Brick by Brick

Part Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

"Me too." Sammy pulled her coat tighter against the cold wind as she stepped back from the grave. "She's the only member of this family I'd do this for."

Joel nodded, she still hadn't turned to look at him and he found he was almost holding his breath. "Me too. She was an amazing woman."

She was dressed in black, obviously, a belted wool coat over tailored trousers and black heels, but she had an elegance that had been missing months back when they've briefly been in contact. She looked like the woman he remembered as the wind whipped her auburn hair around her face. Using one hand to secure it behind one ear, she turned slowly to face him, and he was right, the almost luminescence was back, she was vibrant and traffic stopping, moving away from the city had done her the world of good. Who'd have thought that?

"Nana Turner was one of life's good un's Sammy, that is the truth."

She was studying him for a moment, then nodded, "yes."

She started to walk, to leave the graveside, and he moved to fall into step beside her, "how's Eleanor?"

That made her instantly smile, her eyes sparkled, "she's good, really good. Crawling everywhere, making my life hell, but it's a lovely hell. You know?"

He didn't, he was an only child, he knew no one else with children, he had no idea what they were like, but he could imagine that for every negative there were a dozen positives.

"She's a lucky girl to have you."

She sighed, "she loves the coast, the beaches, friends...even my mother, maybe I should have done it months ago."

It led to an awkward silence as they both thought back to their last conversation, to exactly what precipitated her leaving the city.

"It wasn't what you thought."

Holding up a hand she silenced him, "I can't talk about that, I can't go back over it all again. I'm sorted, I'm strong...it's been a while and I want to stay like this."

Nodding he accepted that, it was a reasonable request.

"You need a ride to the wake? It's at the Continental Wine Bar. I've got my car."

"I wasn't going to go; I don't want to see any of the Turner family."

He half laughed, "I can more than share that sentiment...but I presume you've had the will reading mentioned to you?" When she nodded a little nervously he smiled, "me too. It's upstairs after the wake."

"You've been asked to come too?" her question was a whisper. "I wanted to avoid it all."

Sammy had no choice but to follow his gesture into the passenger seat of his car, and was actually a little relieved to be sheltered from the winter chill. Joel buckled in beside her and they drove in silence to yet another posh London hotel. The valet took his keys, and finally he met her eyes.

Offering her an elbow he gave a sigh, "shall we go and spoil yet another Turner party?"

Her smile reached her eyes this time; she could feel the crinkles at the corner of her eyes as she replied, "Turner party...Take Two!"

There was obviously a more sombre tone to the party than the previous event that she'd felt as though she'd gate crashed, but regardless, all eyes seemed to turn to them as they stood in the doorway. The immediate family, were sat at a large table across the room, Clifford looking genuinely distraught at losing his mother, beside him was Margaret; she played the Merry Widow rather too convincingly. The other Turner siblings were gathered near their parents, along with Aunt Martha, Clifford's sister and her children, all in various states of tears.