Chapter 2
It might have seemed odd that someone used to the beauty of Oxford and the Oxfordshire countryside could possibly fall in love with the grittiness of a small Welsh market town like Neath, but that was the reality of the situation. That was the position Edward found himself in. He didn’t waste any time. He contacted his solicitor and his bank as soon as he could, which was the first thing on Monday morning, and instructed them to handle the purchase on his behalf, once a full structural survey had been completed, which he arranged with Gwyn and Sian’s blessing and at their convenience. Assuming the survey uncovered no significant issues with the premises, he gave his solicitors and bank permission to pay the full asking price and not a penny less. He assured Gwyn and Sian they could stay in the property above until they were ready to move into their cottage in Gowerton.
A notice soon appeared outside the tearoom saying sale completed. Another appeared in the window saying the tearoom would be closing at the end of the week. Of course regulars were both a little shocked and disappointed, but it had been known it was up for sale for quite some time. Gwyn and Sian assured their regulars that it was being replaced by an exciting new coffee shop and second-hand bookshop, which would be just as nice if not nicer than it already was. That reassured their regulars a bit, some of whom even met Edward on one of his frequent visits. They could tell he was a nice man, which certainly helped.
Within just a couple of weeks and as they entered the month of October and the first signs of autumn arrived, Edward found himself in possession of the keys and the proud new owner of a tearoom and soon to be coffee shop and second-hand bookshop in Neath. This was something he couldn’t have possibly imagined in his wildest dreams just six months earlier, when he’d been happily married to Alice back in his Oxfordshire village, or at least thought he was. Yet it was the case. All that now seemed like another lifetime, or a parallel universe. Now his life was with Jill in Wales. Perhaps the purchase had just been his subconscious way of reaffirming his commitment to staying where he was. He wasn’t even quite sure why he’d done it himself. One thing he did know was that he was very excited about his little project and committed to making a success of it.
Edward was true to his word and allowed Gwyn and Sian to remain in the rooms above, whilst they completed their own move, which unsurprisingly was taking a little longer, for which they were very grateful to Edward. Meanwhile Edward spent at least a couple of days in Neath each week to get the shop looking exactly as he wanted it. Jill joined him on either a Saturday or Sunday when she could. Because of this for the time being the Swansea bookshop was closed at the weekend, but it was Edward’s intention to take on a member of staff for both in the fullness of time. In his mind he already knew who they might be, but he was keeping that to himself for the time being.
Edward and Jill were also keen to keep a day or two for themselves each week, to do things together and get out and about when the weather was nice. He also liked to keep some evenings free to do a spot of writing, drawing and painting when time allowed. He’d looked into the possibility of starting an art, photography or writing class. After all he was meant to be retired. He’d already informally become an associate member of Jill’s book club, and joined them on occasion. He intended to expand his artistic horizons further in the fullness of time.
Edward visited the local district council offices to inform them of his purchase, and intention of reopening the tearoom as a coffee shop and second-hand bookshop. Notices would need to be made and the premises inspected, but as it was being used for essentially the same purpose no change of use was required. Edward said he hoped to have it ready to open by the beginning of December in time for Christmas. He couldn’t wait for that day to come. He was already relishing the prospect and imagining it in his mind, although he suspected it might be quite quiet in the winter and busier in the spring and summer. He didn’t imagine it would be an instant success, but like the Swansea bookshop slowly build on its strengths and establish a core of regular customers.
Once the necessary permissions had been obtained, Edward set to work on transforming the tearoom. It looked a little bit dated, so he and Jill set about giving it a bit of facelift. They wanted to keep its retro look, but update it to some extent with a lick of paint and some more modern features and elegant touches. They were keen to retain its rustic feel, but with a modern twist. A little bit of wood here and there wouldn’t go amiss, they decided. They kept the shop area where it was to house books, and Edward ordered new utilities for the kitchen area, including an impressive new coffee machine, on which he planned to learn to make coffees himself.
He didn’t go crazy. He only envisaged serving hot and cold drinks, cakes, and light snacks. Most of the savoury options would be things that could easily be warmed up, like pies, pasties and quiches, and served with salad and a handful of crisps, as well as paninis, baguettes and sandwiches of course. Speed and simplicity were the key in this business, he firmly believed. Naturally there would be soup and warm bread in the winter months. And their offerings would focus principally on vegetarian and vegan options, although Edward wasn’t planning to make a big deal of that. For Jill’s sake he didn’t plan to stock any meat products at all. He wouldn’t necessarily tell the customers. He’d let them discover that for themselves in the fullness of time. He would serve eggs, cheese, cow’s milk and cream, however. He couldn’t imagine getting away with not doing so in Neath.
Edward researched various articles about opening a small business, specifically a coffee shop with bookshop attached, and what was required legally to bring the project to completion. He read them in some detail to ensure he didn’t miss anything or leave something undone or some stone unturned. Both he and Jill completed their food hygiene certificates online. Most of it was common sense, but it increased his sense of confidence that he knew what he was doing when it came to preparing and serving basic food. Of course the council would inspect the premises in time, and Edward would settle for nothing less than five stars for cleanliness. He was a precise man, and he liked to do things properly and as they should be done.
Jill still thought Edward was mad, but was prepared to go along with it. It was keeping him occupied and busy, and he seemed to be very happy, absorbed in his little project as he called it. It gave her a bit of time to herself, both in the Swansea shop, with her dog Beti, and to visit her mother regularly, whose health it had to be said was starting to decline quite rapidly. She was still in her own home at present, but Jill suspected that wouldn’t be for too long. She’d had one or two falls and had started to become forgettable. The deterioration of late had become more rapid. Jill knew that at some point she’d have to go into a nursing home. Jill understood that she and Edward were in no position to look after her mother and become full-time carers, but she tried not to think about it too much. She knew it would take its own course in time, whatever that was.
Meanwhile Edward’s estranged wife Alice was becoming more persistent in her efforts to get hold of Edward, and discuss and resolve their present situation and presumably their future, and whether or not they had one. Her texts and phone calls were becoming more frequent and insistent, as if Edward’s silence only served to increase her efforts to force him at least have a proper conversation. Edward would in his own good time, but on his terms not hers, and when he was ready to and not just when she was. He considered his silence to be of the dignified variety. He had no wish to give credence and acceptance to what had happened between Alice and her handsome work colleague Paul, in an affair which had no doubt being going on behind his back for ages. He still felt quite humiliated by her infidelity and his own lack of awareness. It couldn’t just be swept under the carpet, even though he was now happy with Jill.
There had been a time when Edward had ignored Alice’s texts and phone calls completely. Now he did at least read them. And his silence hadn’t been total. He had both texted and spoken to her on the phone to inform her he was OK, but would be remaining in Wales for the foreseeable future. He’d refused to be drawn into further debate on the matter or any other. He’d kept it short, simple and to the point. He was polite, but also distant. After all it was Alice’s affair that had triggered their estrangement not his. Edward had firmly believed he’d given her every comfort she could ever possibly want. She’d repaid him by going off with the first charming man to make a pass at her, or perhaps Alice had set out to entrap Paul. She was a very attractive woman. She certainly had the power to. Edward didn’t need to know the finer details. He still wasn’t ready to hear them, even though he himself was now regularly making love to a new partner.
The texts and phone calls continued to come. We need to talk, Alice stated. You can’t keep ignoring me. We need to discuss this like mature adults. In another text she just said: Stop hiding away. It’s time to sort things out. The truth was not only did Edward not really like thinking of Alice and Paul together, he still wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to say to her. He was a proud man. The whole situation made him feel rather uncomfortable. Though in his mind he was set on remaining in Wales with Jill, and presumably in time formalising a divorce with Alice. It was still quite a difficult thing to tell his ex-wife, even though it was probably what she wanted to hear and it was a divorce that would make her very rich in her own right. As the phone calls became more regular, until they were daily or more, on one occasion when Edward was alone on sudden impulse he decided to pick up his phone and answer her.
‘Edward, is that you?’ Alice asked.
It was strange. It was so long since he’d spent time with her regularly, he barely recognised her voice. Surrounded as he was by so many Welsh people in his life, she sounded very English. She sounded almost like a foreigner. In many respects she was now foreign to him. Around six months had passed since they’d lived under the same roof and shared a bed together, although that had largely been plutonic in the latter stages of their marriage. It had been her work colleague Paul who’d been enjoying her affections, if anyone had.
‘It is,’ Edward replied rather coolly.
‘How are you?’ Alice enquired.
‘I’m fine. How are you?’ Edward responded.
‘I’m good too,’ Alice said.
‘How’s Paul?’ Edward asked, not altering the tone of his voice.
He couldn’t resist his not-so-subtle dig. Alice ignored what she presumed was an attempt at poorly disguised sarcasm.
‘Look, we need to talk,’ she insisted.
‘Why, what is there to talk about?’ Edward interrupted, feigning pretend innocence. ‘I’m in Wales. You’re in Oxford with Paul. That’s all there is to it.’
‘You know there’s a lot more to it than that. You need to come back at once, so we can sit down and talk about this properly, like the sensible adults we are,’ Alice insisted.
‘Why should I go back? I’m happy here in Wales,’ Edward repeated.
‘So we can talk face to face,’ Alice asserted. ‘I don’t even know what you’ve been doing in Wales all summer.’
‘I’ve been doing a spot of sightseeing, and I’ve been running a second-hand bookshop in Swansea with a delightful lady called Jill. In fact we’re about to open another one in Neath,’ Edward explained.
Alice’s mood suddenly changed. She hadn’t really suspected another woman was involved and keeping Edward in Wales. She should have done. It all made perfect sense. She’d been too busy with the ramifications and fallout from her own affair to stop and consider Edward might also have met someone.
‘Are you and this woman an item?’ Alice asked, with more than a hint of resentment and repressed anger.
‘I don’t think that’s any of your business,’ Edward replied.
Alice took that as a yes. Her head was suddenly filled with all kinds of questions. How old was this woman? What did she look like? How long had it been going on? All the time she’d imagined Edward pottering around Swansea on his own, or perhaps quietly moping in a guesthouse somewhere. In fact he’d been with another woman all along. The thought made Alice incandescent with rage. To think she’d actually felt guilty for her actions and felt sorry for him, when unknown to her he’d been enjoying sex with someone else. Of course Edward hadn’t confirmed that detail. He didn’t really have to.
‘How could you?’ Alice eventually cried in disgust. ‘You beast!’
‘I don’t think you’re in any position to pass comment,’ Edward said. ‘Besides Jill and I are business partners. You’re just assuming we’re more than that. You haven’t even met her,’ he observed.
‘I don’t need to meet her to know what’s going on,’ Alice shrieked. ‘I have a woman’s intuition.’
‘Why don’t we talk again when you’ve calmed down,’ Edward suggested. ‘In the meantime take care of yourself Alice.’
With that he put the phone down. Perhaps he’d told her too much in retrospect. Perhaps it was partly revenge on his part. She had after all started the ball rolling with her affair with Paul, the shock of which had traumatised Edward to the core. It was just time for a little payback. In fact Edward had neither confirmed nor denied Alice’s suspicions. He’d just allowed her to think whatever she wished to think, and draw whatever conclusions she wanted to.
Of course it didn’t end there. A string of texts and phone messages quickly followed, some quite abusive in their nature and calling Edward all kinds of names. Alice may have recently reached fifty, but she had all the grace and beauty and refinement of a much younger woman. She could compete with the best of them. She wasn’t used to anyone preferring someone else to her. It seemed unnatural. It spoilt her view and perception of the world, or at least the one she inhabited. It upset the correct order of things and how they should be done, as far as she was concerned. It was down to her to leave a man and not the other way round. Edward was even more surprised when a few days later he got a phone call out of the blue not from Alice but his grown-up daughter Victoria. She was normally too busy with her demanding advertising job in London to have much time for him.
‘How are you, daddy, and what silliness have you been up to this time?’ she asked by form of greeting.
It was strange she sometimes spoke to him as if he was the child, not the other way round, forgetting he’d once been a very successful businessman in his time and had made far more money than she ever would, even though she too was doing very well in her job. She was earning a three-figure salary now, but it would never come close to what Edward had been making. Even so she still spoke to him as if that had all been forgotten now he was retired, and he’d become something to be mildly pitied. He wasn’t. Nothing could have been further from the reality. He was still very much on the ball. Even so he indulged her, as she was his only daughter and her mother had died when she was still just a teenager. That was bound to have had a huge impact on her and her emotional state growing up, and how she developed as an adult.
Edward immediately suspected Alice had put Victoria up to ringing him. It wasn’t like her just to ring without warning otherwise. He didn’t immediately let on about his suspicions, but tried to seem entirely natural and relaxed in conversation. He hadn’t spoken to her for a while in truth. He’d been too absorbed in his own complicated, unfolding situation to initiate contact himself. A phone call to her would have necessitated too many awkward questions he wasn’t quite ready to answer. But now she’d rung him, he’d face the music if he had to.
‘I’m fine than you,’ Edward replied. ‘How are you?’
‘I’m good thanks, daddy,’ Victoria said.
The fact that she still called him daddy was a small indication she wasn’t entirely as emotionally mature as she should have been. Again Edward indulged her. He loved both his children, even if neither one was exactly like him. Perhaps his son Henry was the person he might have been in a parallel universe, if he’d been less responsible and allowed his more wayward instincts free rein. His daughter Victoria had inherited some of his business acumen, but she lacked a little of the humanity with which he himself had always conducted business. Edward had always put integrity and decency first and foremost, which was a rare asset in his particular profession. Even so it had served him well, when others had fallen victim to the fluctuations of market fortune.
‘How’s the job?’ Edward continued, getting the normal niceties out the way first.
‘It’s going very well. In fact I’ve had another promotion,’ Victoria announced.
‘That’s excellent news. Well done indeed,’ Edward congratulated her. ‘Is that what you were ringing to tell me?’ he enquired as an afterthought.
‘I actually have some other news,’ Victoria admitted.
‘Oh, what’s that?’ Edward wondered.
‘I’d rather tell you in person face to face,’ Victoria said.
‘Of course, if you prefer,’ Edward agreed. ‘I’d rather suspected you were ringing on Alice’s behalf,’ he added.
‘Well, there is that too,’ Victoria confessed. ‘What on earth is going on? She says you’ve spent the summer in Swansea, and barely answered her texts and phone calls, and refuse to go back to Oxford.’
‘I presume she also told you she was having an affair,’ Edward said in his own defence, and anxious to demonstrate the separation hadn’t been of his choice and making.
He’d been very much the injured party from day one.
‘Yes, she did mention that, but I’m sure it’s nothing serious,’ Victoria assured her father.
‘How can it be nothing serious, when it’s been going on for months?’ Edward pointed out.
‘Alice is a very attractive, younger woman. You have to cut her a little slack,’ Victoria argued.
‘I don’t think cutting her a little slack should extend to letting her sleep with her work colleagues,’ Edward retorted.
‘I’m sure she loves you really,’ Victoria emphasised.
‘She only ever really loved the money,’ Edward responded. ‘That was the main reason she married me.’
‘You really should stop this foolishness and go back to her,’ Victoria told her father firmly. ‘At the very least you should talk to her.’
‘It’s a bit more complicated than that,’ Edward insisted, not wanting to say much more than he had to.
‘How is it more complicated? Just go back to Oxford and save your marriage,’ Victoria asserted, trying to play the part of the practical and responsible daughter, bringing her irresponsible father into line.
‘For a start there’s her affair. Secondly I’m happy in Wales. I feel settled here,’ Edward explained. ‘I don’t know if Alice told you but I’ve started working in a bookshop in my spare time, with plans to open a second one.’
‘She said something about it, but that’s no reason not to go back,’ Victoria maintained. ‘It’s not enough to keep you there, when you have important things back home to sort out.’
‘But this is my home now,’ Edward declared.
He didn’t want to mention Jill by name, but he imagined Alice had told Victoria that she suspected another woman was involved. Edward didn’t want to be the one to bring it up first, and so far Victoria hadn’t mentioned it. There was a small possibility that Alice had decided to spare his daughter that small detail, although that seemed unlikely. Alice was certainly the type to use every weapon at her disposal. Victoria could see Edward wasn’t to be easily persuaded in the matter.
‘We’ll talk more when I see you,’ she conceded at last. ‘When would it be convenient to visit?’ she added.
‘You know you can visit whenever you like,’ Edward said. ‘You’re always welcome here. You know that.’
Edward would never turn away his daughter, even if it meant more questions of a type he wasn’t desperate to answer.
‘I was thinking about this coming weekend,’ Victoria suggested. ‘I can’t really come during the week as I have work.’
‘This weekend is perfect,’ Edward agreed, realising he’d only have a few days to prepare Jill for meeting her, that was if the two of them were to meet.
‘I thought I might stay at the Grand Hotel. It’s right by the station and has good reviews online,’ Victoria said.
‘It certainly has an excellent reputation,’ Edward acknowledged, though his own tastes were generally rather more modest in comparison, even though he was considerably rich by most standards and could have afforded to buy a hotel if he so wished.
If it had been down to him he would have just stayed in the little guesthouse on Oystermouth Road with Alan and Gwen Evans. He realised, however, that wouldn’t suit Victoria’s needs at all, and he made no attempt to suggest she check in there, even though they would certainly have welcomed the business.
‘Just keep me updated with your plans, and I’ll come and meet you when you get in,’ Edward promised.
‘Will do, and love you, daddy,’ Victoria said.
‘Love you too,’ Edward repeated, before letting his daughter hang up, whilst he remained on the line for a moment longer, deep in thought, for there was much to think about.
Edward informed Jill of his daughter’s impending visit, as they sat eating their evening meal that night.
‘Are you going to introduce me to her when she comes?’ Jill asked.
‘I’m not sure,’ Edward replied honestly. ‘I haven’t decided. I was going to ask you what you thought, but I imagine I’ll have to at some point.’
‘Do you think she’s just coming all this way to persuade you to go back to Alice?’ Jill enquired.
‘Perhaps,’ Edward answered. ‘I suspect to a degree Alice has put her up to this. But I wouldn’t worry too much. As I told her myself, I’m happy here in Swansea. I’m not going back any time soon.’
‘I hope you mean that Edward,’ Jill told him softly. ‘I’m as happy as I’ve been in years,’ she added.
Edward lent over to kiss his new partner, to try to reassure her that they definitely had a future together.
‘Well, I can’t turn her away or tell her not to come,’ Edward explained. ‘She is my daughter. Besides she said she had some important news of her own she didn’t want to tell me on the phone.’
‘What do you think that might be?’ Jill wondered.
‘I really have no idea,’ Edward said. ‘Perhaps she’s getting married?’ he speculated.
‘Is that likely? Does she have somebody?’ Jill asked.
‘As far as I know she’s still dating a chap at work called Mark, but I didn’t think it was that serious. Victoria’s always been one to put her work first,’ Edward explained. ‘I took work very seriously myself, but I was always a family man at heart.’
‘Perhaps she’s following in her father’s footsteps,’ Jill suggested.
Edward nodded.
‘Perhaps she is,’ he agreed. ‘She’s turned thirty now. Maybe she’s ready to settle down.’
That week Edward and Jill continued to get the Neath shop ready for its impending opening, whilst continuing to run the Swansea one, as well as keeping some time free for themselves. It was quite hard work for an older couple. Edward began to wonder if he’d taken on too much. He reassured himself with the thought that long term they’d take on at least one employee for each shop, so they had a less hands-on role themselves and could concentrate more on the online and admin side of the business. Hopefully it would provide Jill with some kind of income before she reached retirement age, and Edward could in time return to enjoying his own retirement. He knew he could just give Jill all the money she wanted. He had enough, but he knew she was a proud, independent woman, who preferred to earn it for herself.
Edward made the short journey up to Neath on the train several times each week, whilst Jill looked after the Swansea shop. Occasionally he took Jill’s car, if he had books or other items to transport. He worked at a leisurely pace. He didn’t want to tire himself out. He was in no particular hurry. As long as the new place was open by Christmas, he’d be happy enough, he told himself. Meanwhile Gwyn and Sian had finally moved out of the rooms above, and had moved into their dream cottage in Gowerton. They were very grateful to Edward and thanked him profusely for all he’d done for them. They promised to keep in touch, and Edward knew they would do.
‘We’ll be among your first customers when you open your doors,’ Gwyn said.
‘I look forward to welcoming you,’ Edward replied, as they shook hands again.
With Gwyn and Sian gone, Edward could also set about getting the home above in order, so he and Jill could stay there sometimes. He was already looking forward to that. When he was in Neath, he made sure to try out a different coffee shop every lunchtime, so he knew exactly what the competition was offering the town. He tried Brew & Co just outside the train station first, where he enjoyed avocado and tomatoes on sourdough toast. He tried Smashed Raspberry in Angel Street, where he had a similar brunch. Next on his list was Treats in Old Market Street, where he ordered a vegan breakfast bap. He then tried the Neath Deli in Water Street and Monty’s in Shuffebotham Lane, which was more of a modern hipster place.
Edward enjoyed trying out new cafés, so it was no great hardship on his part. He liked all those he visited, but his favourite by some distance was Forty Six at the top of Queen Street. He loved the way it was set out, more like a museum than a coffee shop, with every room different to the next and filled with all kinds of interesting artefacts to enjoy as he ate. Unfortunately it was also Edward’s nearest competitor, so he made a mental note not to be in direct competition with them and to try and offer different options to those on their menu. Whilst they were vegan and vegetarian friendly, Edward planned to be exclusively vegetarian. Whilst Forty Six catered mainly for shoppers and those waiting for buses, Edward planned to catch visitors to the park and workers going to and from work in the town centre.
As he busied himself, Edward couldn’t help but be mildly distracted by Victoria’s impending visit. He was worried how she would take finding out her father was now with another woman and one not his wife. He was concerned how it would seem having all Alice’s suspicions confirmed. Of course she’d brought it on herself by having an affair with a work colleague. Edward was pretty blameless, but he couldn’t help but feel some small sense of guilt. He wasn’t obliged to introduce Jill to Victoria. He could just keep her his guilty little secret, but somehow that seemed dishonest, particularly as he planned to stay here in Wales with Jill, whatever anyone else thought. One way or another both Alice and Victoria would eventually have to come round to that idea, and the fact he was now with a new partner. It would still feel rather awkward at first, he realised.
Victoria left work early that Friday afternoon, so she could get to Swansea at a reasonable time. It took a little less than three and a half hours to travel the 160 plus miles by train, stopping at Reading, Swindon, Bristol Parkway, Newport and Cardiff among others, before eventually arriving in Swansea. Edward had arranged to let her check into the Grand Hotel, were she was staying, before meeting her there in the bar. After much deliberation, he had decided to take Jill with him. There was no point trying to hide her and pretend she didn’t exist, when clearly she did and would be a big part of all their future lives.
‘I’m a little nervous,’ Jill said, as they set out by foot to meet Victoria at the appointed hour.
‘Don’t be,’ Edward told her. ‘It will be fine,’ he said. ‘She’s far too formal to be rude to your face.’
They continued to walk in the direction of the station, but both felt a small degree of trepidation in truth about the impending meeting. Neither was quite certain how it might go and pan out.
‘Who’s this? Aren’t you going to introduce us?’ Victoria asked, when Edward arrived at the Grand Hotel with Jill by his side.
Victoria managed a forced smile, but there was a strong suspicion she wasn’t smiling inside.
‘This is Jill, my business partner, and now my life partner,’ Edward announced. ‘And this is my daughter, Victoria.’
‘Nice to meet you,’ Victoria said.
She was perfectly polite, but both Edward and Jill suspected the politeness was slightly forced on Victoria’s part.
‘Lovely to meet you too,’ Jill said more warmly. ‘I’ve heard a lot about you.’
‘All good, I hope,’ Victoria said and laughed. ‘But you’re at an advantage. I haven’t heard hardly anything about you yet,’ she added.
‘All in good time,’ Edward interrupted, hoping to diffuse any tension in the air.
‘So where are you taking me for dinner, daddy?’ Victoria asked.
‘There’s a nice ASK Italian just down the road. I thought we’d go there,’ Edward suggested.
It was indeed a nice restaurant and its menu boasted a number of vegan options. It did, however, mean negotiating the more exuberant Friday night drinkers and partygoers of Wind Street, but as Edward and Jill were older they were largely ignored and allowed to go about their business uninterrupted and in peace. When they were seated Edward ordered a rather nice Frascati white wine, to help break the ice.
‘Just a splash for me,’ Victoria said when it arrived, half covering her glass with her hand.
‘Oh, aren’t you drinking?’ Edward enquired.
‘Well, that’s what I wanted to tell you,’ Victoria said, seeing no point in delaying further. ‘I’m pregnant. Mark and I are going to have a baby.’
Edward was a little shocked. He’d thought about the possibility of marriage. He hadn’t considered his daughter was pregnant and he was going to be a grandfather.
‘Congratulations darling, that’s wonderful news,’ he said, getting up and giving her a kiss on the forehead. ‘When’s it due?’
‘In the spring,’ Victoria said.
‘Do you know if you’re having a boy or girl?’ Edward asked, wondering which gender he was going to be a grandparent to.
‘We don’t know yet,’ Victoria answered. ‘We’ll be very happy with either.’
She was positively radiant. Edward was a little surprised. She’d never seemed the motherly type. Indeed when she was younger she’d said she didn’t want children.
‘You must be very pleased,’ Jill remarked.
‘Yes, we’re delighted,’ Victoria beamed.
‘Does that mean there will be a wedding too?’ Edward wondered.
‘Perhaps in due course and the fullness of time,’ Victoria confirmed, without being willing fully to commit to nuptials just yet.
They then proceeded to enjoy a relaxed and enjoyable meal together. There was none of the tension and atmosphere Edward and Jill had been concerned about, and had been briefly hinted at when Edward had first introduced the two women. Alice wasn’t mentioned. Neither was Edward’s new relationship with Jill mentioned in any great detail. Victoria simply enquired about the Swansea bookshop and the new one they were planning to open in Neath. It was only when Jill went to the restroom that Victoria finally raised the matter and with some determination.
‘You know you really need to stop this nonsense immediately, daddy,’ she announced. ‘You must cease running around like you’re still a teenager and making a complete fool of yourself. It’s most unseemly for everyone concerned. You need to get back to Oxford and Alice where you belong before the baby comes. It will be very embarrassing for all of us if you don’t. Imagine having to tell a child their grandfather is with another woman in Swansea.’
‘Whilst I do respect your opinion, I have to remind you it’s my life and I make my own decisions,’ Edward said adamantly. ‘Besides you talk as if Alice would just welcome me back with open arms. You forget she has Paul from her office now.’
‘I’m sure you could patch things up if you tried,’ Victoria insisted. ‘I’m sure Alice would see the error of her ways if you made an effort.’
‘Is that what she said?’ Edward asked, wondering what Alice had indeed told his daughter.
‘Not in so many ways, but she did imply there was hope and she wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea,’ Victoria answered.
‘But I’m with Jill now,’ Edward reminded her. ‘Alice made her choice and chose someone else.’
Just then Jill reappeared from the restroom and began to make her way back to their table.
‘We’ll talk more about this before I go back,’ Victoria whispered under her breath.
When they’d had deserts and coffees, Edward settled the bill. It was his treat. He was happy to pay. He always treated his daughter when they went out together, and would never have it any other way. He and Jill then walked Victoria back up the High Street to where she was staying. They said their goodbyes to her in the foyer. Edward promised to take her out for lunch the following day.
‘How do you think that went?’ Jill asked, as she and Edward lay in bed later that night about to go to sleep.
‘Not too badly,’ Edward replied.
‘Did she say anything about me?’ Jill wondered. ‘I suppose she thinks you should go back to Alice?’
‘She said something of the sort, for the baby’s sake,’ Edward admitted.
‘You’re not going to, are you?’ Jill queried, with a sightly pleading tone in her voice.
‘Of course not,’ Edward assured her, squeezing her shoulder warmly and smiling in that reassuring manner that he had.
‘I really hope not,’ Jill said, as she kissed him on the lips.
Edward kissed her back and switched off the light. Neither fell asleep straight away. They were both still deep in thought. They both had a lot to think about in truth. They woke bright and early. It was a sunny October day, almost unusual for Swansea, and the bright sunlight filtered into their bedroom. After breakfast whilst Jill prepared to open the shop, after a lot of recent Saturdays when they hadn’t opened, Edward got ready to meet Victoria. He hadn’t forgotten he was taking her out for lunch. He wasn’t taking Jill with him this time. He didn’t need to. It would mean they could have a little father and daughter time alone.
As it was a lovely morning, with clear blue skies overhead, Edward decided to take the coastal route into town, as he had done so many times when he first returned to Swansea. For speed it was better to go straight down St Helen’s Road. Instead he wandered down Francis Street and meandered his way past the famous Brangwyn Hall onto Oystermouth Road. He even passed Alan and Gwen’s guesthouse, where he had stayed during those early few weeks in the city, but he didn’t have time to drop in on them now. For some distance he enjoyed views of the sandy bay, but after passing the prison he turned into West Way and made his way past the bus station and to and through the Quadrant Shopping Centre. He eventually reached High Street via Oxford Street, where he was due to meet Victoria at noon.
He’d already decided he would take her to the Zinco Lounge in Princess Way. Whilst Edward very much preferred to support independent businesses like his own, he knew that once outside London Victoria generally stuck almost exclusively to names she knew and trusted. Hence the choice of ASK Italian the previous night and now one of the popular Lounge chains of restaurants. Edward didn’t mind them, as they had good vegetarian options and indeed a separate vegan menu. Left to his own devices, he would have taken her to Nonna’s Plant Based Café in Swansea Indoor Market. He and Jill went there a lot. He loved their vegan hot dogs and vegan doughnuts, and would happily order two of each for himself if he had the room, washed down with one of his trademark lattes. But there was no way he would have considered taking Victoria there. He knew it wouldn’t have suited her tastes at all. It was tiny for a start, with just a handful of tables and chairs crammed together in a corner of the hustle and bustle of Swansea Market, where there was no privacy to talk at all. No, he realised the Zinco Lounge was a much safer bet for Victoria.
Once inside they were shown to a table. It was quite quiet. The breakfast clientele had largely left, and it was still early for lunch. Naturally Edward chose from the vegan menu. He actually chose a vegan hotdog, which ironically was the same thing he would have chosen at Nonna’s had they gone there. He made a mental note to pop into Nonna’s on the way back and pick up a couple of doughnuts. It would be a little treat for Jill when he returned.
‘I noticed last night you weren’t ordering meat,’ Victoria observed. ‘I didn’t realise that was a permanent change, daddy. I can see she must have really got her claws into you. I remember when you were a big meat eater.’
‘I was,’ Edward admitted. ‘But I’m not anymore.’
‘You’re also looking much more casual, what with the beard and T-shirt,’ Victoria continued, still a little surprised by and unsure of her father’s changed appearance. ‘You always used to wear a shirt and tie and a suit.’
‘I did, but I’ve turned my back on my old life, and started a new one, and feel better for it,’ Edward explained. ‘You have to remember I’m retired now, or at least retired from my old work. As well as the bookshop, I’ve started finding time for other activities, like writing, drawing and painting, and photography. I spend my evenings doing the things I never had time for when I was working full time. I also find time for the little things like walking, going to cafés and parks, visiting nearby places, and enjoying the local scenery.’
‘That’s all well and good, but you can still do that back in Oxford,’ Victoria pointed out.
‘You have to remember Alice is still working, and I’d be on my own there in the house most of the time,’ Edward reminded her.
‘Alice could retire too if you wanted her to. You could certainly afford to live very comfortably for the rest of your lives without either of you ever having to work another day,’ Victoria insisted.
‘But Alice loves her job,’ Edward replied. ‘And she has Paul remember.’
‘The point is I want all this business sorted out before the baby arrives,’ Victoria declared, not wishing to prevaricate any longer. ‘I don’t want it to cause any further embarrassment to the family. I have my career to think about, and Mark’s too. He’s a high-flyer and hopes to use this job as a stepping stone to move on to better things. We don’t want any scandal tarnishing our reputations.’
‘I don’t think anyone will worry what an old man like me is getting up to,’ Edward said and laughed, amused at the rather ludicrous nature of Victoria’s worries.
‘Just remember what I’ve said, daddy,’ Victoria reiterated. ‘I think you’ve gone a bit strange in the head, running round with a middle-aged vegan and reinventing yourself to look like an ageing artist.’
‘If only you didn’t worry so much about appearances,’ Edward interrupted her. ‘You need to relax a little. Don’t worry about me. Worry more about yourself. You’re going to be a mother soon.’
‘And you’re going to be a grandfather. Surely that changes things,’ Victoria continued.
‘I know, and I take that responsibility very seriously,’ Edward agreed.
Fearing the conversation could turn unpleasant, Edward deliberately turned it round to the impending birth and what sex the baby might be, who it might take after and possible names that could be considered. After lunch he walked his daughter back to the train station. As always the London train was already standing waiting at the platform well ahead of time. He kissed Victoria goodbye and promised to see her again soon, even if that meant him coming to London. As he walked back down High Street on his way to pick up his doughnuts, he wished his daughter wasn’t quite so uptight. She was far more concerned with what people might think than her loved ones actually being happy. It was a shame. He hoped she wouldn’t bring up her child like that, and would in time learn to be more tolerant. The time for intolerance had gone. Society had moved on. Now all colours, creeds, sexual preferences and gender orientations were to be tolerated, as everyone embraced a more diverse world.
Swansea and the surrounding towns had been quite intolerant of English students when Edward had first arrived as a fresh-faced teenager of just eighteen years of age. He’d been turned away from pubs and shunned on occasion, because of his accent and the slightly alternative clothes he’d chosen to wear. He’d enjoyed new wave and post-punk records as a young man, as well as all the classic stuff like The Doors, The Byrds, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen and the rest of them. He still liked that stuff, when he wasn’t listening to jazz and classical music. Of course his tastes had broadened since his student days, and now he could enjoy all styles and genres, except perhaps things like rap and death metal, which he found to be an assault on his ears.
It was as he walked the streets of Swansea on his own that memories of his first now deceased wife Angela came flooding back into his mind. Of course they’d met at Swansea, fell in love and stayed together, but she’d died at 45 when their children were still teenagers. Little things he passed reminded him of her. Random places they’d been to on a night out, although they didn’t come into town that often then. They generally preferred the pubs in the Uplands and Brynmill areas nearer the university campus, or they’d got a bus down to Mumbles. There was a student friendly nightclub there called Cinderella’s, where they’d enjoyed many a drunken night back in the day. Sadly it had been closed for some twenty years or more, but Edward was much too old for nightclubs now.
As Edward passed Castle Street, he remembered the cinema that had once been there, where he and Angela had seen many a good film. He only wished he could remember the location of the quiet, little wine bar off Wind Street they’d often frequented, and enjoyed dishes of delicious, locally caught prawns still in their shells at surprisingly modest prices. Of course it was all in the past. It was almost forty years since Edward had graduated. He’d started university even longer ago. It was all just distant, blurred memories he could never have back, however hard he tried.
Some were clearer than others. He could still recall Angela as she was very vividly. Some were more foggy. Many were lost altogether. No doubt much had happened as a student that he no longer had any recollection of. He did recall Swansea had once been a town of big department stores. Now they’d all gone. He mourned their disappearance along with everything else. Although Edward was happy. In many ways he was as happy as he’d ever been. Swansea and Jill had changed him. He was a new man, and he was better for it, just as he’d told Victoria. His eyes had been opened. There was more to life than Oxford and London, and making money and keeping up appearances. There was the vast, rugged expanses of Wales to enjoy.
Edward resolved to take Jill out for a drink that night to a nearby pub, perhaps one of the local ones on Brynmor Crescent, or perhaps they’d venture to the Uplands Tavern, another of his preferred hangouts from his student days. The Cricketers, another old favourite once situated at the end of their own road by the rugby and cricket ground, had long since gone unfortunately. It had been a slightly stressful couple of days for both Edward and Jill, with Victoria putting their relationship under the microscope and effectively trying to break them up. Edward hoped a drink or two would revive their flagging spirits, and sharpen their resolve to stay together and continue with their future plans undeterred. He also hoped Jill would enjoy the vegan donut that he’d bought for her. The following day was a Sunday and they decided to have a complete day off and if the weather was nice again go somewhere scenic in the car. It was the least they felt they deserved. Time was precious at their age and to be enjoyed.
