Different Worlds Ch. 07

For the rest of the day she ignored the doubtful little voice in her head and the painful feeling she got in her chest whenever she thought about Kevin and Sally. She wasn't going back - life changed, nothing lasted forever. She wasn't like other people, why had she even thought she could settle? That's not what she did; she was a traveller.

Anyway she was still in the trial period for the job, and that worked both ways didn't it?

Later that day she spoke to Matt who didn't live too far from Bruton about Ruth & Alex & Chaz getting a lift back in his van and then after some Dutch courage in the form of a slug of vodka she broached the subject with Ruth.

Ruth didn't speak straight away, although she looked like she was about to start a few times. Eventually she settled on a direct approach.

"Why?"

"Luke called, big job." She didn't look at Ruth, instead she concentrated on wiping down the bar which was sticky from spilled mixers.

"But what about your job? What about Richard? Are you just going to walk away from all that?"

"I was just there to fix the truck, I'm mobile again now its time to move on."

"Bullshit! What's happened?"

"Nothing's happened."

"Ivy." Ruth reached out.

Folding her arms across her chest Ivy stepped back. "I don't want to talk about it."

~

It was a few days later and the festival was over, they'd divided up the spoils from the cocktail bar, they'd loaded all the stuff up back into Vicki's truck and they were ready to go.

Ruth had tried to corner her friend a few times over the preceding day but it was hectic running the bar, there was always something that needed doing and Ivy had side stepped her every time.

Ruth hugged Ivy. "I wish you would tell me what's going on." The only reply she got was a small shake of the head.

She glanced over Ivy's shoulder, to where the boys were waiting. Matt was standing with his arms folding watching them. He hadn't said anything, but he didn't have to. He wanted to get moving and it was understandable, the police were always out in force after a festival, and he was probably nervous about getting a pull. The later you left the more risky it was. Ivy was tight lipped, all the colour seemed to bled from her face, if it had been anyone else Ruth might have thought she was about to cry, but this was Ivy, and Ivy didn't cry.

*

As soon as Matt dropped them off Ruth wandered off to the farm shop, hoping to find Sally. Something was going on and she wondered if Sally had any idea what it was.

"Ruth, you're back! I didn't see the truck."

"That's because it's not here."

Sally frowned. "Has something happened? Was the clutch okay?"

"The clutch was fine. Ivy got a call about some work, she decided to go for it."

"Oh." Sally's face fell.

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

"But she seemed so happy here." Sally stood up and wandered out to the back. "I thought she was enjoying working with Kev," she called.

Ruth heard a tap running. Sally was making tea. She climbed on to one of the stools behind the counter.

"I think something must have happened with Richard, or maybe she just panicked I don't know, she wouldn't talk about it." Ruth bit lip and frowned perhaps she should have been more insistent.

Sally reappeared in the doorway holding two mugs. "Actually, now I think about it something did happen."

Ruth leaned forward. "What?"

"Well," Sally paused, "Oh I should have taken more notice at the time, but I was worried about my dad. Now I think about it, she was very clearly upset."

She rested the two mugs on the counter and sat down on the other stool.

"When?"

"She came into the shop, just before you set off."

"She wanted to get some flapjack but then when she came back she didn't have any, I didn't think to ask."

"I'd just had a call, from the hospital, and then my battery died on my phone so I couldn't access the number. Ivy minded the shop while I popped home to fetch the charger."

"She didn't mention that," Ruth said quietly.

"When I got back," Sally was speaking slowly as though pieces of a jigsaw puzzle were only just falling into place, "William was here, but as soon I arrived he left. Ivy was obviously upset, she looked like she'd seen a ghost, but she left quickly too, in fact she left before he did. I thought she was just in a hurry. I should have said something. I should have asked her if she was okay, but I was distracted."

Ruth was nodding slowly, "She seemed a bit weird when we set off, I thought she was worried about the clutch. She hardly spoke all the way there." Ruth took a gulp of her tea.

"Something must have happened. It's a shame, they seem well suited somehow don't they? Even though they come from such different backgrounds. And I've certainly never seen Richard look at anyone the way he was looking at Ivy that evening by the fire," she sighed, "He deserves to find someone nice, he hasn't had an easy time of it."

"None of them have," said Ruth.

"Will and Caroline were so young when their mother died and it was hard for them. But because Richard was the oldest no one seemed to be that worried about him."

"How old was Richard? Nineteen?" Asked Ruth

"Yes, He moved back down from London when she got seriously ill, he'd just finished his degree and he'd been offered a job by the firm he works for now. He did his internship there you see."

"Did he know if the offer was going to stay open?"

"No, he didn't, but he turned it down anyway and came back. He just got on with it, he seemed to hold the place together when everyone else was falling apart."

Sally was looking out of the window into the distance as she spoke.

"Caroline lost so much weight. Terrence just seemed to disappear into himself. They nearly expelled William from that school, I think he would have gone right off the rails if it wasn't for Richard." She shook her head.

"Such a lot of responsibility for someone so young." Ruth said.

"He's always had such a strong sense of duty, even when he was a little boy. That's what I liked about him and Ivy, she seems so free and so easy going. He could do with a bit more of that in his life, someone who doesn't need him. Everyone always seems to need Richard for one thing or another."

"The thing is she's just so—" Ruth sighed, "I don't know she's so independent, so stubborn. It's hard to get her to accept favours, she hardly ever talks about her feelings. I've never known her to have a boyfriend before, and you're right, they seemed so good together."

"But why is she so cagey about her own feelings, she's so aware of everyone else's" Sally said, almost to herself.

"It's her mum, she's a bit mad. —She's lovely," Ruth added quickly, glancing up at Sally, "But when Ivy was a kid Tamsin, used to get taken into hospital sometimes and it was just the two of them, so there was no one to look after Ivy."

"Then what did happened to Ivy when her when her mum was in hospital?"

"She went into care, it only happened a few times and I think it was only for a few months at a time, but still."

"How awful, that must have been very hard on her."

"Yes, I think it was, but she hardly ever talks about it."

Suddenly the door swung open. "That bloody bell," Sally said when she saw Ruth start. They both looked round and there was Richard hovering in the doorway.

*

"Hi!" he said, his gaze settling on Ruth, "You're back?"

They both said his name at the same time, in the same surprised way, he'd obviously interrupted something and the unease he'd felt when he'd arrived to discover Ivy's van wasn't there blossomed.

Why did it feel like they'd just been talking about him?

"Where's Ivy?" he asked.

It was Sally that replied. "I thought you were in Cotswold for the weekend."

"I was, I just came from there, I thought I could spend the night here, and go back to London early."

Something was up. They were both watching him with the same pensive expression on their faces.

"What is it? Where's Ivy?" he said again looking back and forth between them as panic crept up his spine.

Sally started to speak, but stopped again. She looked at Ruth who was biting her lip and their eyes met. Richard looked on as silent communication seemed to pass between the two women and the universal question was asked Do they breach their friends confidence in order to do what they think is best for her? He prayed they would.

Sally glanced back at him. "Do you like her, Richard?"

"Yes," he replied, with frankness that was unusual for him. He was pacing now, he knew something had happened and he was fearing the worst. "But sometimes I feel like I'm dealing with a frightened animal."

Ruth explained to Richard about Ivy's plans to leave Cartwright and go and work for Luke, she left out the incident with Will.

He swept a hand through his hair. "I don't know what to do."

"You should go after her," said Sally.

He stopped pacing and looked at Sally. "Do you think I should? I mean, if she doesn't want to be here anymore shouldn't I just let her go?"

"We think something happened before she left." Ruth told him.

He frowned. "What?"

"I don't know exactly," Sally replied, "but you need to talk to her."

He nodded. "Do you think she'll want to see me?" he asked and then as an afterthought. "I don't know where she is."

Ruth was already on her feet and grabbing her jacket. "Come on, I'll drive you, it's not that far, its only about twenty miles from here."

"You don't need to go to any trouble on my account, you can just tell me where she is."

"Richard," the tone of Sally's voice drew his attention and he turned to her. "Just this once, let someone do something for you."

~

Oh No! It's a cliff hanger! He he! Sorry about that.

In case the American/Canadian readers were tripped up by the word, benefits it means welfare. Thank you so much for reading if you've made it this far, and for your votes, faves and comments, keep them coming! Until next time xx