guessed the very thing he was thinking, she said,“Do you know, I wished for once that it wasn’t as late as it was. When I was keeping you waiting. Nowadays, I usually find it so much earlier than I can ever imagine, time going so slowly. Will you stay to supper? Ernie will be disappointed if you don’t.”
In fact, Ernie was disappointed because he did. There were thoughts which came into his head now, seeming to threaten his own future. Whenever he could, he would put in little remarks about the doctor’s housekeeper. He had seen her in the supermarket buying individual fruit tarts instead of making her own. “All pastry and but a smear of apple they are,” he said, and Amy wondered how he knew this if he had not at some time bought them himself. “And calves’ liver. He must be a millionaire. She knows nothing of the cheaper cuts. Smokes in the street and standing at the bus stop – a thing in a woman that makes me sick, literally sick. Jumped the queue at the check-out ‘Excuse me,’ I said. ‘I believe this lady was before you. She just stepped aside to take a tin of golden syrup.’ ‘Then stepping aside lost her her place, didn’t it?’ that woman said, and she laughed right in my face. I fancied I smelt drink on her breath. Eleven-thirty in the morning. She wouldn’t do for you, madam, that I know.”
“Perhaps she’s the best the doctor can get.”
That evening, a little later, Gareth and Amy sat down to a curry made from the cheaper cuts, and after that some apple snow.
“I believe these are real apples,” Gareth whispered. “Miss Thompson never gives me real ones.”
10
“At least it will be a change of scene,” James said, driving Amy to Campden Hill. He had always had a slight hesitancy in his speech, more marked when he was embarrassed, and his words came unevenly as he tried to cover it.
As Amy seemed ill-disposed to see her outing as a treat, he added that it was uncommonly good of her, and that he h-h-hoped that Isobel would give not-trouble.
With a good grace, Amy reminded herself, I shall do it all with a good grace. For grimness wouldn’t make it any better. But she wasn’t going to be so complacent as to set a precedent.
“I daresay I shall cope,” she said, and set off the stern words with a cheery laugh. Illness only, she was thinking. Not for childless trips abroad, or anything of that kind.
When they arrived, Maggie was giving the children their tea in the kitchen. Tacked to a shelf was a list of instructions and telephone numbers, as if she were to be away for a month. She already had her coat on, ready to go to the hospital.
“Have a lovely time,” Dora said, lifting her face to be kissed, but Isobel clung to her mother and screamed to be allowed to go, too. They had never let her set foot inside a hospital, she complained. Everyone else could go but she, poor deprived child. All she had ever wanted, she sobbed; and Amy watched with interest,if dismay as well, the real tears trickling down the swollen face.
“You were born in a hospital,” Dora said.
“Be quiet, when I’m crying.”
“I only said you were born in one.” Dora took a strip of bread-and-butter and dipped it into her boiled egg. She enjoyed being calm and airy.
“Well, dear, I think we should…” James said, shuffling about by the door. He had made plans not to hurry back home. Although not fond of pubs, he felt enthusiasm for a drink at The Windsor Castle on his way home from the hospital.
“I don’t want to be left with Grandma,” Isobel now stated, using a lower, confidential tone.
“Now, Isobel,” Maggie said sharply, for show, “I won’t have you being rude to kind Grandma.” The ‘kind’ was used as a cue to Isobel’s attitude. She never learns, Amy thought, gazing amusedly at her daughter-in-law, trying to imply that the reins were still in her hands until she had gone from the house.
“I don’t like her,” Isobel cried, having received new strength when
In fact, Ernie was disappointed because he did. There were thoughts which came into his head now, seeming to threaten his own future. Whenever he could, he would put in little remarks about the doctor’s housekeeper. He had seen her in the supermarket buying individual fruit tarts instead of making her own. “All pastry and but a smear of apple they are,” he said, and Amy wondered how he knew this if he had not at some time bought them himself. “And calves’ liver. He must be a millionaire. She knows nothing of the cheaper cuts. Smokes in the street and standing at the bus stop – a thing in a woman that makes me sick, literally sick. Jumped the queue at the check-out ‘Excuse me,’ I said. ‘I believe this lady was before you. She just stepped aside to take a tin of golden syrup.’ ‘Then stepping aside lost her her place, didn’t it?’ that woman said, and she laughed right in my face. I fancied I smelt drink on her breath. Eleven-thirty in the morning. She wouldn’t do for you, madam, that I know.”
“Perhaps she’s the best the doctor can get.”
That evening, a little later, Gareth and Amy sat down to a curry made from the cheaper cuts, and after that some apple snow.
“I believe these are real apples,” Gareth whispered. “Miss Thompson never gives me real ones.”
10
“At least it will be a change of scene,” James said, driving Amy to Campden Hill. He had always had a slight hesitancy in his speech, more marked when he was embarrassed, and his words came unevenly as he tried to cover it.
As Amy seemed ill-disposed to see her outing as a treat, he added that it was uncommonly good of her, and that he h-h-hoped that Isobel would give not-trouble.
With a good grace, Amy reminded herself, I shall do it all with a good grace. For grimness wouldn’t make it any better. But she wasn’t going to be so complacent as to set a precedent.
“I daresay I shall cope,” she said, and set off the stern words with a cheery laugh. Illness only, she was thinking. Not for childless trips abroad, or anything of that kind.
When they arrived, Maggie was giving the children their tea in the kitchen. Tacked to a shelf was a list of instructions and telephone numbers, as if she were to be away for a month. She already had her coat on, ready to go to the hospital.
“Have a lovely time,” Dora said, lifting her face to be kissed, but Isobel clung to her mother and screamed to be allowed to go, too. They had never let her set foot inside a hospital, she complained. Everyone else could go but she, poor deprived child. All she had ever wanted, she sobbed; and Amy watched with interest,if dismay as well, the real tears trickling down the swollen face.
“You were born in a hospital,” Dora said.
“Be quiet, when I’m crying.”
“I only said you were born in one.” Dora took a strip of bread-and-butter and dipped it into her boiled egg. She enjoyed being calm and airy.
“Well, dear, I think we should…” James said, shuffling about by the door. He had made plans not to hurry back home. Although not fond of pubs, he felt enthusiasm for a drink at The Windsor Castle on his way home from the hospital.
“I don’t want to be left with Grandma,” Isobel now stated, using a lower, confidential tone.
“Now, Isobel,” Maggie said sharply, for show, “I won’t have you being rude to kind Grandma.” The ‘kind’ was used as a cue to Isobel’s attitude. She never learns, Amy thought, gazing amusedly at her daughter-in-law, trying to imply that the reins were still in her hands until she had gone from the house.
“I don’t like her,” Isobel cried, having received new strength when
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