Families

By Gillian Wells

Tom and Katie run a successful garden centre. Katie's mother had early onset dementia and is confused, so she decides to go live with them. Tom feels shut out, as does their daughter, Sally. Tom is flattered by a beautiful girl who goes to work for them, with dire consequences. Sally too has problems and increasingly, it looks as if the family may be blown apart. Will they overcome their difficulties and survive, will it ever be the same as before?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Nov 29, 2019
• ISBN: 9781528966979

Gillian Wells

Gillian is a lovely English lady who lives in rural Queensland with her cattle dog Jess. She has three children living in Australia, France and England and four grandchildren. She loves meeting people and has travelled widely in Australia and is one of Australia's best known and enjoyed authors.Gillian is also the author of over ten additional adult books which include Alone, Belonging, Families, Lost, Returned, Consequences, Travelling, Inheritance, Possession and coming in 2024... Compulsion. The Adventures of Bub and Tub series are Gillian's first children's books to be published with Boots & Scoots being her third children's book.

Book preview

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About the Author

Gillian is an English woman living in rural Queensland with her husband and cattle dog. She has travelled widely in Australia and loves the wide-open spaces and the people who live there. She has three children living in Australia, England and France and four grandchildren. She loves hearing people’s life stories.

About the Book

Tom and Katie run a successful garden centre. Katie's mother had early onset dementia and is confused, so she decides to go live with them. Tom feels shut out, as does their daughter, Sally. Tom is flattered by a beautiful girl who goes to work for them, with dire consequences. Sally too has problems and increasingly, it looks as if the family may be blown apart. Will they overcome their difficulties and survive, will it ever be the same as before?

Dedication

To carers of all disabled people. They do an amazing job.

Copyright Information ©

Gillian Wells (2019)

The right of Gillian Wells to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781528966979 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published (2019)

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd

25 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5LQ

Acknowledgement

I am grateful to Dick and Luba for the peaceful setting of their lovely home and to my family.

Chapter 1

You can’t go out just now, Katie heard raised voices coming from the kitchen as she came downstairs with an armful of dirty clothes, heading for the washing machine. It was her mother and her husband’s voices and she was saying, Who says I can’t, I will if I want to.

Katie swept into the kitchen before Tom had a chance to reply.

Because it’s just started to snow heavily Mum, it’s not fit for anyone out there and certainly not you, you might fall and hurt yourself it’s icy too.

Katie’s mother turned and glared at her daughter, her face was flushed with anger and frustration and her hair which had always been so well coiffured was sticking up at all angles. She only had a thin cardigan on and carpet slippers, God she really is losing the plot, Katie thought.

Come on, Mum, why don’t you sit here in the warm and I will make you a nice cup of tea, or coffee if you prefer.

I don’t want a drink, I want to go for a walk, her mother said peevishly, though the sting had gone out of her words and Katie saw tears gathering in her mother’s eyes.

Katie dumped the armful of washing down on the big kitchen table and going to her mother put her arm around her and led her to the sofa which was set along one wall in the big kitchen. There, she said soothingly. That’s better isn’t it, I’ll just put this washing in the machine then I’ll put the kettle on. OK?

Tom pulled a face at Katie as gathering the washing she went through to the washing machine which was in what they called the boot room. Just off the kitchen, it was inside the back door and where all the outdoor clothes and footwear were kept. It was also where the central heating boiler was and where the two Labrador dogs slept. Tom followed Katie and said in a low voice, Your mum is getting worse you know. If I hadn’t been in the kitchen, she would have gone outside, then where would we be?

Katie sighed, I know Tom, but you were here so no harm done.

That’s not the point Katie, and you know it, supposing I wasn’t then what? You just have to face up to the fact your mother is becoming a real strain on all of us and we have to do something about it.

Do something about what?

Sally, their teenage daughter, appeared in the doorway, I’m starving, can we have pancakes for breakfast, Mum? All this was said without Sally drawing breath and not waiting for a reply she disappeared again into the kitchen.

Katie took the opportunity to push by her husband and not answer his question. Tom looked at her retreating back and shook his head. Katie looked so tired lately, her lovely blonde hair was scraped back and her blue eyes that normally sparkled with life looked dull and unhappy. Tom struggled into his outdoor clothes and calling to the dogs who were still in their beds he let himself out into the white, whirling eddies of snow.

Katie heard him go out and her throat closed with tears of frustration and unhappiness. Her father had died suddenly last year and it was obvious to everyone that Ruth, her mother, wasn’t going to cope without him. Katie had two sisters but one lived in the States and one in Australia, so everything had fallen on Katie’s shoulders. Emma, who lived in America, had come over for the funeral but hadn’t stayed longer than necessary, Joan had pleaded that she hadn’t got the money or the time to come from Australia. It had been that way pretty much since Katie had reached her late teens. She was several years younger than the other two and it had been easy enough to stay in the village especially when a young handsome mechanic had started to take her out. She had taken a job straight from school in the nursery raising plants which was something she had always felt she wanted to do, university hadn’t interested her, and she had been happy.

Eventually, Tom and she had got married and both worked very hard to fulfil their dreams, now they had a very successful garden centre and lawn mower business that ran alongside each other. All garden machinery trimmers. Hedge cutters, small tractors, Tom had contracts to maintain the mowers and machinery for three golf courses too. Shawn, their son, though wasn’t interested in the business and had gone to Uni back in September and had only made a brief appearance at Christmas a few weeks ago. Sally was to take her GCSE later in the year.

Katie sighed again as she bustled about the kitchen. She really felt between a rock and a hard place, she loved her mother of course she did, but she loved her husband and children too and she was conscious that her mother was becoming a strain on all of them. She had tried to reconcile herself to the fact that her mother’s mental capabilities were diminishing and that maybe she needed to be in some kind of home where she would have full attention all the time. But she knew that her mother would hate it, she had always been fiercely independent and had also belittled care homes over the years, saying there was no way she would end up in one.

Now she turned towards her mother who was sitting where Katie had left her. I am making pancakes for breakfast; would you like one with some maple syrup and bacon?

Ruth had been dozing in the warmth of the Aga which was just at the end of the sofa. What’s that paraffin, who ever heard of having paraffin for breakfast? Are you mad?

No Mum, PANCAKES, Katie’s voice was louder than intended. Sally sitting at the table burst into laughter. Ruth sat looking outraged and Katie didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

No need to shout, Katie, it’s bad manners, thank you. A pancake with bacon and maple syrup would be very nice, Ruth said primly.

Sally was still sniggering at the table when her mother told her to lay the table, Sally got up then, grumbling to herself, it wasn’t that she really minded but she was not in the mood and premenstrual so anything her mother wanted her to do was an issue.

They had finished eating by the time Tom reappeared. I saved you a couple of pancakes, Tom. Katie got to her feet to retrieve them from the warming oven in the Aga.

Tom had been about to refuse but seeing the pleading look on Katie’s face sat down to eat.

How is it out there? It doesn’t look too good. Katie was looking out of the window.

No, it’s getting quite deep, the roads will be blocked soon, good thing it’s Sunday, not so many people trying to get to work.

No school tomorrow then, Sally grinned.

Don’t count your chickens, Sally; I expect the council will have cleared the roads by then, Katie replied.

Chapter 2

In the event, the snow was very deep the next morning and the snowplough hadn’t got through, the school was closed anyhow much to Sally’s joy.

Ruth had retreated to her room the day before and had to be coaxed out to have her meals. She had a nice sitting room with a small bedroom off to one side of it, all on the ground floor. It had been one very large drawing room but as a family they had hardly used it only on special occasions so Tom and Katie had had it converted a couple of years previously, just in case. They had only extended a small bit to build on a bathroom.

The next day, however, she was out in the kitchen as Tom and Katie came downstairs together first thing in the morning. Now, Katie, I know you have a lot to do and I am going to help you today. What wants doing indoors here or can I help out in the nursery or shop?

Oh, Mum, It’s too snowy for anything much to happen outside and I can manage anyway really I can.

Ruth looked crestfallen, Surely I can do something, I’m not completely useless yet, I want to help.

Katie exchanged a look with Tom who shook his head but said nothing.

Well, I always seem to be behind with my housework, could you do some dusting do you think?

Ruth looked as if she might not agree to this so Katie added quickly, I am just going to make us both coffee do you want one or do you want tea?

Tea please, Ruth took Tom’s normal chair at the head of the big kitchen table. She was dressed warmly today and her hair looked tidy. Katie opened her mouth to say about Tom’s chair knowing how he liked to sit there, he always had, but Tom shook his head at her and sat further down the table.

No one spoke for a while, Katie busied herself getting the coffee going and her mother tea. She laid the table for breakfast too and was about to call up the stairs to hurry Sally up when the phone rang to say the school was closed for the day.

Tom looked up from the Saturday paper he had suddenly found interesting. If school is closed, he second guessed the phone call, you might as well leave her a bit longer, as least we will have a few minutes’ more peace.

In recent mornings, Sally had her music playing rather loudly and that had caused irritation especially with her father.

Drinks made Katie sat down to talk to Tom about the plans for the day. She always enjoyed this early morning discussion but lately her mother had continually interrupted them, Tom had got exasperated and their conversations had to be cut short. This morning was no exception. No sooner had they started to chat about the weather and what it meant for their business, Ruth started to make comments. Tom was saying that kindling wood and logs were going to be very popular this coming week and he wasn’t worried about the business in the shop but the snow was a problem on the outside as many of the pots were completely covered and the plants in them would be suffering if the snow didn’t clear up soon.

Wood won’t go far, you need coal that is what people want to keep warm, wood burns too fast, Ruth said.

Mum, most people have central heating; the wood is just supplementary and it makes the house seem cosier; anyway people don’t burn coal nowadays.

Ruth looked at Katie with surprise, Don’t they, don’t they really?

Tom butted in, Katie, please listen, I am going out to clear the snow from the car park and paths and—

Well, coal was good enough for us and this central heating thing is silly and it must cost a fortune, Ruth was determined to have her say.

Tom got to his feet though he had hardly eaten any breakfast. If your mother keeps this up, Katie, I shan’t be responsible for my actions.

Tom, please wait and have breakfast, Katie got up and placed her hand on his arm.

Ruth sat looking from one to another, Tom pulled his arm away, Sorry, Katie, I can’t cope with this right now. With that Tom left the kitchen and a few minutes later slammed the back door behind him.

Katie turned to her mother tears pricking the back of her eyes. Look what you’ve done, Tom hadn’t even finished his breakfast.

Not my fault, I didn’t tell him to go, why is it anything to do with me? What are you being grumpy with me for? I think Tom has turned into a very bad-tempered man of late.

Katie drew a big breath and dug deep to find patience. Mum, he was trying to talk to me about the business and all you did was interrupt, as you have done nearly every morning lately, can’t you see we need this time of day to make plans.

Why don’t you talk at night if that is what you want to do, when I am in my room alone?

Mum, you mostly watch TV with us and it’s no good making plans until we are sure what the weather will be like and anyway we have always done it this way.

What have you always done this way? Sally strolled sleepily into the kitchen, she was wrapped in her dressing gown and looked only half awake.

Nothing, Sally, you took your time getting up, lucky school is closed today, and do you have to swan about like that it’s slovenly. In her heart, Katie knew she was taking her frustrations with her mother out on Sally but it seemed she couldn’t help it.

Sally’s colour rose, You know what, Mum? I don’t give a damn what you think.

Sally poured herself some juice from the jug on the table and plonked herself down in the chair Tom had been sitting in.

For a few moments there was silence then Ruth said, Your dressing gown looks very cosy, Sally, I don’t blame you for wanting to wear it. Perhaps you will come to my room when you’ve had your breakfast. I have something I want to show you.

Katie got to her feet; her mother was being impossible and now she felt she was being ganged up on. She left them to it and going upstairs went to the bathroom and cleaned her teeth. It was very dark in the bathroom and Katie looked at the window which had frosted glass in it and saw that the window was covered with snow outside. She decided to open it, that way dislodging the snow; which is what she did. The bathroom window looked out onto the staff car park and Katie saw a very old Land Rover draw in. That must be the new girl Tom took on a couple of weeks ago, she thought. She was studying horticulture and had been placed with them for the next six months as part of her course. As Katie watched, a tall girl with red curly hair got out of the car. She was wrapped up against the cold but Katie could see that she had a slender figure and as she glanced around getting her bearings Katie could see she had large eyes and a generous mouth, indeed she looked beautiful. She ducked her head back into the car and retrieved a woolly hat which she put on and walked across towards the office and shop with long graceful strides. Katie shut the window with a bang. She felt a strange disquiet seeing that girl. She shook herself; Tom had never so much glanced at anyone else, why would this be different?

Going back downstairs, shortly afterwards she found that her mother and Sally had tidied the kitchen a bit and could hear them talking in Ruth’s room, Sally was even giggling, something she didn’t do so much lately. At least they seem to be getting on, thought Katie with a pang as she put on her outdoor clothes and braved the weather.

When she got into the shop, she found Tom showing the new girl around. Ah, he said, this is my wife, Katie, Katie this is Ebony.

The two of them shook hands, She’s even more attractive close up, thought Katie despairingly. Pleased to meet you, I hope you will enjoy working here, she said.

I am sure I will, Ebony replied, she had quite a deep, slightly husky voice and Katie again felt a sense of unease, though again she immediately dismissed it.

It was brave of you to turn up in this weather, some of our staff that live a little distance away have rung to say they can’t make it today, Katie said.

Oh it’s OK, I borrowed our neighbour’s old jalopy, he didn’t mind and anyway it was fun and I didn’t want to miss my first day.

It was very good of you to make the effort, Ebony, wasn’t it, Katie? said Tom.

Umm, of course, well we’d all better get on, not stand here chatting, Katie said sharply.

Chapter 3

Two months later, Katie hadn’t changed her first impression of Ebony, she flirted with all the males, customers or staff, sometimes quite outrageously. A few times Katie had to tell her she was over friendly with some of the general public who came into the shop especially the regular ones. Ebony just pouted and tossed her head and muttered sorry and continued as if Katie hadn’t said anything.

Indoor things were no better with Ruth either, as she kept doing odd things and fussing over silly incidents that didn’t really matter at all. Sally too was continually grumpy and stressed about first her mocks then her real exams which would be starting in a couple of months’ time. Katie couldn’t do anything right for either of them.

Tom also was spending more time in the greenhouses or outside in the workshop than in the house. If he was indoors, he was in his office.

One evening, Katie went and knocked on the door and going in said, Why don’t we watch some television together or have a glass of wine and a chat like we used to, please, Tom.

What and have your mother snoring away or interrupting, I don’t think so.

Tom, please, this isn’t like you at all. Please come and keep me company, Mum’s in her room just now and Sally has gone up to her room to study.

Oh, Tom looked more cheerful, OK, just give me a minute, you can pour me a glass of red.

By the time Tom came out into the kitchen, Katie was sat on the sofa with two large glasses of red wine and some biscuits and cheese laid out on the coffee table. Tom sat down beside her and taking the glass she held out, clinked glasses with her saying, This is more like it Katie, cheers.

Katie smiled at him, while she was waiting she had run upstairs and brushed her hair and put on a dab of perfume, now she nestled into Tom’s side.

Umm you smell nice, Tom put his arm ’round her and kissed her lightly on the lips, Katie took the chance and kissed him back with fervour. Their kiss deepened then suddenly there was an almighty crash coming from Ruth’s room. They both jumped to their feet in alarm. Mum, Katie rushed through expecting to see her mother sprawled out on the floor, instead she was sitting in the armchair looking somewhat surprised. The small television that she had brought with her when she came to live with them was lying on the floor looking very mangled and broken.

Mum, what happened? Katie stepped over the debris to squat by her mother’s chair thinking she would be upset though she was wondering how on earth the television could have fallen off the table it was on as it was smaller than the table surface.

Well, that stupid man on there was talking the upmost rubbish so I pushed him off the table. Serves him right and shut him up.

God almighty, Tom had followed Katie. It’s a wonder you didn’t electrocute yourself and blow the trip switch and god knows what other damage. Tom was shouting by the time he finished the sentence. He turned and muttering about the electricity stumped off; a moment later Katie heard him go outside.

The television was still plugged in so Katie carefully unplugged it and then turned to her mother. "Mum, why didn’t you just switch to another channel if the programme was upsetting you. You shouldn’t do things like that it’s dangerous