Donald was disappointed they had to leave so soon, though Samantha had turned her attention on Jean-Paul and there was no distracting her from the Frenchman’s charm. She said good-bye to Donald, then hurried off to Jean-Paul’s cottage with Lizzie, telling Toddy that Jean-Paul would drive them home later in Ava’s car.
After tea Toddy gathered her children and said her own good-byes. The twins were sparkly-eyed and covered in mud from having played outside all afternoon. Once in the back of the Land Rover they grew quiet, not bothering to stifle their yawns.
Ava bathed hers and put them to bed, reading them a shorter story than usual because it was late and they were all tired. Poppy insisted on a long hug, wrapping her arms around her mother’s neck and nuzzling her sleepily. Ava closed her eyes and savored the warm body pressed against hers, aware that every day her daughter grew a little bigger and a little closer to rejecting her embraces.
That night she lay in bed with Phillip, enjoying their usual postmortem of the day. “Toddy asked me if we still ‘rolled about a bit,’” said Ava. Her husband looked suitably horrified.
“What did you say?”
“That it’s something I never discuss.”
“I’m happy to hear it.”
“But I did say that we have a very healthy marriage.”
“Well done.” He grinned boyishly. “We do, don’t we, Shrub?”
“Yes, darling, very healthy.”
He leaned forward and kissed her neck. “You smell of damp grass.”
“I can’t. I’ve had a bath.”
“You always do. It’s in your blood. You know it’s not like normal blood, it’s green.”
“You’re silly.” She considered telling him what Jean-Paul had said. But it sounded so arrogant, assuming a young man was flirting with her. She was so much older and she wasn’t pretty. She had hands like sandpaper and unruly hair; she didn’t wear makeup and fashionable clothes. She was probably as far from Jean-Paul’s tastes as it was possible to get. “I think those girls hit it off with Jean-Paul,” she said instead.
“I think Donald hit it off with Samantha,” he replied, chortling at the recollection.
“Mummy was furious. I don’t see any harm in enjoying the company of a girl. It makes him feel young. It’s not like he’s flirting in an embarrassing way.” There was a pause as her mind turned back to Jean-Paul. “They’re in the cottage,” she continued. “I hope they’re having fun.”
“I wouldn’t look too closely if I were you. Those girls have definitely been over the guns a few times.”
“Do you think?”
“Oh yes,” he replied knowingly. “They’ll give Jean-Paul a run for his money!” He turned to embrace his wife. “So, we roll about a bit, do we?” He breathed into her neck and the bristles on his face tickled her skin. She wrapped her arms around him and returned his kiss. He was warm and soft and comfortingly familiar. How could Toddy refer to her husband as an old slipper? If she tired of making love to Phillip she’d be tired of life.
“Mummy,” came a small voice from the doorway. Both parents sprang apart as if scalded. “I can’t sleep.” It was Angus, in his blue airplane pajamas, hugging his toy rabbit. Phillip sighed resignedly, kissed his wife and left the bed to sleep in his dressing room. There wasn’t room for the three of them to sleep together comfortably. Ava watched him go with regret, then patted the bed.
“Come on, darling. Mummy will look after you.” Angus crawled beneath the blankets, closed his eyes and fell asleep immediately. Ava lay on her side holding her child’s hand, stroking the soft skin with her thumb. Her heart flooded with tenderness before she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
XVI
The intrepid robin on my windowsill. Morning trips to break the water on the birdbath.
November brought shorter days and cold winds. At night the gales moaned around the house like mischievous ghosts bent on frightening the children into their parents’ bed. It hardly rained. The air was dry, the sky cerulean, the light bright and crisp upon the red leaves of the sweet gum trees. Jean-Paul and Ava busied themselves planting the wild garden. As the days moved towards Christmas they grew together like trees, barely aware of their intensifying friendship. They began to anticipate each other’s actions, to understand without having to explain, and they laughed all the time. Having thought that they had nothing in common, they realized that they had a great deal. Above all, they were both enchanted by the magic of the garden and the secret world of the flora and fauna that inhabited it.