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CHAPTER 8: Guests and Visitations

It's after 5pm when she gets home. She unlocks the door. Shutting it she pauses, standing in the lobby, nervous about entering her own house. Gathering her courage Veronica Dixon walks through to the sitting room, no John, steps out onto the terrace, no John, looks towards the pool, no John, walks into the library, no John. Feeling lost she stands in the doorway of the library gazing pensively at her father's portrait over the fireplace.

'What would you think daddy? What would you do? Would you be angry? Yes you would, at first. You would rant and rave and tell the world exactly what you thought of it for interfering with your strategies. Then you would calm down, sip a brandy, and replan your campaign. That's what I've got to do daddy, regroup and replan.

'So what now? What options do I have? I could reject John's trust and retreat; I could accept him completely, a tactical victory I suppose; or I could do what I always do and say nothing, do nothing, that's a pyrhhic victory at best. Oh stop trying to plan, you're no soldier. Go with your emotions. You love him, start there.

'What's my problem? It's not like I've never known any homosexuals, I've known a few. But they've always been designing my clothes, doing my hair, decorating my house, in the theatre, people at parties. They've all been outside my life. No that's wrong. They've been beside my life, occasionally connecting, never overlapping. They've always been exotic creatures in their own world and sometimes I looked in and they looked back. They never impinged on my reality. Now that's a great way to describe it, my reality.

'I suppose that's it really. I've created my own reality where everything's perfect. My home, my husband, my father, my son, even me. Everyone and everything is labelled, categorised, carefully dusted and stored away in the right pigeonhole. Now it's all fallen apart and I've got to adjust to it, to the real reality. My son is gay. He is in love. He has a boyfriend. They're the facts, the new reality.

'So what do I do? Well Veronica Dixon, the first thing you can do is stop dithering and get on with it. Find him!'

She turns and leaves the library, hurries upstairs to John's room, hesitates briefly, then goes in, no John.

"Damn."

Having proved beyond doubt that she has the house to herself she retires to her bedroom and kicks off her shoes. She sits on the side of the bed and stares at the phone, hoping it will ring, willing it to ring, fearing it will ring. It does.

"Hello? … No I do not want to help you with your market research!" She slams the phone down, then picks up the receiver again and dials a number.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey lover boy, your mobile's ringing."

John picks up his phone, "Thanks Linda."

"Yes? … Oh hi mum. … At Steven's. … No I haven't made any plans for tonight." He walks out of Steven's bedroom to talk to her.

Steven pouts, "I had some plans for tonight."

"I can guess what they were you randy bugger," Linda says suggestively.

"You're so right," he winks at her cheerfully.

"Don't make me sick. You're just flaunting it in my face."

"Am not, I'm a respectable lad I am."

"I give up." Linda flops onto the bed and pretends to sulk.

Steven sits down beside her and hugs her, "Sorry Lins."

"It's just not fair. Where's my Mr Right?"

"Driving around looking for you."

"That's it, rake up the past," she grabs a pillow off his bed and hits him with it. Steven grabs it from her and hits back. It's just about to break out into a proper battle when John comes back in. He looks quite surprised.

"My mother wants to talk to you," he says offering the phone to Steven.

"Checking up on her prospective son-in-law?" Linda whispers.

"Shush!" Steven takes the phone. "Hello Mrs Dixon … Okay, Veronica …"

Veronica! Linda's mouth drops open, John's eyebrows soar in surprise.

"I'll just have to check with mum…." Steven hurries out of the room and they can hear him calling to his mother as he runs downstairs.

"What's she up too?" John wonders.

"Getting to know Steven?"

"Maybe."

"How's she been?"

"Strange. She's trying to cope. Yesterday she even managed to mention Steven's name, but that's been it," John says glumly.

They sit there quietly, waiting for Steven. After a few moments he returns and puts the mobile down beside the bed. He looks puzzled.

"Okay Steve, what did she want?" Linda asks.

"She asked me to dinner."

"That's nice."

"Hooray!" John yells, jumping up. "She's done it. She's made up her mind." He's almost weeping with joy.

"What about?" Steven asks.

"She's invited you to dinner!"

"We already know that John," Linda says.

"You don't understand. No one gets invited to dinner unless they're a good business contact or socially acceptable."

"Well since I'm not in business…"

"It mean's mum's decided you're a real person."

"I always knew I was real."

"Real to her. Of course you almost clinched it when you said you liked the house."

"But then I opened my mouth."

"And revealed all," Linda finishes.

"Oh the shame of it," Steven throws his arm over his eyes in mock mortification.

"What are you going to wear?" Linda asks.

"What?" Steven asks, lowering his arm.

"What are you going to wear for the big occasion?"

"What are you talking about Lins?"

"Your presentation."

"Were talking about John's mother, not the Queen."

"Is there a difference?"

"Of course there is," Steven states.

"Yes, my mother's far more regal."

Linda smiles, chuckles then begins to laugh.

"What's the joke?" John asks her.

"Don't worry about our Lins. She's touched," Steven tells him, smiling at John's consternation.

Linda grabs the pillow from the floor and throws it at Steven. John snatches it in mid air and waves it about threateningly. Linda reaches under the remaining pillow and pulls out Steven's bear. "Don't come any closer, I've got a hostage."

John drops the pillow in horror and backs towards the desk. Steven creeps round behind the bed as John begins to plead, "Please don't hurt him. He's a poor innocent. Don't hurt him." Suddenly Steven leaps on the bed, reaches over Linda's shoulder and snatches the bear away. John grabs the pillow from the floor and throws it to Steven who grabs it in mid flight and whacks Linda over the head with it.

"Mercy, mercy," Linda screams, throwing her arms over her head in protection.

"Granted," Steven declares regally. "Now you're defeated you have to tell us what's so funny."

Linda gives a wicked chuckle, "It's a bad joke, a very bad joke."

"Come on Lins," Steven pleads.

"It's probably politically incorrect."

"I don't care. Tell!"

"You asked for it. I was just thinking, it's a queen who's being presented to John's mother." She starts to laugh.

"Oh that's bad," Steven agrees, looking to John to see how he took the joke. He's happy to see John grinning at them both.

"I told you."

"You'll have to be punished," John decrees.

"Don't lock me away."

"For your punishment you will have to drive us to dinner," Steven commands.

"But you'll both be crammed into the front seat. You'll have to sit on John's lap."

"I know." Steven smiles happily at John.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A weary Raymond Dixon arrives home at 6.30. He's had a tiring day full of tedious meetings with obstreperous clients. He pours himself a stiff scotch and joins his wife on the terrace, kissing her on the cheek before sitting.

"How's your day been Vee?"

"Odd."

"Bad meeting?"

"I barely remember it."

"What then?"

"I had a long chat with Grace Hayward."

"How is she these days?"

"Looking well. She has her grandson living with her now."

"That could be awkward at her age."

"She's coping."

Raymond sips his drink and relaxes. It's Friday evening, all being well he can have a few days rest. There are some briefs to look over but nothing too complex. "We must have them over sometime."

"Good idea. By the way I should warn you we have a guest for dinner."

Raymond heaves a sigh, there's a pleasant evening ruined. "Who is it?" he asks disinterestedly.

"Steven."

"Steven?" His head jerks up in surprise.

"You remember dear, Steven Carter, our son's boyfriend." Veronica chokes a little on the last word.

"That's wonderful!"

"You're happy?"

"Yes. It's the best way to let John know where we stand."

"I know."

"What's brought this on?"

"What do you mean?"

"This change of heart. All week you've tried to avoid the subject and now…"

"I've come round."

"Yes." Raymond knows there's got to be more to it than that. He waits patiently to be told the reason.

"I had a heart-to-heart with Grace. To be honest she gave me a good ticking off."

"Good for her. What brought this on."

"She met John and Steven."

"John told her?" That would surprise Raymond, he doesn't think John is ready for the whole world to know about him.

"Not as such. Her grandson's gay and they rescued him from some louts who were bashing him."

"Because he was gay?"

"Yes."

"Do they know who they were?"

"One of them."

"I'll call her tomorrow, she may want legal help. When's Steven coming over?"

"I told him to be here by seven."

"Do I have to change?"

"No, it's just family," Veronica says without thinking. Then she realises what she's said. Well it is family. Like it or not Steven has become part of her family and will be part of it as long as John and he remain together. It had to happen some day. It's every mother's fear and hope, the day someone steals her son away. Somehow she always knew Christina wasn't the one but she knew it would come, she just never thought it would be this way.

Raymond squeezes her hand. "Be strong Vee. We'll get through this."

Veronica is about to say something when she hears footsteps on the gravel path leading from the front of the house to the terrace. Are they here already?

"Hello there. I knocked but no one answered so I thought I'd just pop round and see if you were out here."

"Hello Cynthia." Veronica greets the advancing figure with a touch of resignation in her voice. Cynthia settles comfortably into a chair, she's prepared for a good long chat. Raymond nods to her and goes off to get them both a drink.

"I brought the papers."

"What papers?"

"From the meeting today. Remember we're both on the Capital Works Committee."

"Of course," Veronica replies taking the large folder from Cynthia. She has no memory of her appointment, she really should have paid attention at the Council meeting. "When do we meet next?"

"Wednesday afternoon. We need to go through the quotes…" Cynthia starts to ramble on about the air conditioning at the Institute but Veronica isn't listening. She just wishes Raymond would hurry back before Cynthia can settle into a long winded discussion, well more of a monologue if she knows Cynthia.

Fortunately Raymond does return quickly and Cynthia accepts her large gin and tonic. "Well no need to go on about it now. Look it over and we can talk about it Wednesday. How are you Raymond."

"Very well, and you?"

"Weary. Too many meetings, too much to do. I've been asked onto another committee."

"What's this one," Veronica asks. Cynthia collects committees the way other people collect stamps.

"Some parents from my son's school are getting together to do something about the awful goings on there."

"Patrick's at John's school isn't he?"

"Yes, he's in the year behind."

"So what's the problem?" Raymond asks, fairly certain what the answer will be.

"You were there!"

"Where?"

"Prize Day. When that awful boy gave that terrible speech. I've never been so upset in my entire life. What is the world coming to when the schools allow…"

"We were there," Raymond cuts her off before she can get going.

"Then you'll want to join us."

"I don't think so," Veronica says.

Cynthia is puzzled then thinks she understands. "No, your son's left now. But we who remain will have to do something. We can't have that terrible boy there next term. What will he do for the good name of the school."

"He hasn't damaged it," Raymond interrupts. "If I remember correctly he won a prize for his writing. That's to the credit of the school."

"No one cares about that. The school's been raked through the newspapers. The press has been hounding the headmaster. They even rang my son to ask him if he knew that Carter boy."

"Does he?" Veronica asks.

"Only to talk to. I've told him not to do that anymore."

So this is what it means to be different, Veronica realises. Because of something that is beyond his control, because he was brave enough to talk about it, people like this ghastly woman will try and harm Steven. That's not going to happen if she can do something about it. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why don't you want Patrick to talk to Steven?"

"Because people might think he's homosexual too," Cynthia explains.

"Does it matter what people think?" Veronica can hardly believe those words have come from her own lips.

"Of course it matters."

"Only if you can't think for yourself," Veronica says, wondering how many times she has thought the same way as Cynthia. Could she really have been that stupid?

"Here they are." Raymond stands and walks over to John and Steven who are coming along the gravel path towards them.

"What is HE doing here?" Cynthia asks Veronica in a loud whisper.

"HE is our guest for dinner," Veronica replies icily.

Raymond brings John and Steven over to the table. "I don't know if you've been introduced," he says to Cynthia.

"Let me Raymond. Steven, this is Cynthia Grenville-Barker. Cynthia may I introduce Steven Carter."

Steven offers Cynthia his hand in greeting. She ignores it and nods to him. He shrugs his shoulders. John doesn't know how to react. Half of him wants to hide, the other half wants to explode in anger at Cynthia's rudeness. The sneer on Cynthia's face wins the argument but before John can tell her exactly what he thinks of her his father intervenes.

"Go inside you two, we'll be in a minute," Raymond tells the boys. "Cynthia is just leaving," he adds, glaring at their unwelcome guest.

As John and Steven go Cynthia turns in horror to Raymond. "What is that trouble-maker doing here?"

"Steven is my son's friend," Raymond says coldly.

"How can you allow that?"

"I will not tell my son who he can or cannot have as his friend," Raymond replies. How dare this arrogant woman question his behaviour.

"Everyone will think John's his boyfriend."

Veronica and Raymond exchange looks. Cynthia is the greatest gossip in Basingstoke, whatever she's seen or guessed will be all over town with a few hours.

Cynthia notices their glances. "He is! Your son's gay too!"

"I don't really see that that is any of your business Cynthia," Veronica says. "Goodbye."

"But!"

"Goodbye Cynthia. Let me escort you to your car," Raymond takes her arm, virtually hauls her from her chair, and marches her down the pathway. As they round the corner of the house John and Steven come running out.

"Are you okay mum?"

"Yes John," she replies, appearing anything but okay. John takes her in his arms and hugs her. She hugs him back then steps away. Picking up her drink she looks down the pathway to where Raymond is returning. "I never realised how much I loathed that woman."

"What did she want?"

"She wanted us to help have Steven expelled."

"Why?" John asks. Steven pales in shock. He hadn't expected this repercussion from his speech.

"Because she's a fool," Raymond tells them.

"Can she do it?" Steven asks fearfully.

"No," Raymond says with a grin, "not if they really want me to pay for the gym refurbishment. The headmaster may be bigot but he's no fool when it comes to money."

"Are you going to dad?"

"I haven't decided. Alcock is going to have to spend a lot of time buttering me up. He'll have to convince me that I won't be donating money to a school that practises discrimination."

"Cynthia could be a problem. If she gets too serious I might have to intervene. She's not the only one who can set up a committee." Veronica would rather enjoy frustrating Cynthia Grenville-Barker. "We'll worry about it all later. Let's eat."