Iâll phone in the morning, Harry.â
âDonât worry. Iâm not doing a bunk.â
âI am not worried. I will phone to see how you are.â
âHeâs ever so thoughtful,â Ruthy said.
14
I T WAS DARK WHEN MRS. HERSH WAKENED TO THE sound of clinking glasses and their heightened voices.
âJake, I never bug you about your drinking, but please donât pour yourself another one.â
âIn spite of everything Iâm doing, Harry thinks heâs being sold down the river. He thinks his lawyer is working for my interests. Christ Almighty, how could I ever get us into this mess?â
âYes. Why did you do it, Jake?â
âDo what? What did I do? You think I laid into her with that riding crop?â
âNo. Certainly not.â
âDoes it excite you? Should we try it?â
âGo to hell.â
âIâm not being vicious. Honestly, when I listen to some of the testimony in court, I actually get a hard-on. I think, jeez, that sounds like it was fun. Wish Iâd been there. But I was there and it was not like that at all.â
âI believe you, Jake. For the umpteenth time, I believe you.â
âWhereâs my ever-loving mum?â he demanded, his drink spilling over. âWhy do you keep her from me?â
âI told you sheâs lying down.â
âHarry will crack if they send him to prison again. He canât stand it. It would be the end of him.â
âBut youâre looking forward to it. It would be an adventure.â
âIt doesnât matter. Who cares? You, me. It doesnât matter. You know whatâs important to me? Really, really important to me? Dr. Samuel Johnson. I keep wondering, if I had lived in his time, would he have liked me? Would Dr. Johnson have invited me to sit at his table? Lukeâs back, you know.â
âIs he?â
âItâs in the
Standard
. Not the court page, but Londonerâs Diary. His arrivals and departures are news. Heâs a big talent, our Luke.â
âPlease donât drink any more.â
âHow are the kids?â
âTheyâre all right. Iâll make you an omelette.â
âNancy,â he said, reaching out for her.
âYes?â
But starting for the kitchen together, they ran into Mrs. Hersh.
âHullo, Maw.
A guten shabus
. You know my mother used to light candles on Friday night? Every Friday night, when I was a kid, she lit the candles.â
Mrs. Hersh glowed.
âDid you remember to take your pills today?â
âI was a good girl.â
âNancyâs eyes are red. Your eyes are puffy. Thereâs nothing to worry about, honestly. Itâs in the bag. Once this is over, Iâll probably sue for false arrest.â
âYour mother and I had words.â
âIt was nothing. A little misunderstanding. Letâs not upset Jake.â
âWhy not upset Jake? I met Luke for drinks today. I broke down, he drove me home, and your mother saw him kiss me outside. She thinks weâre having an affair and thatâs why I asked her not to tell you.â
âI didnât say a word, so help me God.â
âWould you please explain to her that you are jealous of Luke not because of anything between us, but because heâs so successful.â
âHey, hey. Iâm not on trial here. Iâm on trial there.â
âOh, why donât the two of you sit in the kitchen without me,â Nancy cried, fleeing, âand eat something
parve
together?â
âWhat?â Jake called after her, baffled.
He found her lying on the bed, sobbing, and sat down beside her and stroked her hair. âNelson Eddyâs dead. It was in the
Herald-Trib
today.â
Once her tears had abated, he held a glass of cool milk to her lips.
âI donât bully old ladies,â she cried, beginning to heave again. âOr say â or say âfuckâ to them â or
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