipstick to hand.

Now she tipped her make-up out on to the bunk and found the tube of cream that Karen had given her: 'Guaranteed to lift your eye-bags, Mum.' Sadly, she felt nothing could do that but as the cream did seem to encourage her make-up to stay on a bit longer, she found it useful.

Next she applied another expensive product, paid for by her, this time. This 'contained light-reflective particles', and a whole list of technical-sounding chemicals which promised youth-enhancing improvements 'to the dark circles and puffiness' under her eyes. She didn't really think you could apply youth from the outside, via a beautiful little pot, but she did it anyway, more from superstition than anything else.

Meeting her ex-husband's new woman yesterday, and knowing that Marcus also had a very much younger partner, made the normal insecurities that every woman has about their appearance even worse. She wasn't just keeping her end up with other women of the same age, she was trying not to look like a hag, knowing it was almost impossible, given her age. Compared to Samantha and Carole, she was bound to.

She sprayed herself with Chanel No. 19. As Karen had used to borrow this from her, she presumed it wasn't an old-lady scent. Then she dipped her fingers in a hair product also filled with gravity-defying properties, and teased at her curls. Why hadn't she noticed sooner how badly her hair needed cutting?

‘Jo?’

Dora's tentative voice made Jo put down the nail scissors just in time. 'Yes?'

‘A pinger has just gone. Do you want me to do something?'

‘No, I'd better come.’

Hastily, she hid everything again, and then went to see what had gone on in the galley while her back had been turned.

‘I'm sorry I'm late,' said Marcus, over an hour after Jo had applied her make-up. 'I got held up.’

He didn't seem sorry but he did seem annoyed. Hm, thought Jo, adding 'moody' to her list of his characteristics.