Three voices trilled at the same time. Tess leaned forward. ‘Oh my God, no! Tell me she hasn’t…’
Della sighed. ‘It’s a diamond ring. How beautiful…’
Pam screeched. ‘When did that happen?’
Jen’s face broke into a wide smile she couldn’t hold back. ‘Two days ago. Valentine’s night. Eddie asked me… and the next day, I said yes.’
Rose frowned. ‘It’s a bit quick, isn’t it? You’ve only known each other since Christmas. It takes me longer than that to decide which cut to get at the butcher’s.’
‘I think it’s lovely,’ Tess breathed. She was thinking of the emptiness of her own life when Alan was at golf, and how the walls held cold silence in them every day.
‘Congratulations.’ Pam banged a fist on the table. ‘Well, here’s our excuse for a night out.’
Della grabbed Jen’s hand. ‘What a wonderful ring. The diamonds are huge. Where did you buy it, Jen?’
Jen waved her hand for all to examine. ‘Eddie chose it. He just sprang it on me. He came in for coffee…’
‘Coffee…’ Della laughed.
‘I bet he did.’ Tess snorted.
‘… and he asked me to marry him and produced the ring. Of course, I did the sensible thing and asked for more time to think about it.’ She wiggled her finger again. ‘Then the next morning, I said yes and Eddie took me to breakfast to celebrate. It was really lovely.’
Pam leaned back in her seat, stretching out long legs in jeans. ‘Well, how exciting. Congratulations, Jen. So, when’s the big day?’
Jen giggled. ‘We’ve been talking about it. Eddie thinks we should get married in six weeks or so. Late March, early April. A spring wedding…’
‘I hope we’re going to be your bridesmaids,’ Tess butted in.
‘Oh, we’ll probably just have a simple do. No fuss. A few friends – you’re all invited – and a quiet meal somewhere – probably the Olive Grove. Eddie wants us to live in my house. He said he can rent out his place and we’ll get a good income from it. He’s written all the figures down on a piece of paper.’
‘He sounds like a sensible man.’ Rose thought for a moment. ‘But there’s no fun in maths – what about the exciting bits like the honeymoon?’
Pam fluffed her short hair, making it stand up. ‘Eddie certainly sounds like he has it all worked out.’
‘And how do you feel, Jen?’ Della leaned forward. ‘Are you all excited?’
‘It’s like being caught up in a whirlwind…’
Tess grimaced. ‘Oh yes, it’s like that at first. All lovey-dovey. Then after a year or so, it’s smelly socks to wash and “the chops are a bit tough, Tess” and golf clubs in every corner of the room.’ She noticed Jen’s anxious expression and laughed, too high. ‘Oh, but that’s just Alan. I’m sure your Eddie will be completely different.’
‘Does he snore?’ Della asked, wrinkling her brow.
Jen pouted. ‘I’ve no idea. We haven’t…’
‘You haven’t sampled the goods yet?’ Tess giggled. ‘Is that a good idea?’
‘Eddie’s very proper… and respectful,’ Jen insisted. ‘We talked about a honeymoon. A long weekend in Lyme Regis. We’ll wait until then.’
‘Oh, I’d want to know he was man enough for the job before I married him.’ Tess winked.
Della’s face was serious. ‘I think you’re all missing the point.’ She met everyone’s eyes in turn, then she smiled at Jen. ‘It’s a wonderful thing. Our friend Jen is getting married. And we should all rejoice for her.’
Rose nodded. ‘Yes, congratulations, Jen.’
‘To years of happiness,’ Pam murmured.
‘I’ll drink to that.’ Tess nodded. ‘And that means a party.’
‘Have you met him, Tess?’
Pam and Tess were walking home together. It was well past five and the light was fading already, the sky streaked with indigo and crimson wheals. The two women lived several streets away and it was their habit to walk home briskly together after aqua aerobics and put the world to rights. But today there could only be one topic.
‘No – but Jen seems very taken with him. I’ve never set eyes on him – have you?’
‘Yes.’ Pam took a breath. ‘I was out with Elvis, jogging on the beach a couple of weeks ago. They were walking along in the other direction, arm in arm. I stopped to say hello and Jen introduced me.’
Tess wrinkled her nose. ‘What’s he like?’
‘Handsome, mid-seventies – a tall man, broad chested, well mannered.’ Pam shrugged. ‘I can see why Jen would like him. He seemed very – protective, you know, the sort of old-fashioned-gentleman type who wraps a woman in cotton wool.’ She thought for a moment; somehow she had sensed all this within moments of meeting Eddie. ‘He didn’t seem to like Elvis much when he leapt up at him. He seemed more concerned with his expensive coat. I had to carry on with my jog pretty quickly after that.’
Tess increased her pace to keep up with Pam. They were going up a steady hill. ‘I’m amazed how fit you are, Pam, at seventy-three. Jogging, yoga, swimming – you never stop. You’re just amazing.’
‘I believe that we either use it or lose it.’ Pam grinned. ‘It’s not all plain sailing. I have aching knees sometimes and a sore heel most mornings. I love to get out though, in the fresh air. Elvis loves it too.’
‘It’s too cold for me.’ Tess shivered. ‘Alan is happy to be out in the winter chill though. He’s moody as anything when he can’t play golf. And as for me, I’m glad to see the back of him, when he’s out on the course. I get a bit of time to myself.’
Pam’s brow was furrowed. ‘Do you really not get on, Tess?’
‘To be honest, we see so little of each other now, it’s hard to tell. We just bumble along really.’
‘Why don’t you leave him if it’s so dull?’
‘Habit, I guess.’ Tess shrugged. ‘I used to love him once.’ She chortled. ‘Passionately. Then we had the kids. Lisa’s forty-seven now. Gemma’s forty-five. Once they came along, I just seemed to be involved in their lives. I suppose Alan and I grew apart. Then he gave up work, retired, took up playing golf in all his spare time and we only saw each other first thing in the morning and late at night.’ The pounding of their feet on the pavement was the only sound for a while, then Tess said, ‘It’s normal now, I guess. And breaking up would be difficult, selling the house, being alone, like poor Rose. I’m not sure which would be worse, being with Alan or being lonely.’
Pam chewed her lip. ‘I’m happy by myself.’
‘Have you never lived with anyone?’
‘There have been – you know – people in my life…’ A small laugh escaped Pam’s lips. ‘Nothing ever worked out though. I always became bored – it was always too claustrophobic. Or people got bored with me, or things went wrong. I wonder sometimes if I ought to be sensible, settle down, just like everyone else…’ She sniffed. ‘But really I’m glad I’m single.’
The mood had become a bit morose. Spaces between conversations seemed to fill with thoughts, regrets.