Relationships Blog
Dating Diary
June 2, 2008: just desserts?
This week Linda meets a suitable-sounding widower on the internet and Bill finds late fatherhood a bit too much after all
And then Martin just came into my life. There in the inbox as if he'd always been there. He was straightforward and nice: 'I've been reading your columns,' he said. 'You sound interesting. Take a look at my profile and - if you like what you see - how about a glass of something very cold and very delicious in the Hotel du Vin at seven on Thursday. Just for an hour to see if we click.'
I looked him up: distinguished looking and tall, silver grey hair and a definite twinkle. Intelligent, successful in the architecture and design world and a widower whose boy and girl had grown up and left home. He lives in a pretty village in the South Downs and likes walking, reading and music. Well, promising or what?
'You'll always be the second Mrs de Winter,' said Ewan. 'I'll have to start calling you Rebecca.' He was insufferable at the moment. Jack had found that he missed him terribly so had begged him to come back to London - and now they were planning a civil ceremony for late summer. But Ewan was busy trying to persuade Jack he'd be happier in Brighton commuting to the newspaper where he worked than he was living in London all the time - and Jack was open to the idea. Now Ewan was busy looking at suitable rather grand apartments on the seafront in Kemp Town.
'Thanks for the vote of confidence,' I said. And I emailed Martin to say I'd love to meet him at the Hotel du Vin. I checked his picture out again. Short hair, slightly crinkly blue eyes - I was looking forward to seeing him in person.
Meanwhile I was late for Bill. He was already in 'our' coffee shop, wolfing down a brownie. It seemed I hadn't seen him since Chantal had done a surprise u-turn and, suddenly declaring she couldn't cope with being a single mother, would take him up on that offer of living with him after all. And down to Brighton she'd come, baby and all. And he'd gone very quiet on me now he'd found the happiness he was after of getting the love of his life and an instant family to boot.
'Get me another latte, extra shot and two croissants, lots of jam and an orange juice could you, Linda?' He said, shoving a twenty into my hand. 'And whatever you want. I'm too tired to get up, sorry...' And he did look totally whacked out. That Chantal! I thought to myself - well!
But when I put our order down he said: 'I've been up with the baby all night and I'm shattered!' And he pulled out an enormous hanky to wipe his mouth - and I realised it was a muslin nappy so handy for wiping up baby sick. Aww...
'But happy, right?'
He looked me in the eye and I could see the defeat and sadness there. 'I'm too old for this,' he said. 'Now my own kids are well past all that - I realise I can't go back to that time. I can't do the nights up and the nappies and the stuff everywhere - I can't think, I can't write - and Chantal has changed - she used to be so happy-go-lucky, so ready for...'
'She's got a baby and no money now!'
'It was all a terrible mistake - what was I thinking?'
'We were wondering...'
'I know!' he said. 'I'll buy them a flat - it'll be a good investment for me because I was wondering what to do with that money I got from the last two books, then she won't have to worry about all that so much...'
'It could work for Chantal,' I said. 'But what will Emma say about that?' In my experience ex-wives don't take well to husbands setting up other women in flats - no matter how good a cause.
'Oh - Emma's getting married,' he said. 'She found someone on a dating site. You know, Linda - I was a real fool there, Emma's great you know - I shouldn't have let her go.'
More from Linda
- May 27: plight of the Valkyries
- May 9: love the one you're with
- May 1: not on stand by
- April 24: the invisible woman
