Chapter 11

After the euphoric time with Fiona Hank began to be nervous about Friday. The offer to look after Nigel had been rash and yet Fiona had accepted it without demur. He wondered, apprehensively, what she would tell her children about him. And then there was Sheila. She would undoubtedly realise there was something up and she would immediately start to compare him with her brother. Hank could have kicked himself for getting into such a mess.

He rang Barbara. When she had finished laughing at his predicament and teasing him she said, "Relax, Hank. If this affair is going to go anywhere you'd have had to meet all these people and more at some stage so, as I say, relax and just be your usual sweet self. Mind you, if I were you, I would give her a ring to find out what she has told or intends to tell everyone."

He did. "Phew!" said Fiona. "I was just about to ring you. I've got myself in a terrible stew about how I'm going to introduce you to the children."

"That's why I'm ringing you. I'm pretty stewed up too."

"I think it's worse than taking a man home to meet the parents for the first time."

He could not help but chuckle. "I shan't be too worried about mine if and when the time comes because they're adults but I can see yours might be worried by a strange man possibly taking over from their father. They might also be a bit jealous about sharing you. What did you think about their possible reactions when you first enrolled on the internet?"

"I didn't really. I was entirely selfish."

"I think we've got to be totally open and honest otherwise we could come unstuck with them later."

"So how far do we take it?"

"You tell them that we met on the internet and, after some emails finding out more about each other, we swapped phone numbers and later arranged to meet. You told me that they were desperately unhappy at school and that I came up with this idea."

"All right but what about the answers to questions like 'Were you looking for a husband?'"

"Tell them the truth."

"'Are you going to marry him?'"

"Are you?"

"I don't know."

"There's your answer."

"Beast! 'What's he like?'"

"Handsome, charming, devastatingly attractive..."

"Narcissistic and too jolly pleased with himself."

They both laughed. They were relaxed again.

"Tell them to wait and see; make up their own minds and let you know."

"Brilliant!"

"What has me worried is what you're going to tell Sheila."

"Exactly the same."

"She's going to compare with me Jeremy which is bound to put me at a disadvantage."

"So what? She may bend my ear but aren't I bound to compare you with Jeremy too?"

"I suppose you are."

"But there are a lot of areas where I can't compare like with like so cheer up."

He laughed again. "One carefree hug earned." They both laughed.

"Are you coming down on Thursday evening?"

"Yes."

"How long are you staying?"

"We'll come home straight after Tessa's interview."

"Oh! I'd rather hoped you'd still be about on Saturday."

"Had you got a plan?"

"I wondered whether you'd all like to go sailing."

"That's a lovely idea, Hank, but can we leave it until we're a bit further down the road."

"Yes, of course. There'll be bags of time once you've moved down here."

"Exactly. Anyway, I'd better go and cook some supper and take the bull by the horns."

"Good luck."

"Thanks and thank you for ringing. I'm feeling much more confident now."

"Good. See you for lunch on Friday. I'll keep my fingers crossed."

"Thanks, Hank dear. 'Bye."

Hank did a time appreciation for the lunchtime meeting on Friday. He reckoned the interview would take an hour so that they ought to get to Atheldiston between twenty and half past twelve. He would aim to be there by quarter past just in case they arrived early.

They arrived just before half past. One look at Fiona's face showed Nigel had been offered a place. She radiated happiness and pride. So did he. He was tall for his age but a good looking boy with an open, smiling face that was beaming with joy. Tessa was much smaller with a strong look of her mother but there was no mistaking that she and Nigel were brother and sister. She was looking rather solemn. Her ordeal was still to come. Sheila was tall too, five foot nine Hank estimated. There was a family resemblance to Nigel. She looked to be friendly and Hank relaxed inwardly.

Fiona ran forward with her hands outstretched. "He got a place," she cried oblivious to anyone else in the bar. "He got a place. Thank you, Hank. Thank you so much."

Hank smilingly took her hands. "No," he said softly. "I merely got you started. This is the chap who won the place." He turned to Nigel and held out a hand. "Congratulations and well done! That's great news."

Nigel shook his hand. "Thank you, sir," he said simply.

Fiona pulled herself together and did the introductions. Hank bought a round of drinks and they sat down at a table with them.

"Now," he said to Nigel, "I want to hear a blow by blow account. Oh, whoops, sorry! Have you heard it already, Sheila?"

"Some but I'd like to hear it all."

Hank turned back to Nigel. "Well there's your go ahead," he said. "Were you a bit nervous to start with?"

Nigel grinned even more widely if that were possible. "You bet. Anyway, Mr McCartney was very friendly and said he'd heard I was in the cricket XI and so we talked about that for a while and then football. He asked why I wasn't so keen on rugger and I told him that I played on the wing and saw very little of the ball and got bored. And then he said he'd been told that I didn't like my present school and asked me why. So I told him about people who spoilt it for everyone else by messing about in class and I said that Tessa and I were teased for having posh accents. I also told him that one gang of boys had beaten me up a couple of times. I couldn't fight back because they grabbed me and held me while two others thumped me. They took care not to hit my face."

"He never told me about it," interrupted Fiona.

Hank nodded. "Go on," he said.

"Well then he asked me whether I knew what I wanted to do when I grew up. I said no but rather than be stuck in an office all day like Dad was I'd prefer something more outdoors and also have the chance to play games. He laughed and said I'd have to become a county cricketer."

Hank laughed too. "That mightn't be a bad idea at all. There's a lot more money in it than there used to be. So then what?"

"Well, I thought it was brilliant, he said, 'Why don't you go and have a look round the school. I've got a member of the Under 16s Cricket XI waiting outside. He can show you round and you can ask him anything you want. His name's Peter Tyson.' Then he called this boy in and told him to show me round, answer all my questions and bring me back in half an hour. Well, Peter turned out to be a really nice guy. He said there was no messing about in class because everyone knew they were lucky to be in the school. There was no bullying either. There were games every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. They've got a gymn and a super swimming pool. He said that most of the teachers were brilliant and that they didn't overload you with homework. When we got back Mr McCartney just smiled and said, 'Well?' and I said, 'Yes please, sir.' and he said, 'Good. You start next term."