Chapter 3

“There’s nothing worse than living with regrets.”

Will was named for his maternal grandfather, which had caused some confusion as soon as Will was old enough to recognise his name. If the two were in the same room together and someone called out the name, they would both answer. So, as a solution, Will’s grandfather began insisting on being referred to as William.

Unfortunately, Grandpa William died shortly after Will turned eleven. Perhaps the death of her husband was the reason Will and his grandmother were so close. She cooked a full roast lunch for the whole family every Sunday and he often went out of his was to visit her during the week just to talk. He found he was able to talk to her without feeling as foolish as he did when he talked to his parents. He told her things that he didn’t want anyone else to know, safe in the knowledge that she would keep his secrets.

He called in on her that evening as he walked home on the pretence of asking if she wanted him to fetch anything from the local shops. It was an excuse he could feed to his friends when they asked what he was doing.

“William, my favourite grandson!” She greeted him with a smile, a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She’d taken to calling him William soon after her husband’s death. She was the only person in the family who did.

“Nana, I’m your only grandson.”

“I know. I know,” she said, waving her hands at him to enter. “Come in. Come in. Go and sit down.”

He eased past her and, as she closed the door behind him, Nana cocked her head and looked at him with all the love she had. “You know, young man, you’re looking more like your grandfather every time I see you.”

Will went through to the lounge, which was such an explosion of chintz that it always made his eyes hurt. From the wallpaper and curtains to the soft furnishings and tableware, everything was covered with clashing floral patterns. There were two large armchairs and one sofa positioned on three sides of a small coffee table. On the fourth side was a large fireplace in which a fire currently looked as if it might soon burn itself out. Will sat in one of the armchairs while his Nana, in her floral dress and slippers, shuffled in behind him, threw a log on the fire and poked at it with a brass stick until it roared.

“I’ll get you a drink,” she said. “What would you like? Coca Cola? Lemonade? Tea?”

“Coke, please, Nana.”

She patted him on the shoulder and bustled out of the room, returning shortly with a can taken from the fridge in one hand and a tall glass with two ice cubes in it in the other. She handed both to Will and sat on the sofa so that she was as near to him as possible while he popped open the can and poured the contents into the glass. He’d normally have drunk straight from the can, but Nana didn’t like that.

She smiled kindly. “So? What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing,” said Will as he waited for the bubbles in the Coke to settle so he could take a sip.

“Come now, William. Something is worrying you. I can see it in your eyes. Tell your Nana.”

Will thought for a few seconds before answering. “You know I’m planning to apply to university?”

“Oh, yes. I’m thrilled. The first in our family. Your grandfather would be so happy. And proud.” She paused, frowned and said, “You haven’t changed your mind have you?”

“No. Oh God, no. I still want to be a lawyer. I still want to help people.”

She smiled. “That’s good. Your grandfather would be delighted to hear you say that. He thought it was important to help people.”

“It’s just ... At school, they think ... Well, Mr Thompson thinks that I should apply to Oxford or Cambridge.”

Nana’s eyes widened. “Really? That’s wonderful.”

“But what if I don’t get in? What if I make a fool of myself and lose out on a place somewhere else?”

Nana sat back in her chair. Presently, she said, “William. Dear, dear William. Do you know why your grandfather fought in the Second World War?”

Will shrugged. “To stop the Nazis from taking over the world, I suppose.”

She gave him a kindly smile. “Well, yes, there was that. But it was because he believed that Britain is a country where if a man works hard, he can make a better future for his children. He believed in the British way of life and he wanted to fight to keep it alive.”