Under Two Shires Oak – Episode 44
Under Two Shires Oak
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- 1. Under Two Shires Oak – Episode 44
“YOU’RE right, I am scared,” Marianne replied instead.
“And there’s no need to worry about your own position, either,” James added, standing up, “because you’re the real thing, too.”
He went with her to the meeting, taking charge of it in his quiet way. Marianne realised that his assessment of the situation had been spot on. David was ambitious, and might have tried to pull some trick, exploiting the fact that his colleagues were feeling rudderless without Oliver. But, as James pointed out to them, the firm’s order book was bursting, most of the work was very long term and Oliver would likely be back before they were starting any new big jobs.
Relaxing for the first time in several hours, as she watched James calming everyone down, Marianne returned to wondering about the feeling of familiarity she’d experienced earlier. She now knew from where it had come. In the early days of her career she had always been rushing into his office in a state of panic, needing him to sort out numerous awkward clients for her.
Even her mum’s special necklace, the one with the leaves from Two Shires Oak! When Marianne had thought she’d lost that, and had been dreading Francesca’s reaction, James had come to her rescue.
As she thought about the necklace she remembered how, when she’d first met James, the picture of a sturdy oak tree had kept popping into her mind.
She smiled. This, then, was what those who had doubts about herself and James as a couple didn’t understand. If you looked at their marriage like a tree, she might be considered the bright, frothy blossom at the top that everyone saw and admired. But James was the roots, the hidden strong foundation, without which there would be nothing . . .
* * * *
“Are you OK, madam?” the air stewardess asked as she walked down the aisle past Suzanne.
“I’m fine.”
She wasn’t, but it wasn’t anything with which the stewardess could help. Suzanne was not nervous about flying – not with all the miles she’d done over the past few years . . .
Closing her eyes, she recalled her first assignment with the overseas aid agency, in Africa. It had all rather frightened her, but she had been welcomed by Tom, the kind and very capable man running the aid effort. Tom, who was now her husband and father of their young daughter, Holly.
And that was the problem. Why, these days, when Suzanne got on aeroplanes she was often close to tears.
Their present life was not suitable for a child. Not at all. Currently she and Tom were back in Africa, helping in the wake of that year’s terrible famine.
So, with Tom’s agreement, Suzanne had arranged for Holly to live for the time being with her parents, Grace and Phil, in France. After all, it wasn’t going to be for ever.
That was the basis on which Suzanne had made the arrangement. Soon, Tom would move to a head office job and they could set up home properly.
But this hadn’t happened. Always there seemed to be another disaster requiring his considerable skills, not behind a desk but out in the field.
So far, she’d accompanied him. She, now, also had a fair bit of experience, and when one witnessed the desolation that the victims faced, it was hard to refuse.
But it was breaking Suzanne’s heart to be separated from Holly, who was now four. How many milestones had been missed? In turn, this was putting a huge strain on their marriage. These days, it seemed to Suzanne they were constantly arguing.
Nonetheless, eventually arriving at the camp after a far less than comfortable journey, she felt a real surge of happiness at seeing Tom. But this lasted only days. Within a week they were quarrelling bitterly again.
They both understood why this was, and Suzanne was grateful for the fact that that, between rows, they could still sit down and talk reasonably.
“There’s just too much to sort out,” Tom said. “You blame me because you want a normal family home; I feel guilty for not providing one, but at the same time I feel too committed to all this . . .” he waved his hand round the camp “ . . . just to walk away.”
“So, what’s the answer?” she whispered.
But even as she asked, she was aware that they both knew.