Errors of Judgment(75)

‘Toby, what a nice surprise! When did you get here?’

Toby crossed the kitchen to give his mother a kiss. ‘About half an hour ago.’

‘You should have told me you were coming. I wouldn’t have spent so long in town.’

‘Just thought I’d pop down and see how you old folks are getting on. I have a lot of spare time these days.’

‘Well, I have just come back from Waitrose with the most enormous shopping, so you and your father can bring it in from the car. Where on earth is he?’ She went to the door leading to the hallway and called into the house. ‘Jon-Jon, I’m back!’

Toby went out to the car, happy to postpone, if only by ten minutes or so, the business of telling her about the break-up with Sarah. He had been calling and texting her several times every day since the night she’d left. Yesterday she had eventually answered one of his calls, and by the end of their conversation he finally accepted that it was over, and that she was never coming back to him.

He opened the boot and started to take out bags of shopping. His father emerged from the house to join him.

‘Have you said anything to Mum?’ asked Toby.

Jonathan Kittering shook his head. ‘I’m leaving that to you.’

They carried the bags into the kitchen, and Caroline began to bustle about, putting groceries away.

‘Mum,’ began Toby, ‘the reason I came down today—’

‘In a minute, darling. Let me sort all this out, and then we can have a chat. Make yourself useful and put on the kettle. I’m dying for a cup of tea. Shopping always wears me out.’

While Toby made tea, Caroline unpacked bag after bag, talking nineteen to the dozen about her trip into town.

‘I met Denise Hannon at the delicatessen counter and I hardly recognised her. You wouldn’t believe the amount of weight she’s put on since summer. Here,’ she handed a bag of frozen food to Jonathan, ‘all this can go in the freezer.’

‘Here’s your tea,’ said Toby.

‘Thank you, dear. Just pop it on the table. Nearly finished.’ She started to empty the last bag of groceries. ‘Actually, I’m glad you popped down, because we need to discuss arrangements for Christmas. It’s only a week away, you know. The way it creeps up! Annabel gets back from Florence on the nineteenth, though she doesn’t know yet if Marcus will be here or not. Daniel and Ffion can’t get here till the afternoon on Christmas Day, because they’re driving down from Wales, so I thought I would do the meal in the early evening, if people don’t mind. I was also thinking it might be a good idea if you and Sarah were to come down the day before, so that Sarah can give me a hand with preparations. I know she’s not all that keen on domestic chores, but if she’s going to be one of the family, she’ll have to learn to muck in—’

‘Sarah won’t be coming for Christmas,’ said Toby abruptly. ‘We’ve split up.’

Caroline stopped, open-mouthed, a packet of milk chocolate digestives in one hand. ‘Split up?’

‘She ended it. Said she didn’t want to marry me after all.’

Caroline put the biscuits on the kitchen table and sat down. ‘Good heavens. Oh, Toby – how awful for you. How truly awful.’ She turned to her husband. ‘Did you know?’

Jonathan Kittering nodded. ‘Toby told me as soon as he got here.’

Caroline looked piteously at her son. ‘Darling, I am so sorry.’

‘Don’t be. I’m glad I found out now the kind of person she is.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘When I was away in Scotland – you know, at the rugby – she slept with someone else. She told me when I got back. She’s moved in with him. For all I know, she could have been seeing him for months.’

‘What? How absolutely dreadful! Who is he?’

‘No one you know. A barrister called Leo Davies. Someone she used to work with. So you see, I’m probably well out of it.’

‘Yes. Oh, what a shock. I can’t believe it. You poor, poor boy.’ Caroline got up and went to hug him, standing on tiptoe to get her arms around him.

‘Mum, honestly …’ Toby tolerated her embrace for a few seconds. ‘I’ll get over it.’

Caroline stroked his arms, then returned to the table and sat down, picking up her tea, her gaze growing distant. ‘I shall have to make some phone calls. What a good thing we decided on a marquee for the reception and didn’t book Calcott House. I imagine the deposit—’ She broke off, glancing at Toby. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, darling. I shouldn’t be thinking of such mundane things at a time like this. Too practical for my own good. How awful for Vivian. He was so thrilled when you and Sarah got engaged. His best friend’s daughter. So perfect. And now …’ She raised her eyebrows eloquently. ‘Though I have to say, sad as it is that you and she have split up, that Sarah was really never quite my idea of—’