The Long Road Ahead. Rosie James

She grinned. ‘It might be different if I could get straight to No.10 Downing Street and make sure that women were paid the same as men for doing the same job!’

      ‘Oh,’ Eve said, slightly disappointed. She’d have thought Fay could have been a useful person in politics. Then – ‘And what about your job at the Council House?’

      Fay shrugged. ‘It’s OK,’ she said doubtfully. ‘But I don’t think it’s for me in the long term. I used to have more fun at Woolworths! Still,’ she helped herself to another iced sponge, ‘I don’t know what really is for me, Evie,’ she said flatly. ‘Never satisfied, that’s me. I’ve told you – I’m the restless type. Perhaps it’ll have to be London, one day, after all.’

      Presently, with almost all the food eaten and the last of the tea squeezed from the pot, Eve said –

      ‘Won’t it be lovely to see the Foulkeses again? We haven’t been back at all, have we? It’s ages since we saw them. Dear Mrs. Foulkes! What shall we give her for her birthday?’

      The others had already thought about this. ‘Well,’ Fay said, ‘I tracked down some more of that Coty perfume we gave her when we left – d’you remember how thrilled she was to have it? I’m sure she’ll have used all that up by now…this other one’s different, but just as nice. Shall we give her that?’

      Alice and Eve agreed at once, and Alice said, ‘There are lovely little shops in Dorchester and the other day I spotted a really pretty china dish with a lid…you could use it for almost anything, but I thought it could hold bath salts…or peppermints…or even to save some coppers in…anything really. It would look nice on Mabel’s dressing table – if she has one. We never saw their part of the farmhouse, did we? But we’ve given her pretty things in the past and she was always pleased to have them, wasn’t she?’

      They went on discussing anything else they might take, ending with sharing one or two of their clothes coupons to buy Mabel a patterned, wrap-around apron which had a frill around the hem and pocket, which Alice had seen in one of the shops.

      Just then, the waitress returned to enquire whether they’d like more tea, and Fay immediately answered for all of them.

      ‘Yes please,’ she said. ‘And just three more of the iced fingers?’

      It was 6 o’clock before they finished their tea and they were the last ones in the dining room. But Fay was in no hurry to leave just yet. There were things she wanted to know more about. She leaned towards Alice, her elbows on the table.

      ‘So – when are you going to see lover boy again?’ she enquired bluntly. ‘And where will you be living – after you’re married, I mean?’

      ‘Oh well…’ Alice realized that she hadn’t thought about Sam for at least half an hour. ‘Sam’s medical training is mostly in London,’ she said, ‘but he does come back to Bristol, to the Infirmary from time to time, on a sort of lease-lend, I suppose. That’s where his father is the big cheese.’ She sighed. ‘But Sam’s training is going to go on for ever by the sound of it – he hopes to become a paediatric brain surgeon eventually.’

      Fay whistled through her teeth. ‘Blimey,’ she said.

      ‘How wonderful!’ Eve exclaimed.

      ‘So where will you be, while he’s training?’ Fay persisted.

      ‘I don’t really know yet,’ Alice admitted. ‘Somewhere in London, I expect – everything’s up in the air at the moment. But of course the big Clifton house – the Carmichaels’ family home – will always be available for us if we want it.’ She paused. ‘Professor Carmichael lives there, obviously, and Sam has four siblings – two sets of twins…I think I told you once that I was their nanny at one time. They’re all away somewhere at the moment, but it will always be their home too, I imagine.’

      ‘That could be awkward in the future,’ Fay said at once. ‘Having the in-laws under your feet all the time.’

      ‘Yes – but when are you seeing Sam again?’ Eve said impatiently. She was intrigued to know more about the handsome man with the brilliant brain. ‘You should be together now, today, shouldn’t you?’

      Alice nodded. ‘He did say that he had some time off and could come and see me this weekend, but when I said I was meeting you two today, he wouldn’t hear of me changing my plans.’ Alice looked away for a second. In fact, she thought, Sam had seemed quite relieved – almost too relieved – that he wouldn’t be seeing her, because afterwards he’d mentioned yet another lecture he really should attend.

      ‘Oh well then, he sounds a very considerate sort of bloke to me,’ Fay said. ‘Unusual in a man. Well, in most of the men I’ve ever known.’

      Alice smiled a quick smile. Yes, Sam was considerate…always had been, to everyone. But still…what she would really have liked was for him to beg her to change her arrangements with Fay and Eve so that they could be together this weekend. Surely he should have insisted on it!

      The waitress hovered near them anxiously – she had the tables to lay up for evening dinner – would these three, who hadn’t stopped talking all the afternoon – ever leave the place?

      Eventually they did, each of them fighting to pay the bill, but this was Evie’s treat, and presently they left the building and went out into the street, arm in arm.

      ‘Thank you so much for that, Evie,’ Alice said, ‘and thanks for arranging it. It’s been so good for us to be together again…and your news is just wonderful. I’m so pleased for you…for you and Max,’ she added.

      ‘And we’re thrilled for you and…Sam…aren’t we, Fay?’ Eve said.

      ‘Course we are!’ Fay said at once.

      ‘So when are you going to produce some special beau for us to admire, Fay?’ Eve said.

      Fay snorted. ‘That’s hardly likely to happen,’ she announced firmly. ‘I prefer the fancy-free and fun life, me.’

      Later, Alice took her place in the corner of an empty carriage of the train and gazed out of the window, going over and over everything that had been said that afternoon. She smiled as she thought about it all. Evie was on top of the world, no doubt about that. And Fay, too, seemed unusually contented with her lot…content about her mother and grandmother. After all, happiness comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and for all sorts of reasons…

      Alice was pensive for a moment, thinking what Fay had said about those meetings she’d attended. It did seem that local politics was not for her, after all, and in a way Alice wasn’t surprised. The dissatisfaction and antagonism which Fay had often demonstrated about so many things were probably much more to do with her past, her underlying personal problems, rather than anything to do with putting the world to rights. So perhaps she needed to put herself right first, Alice thought. Besides, Fay was too impatient, too ready to fly off the handle. Not the sort for reasoned, restrained discussion.

      And now, thinking of her own situation, Alice couldn’t deny that sense of loss. Her sense of despondency. What on earth was going on? How could you change from being completely overwhelmed with joy one minute, to feeling…well…flat and unsure of yourself the next? It didn’t make any sense. Surely it wasn’t to do with Sam being so ready not to see her this weekend? Surely she wasn’t that stupid and self-centred?

      She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, her heart-beat seeming to keep time with the chuff chuff chuffing of the engine as they trundled towards Dorchester. And she decided to be honest with herself.

      The fact was, she was scared – not only about the wedding day itself and all the planning there was to do, but actually frightened of the road ahead… of what it held – and of whether she could cope with a completely new, and rather important style of life as Sam’s wife. Because one day – presumably – she would become the next Mrs. Carmichael of Clifton. One day she would be taking Helena’s place as head of their household. Could Alice ever measure