Chapter 27

That first evening was great. Louise regaled them with stories of her life on the Costa Del Sol. Her boyfriend, Maurice, had a beautiful villa and they seemed to enjoy a very good life. Parties, meals, trips in his Mercedes, she had to drop the make of the car in, and swimming in their own pool.

Photos on her phone were viewed and Nina noticed the many shots of her mother in a bikini. Still trim, Louise was obviously eager for everyone to see that she was still in shape. Maurice was older, probably around seventy, and somewhat overweight. His money must be the main attraction. He did have a broad smile and the pictures featured many friends. Maurice appeared to be a good man.

Nina watched as her mother swilled down a few glasses of wine. Slightly wobbly, Louise had headed off to bed at ten O'clock. Nina and Rory sighed and hugged, having made it through the first day.

"That was alright." Rory said.

"Yes. I'm glad she's here. When I saw her at the station, it was a nice moment. Maurice looks like a nice chap. The one thing that you can say about Louise, is that she can pick out a decent man. I suppose you could say that she has had a lot of practice."

"With her bleached blonde hair and her high heels, she could be seen as an air head. Behind the brightly coloured clothes and the makeup, however, lurks a calculating mind. The set up with Maurice is pretty good. Good luck to them."

"Her timing is actually not too bad. You're at work tomorrow and then it's the weekend. I'll take her into town and then we can go further afield on Saturday. Maybe go to the village where I bought the vases."

"Yes, then we can eat in the Italian restaurant."

"After that, we'll just wing it. I've no idea how long she will stay. She brought a massive suitcase, but that doesn't mean anything. That might be her outfits for two days."

Rory laughed and they began to clear up the kitchen. Their mood was light as they went to bed. Nina thought that her mother would like the small shops in Fernborough and there were a couple of nice cafes where they could have lunch. For the first time in a while, her sleep was untroubled.

Louise did not emerge from her room until gone 10am. Hair unbrushed and makeup free, Nina could not remember the last time she had seen her like this. Nibbling at a piece of toast, her mother asked about the plans for the day. Satisfied with what was on offer, she went to get ready. Nina watched her go and realised her jaw was clenched. It would be at least an hour before they would go anywhere.

The good thing about the morning was that there had been no paranormal activity the night before. The bad thing was that so much time was wasted waiting for Louise to get ready. At midday, she swanned down the stairs like a movie star, resplendent in black trousers and a purple satin shirt. Her lipstick matched her top. Nina simply smiled and got her keys.

The locals stared at the sight of Louise and she was rather pleased about that. She gesticulated more and spoke louder to attract attention. Nina was familiar with this behaviour and said nothing. It had been mortifying when she was younger, but now it didn't bother her so much. 

Another ritual was played out when they received their menus in the café. Louise was fussy about what she ate. Retaining her slim figure was the main aim and a painstaking process was observed as she wrinkled her nose at the options on offer. 

"Chips, no. Bread, no. Fish in batter, no. Jacket potato, no. Pasta, no. Ah, omelette and salad."

Why didn't she just skip to the salads? Louise had to let the whole room know that she was eating something low calorie. It was all a part of the "look at me" way she conducted herself in public.

"I'm going to have the lasagne."

"Oh, of course. You are eating for two."

So many times, that day, Nina had to grin and bear it. There was a temptation to scold Louise or try to reason with her, but it was not worth the hassle. At home, they drank tea and had a fairly normal conversation.

"Have you been alright with the pregnancy. Not feeling ill, I mean."

"No. A bit queasy at first, but nothing really."

"I was fine with you. My hair was even more glossy and I didn't put on much weight. In fact, I felt very attractive. It was a bit tricky dating, but I went out a few times."

The story of her father, a, good looking, guy, a brief encounter, never seen again, had been told when she was a child. Nina had questioned Louise when she was a teenager and the tale remained consistent. It was just the type of thing that her mother would do. 

"It's nice for you, having Rory around. Someone to share everything with. I've never regretted having you, but I wish I'd done it properly. All I knew about your dad was that he was called Sean." Shaking off the thought, Louise smiled. "We did alright though, didn't we? Look how well you turned out. A degree, then a husband and now a baby."

Nina gave Louise a hug. These good moments were mere breadcrumbs, but they were gratefully accepted. When Rory came home, Louise would perform again. A muted version of her public persona, but up a notch from the mother daughter chat. 

Taking ingredients out of the fridge, Nina started to prepare the evening meal. This was of no interest to Louise and she left for a little nap. Rory found a mellow wife at home, when he returned from work and he breathed a sigh of relief.