Maggie wrinkled her nose. ‘I’m a bit overqualified for the job I’ve got at the moment,’ she said. ‘I mean, it’s a great business and the people are lovely. But I’m used to having a bit more responsibility.’
‘So why stay?’ Romany said.
Maggie plucked a chocolate baton from the box but didn’t put it in her mouth. Instead, she tapped her lip with it thoughtfully.
‘Well,’ she began. ‘I don’t need to earn much money. There’s only me and I’m cheap to run. And the job is easy and safe. Plus, it’s great to go home in the evenings and just switch off . . .’ She started to tail off.
‘But it’s boring?’ suggested Romany.
Maggie nodded.
‘And unfulfilling?’
Maggie nodded again.
‘Maybe it’s time to try something that’s a bit more of a challenge?’
‘I think maybe it is,’ she said.
‘But you’re scared?’
Nod.
‘Once bitten, twice shy?’
Nod.
Romany sat back in her chair and took a long, appraising look at Maggie. ‘What would you say to me if it was the other way round?’ she asked.
Maggie took a deep breath. ‘I would tell you to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get right back on the horse,’ she said.
‘Hmmm,’ Romany said, letting her mouth twist into a wry smile. ‘Would you now?’
She thought she saw Maggie blush.
42
Maggie was making dinner for her and Leon. It was going to be lasagne, made from scratch. There had been no time for meals with so many constituent parts when she had been working as a solicitor. Back then, she would have just made a quick pasta dish, a tomato sauce with a few veg chucked in for good measure, and eaten it without concentrating whilst she looked over emails or documents for the next day. Now, though, with the ragù already bubbling in the oven, she stirred the béchamel sauce carefully, making sure that it didn’t thicken too quickly or stick to the bottom of the pan. It was nice to have the time to cook properly, therapeutic even. Ironically, however, now that she finally had the time to stir a sauce without doing anything else at the same time, she no longer felt the need for calm. She almost missed the grabbed meals eaten without thought because her mind was occupied with more interesting things.
Leon was sitting at the kitchen island, a glass of wine in front of him, flicking through the TV options for the evening on his iPad.
‘There’s a new four-parter starting on ITV that looks promising,’ he said. ‘Or we could just plough on with House of Cards.’
Maggie sighed internally.
‘Shall we try the new thing?’ she said. She had lost interest in House of Cards after season two, but she didn’t want to disappoint Leon who still seemed to be enjoying it.
‘If you like,’ replied Leon. ‘How did it go with Romany last night?’
‘Oh, it was very productive. We got her personal statement whipped into shape. It was pretty much there in her head. She just needed some help getting her thoughts down on paper. She’s a smart girl.’
Leon nodded. ‘Good,’ he said. ‘Did she mention that list I sent her? A hundred books to read before you’re twenty-one. I googled what to read and up it popped. There was some great stuff on it, although there were plenty I’d never heard of, too.’
‘No,’ replied Maggie. ‘It didn’t come up. And to be honest, Lee, I’m not sure that she needs things like that just at the moment, with her A levels just around the corner. She’s under enough pressure as it is without feeling like she’s supposed to read her way through a list of novels on top.’
‘Yes. You’re probably right,’ he said. He looked dejected, resting his chin on his hand. ‘Between you and me, I’m not quite sure what I’m supposed to be doing with this cultural guardian role. It’s all right for you. It’s obvious that she’s going to need help with stuff like her UCAS form, but my brief is so vague. I wish Angie had given us a bit more direction.’
Maggie stopped stirring the sauce and took it off the heat. She poured herself a glass of wine and sat down next to Leon. ‘I think what she really wanted was to make sure that Romany had some significant adults in her life. What you’re responsible for isn’t really the point.’
Leon looked surprised. ‘Really? Then I’m not sure . . .’
‘Why don’t you try taking Romany out to something – the theatre or a film, something you’d both enjoy, and then you can have a chat whilst you’re out.’