sentence hangs unfinished, interrupted by a scream that tears through the wall, echoing across the space.
‘Is that Pru or Helena?’ Finn is on his feet. Sarah is quick to follow. She had not realised Joss and Pru were here. They run down a corridor to a closed door behind which two people are having a most heated row. Finn flings open the door.
Helena is screaming at Pru at the top of her voice, arms and hair flying, tears streaming down her face. Pru is trying not to look smug. Joss appears from nowhere and pushes past Sarah and glares at Pru, gripping her by the elbow and pushing her towards the door.
‘Do not treat me like a kid,’ Pru snaps at Joss.
‘Then don’t behave like one. Walk out or I will carry you.’ Sarah has never seen Joss so angry.
Chapter 10
Joss looks like Laurence when he is this angry. Sarah pushes herself back against the open door as the pair marches out. Joss does not even acknowledge that she is there although she strokes his arm to try and soothe him as he passes.
Helena is sobbing into Finn ’s shoulder. People are filling the room: the women from the kitchen and many others she does not recognise. A man who must be Helena’s father pushes through and wraps himself around the other side of his daughter, opposite Finn.
‘ Ti kanies paidi mou ?’ His quiet words are still audible over the clamour in the room, along with Helena’s sobbing.
‘ Prudence is a ...’ Helena struggles for the words. ‘ Poutana ,’ she spits, finally.
‘ Who is this Prudence?’ her father asks. He speaks English fluently, an Australian accent with a twist of American. The relatives around Sarah quieten, their backs straighten, mouths shut. No one wants to answer.
‘ She is my brother’s wife.’ Finn’s eyebrows arch in the middle, his ‘asking forgiveness’ look that Sarah remembers well from when he was in endless trouble as a boy, from Joss pushing him into things he knew he really shouldn’t be doing. Helena sniffs and takes a big breath to help straighten herself.
‘ Oh, you mean Pru,’ the father clarifies.
Sarah watches, waiting for his reaction.
He nods, and the fatherly arm that was round Helena is now around Finn.
‘ Ach, I have a brother whose wife is so toxic, they have not been invited to the wedding.’ He releases his hand from his shoulder hug and slaps Finn on his back. Sarah notices she is holding her breath. It seems that the people around her also relax.
Bloody Pru ; whatever possessed Joss to marry her? But she knows the answer. His rush for financial glory, gaining status by the day, and Pru was his boss at the time. She made Joss believe that together, they could do anything. It was a natural coupling
The uncles and aunts, cousins and in-laws who held back when Helena ’s father came in the room now swarm over Helena and Finn, and the pair are lost from sight. Sarah wonders if Joss has left yet. She runs back to the hall only to see their car disappearing down the drive. She takes out her phone and texts.
‘ You OK? Do you need to talk? Love Mum xxx.’
The message can sit on his phone ; he will see it when he has finished arguing with Pru. She just hopes he drives safely. Back in the room, the mass of people has not subsided and everyone is voicing an opinion or offering a suggestion. Finn is being attentive to Helena; someone suggests they go to their room and have some time together. Finn smiles weakly at Sarah as he leaves the room, his arm around his wife-to-be.
Sarah was having such a nice time in the kitchen with Frona before this. For the first time in, well she cannot even remember how long, she felt ... what had she felt? Connected, part of something, engaged in what she was doing. None of these descriptions is quite right, though. What she felt was a sense of belonging and acceptance, but not to Frona or the family—but rather (and she is aware how ridiculous this thought is), to the world. And Pru snuffed that moment out with her
‘Is that Pru or Helena?’ Finn is on his feet. Sarah is quick to follow. She had not realised Joss and Pru were here. They run down a corridor to a closed door behind which two people are having a most heated row. Finn flings open the door.
Helena is screaming at Pru at the top of her voice, arms and hair flying, tears streaming down her face. Pru is trying not to look smug. Joss appears from nowhere and pushes past Sarah and glares at Pru, gripping her by the elbow and pushing her towards the door.
‘Do not treat me like a kid,’ Pru snaps at Joss.
‘Then don’t behave like one. Walk out or I will carry you.’ Sarah has never seen Joss so angry.
Chapter 10
Joss looks like Laurence when he is this angry. Sarah pushes herself back against the open door as the pair marches out. Joss does not even acknowledge that she is there although she strokes his arm to try and soothe him as he passes.
Helena is sobbing into Finn ’s shoulder. People are filling the room: the women from the kitchen and many others she does not recognise. A man who must be Helena’s father pushes through and wraps himself around the other side of his daughter, opposite Finn.
‘ Ti kanies paidi mou ?’ His quiet words are still audible over the clamour in the room, along with Helena’s sobbing.
‘ Prudence is a ...’ Helena struggles for the words. ‘ Poutana ,’ she spits, finally.
‘ Who is this Prudence?’ her father asks. He speaks English fluently, an Australian accent with a twist of American. The relatives around Sarah quieten, their backs straighten, mouths shut. No one wants to answer.
‘ She is my brother’s wife.’ Finn’s eyebrows arch in the middle, his ‘asking forgiveness’ look that Sarah remembers well from when he was in endless trouble as a boy, from Joss pushing him into things he knew he really shouldn’t be doing. Helena sniffs and takes a big breath to help straighten herself.
‘ Oh, you mean Pru,’ the father clarifies.
Sarah watches, waiting for his reaction.
He nods, and the fatherly arm that was round Helena is now around Finn.
‘ Ach, I have a brother whose wife is so toxic, they have not been invited to the wedding.’ He releases his hand from his shoulder hug and slaps Finn on his back. Sarah notices she is holding her breath. It seems that the people around her also relax.
Bloody Pru ; whatever possessed Joss to marry her? But she knows the answer. His rush for financial glory, gaining status by the day, and Pru was his boss at the time. She made Joss believe that together, they could do anything. It was a natural coupling
The uncles and aunts, cousins and in-laws who held back when Helena ’s father came in the room now swarm over Helena and Finn, and the pair are lost from sight. Sarah wonders if Joss has left yet. She runs back to the hall only to see their car disappearing down the drive. She takes out her phone and texts.
‘ You OK? Do you need to talk? Love Mum xxx.’
The message can sit on his phone ; he will see it when he has finished arguing with Pru. She just hopes he drives safely. Back in the room, the mass of people has not subsided and everyone is voicing an opinion or offering a suggestion. Finn is being attentive to Helena; someone suggests they go to their room and have some time together. Finn smiles weakly at Sarah as he leaves the room, his arm around his wife-to-be.
Sarah was having such a nice time in the kitchen with Frona before this. For the first time in, well she cannot even remember how long, she felt ... what had she felt? Connected, part of something, engaged in what she was doing. None of these descriptions is quite right, though. What she felt was a sense of belonging and acceptance, but not to Frona or the family—but rather (and she is aware how ridiculous this thought is), to the world. And Pru snuffed that moment out with her
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