Dot (Araminta Hall) by Araminta Hall

for a moment. Surely he’d misheard? Surely she’d said Mum or Mother or Mama even?
    ‘Hello, Tony,’ said Mrs Cartwright. ‘And to what do I owe this pleasure?’
    Tony held out his hand. ‘Pleasure to meet you, Mrs Cartwright. I’ve heard lots about you from Alice.’ He knew he was getting everything wrong because her smile was too small and flat.
    ‘Please sit down.’
    Alice put her arm out to stop him. ‘No thanks. We won’t be long.’
    They wouldn’t be long? Tony looked at Alice again and saw a broad smile on her face, as though she was going to burst with the excitement of a child. He looked at his hands to give himself a sense of perspective, he couldn’t be sure that he wasn’t in the middle of an episode of The Twilight Zone . He looked back at Alice’s mother and she didn’t seem to find this behaviour strange, she simply sat waiting, twirling the expensive-looking brooch at her neck.
    Alice ploughed on. ‘We’ve just come to tell you that we’re getting married.’
    At least this seemed to ruffle Mrs Cartwright. Her hand clasped the brooch now and Tony estimated that it was probably worth more than he got paid in a year. ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
    ‘Why would that be ridiculous?’
    The absurdity of their words washed over him and he realised that he barely needed to be there. He felt Alice’s enjoyment of the situation radiating out of her like heat. All of this was some sick game to both of them, one they’d probably been playing for ever and Tony recognised himself as nothing more than the hand which would win Alice this round.
    ‘It would be ridiculous because I’ve never met this man before. And you’re only nineteen.’
    ‘But we love each other.’
    ‘Oh come on, Alice. You don’t know what love is.’
    ‘And you do, I suppose.’
    ‘Tony,’ said Mrs Cartwright, shocking him out of his thoughts. ‘Do you love my daughter?’
    ‘Yes, I do.’ It was the only possible answer, apart from also being close to the truth, but he would have liked to add that of course he knew she was right and they were too young, but that they had a reason to get married. Somehow though he knew that would be denying Alice something.
    ‘And how long have you known each other?’
    ‘About six months.’ His mouth was dry and he heard his tongue click as he talked.
    ‘Where did you meet?’
    ‘In Cartertown.’
    ‘Yes, but where?’
    ‘On the street. We sort of bumped into each other.’
    Clarice sighed and Tony hated himself for wanting to impress her.
    ‘Alice,’ she said, ‘you are not getting married.’
    Tony wished she was right, but he heard Alice draw in her breath, he heard her say, ‘Oh, but we are, Clarice. You see, I’m pregnant.’
    Tony saw Clarice shrink from the news, her head actually rocked slightly on her neck. ‘You silly girl,’ she said. ‘How far gone?’
    ‘Twelve weeks and I’m not getting rid of it so don’t bother suggesting that.’
    Clarice stood up – Tony imagined she wanted to be on the same level as them – and walked over to the window. Her eyes looked moist.
    ‘We don’t want anything from you,’ Alice was saying. ‘Tony’s got a room, we’ll live there and we’ll be fine.’
    Tony stepped forward at this: he had to stop the madness. ‘Actually, we can’t live in my room, Alice, I’ve told you that. I’m going to get a job, Mrs Cartwright. I’ve already started looking. I mean, I do work now, but it’s just in a record shop and I know I could do better than that. I think Alice should stay here for now, I don’t think she’d do very well in Cartertown.’
    ‘Well, at least one of you has an iota of sense,’ said Clarice. She motioned to some chairs. ‘Please, let’s sit down and discuss this.’
    Tony moved forward even though Alice had put her hand on his arm. He turned to her and she shook her head. ‘Come on, Alice. If we’re going to do this we need help.’ And Alice looked so upset he wondered if really he had just