Chapter 26

On Monday week Becca's team turned up on the dot of eight-thirty at Edward Johnson's flat. He greeted them and Becca introduced them all.

"This is Maisie," she said, "and she's in charge if I get called away. This is Dawn. She's so tall she does the ceilings. This is Nell. She might get called away to do an estimate but, don't worry, she only does the skirting boards."

Nell, grinning broadly, punched her arm.

Becca smiled fondly at her. "I do have to put up with a bit of insubordination," she said to Edward. "And then we have the two novices, Penny and Jasmine. Oh, look out: more insubordination," as the two stuck the tips of their tongues out.

Edward was captivated. They seemed such pretty, natural girls and none of them was acting coyly. There was clearly a rapport between them all too.

"I'm Edward," he said, "and having met you all I'm just sorry that I'm going to be at work most of the time you're here. Please help yourselves to tea and coffee whenever you want it. I imagine you've brought food with you."

Becca couldn't resist it. "Yes, thank you very much but would it be all right if we used the grill to make toast to go with the pâté?"

Edward was about to reply when Nell got helpless giggles. "Stop it, Becca," she gasped. "He ... He..." and was unable to say any more.

Becca turned to Edward but he was too quick for her.

"Of course," he said, "and there's quite a decent bottle of Macon in the fridge."

Becca collapsed with laughter. She pulled herself together with a struggle.

"Thank you," she managed to say solemnly at length, "but we avoid alcohol during working hours."

That produced further gales of laughter from everyone but that was enough. Edward needed to leave for work and the girls needed to get down to work. By the end of the day they had finished the two bedrooms. Edward was delighted.

"Edward," said Becca when he came home, "the kitchen is going to take us a couple of days. Which would you prefer?"

He thought for a moment. "Wednesday and Thursday?"

"Fine!"

On Tuesday they did the bathroom, lavatory and passageway. First thing on Wednesday morning they began by removing everything from the kitchen and putting it in the sitting room. Edward watched in mild consternation.

"Becca," he said hesitantly. "I'm clearly going to have to eat out this evening. W-would you care to join me?"

Becca looked at him carefully for a moment, saw only genuineness and smiled. "Thank you," she said. "I'd love to."

Edward smiled delightedly. "Wonderful. I'll ask round for recommendations at work and tell you the form when I get back this afternoon."

"Don't go for anything grand and please don't book before seven-thirty. I've got to see my uncle fed and watered first."

"OK. I must dash."

There was not space for the whole team to work in the kitchen so, after everyone had cleaned out the cupboards and washed down the walls, Becca detailed off Maisie and Jasmine to prepare the sitting room. By the end of the day the walls and ceiling had been painted leaving the woodwork to be done on Thursday. Becca apologised to Edward when he came home.

"I'm afraid we're not going to be able to put everything back in the kitchen tomorrow," she said. The paint in the cupboards will still be wet."

"I see," said Edward solemnly. "You want me to take you out to supper two nights in a row."

Becca went puce with embarrassment. "No!" she gasped.

"Gotcha!" Edward laughed heartily.

"Grrr!" She recovered her composure. "I'm going to be swept off my feet this evening, am I?"

It was Edward's turn to look bashful.

"Pax!" chuckled Becca.

Edward smiled gratefully. "I've booked us a table at The Cross Keys for eight. If you give me your address I'll pick you up at about twenty to. It's only a pub so you needn't dress up but I'm told the food's excellent."

"Sounds wizard. I'm looking forward to it."

Becca rushed home and told Steven what she was doing. "I had planned on us having an all-in stew. You could still have that. I'll peel the potatoes and prepare the veg. Would you be prepared to cook it all yourself?"

"Don't even bother to do that, my sweet. Just go and make yourself beautiful in a nice leisurely way."

Becca hugged him. "Thank you," she said. "Today's been hard work."

She and Edward had a thoroughly enjoyable evening together. The food was indeed excellent and they each had a glass of wine with it. Becca tasted his pre-dinner beer.

"Ugh!" she exclaimed. "I don't know how you can drink that stuff. I tried it a couple of years ago and didn't like it then. I still don't."

"I didn't think much of it either to start with but at university one was expected to drink it and now I like it."

"Do you drink spirits?"

"I have done. I'm not mad about them and my father encouraged me to stick to beer."

"Uncle Steven likes his evening dram and I had a sip of that once. Yuck! I like a glass of white wine with a meal but other than that alcohol's not my scene."

"Why do you live with your uncle?"

"Because my parents are dead and he had agreed to look after me if anything happened to them."

"I see. I rather got the impression from Mary that you had been in the children's home like the rest of The Damsels."

Becca looked down. She would have preferred to have kept the true story quiet for the moment but Edward seemed so genuine and if they did become friends he might be hurt at the revelation later on.

"I'm sorry," she said. "That wasn't the full truth."

She told him the whole story. "In fact," she finished, "we've really ended up like father and daughter. He's very special to me and I know I am to him."

Edward had listened enthralled. "I think you sound pretty special too. To run away repeatedly but still go on trying to escape that awful place showed a lot of guts."

"Desperation more like and in some ways very foolish. I might have ended up in someone foul's clutches or even dead. Thank God Uncle Steven found me and not anyone else."

"That's true but then I think that all you've done for The Damsels and the home is fantastic."

"Thanks but enough about me. It's your turn."

"I'm very dull by comparison. My father's a doctor at Church Stretton."

"Where's that?"

"Shropshire, bordering on Wales."

Becca nodded.

"He married the practice's receptionist and she's still doing the same job twenty five years later."

"Have you got any brothers or sisters?"

"One younger brother. After I was born they tried for ten years to have a second child so Anthony's very special to them."