They may be old but they are most sensitive. Never let me down.’ She entered the drawing room to find cats draped across the sofas and on the window seats. She waved her hand to shoo them away, but it was as if they hadn’t seen her. ‘Now, let’s sit comfortably and you can tell me all about it. What the devil is going on?’
Rita told her everything. She also disclosed the advice that Maddie had so carelessly given her. ‘I’m worried that he’s grown tired of me because I haven’t slept with him.’ Mrs Megalith was unshockable. She frowned irritably and shook her head.
‘Absolutely not. What a foolish girl your sister is. There’s nothing wrong with making love as long as it is with love. The trouble with Madeleine is that she gives it away to any Tom or Dick who’ll have her. I’m afraid she’s turning into a slut. But we’re not discussing Madeleine, we’re discussing you. Sex has nothing to do with it, Rita, my dear.’
‘I don’t think he wants to marry me any more, Grandma,’ said Rita, feeling less tearful since she had opened her heart to Max.
Mrs Megalith clicked her tongue. ‘Of course he does. He’s confused, that’s all. Give him a year in the Argentine and he’ll come to his senses. Don’t forget, he’s been through a terrible time. He’s been tied up in the RAF for the duration of the war. I imagine the thought of tying himself down again, here in Frognal Point, is a somewhat daunting one. He’s young, let him go.’
‘Are you suggesting I stay here and wait for him?’
‘What choice do you have?’
Mrs Megalith was right. She couldn’t go without marrying him and he was wary of committing himself at this stage. She had waited three years for him, what was one more?
‘If it means he’ll come back as the George I grew up with, then he can go for as long as he wants.’
‘Quite right, my dear. That’s the spirit.’ Mrs Megalith nodded her approval. ‘Now, how long can it take to boil a kettle?’ she said impatiently, looking towards the door.
When Rita cycled home she felt much lighter in spirit, although apprehensive about her decision. Megagran was right. If George put a great distance between himself and Europe for a while he might settle down. She thought back over the last ten years and reminded herself of the depth of their friendship. She remembered those short leaves he had taken at the beginning of the war. He had been posted at Biggin Hill then, before he was sent abroad. They had walked up and down the beach and reminisced about the way things were before fighting broke out. He hadn’t wanted to talk about the battles. He had found his security in the past. What halcyon days they were. She remembered how bitterly they had cried the night before he was due to sail for Malta. He had told her that it was she who kept him going. It was her photograph he kept in his breast pocket. Hadn’t he told her that he would keep it there until the day he died? Surely it wasn’t so easy to break a bond as strong as theirs?
‘You’re looking a little peaky, Rita,’ said her mother when she arrived home. ‘Are you all right?’
‘I’m fine,’ she replied. Eddie and Maddie grinned at her mischievously.
‘What’s everyone looking at me for?’ she complained.
‘How’s George?’ Eddie asked, barely able to contain her giggles.
Rita narrowed her eyes. ‘Have you been spying on me, Eddie?’
‘No,’ she lied.
Rita suddenly felt irritated. ‘Typical,’ she snapped. ‘One simply can’t be private here. No wonder George wants to go to Argentina.’ Hannah put down the chicken she was preparing and turned around. The smirk slipped off Eddie’s face and Maddie put her hand to her mouth in horror. ‘Yes, he’s going to the Argentine to work.’ Her statement was met with a shocked silence.
‘Are you going with him?’ Eddie asked finally.
‘How can I?’
‘Surely he’ll marry you, dear.’
Rita’s voice cracked. ‘He doesn’t want
Rita told her everything. She also disclosed the advice that Maddie had so carelessly given her. ‘I’m worried that he’s grown tired of me because I haven’t slept with him.’ Mrs Megalith was unshockable. She frowned irritably and shook her head.
‘Absolutely not. What a foolish girl your sister is. There’s nothing wrong with making love as long as it is with love. The trouble with Madeleine is that she gives it away to any Tom or Dick who’ll have her. I’m afraid she’s turning into a slut. But we’re not discussing Madeleine, we’re discussing you. Sex has nothing to do with it, Rita, my dear.’
‘I don’t think he wants to marry me any more, Grandma,’ said Rita, feeling less tearful since she had opened her heart to Max.
Mrs Megalith clicked her tongue. ‘Of course he does. He’s confused, that’s all. Give him a year in the Argentine and he’ll come to his senses. Don’t forget, he’s been through a terrible time. He’s been tied up in the RAF for the duration of the war. I imagine the thought of tying himself down again, here in Frognal Point, is a somewhat daunting one. He’s young, let him go.’
‘Are you suggesting I stay here and wait for him?’
‘What choice do you have?’
Mrs Megalith was right. She couldn’t go without marrying him and he was wary of committing himself at this stage. She had waited three years for him, what was one more?
‘If it means he’ll come back as the George I grew up with, then he can go for as long as he wants.’
‘Quite right, my dear. That’s the spirit.’ Mrs Megalith nodded her approval. ‘Now, how long can it take to boil a kettle?’ she said impatiently, looking towards the door.
When Rita cycled home she felt much lighter in spirit, although apprehensive about her decision. Megagran was right. If George put a great distance between himself and Europe for a while he might settle down. She thought back over the last ten years and reminded herself of the depth of their friendship. She remembered those short leaves he had taken at the beginning of the war. He had been posted at Biggin Hill then, before he was sent abroad. They had walked up and down the beach and reminisced about the way things were before fighting broke out. He hadn’t wanted to talk about the battles. He had found his security in the past. What halcyon days they were. She remembered how bitterly they had cried the night before he was due to sail for Malta. He had told her that it was she who kept him going. It was her photograph he kept in his breast pocket. Hadn’t he told her that he would keep it there until the day he died? Surely it wasn’t so easy to break a bond as strong as theirs?
‘You’re looking a little peaky, Rita,’ said her mother when she arrived home. ‘Are you all right?’
‘I’m fine,’ she replied. Eddie and Maddie grinned at her mischievously.
‘What’s everyone looking at me for?’ she complained.
‘How’s George?’ Eddie asked, barely able to contain her giggles.
Rita narrowed her eyes. ‘Have you been spying on me, Eddie?’
‘No,’ she lied.
Rita suddenly felt irritated. ‘Typical,’ she snapped. ‘One simply can’t be private here. No wonder George wants to go to Argentina.’ Hannah put down the chicken she was preparing and turned around. The smirk slipped off Eddie’s face and Maddie put her hand to her mouth in horror. ‘Yes, he’s going to the Argentine to work.’ Her statement was met with a shocked silence.
‘Are you going with him?’ Eddie asked finally.
‘How can I?’
‘Surely he’ll marry you, dear.’
Rita’s voice cracked. ‘He doesn’t want
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