Chapter 8

Life went happily on. Ralph and Nell played golf regularly. His long time playing partner and wife had moved during the summer. Ralph teased Nell that he only chose her to fill the gap. They rode and Ralph became a confident horseman and began to learn to jump. They continued to sing with their respective choirs working up to the Christmas concerts. They also went to concerts and the theatre from time to time.

In some trepidation they invited all their children and families for Christmas. Matt and Jenny had not met their opposite numbers or their families. It was a great success although both Ollie and Jenny found Matt a bit aloof. The children all got on like a house on fire despite the age range, seven and half, Matt and Helen's son Robin down to Ollie and Gwynedd's three month-old son.

Matt thawed somewhat when Ralph and Robin really gelled. Ralph gave the boy shooting lessons with his air rifle and took him up to the attic to play with his model railway which he had brought over from his own house and was setting up again. That is not to say that Ralph neglected the others at all. He played 'What's The Time, Mr Wolf?' with them, read to them, taught them to play snap and was a real grandfather to them all. Nell was proud of him.

Matt buttonholed Nell at one stage and asked her whether she would be changing her will for Ralph's benefit.

"No," she replied.

"What happens if you die first?"

"He'll get rid of his tenants and move back into his own house."

"Who'll fund that?"

"He will. For Heaven's sake, Matt, can't you take us for what we are? Two people who have been widowed, one of whom had to watch his wife slowly die over a period of five years, who have fallen in love and have no designs on their former partners' agreement on wills, each conscious of their responsibility towards and their love for their children. You are making a load of money and could perfectly well live a full and fulfilling life without anything from me. Ted isn't doing badly but will never be as rich as you so I might consider changing things to two thirds to Dot and a third to you to even things up a bit. Put that in your selfish pipe and smoke it!"

Matt stared at her thunderstruck. He turned on his heel and walked away. His selfish mind immediately turned to being rejected by his mother in favour of this new man and his brother in law. At least he did not include his sister. He felt sure that she would not accept such capriciousness by their mother.

That evening in the privacy of their bedroom he unburdened himself to Helen. She listened patiently but somewhat resignedly. She still loved Matt but he had become obsessed of late with wealth and particularly carrying on his father's name in the business world. It had started within a few months of his father's death. She was silent.

"Well what do you think?"

"I'm not sure what to think, my love, but I'm not sure your feelings are entirely rational."

"What do you mean by that?"

Helen stopped herself from sighing. "Since your father's death you've assumed the role of head of the family which has meant you have become zealous in guarding his fortune and the good name of the family."

Matt nodded.

"Possibly a little overzealous, my sweet, putting it before your mother's happiness. Rupert was her husband and his loss upset her deeply. You aren't aware of this but there were a number of times in the first few months after his death that she cried her heart out to me. She was deeply upset when you put so much pressure on her to move into a smaller house. She said that she understood your motives but she was hurt that you didn't realise just how much her house and its memories meant to her."

"Oh Lord! I thought I was acting in her best interests both emotionally and financially."

"No, Matt dear. She was emotionally bound to that house and still is because that is where she lived with her husband and your father."

"And now she's sharing it with a new man."

"Yes, darling, a man who has even more recently lost a deeply loved wife and has and does share her feelings of emotion, love and loss, who can give her understanding, who has no designs on her fortune and who truly loves her as she loves him."

"You really believe that, don't you?"

"Yes I do."

Matt was silent for a while. "What about her changing Dad's will?"

Helen smiled. "She's got a point. You could stop working now and we could still live in luxury for the rest of our lives as could the children. So could Ted and Dot once your Mum dies. I think, sweetheart, it was largely a reaction to your being less than accepting to Ralph and for badgering her about her money. I wouldn't worry about it if I was you."

Matt was silent again. Helen had gently and lovingly hit him twice in the solar plexus, intimating that he was being unloving to his mother. He wasn't. He loved her dearly and just wanted the best for her. On the other hand he had to admit to himself that despite agreeing to give her away to Ralph he had been pretty unsupportive.

Matt did loosen up a bit more towards Ralph but not like Ted who continued to get on well with him as did their wives.

That winter was relatively mild but became steadily wetter. In March a series of storms battered the south-west. The Somerset Levels were flooded causing many people to evacuate their homes. The south-west coast line was altered permanently with huge chunks of cliff and various coastal landmarks destroyed by the sea. In Ralph and Nell's area there was much flooding but less severe although many people suffered damage to their houses and possessions. The Bourne became a raging torrent. It did not overflow its banks in Netherbourne but was right up to the top of them. The kitchen of the Queen's Arms was flooded and James was preparing meals in his gumboots and praying that the water did not get into the bottom of his electrical installations, fridges, freezers and the like. It did not and the public rooms remained dry, just.

All four families came for the weekend. Ralph told them about the extent of the local flooding. Matt was excited and wanted to see the Bourne in spate.

"Why don't we all go and have lunch at the Queen's Arms tomorrow and see the river at the same time. We could go for a walk before lunch and work up an appetite."

Everyone agreed and they went in three family cars, driving along the side of the Bourne to get to the start of the walk. Everyone was astounded by the little river in full spate and by the sandbags beside each front door against it bursting its banks.

The walk was a success. They moved away from the Bourne to higher ground but it was still very muddy. Lunch was good too.

Afterwards they all stood on the bridge outside the Queen's Arms and watched the river race beneath them. Helen and Gwynedd kept a firm grip on their youngest.

It was Matt's idea to have stick races. The children ran off to collect some from around the car park. On Matt's word they dropped them over the rail of the bridge and then raced down to the next bridge to see who won. The women and Ralph had all expressed concern but Matt pooh-poohed them.