Fraser's Line by Monica Carly Page B

Fraser,’ she said. ‘It always makes me so happy to see you. You are such a good, kind son. No mother could ask for a better.’
    ‘I wish I could do more, mother. It does worry me that I am not on the doorstep.’
    ‘You mustn’t worry so. I know how to contact you if I need to, and you have your own life to lead.’ She almost asked about Edie, but some flash of memory saved her. ‘How are your two lovely daughters?’ she enquired.
    ‘Fine, I think. I had lunch with Sarah and Michael, and the twins yesterday. George, Kate and I spent a happy afternoon playing with the train set. I haven’t actually heard from Joanna for a few days – I think she may be finding the loss of her mother very hard, since she’s on her own, and she’s rather younger and a lot less mature than Sarah. I wish she was more settled in life. She seems so restless, and doesn’t really know which direction to go in. But look, I don’t want you to trouble your head about that.’
    ‘And what about you, dear? How are you?’ Marjorie looked at him anxiously.
    ‘Oh I’m managing all right, although of course I do find it difficult without Edie. Still, I went to a party yesterday evening, at Marion’s.’
‘Did you really? Oh I am so glad. That’s made me feel really happy.’
‘Margaret said it would please you.’ He did not add that it was the only argument that had carried any weight when he was deciding whether he could manage to go. ‘I can’t pretend I’d have gone without Margaret’s gentle persuasion. Nor can I pretend I enjoyed it enormously. However, it was made rather better by a strange woman who appeared from nowhere, and unlike everyone else, seemed to know what to say. Now, Mother, you said there was a reason why you would like me to come today.’
    ‘Yes, in fact I have two things I want to talk to you about. One’s good, and the other isn’t so nice.’
    ‘Then let’s start with the good news,’ suggested Fraser.
    ‘I think you’ll be very pleased, because I had a problem that I didn’t know I had, and now it’s been all sorted out.’
    ‘So tell me,’ encouraged Fraser.
    ‘It was so fortunate because the man happened to be passing, and he must have stopped outside. And when he did he must have looked up, and he saw that some of my roof tiles were missing. And what was even luckier, he happened to have some on his lorry. So he knocked at the door and told me, and apparently if I didn’t do something about it the rain would leak through, what with winter not far away. He said he just had time to fit in the repair before his next appointment.’
    Fraser groaned inwardly while trying to keep a pleased expression on his face. He couldn’t bear to disappoint his mother.
    ‘So I told him to go ahead, and it took him quite a long time. One thing was that he had to go and fetch some more tiles, because there were more needing to be replaced than he first thought. He must have had to go quite a distance, because he was a long time coming back. But he did get it finished, just in time to take me to the bank to get his payment. Wasn’t that kind of him!’
    Fraser struggled to control his voice. ‘It’s good that it’s all finished. How much did you pay him?’
He said as I was such nice old lady he’d only charge me half price, so it was £2000. I thought it must have been a bit of a bargain. Just fancy, if we hadn’t found out about the missing tiles I might have had water coming in before long. I knew you’d be pleased, so I’ve been longing to tell you.’
    ‘I’ll just have a look and make sure he’s left it all absolutely in order,’ Fraser said. He went outside and stood back far enough to see the roof. Without getting up a ladder it wasn’t easy to tell, but he was fairly sure that the tiles were all in a very good state, and that there were just two fresh ones up there. He was angry, not only with the sort of con man who could prey on elderly ladies, but also with the bank. They must have