Page 66 of Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure

“Come on, then. Show me your mansion,” he said.

Ellie took him around the villa.

“I must say you’ve landed on your feet,” he said. “This place is bloody impressive.”

“Make sure you tell your father,” she said. “And Michelle.”

Chapter 26

Colin did not stay long, turned down the offer of a glass of wine and went to depart in the little red sports car. Ellie walked him down the avenue of palm trees to where he had parked.

“This is quite lovely,” he said. “I can see why you want to stay, but I do think you should listen to Dad and plan to come home soon.”

“I don’t have a home any more, remember?” she said, making him stare at her. He was clearly surprised at the anger in her speech. “My home was taken from me. Everything I had worked for—my furniture, my garden, my lifestyle—all taken from me. Why on earth should I come back when people like me here, and I feel as if I belong?”

He nodded, not quite sure what to say next. He cleared his throat, something his father did when nervous. “Well, I wish you luck then, Mum. Let’s hope there is no war and you continue to have a good life here.” He gave her an awkward hug.

“You are welcome to come and visit any time,” she said. “We eat very well—which reminds me, I’ve a fish to prepare for tonight. I expect Nico will be quite critical.”

“He’s another one who fancies you,” Colin said.

“Nico, I suspect, is a flirt, and a little bit dangerous,” Ellie said, although she felt her cheeks turning pink.

“Which makes a change from Dad.” Colin grinned. “I’ll make sure I tell him about your retinue of men.”

“Oh, don’t be silly.” She gave him a playful slap.

She waved as he drove away, then stood there, thinking. She had to admit she did find it flattering that men showed interest in her. At home she had felt like part of the furniture, a nebulous object in the background who put food on the table and laughed dutifully at her husband’s jokes. How long since she had felt desirable? There had been a man at the golf club once with whom there had been a spark, but he had gone off to fight during the Great War and not returned. Since then she had been boring housewife Mrs Endicott, pillar of the community, launderer of altar cloths. And now ... “Heavens,” she said, stirring from her thoughts, “I’ve a fish to put in the oven.”

She hurried back to the kitchen. “Mavis, help,” she said. “The fisherman Nico is coming to dinner. He’s given us a large sea bream, and it has to be cooked perfectly.”

“Nico? The bad-tempered one? What’s he coming for?”

“I expect he’s curious about what we’ve done with the place,” she said. “I could hardly say no if he gave us the fish and wouldn’t let me pay for it.”

“Well, you better show me what we have to do,” Mavis said. “I don’t know nothing about garlic and that sort of thing.”

As Mavis prepared the fish in a big poaching dish and Ellie cut up the herbs with which to stuff it, Mavis said, “Well, that was nice to see your son, wasn’t it?”

“However briefly,” Ellie replied. “It feels rather like having a conversation with a stranger. They were such lovely little boys, weren’t they? So full of fun. And now two men I really don’t know.”

Mavis nodded. “They take after that husband of yours.”

“Oh.” Ellie paused. “Speaking of husbands, Colin had a piece of news for us.”

“Good or bad?”

“I’m not sure which. I didn’t want to tell you while Colin was here. Perhaps you’d better sit down. It’s your husband, Reg.”

“He’s found himself another woman?”

“No, Mavis. I’m afraid he’s dead.”

“Dead?” Mavis froze, the spatula still in her hand. “My Reg? He’s dead? Are you sure?”

“Colin heard it at the pub,” Ellie said. “It seems he was run over by a car. He was very drunk, apparently, and stepped out in front of it.”

“Blimey,” Mavis said. She sank on to the kitchen chair. “I don’t know what to say. I suppose I’m relieved, but now I’m going to worry that he drank so much because I’d left him.”