start; she was bad enough,’ a woman beside her said. Nina knew her. Carmel O’Leary from the library.
‘Would you please tell me what happened?’
Nina told him, as Hope stood sullenly and other people in the group nodded in agreement.
‘I do apologise,’ Henry Templeton said. ‘Hope, haven’t I asked you to keep your thoughts to yourself?’
‘My thoughts? My honesty, you mean.’
‘Eleanor,’ Henry called then, leaning out the door. ‘Could I see you here for a moment?’ As he waited for his wife to appear, Henry turned his full attention back to Nina.
‘My dear Anna -‘ ‘Nina.’
‘My dear Nina, I do apologise. Sadly, that is how some people thought in the 1860s.’
‘I’m sure they did. What bothered me more is it’s clearly how she feels in the 1990s.’
‘Please, don’t be upset. Now, why don’t you have a sit-down and we’ll get you a cup of tea. I’m sure you’ll calm down soon.’ That was the last straw for Nina. ‘No, I won’t actually. We’re leaving and we won’t be back. She’s racist and you’re condescending.’
She and Tom had just collected his bike from beside the garden path when she heard a voice behind her. ‘Excuse me. Excuse me.’ It was the woman from the dining room. Hope.
Nina stopped, waiting for the apology. Beside her, Tom watched quietly, pushing his bike back and forth.
Hope was staring at her with something like hatred in her eyes. ‘How dare you,’ she said.
‘I beg your pardon?’
‘How dare you humiliate me like that, in my house? Who do you think you are, coming into a family house like this and grubbying it with your rudeness.’ ‘Excuse me. You were the one who was rude. I found what you had to say offensive.’
‘Offensive? You have difficulties with the truth, do you?’ Hope was shouting now.
‘Mum -‘Tom said beside her.
Nina put her hand on Tom’s shoulder to comfort him, still staring in disbelief at the other woman. She tried to be reasonable. ‘Look, I know this is all a joke, fun and games for tourists and to make money ‘
Hope lifted her chin. ‘This is not a joke. This is living history. Something we all take very seriously. And I meant every word of what I
said in there, and I mean every word of what I’m about to say to you. Get off this property this minute, you and your son, and never come back. You’re not welcome. Do you hear me? Get out of here or I’ll call the police.’
Tom was now staring wide-eyed at Hope, pressing even closer to his mother. People around the garden were starting to look across. Nina was tempted to call them over to listen. This place was supposed to be a tourist attraction?
The woman took a step closer. ‘Do I have to make myself any clearer? Leave. Go.’
The walk back down the drive wasn’t nearly as pleasant as the walk up had been. Despite Hope’s ranting, Tom told her he hadn’t wanted to leave yet.
‘We had to. They’re not nice people, Tom.’ ‘But I wanted to see the fete.’
‘I know. I’m sorry, but we’re leaving.’ ‘Are you mad at me now?’
‘Of course not. I’m mad at them, not you.’ ‘Because their house is bigger than ours?’
That made her laugh. By the time they were home, ten minutes along the dry and dusty road, her son was back in good spirits again.
Nina wasn’t, however. If anything, she was more upset. The unsettled feeling stayed with her all afternoon. She went to bed early that night, not long after Tom, and tried to distract herself with a book, then a magazine, before tossing them both aside. She turned the bedside lamp off, then on, then off again, moving restlessly in her bed, unable to sleep, annoyed at herself.
She sat up, switched on the full bedroom light, looking across at the photo on the wall opposite her bed. It was her wedding photo, taken eleven years before. She looked so young - she had been young, only twenty-two. So happy, too. Her hair had been completely black then, no grey hairs like now, her blue
‘Would you please tell me what happened?’
Nina told him, as Hope stood sullenly and other people in the group nodded in agreement.
‘I do apologise,’ Henry Templeton said. ‘Hope, haven’t I asked you to keep your thoughts to yourself?’
‘My thoughts? My honesty, you mean.’
‘Eleanor,’ Henry called then, leaning out the door. ‘Could I see you here for a moment?’ As he waited for his wife to appear, Henry turned his full attention back to Nina.
‘My dear Anna -‘ ‘Nina.’
‘My dear Nina, I do apologise. Sadly, that is how some people thought in the 1860s.’
‘I’m sure they did. What bothered me more is it’s clearly how she feels in the 1990s.’
‘Please, don’t be upset. Now, why don’t you have a sit-down and we’ll get you a cup of tea. I’m sure you’ll calm down soon.’ That was the last straw for Nina. ‘No, I won’t actually. We’re leaving and we won’t be back. She’s racist and you’re condescending.’
She and Tom had just collected his bike from beside the garden path when she heard a voice behind her. ‘Excuse me. Excuse me.’ It was the woman from the dining room. Hope.
Nina stopped, waiting for the apology. Beside her, Tom watched quietly, pushing his bike back and forth.
Hope was staring at her with something like hatred in her eyes. ‘How dare you,’ she said.
‘I beg your pardon?’
‘How dare you humiliate me like that, in my house? Who do you think you are, coming into a family house like this and grubbying it with your rudeness.’ ‘Excuse me. You were the one who was rude. I found what you had to say offensive.’
‘Offensive? You have difficulties with the truth, do you?’ Hope was shouting now.
‘Mum -‘Tom said beside her.
Nina put her hand on Tom’s shoulder to comfort him, still staring in disbelief at the other woman. She tried to be reasonable. ‘Look, I know this is all a joke, fun and games for tourists and to make money ‘
Hope lifted her chin. ‘This is not a joke. This is living history. Something we all take very seriously. And I meant every word of what I
said in there, and I mean every word of what I’m about to say to you. Get off this property this minute, you and your son, and never come back. You’re not welcome. Do you hear me? Get out of here or I’ll call the police.’
Tom was now staring wide-eyed at Hope, pressing even closer to his mother. People around the garden were starting to look across. Nina was tempted to call them over to listen. This place was supposed to be a tourist attraction?
The woman took a step closer. ‘Do I have to make myself any clearer? Leave. Go.’
The walk back down the drive wasn’t nearly as pleasant as the walk up had been. Despite Hope’s ranting, Tom told her he hadn’t wanted to leave yet.
‘We had to. They’re not nice people, Tom.’ ‘But I wanted to see the fete.’
‘I know. I’m sorry, but we’re leaving.’ ‘Are you mad at me now?’
‘Of course not. I’m mad at them, not you.’ ‘Because their house is bigger than ours?’
That made her laugh. By the time they were home, ten minutes along the dry and dusty road, her son was back in good spirits again.
Nina wasn’t, however. If anything, she was more upset. The unsettled feeling stayed with her all afternoon. She went to bed early that night, not long after Tom, and tried to distract herself with a book, then a magazine, before tossing them both aside. She turned the bedside lamp off, then on, then off again, moving restlessly in her bed, unable to sleep, annoyed at herself.
She sat up, switched on the full bedroom light, looking across at the photo on the wall opposite her bed. It was her wedding photo, taken eleven years before. She looked so young - she had been young, only twenty-two. So happy, too. Her hair had been completely black then, no grey hairs like now, her blue
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