opposable forces in her life refused to knit together. And a tiny part of her, maybe two or three atoms, wanted to go, even if it led nowhere. Did that make her a terrible daughter? “I really—”
“Damn,” Fergus Applecross said, interrupting her. “Knew I should have sprung for tickets to The Elephant House. Would have been a long journey, though. Not sure I’d have been able to get you back in time for work tomorrow. And on my salary we’d have been forced to fly coach.”
“Look, it’s not that. I’m sure you’re very good company, but we’re having a family crisis just now. I’m not sure my mother’s up to watching my daughter.”
“I will hold while you check with her,” he said. “I love that American term—‘on hold.’ Brings to mind barnacles on wharfs, handshakes and promises. In Dublin, you’ll find the door of Reconciliation. Two men, their families longtime enemies, grew weary of the killing, so one chopped a hole in the door and put his hand through. He could very well have lost that hand, but they shook as gentlemen do, and in place of war there was peace.”
Mariah set the phone on the counter, and turned to see Gammy standing right behind her. “Sean Connery,” she whispered.
Gammy smiled. “I’m jealous, Mariah. Thought I’d hung up my dancing shoes but that man could put the jig back in my step.”
Mariah whispered more urgently. “He wants to take me to tea. Help me get out of it.”
“Say yes. I’ll take Lindsay to bingo with me.”
“Lindsay can watch herself. It’s just that Mom needs us around her.”
“That’s fluffer-nutter and you know it. Alice can be sick by herself, or I can skip bingo. We’ll be there if anything happens. Where’s he taking you?”
“I have no idea because I don’t intend to go.”
“Well, hell’s bells, Mariah. What’s the harm in drinking a cup of tea and talking with someone of the opposite sex? You’ve spent your whole life with your nose in a book. Say yes or hand me that phone so I can make him take me instead.”
Mariah picked up the receiver to hear Fergus Applecross laughing. “I apologize if you heard any of that. We’re not your typical family.”
“Whose family is?”
“Only one cup. My mother’s not well. She needs her family.”
“I understand. Shall I fetch you up around seven?’
“Fetch me what? Why not come over here? That way the tea won’t cost us anything.”
He laughed and laughed. “Forgive me. You’re such a strange girl.”
“Excuse me? How am I strange?”
“Strange in a refreshing way, believe me. I’ll fetch you up around seven.”
He hung up and she groaned. “Great. Now I’m getting fetched! Thanks, Gammy. What am I supposed to wear? My stinky work clothes? One of Allegra’s hippie dresses?”
Simon came out of the kitchen. “Scarlett O’Hara’s dress of draperies comes to mind.”
“Very funny, eavesdropper.”
“How can I not joke when every word that comes out of your mouth is so socially inept?”
“Thanks, Simon. This from the king of cool. The man who invented one-word sentences.”
“Jealous,” he said. “Losing your academic job may be your last chance for normalcy, Mariah. Write that dean a thank-you note. Send him one of Bess’s fruitcakes.”
“Don’t you insult my fruitcake, Mister,” Gammy said. “Mariah, you know I love you to pieces, but truthfully, honey, your hair could stand a perm. And have you ever heard of lipstick?”
“Gammy, give it up,” Mariah said. “I am never getting a perm. I don’t even have time to use conditioner, let alone lipstick.”
“Which explains a lot,” Simon said. “You could always—brace yourself for the shock—go shopping.”
“Great idea, Simon. Except I have no money. The only shopping I can do is at the thrift store, and with my luck, I’d end up picking something I donated.”
“Yes, and while that works for your mother,” he said, “somehow I can’t see it setting off your best
“Damn,” Fergus Applecross said, interrupting her. “Knew I should have sprung for tickets to The Elephant House. Would have been a long journey, though. Not sure I’d have been able to get you back in time for work tomorrow. And on my salary we’d have been forced to fly coach.”
“Look, it’s not that. I’m sure you’re very good company, but we’re having a family crisis just now. I’m not sure my mother’s up to watching my daughter.”
“I will hold while you check with her,” he said. “I love that American term—‘on hold.’ Brings to mind barnacles on wharfs, handshakes and promises. In Dublin, you’ll find the door of Reconciliation. Two men, their families longtime enemies, grew weary of the killing, so one chopped a hole in the door and put his hand through. He could very well have lost that hand, but they shook as gentlemen do, and in place of war there was peace.”
Mariah set the phone on the counter, and turned to see Gammy standing right behind her. “Sean Connery,” she whispered.
Gammy smiled. “I’m jealous, Mariah. Thought I’d hung up my dancing shoes but that man could put the jig back in my step.”
Mariah whispered more urgently. “He wants to take me to tea. Help me get out of it.”
“Say yes. I’ll take Lindsay to bingo with me.”
“Lindsay can watch herself. It’s just that Mom needs us around her.”
“That’s fluffer-nutter and you know it. Alice can be sick by herself, or I can skip bingo. We’ll be there if anything happens. Where’s he taking you?”
“I have no idea because I don’t intend to go.”
“Well, hell’s bells, Mariah. What’s the harm in drinking a cup of tea and talking with someone of the opposite sex? You’ve spent your whole life with your nose in a book. Say yes or hand me that phone so I can make him take me instead.”
Mariah picked up the receiver to hear Fergus Applecross laughing. “I apologize if you heard any of that. We’re not your typical family.”
“Whose family is?”
“Only one cup. My mother’s not well. She needs her family.”
“I understand. Shall I fetch you up around seven?’
“Fetch me what? Why not come over here? That way the tea won’t cost us anything.”
He laughed and laughed. “Forgive me. You’re such a strange girl.”
“Excuse me? How am I strange?”
“Strange in a refreshing way, believe me. I’ll fetch you up around seven.”
He hung up and she groaned. “Great. Now I’m getting fetched! Thanks, Gammy. What am I supposed to wear? My stinky work clothes? One of Allegra’s hippie dresses?”
Simon came out of the kitchen. “Scarlett O’Hara’s dress of draperies comes to mind.”
“Very funny, eavesdropper.”
“How can I not joke when every word that comes out of your mouth is so socially inept?”
“Thanks, Simon. This from the king of cool. The man who invented one-word sentences.”
“Jealous,” he said. “Losing your academic job may be your last chance for normalcy, Mariah. Write that dean a thank-you note. Send him one of Bess’s fruitcakes.”
“Don’t you insult my fruitcake, Mister,” Gammy said. “Mariah, you know I love you to pieces, but truthfully, honey, your hair could stand a perm. And have you ever heard of lipstick?”
“Gammy, give it up,” Mariah said. “I am never getting a perm. I don’t even have time to use conditioner, let alone lipstick.”
“Which explains a lot,” Simon said. “You could always—brace yourself for the shock—go shopping.”
“Great idea, Simon. Except I have no money. The only shopping I can do is at the thrift store, and with my luck, I’d end up picking something I donated.”
“Yes, and while that works for your mother,” he said, “somehow I can’t see it setting off your best
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