Winnie & Sarah Over Tea

Sarah McGee couldn’t contain it any longer and besides she’d wanted to come and see Miss Peeg’s new home. She called ahead to make sure Winnie would be at home. Stopping to admire the flowers in Winnie’s front garden she turned when the front door opened.

“Winnie I had no idea, this is absolutely lovely.”

“It is isn’t it,” Miss Peeg smiled stepping out onto her front step. “I do hope I can keep it up, it’s been a long time since I had a garden.”

“If you need any help call me you know I love to garden.”

“I shall, I’ve got tea ready and some new cakes from Lucy’s…”

“Oh well, let’s get on with it,” Sarah laughed.

Sarah’s head turned this way and that as she came into Winnie’s cottage, it was certainly not what she expected, “You’ve outdone yourself here Winnie, one expects chintz and cabbage roses over the sofa.”

“Not me I’m afraid, I had enough of that growing up.” Winnie sat down to pour.

“It’s very striking Winnie; I do like it and is it home already?”

“Oh yes, the minute I closed the door and locked it that first night I knew I was home.”

“I’ve some news,” Sarah sipped her tea, “Travis has called me from Virginia…he’s with Toni at her mother’s house.”

“What?” Miss Peeg’s brows shot up.

“Yes…she’s left her husband for my Travis.” Sarah’s eyes widened.

“Oh…I know that must make you very happy Sarah but…poor Mr. Roberts!”

“Indeed, it was all quite sudden like, I know for a fact Travis was waiting for this, has been for some time and now she’s come to her senses. He was quite torn up when she left the guest house and went back to Richie.”

“But Sarah, I had a talk with him just last week it was and told him they were trying to patch up their marriage…how could this have happened?”

“She flew out to America with him, it wasn’t planned Winnie, it was just meant to be.” Sarah couldn’t help but smile. “I do believe Winnie that Toni and Travis are meant to be together. There’s always been an attraction there and now it’s happened.”

“I only saw Mr. Roberts for a moment yesterday; he left for Coffs quite early in the day and didn’t come back to the office. I wonder now what he will do alone in that house.”

“Winnie, he’s not in the house Jimmy Kelp told Ian and Ian told Tomalee who told me that he’s moved into Millie’s.”

“Oh dear, oh dearie me,” Miss Peeg sat back in her chair, “that poor man.”

“Well, I beg to differ there Winnie, he was the one that broke up Travis’s marriage to Jan. I still think if Jan had been reasonable and not jumped into the bed with Richie they could have worked something out. Travis loved Jan. Something else too, once a man has been unfaithful one time it’s not so hard the second time around you know there are rumors about him and Jean Robinson.”

“I wouldn’t know that Sarah, I really hate that this has happened. This…this really vexes me Sarah, how can a man who is so meticulous and caring and strong in his work make such a mess of his home life?”

“Perhaps his priorities were in the wrong place. I do know Toni has tried to save her marriage but you realize after a while, it’s like beating a dead horse, and it ain’t gonna get up and run again.”

“I suppose not, did you ever talk to Mrs. Roberts?”

“No, I saw her at the market and suggested a call but of course she didn’t call and then she left to visit her mother. I haven’t talked to her at all but I will when they get back. They will be here on Wednesday and I think she’s going to Travis’s beach house to stay for awhile. I’ve been told to stock the pantry so I’ll send Tomalee out there to do that. I don’t even know where the place is but Kyle does and he and Tee will be here tonight. I forgot to tell you Travis has legal guardianship of Tee now until he is twenty-one. His natural father has visitation rights if he chooses but I doubt if we’ll ever see him. Things are working out for us all,” She smiled and picked up a cake.

Miss Peeg had a rather horrified expression on her face, “Some things perhaps Sarah, but not for everyone are things working out.”