Just Rose

Chapter 35

Her newest commission work was coming on leaps and bounds, despite the shift in her relationship and the effects it was having on her mental state, already the first new illustrations had been passed off to her new contract and she only had five more to do for this book.

The book’s author was ecstatic with the work so far and her agent had yet another contract already in the works! In the last few years, Rose had become a highly sought-after artist in the field of children’s illustration. There was talk with her agent to move into prints for general sale of some of her most popular images in the coming year, and contract offers fast piling up for future work. Financially, Rose had a bright future and the move here was showing in her work. Her art was far easier flowing and natural since coming here. More vibrant with a lot more character and charm. Her agent had seen the change too and admired it with enthusiasm.

It was not just falling in love with Rob, it was the place, the people, Abby, her cottage! All of it just seemed to effortlessly fit like a glove and she could not imagine ever going anywhere else again. The turmoil of her love life was not distracting the need to paint and get lost in magical worlds of make believe.

She could now see why her aunt had spent her adult life here until she had married. The locals were all so welcoming and friendly. They popped by to bring her baked goods, casseroles or invites in passing, they greeted her at the coffee morning meet ups and jumble sales like an old friend or just around town.

Muffin had become somewhat of a celebrity and most of the food shops gave him a free treat on sight. The butcher kept his bones every Friday afternoon for their weekly shopping trip and everyone they met knew him by name, calling him over for a frantic clap. He even had a camaraderie with Rob, snuggling up to him whenever he was here and trying to sleep between them in bed on the rare occasions that he stayed nights.

She had never ventured near the museum again and something inside her sang with relief when she saw the banners coming down for the art exhibit when she was passing. She guessed that meant Matt had returned to the states and there would no longer always be a chance of bumping into him; free from any more awkward encounters.

The cottage was complete, in that every corner, every wall, every room was exactly how she wanted it. Her own stamp finally in place. Even the gardens under the care of her gardener Malcolm were looking full and stunning. He had surprised her with a handmade dog kennel for Muffin only days ago, painted bright white with a shiny red roof. She had been so moved by the gift she had welled up and the red of the little house had pushed her to pay him to redo her front door. It was now a shining glossy pillar box red with gleaming brass handle and letter box. The cottage was everything from her memories and more. It was complete. It was her home finally.

If only her relationship with Rob could be as effortless and uncomplicated as life here was. Maybe then she could finally shift the ever-looming grey cloud from her life and be truly happy.

It was all this clicking into place, and things coming together that made Rose even more frustrated. The one thing she wanted more than anything, was to be able to walk hand in hand with Rob into town or stand holding his arm at the next dance or charity night. To smile when people saw them together and have everyone know she was his. The mere thought of it got to her more than she ever let on to him, for fear another huge row like the one that night would overcome them.

The longer things stayed the same, small doubts had started to creep into her mind about the situation with Morag. Doubts that they could get through this for much longer before she snapped and made Rob wonder why he was even trying anymore.

Rose had spoken to her parents on and off since moving here, through f*******:, skype and phone on occasion; before she had started to avoid the most recent calls. They had hinted several times at coming to visit for a long weekend, but so far Rose had put them off, explaining she was lost in her commission work and needed to concentrate until it was done; but they were becoming persistent.

She loved her parents. She loved her two older brothers too, but somehow coming here while things were this way felt wrong. She wanted them to meet Rob as her significant other.

How could they?

All this cloak and dagger stuff and secret love life! She didn’t want to lie to them either. It was easy to exclude her love life from conversation, they didn’t pry and figured she would tell them if any romance sprung up. Somehow though, face to face, she knew her mother would see it. See the look in her eye when her phone beeped. The constant checking of her watch when they had arranged to meet out of town somewhere and she was eager to leave. The restlessness when she did not hear from him as planned or he took an age to reply to her texts. The constant tension in her brow as she mulled over the lack of change in circumstances between them. She would see that her daughter was basically living the life of a glorified mistress and the thought made her sick to her stomach. This was not how she imagined finding ‘The one!’ would be.

* * *

Abby threw a cushion across the bed at Rose, they were sitting in her bedroom for once, instead of down at the cottage after a long morning shopping at the nearest outlet forty miles away. The bags were all strewn across the fluffy cream carpeted floor and the contents pulled here and there after they had admired and tried on several items of summer clothing. The new perfumes they had bought nestling in the covers of the luxurious bed. Rose had picked up a bottle of her favourite scent, hers dwindling low and knowing full well how much it drove Rob crazy. One of the reasons he would bury his face in her neck from behind and breath her in. He was forever telling her she smelled amazing and edible; tracing nibbles and kisses across her skin deliciously; so, she had made sure it was going to continue.

Rose had been celebrating and splashing out after a good phone meeting with her agent yesterday; some new contracts she had lined up and the news that her fee had been raised for her next two, due to high demand. Both were by authors she had previously worked for and loved that she was getting to return to once loved characters and create more scenes.

Stuffed from takeaway food and chocolate muffins, the girls had decided to make an entire day of it, to meander down to the private lounge, of which they were two. One that was grand and opulent, a huge fireplace and mantle taking over the largest golden wall of the room for guests and visiting clients. The other small cosy room, full of stuffed couches and throw pillows and the largest TV screen known to man, nestled off the large country kitchen.

It used to be Rob’s office, but when he had parts of the house remodeled he had the large room put to better use and moved his office directly next to his ground floor bedroom with a joining door. They liked that it was only accessible via the kitchen and gave them a sort of cosy family room to relax and watch movies together. The girls were going to watch a succession of chick flicks in there, gorge on pizza and let the world rock on by; a perfect ending to their girly shopping day.

Rob was away again. She did not know when he would be back this time. It was an impromptu trip to sort something unforeseen and he did not know how long a resolution would take. He had flown out, heading for Glasgow in the early hours, briefly stopping by the cottage before dawn to say his goodbyes and satisfy their need for each other. Short and bittersweet moments crammed in before he headed out and long lingering kisses by her bedroom door. He had seemed stressed and distracted, but she had not pushed him to talk about it, knowing he wouldn’t. Business was his forte and he was always someone who played it all close to his chest. This was fast becoming commonplace.

Her phone had lit up several times through the day with texts from him, he was missing her, and the feeling was mutual. They text sporadically, nothing of value, just small talk but it was just the contact that mattered. That wherever he was she could still reach out to him; knowing he was always at the other end of the phone somehow helped her relax.

Muffin was running about crazy under Abby’s bed, grabbing discarded shoes and pulling them around. The girls had given him a little too many treats today and the hyper-buzz coming off him was a little extreme. They watched him, laughing before scooping him up to belly rub the little fur ball and try to calm him down. It was the dog equivalent of a sugar rush and he was rolling around wildly, eager to play. Attacking any skin with licks and nibbles and whimpering like he was excited. She knew the rush would dive soon and he would crash out for a long nap before long.

A huge ruckus down in the hall drew the girl’s attention. Alice’s voice could be heard echoing in a very aggressive manner and another female voice equally angry in return. Abby groaned, sliding from her bed and moved quickly out the open door. Following Abby out onto the balcony over the grand stair, they caught sight of Morag nose to nose with dear old Alice, yelling at one another. There was a smashed vase on the floor by the wall and water and flowers everywhere. Their voices echoing loudly around the large space below them.

‘Wow! What the actual hell!’ Abby yelled and made her way down towards the women angrily. Rose stayed put from her high perch, unsure what to do but stay back. Out of sight and out of that woman’s way.

‘MORAG!’ Abby yelled again, catching both women’s attention and halting the argument briefly as she closed the gap between them.

‘What the hell???’

‘She demands to know where Mr Munro is Abby!’ Alice put her hands on her hips, pushing her chin out defiantly. Rose loved that little fierce old lady. She really did look like a force to reckon with, standing there all bosom, plump floral dress and angry glare. Her grey curls bouncing in agitation. Morag was scowling at her angrily, pointing a bony finger at her in mid-air.

‘This s**t again? Really?... He’s not here Morag! I’m sure Alice already told you! He’s gone to Glasgow for a few days.’ Abby could not conceal her hatred of the other woman. Coming close to her in a defiant aggressive manner.

‘LIAR!’ she almost screamed in Abby’s face, causing Rose to jump where she was shielded from view, her nerves tingling with the impulse to protect her friend. She swayed against the balcony, torn between staying put or going down there and getting in between them.

‘He’s with her. Isn’t he? He’s with his f*****g w***e!’ She was spitting venom, her normally controlled face contorted and ugly. Her red rimmed eyes narrowed and cruel.

‘Here we go again!’ Abby spat back ‘He has NO w***e Morag. Your crazy ass self and multiple f*****g personalities make sure he can’t do a bloody thing with his life without answering to you! You’re more than enough versions of female for him to keep up with!’ Abby swung away, throwing her hands up in exasperation. A sign this was a common argument and showing no ounces of fear or intimidation in the face of this angry woman.