favorite brother-in-law. Did you manage to get your friend home this morning?”
“What friend?” Beth asked, turning to Bob.
“I bumped into Ben earlier,” he replied uneasily. “I was just giving a colleague a lift and -”
“He had this hot little thing in his car,” Ben continued, turning to Beth with a broad grin. “Low-cut top, bedroom eyes, the works. It’s a good job I know he’s such a faithful guy, ‘cause frankly, most men would’ve gone weak at the knees if they were within twenty feet of that girl. I mean, I can’t say it in front of the kid here, but the girl he had in his car was in full possession of all the attributes that usually make men start gawking.” He turned back to Bob. “What was her name again? Did you even tell me? Crap, I don’t remember.”
Lucy giggled.
“Language,” Beth hissed at Ben, before looking over at her husband again. “So you gave someone a lift back from work, did you?” she asked bitterly. “Wouldn’t happen to be that Candy girl, would it?”
“Actually, it was,” Bob replied, starting to loosen his tie before thinking better of it and untucking his shirt instead. “I… She was tired, and I thought I’d take her to her door, that’s all. She was going to get the bus, but it didn’t show up and I was pretty much going up her road anyway.”
“I bet you were.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Hey,” Ben interjected, “I was just making a bad joke, I certainly didn’t mean to imply anything untoward. Beth, it really was innocent, I swear. I could tell, and anyway, Bob here’s a good guy. He’s not the kind of low-life scum you have to worry about, who’d go running around with younger ladies behind anyone’s back. He loves his family.”
“Absolutely,” Bob replied, forcing a smile. “I was just being a gentleman, that’s all.”
“Do you want to see our Christmas tree?” Lucy asked, staring up at Ben.
“Of course, sweetheart,” he replied, as the girl took his hand and led him through to the front room. “Sorry,” he added, glancing back at Beth and Bob, “looks like I’m being led away.”
“Mummy and I decorated it,” Lucy explained as they reached the tree. Reaching down, she flicked a switch and the fairy lights began to sparkle. “Do you think it’s pretty? I think it’s really pretty, even prettier than last year’s.”
“I think it’s absolutely beautiful,” Ben replied. “You know, it’s been a long, long time since I saw a tree like this.”
“Don’t you have a tree at your house when it’s Christmas?”
“I’m afraid not,” he told her. “Where I live, there isn’t really a lot of room for things like that. Besides, I haven’t got anyone to help me decorate it, so I’d just end up getting the whole thing wrong. I’d probably plant it upside down, something like that.”
“Mummy says I’m good at decorating trees.”
“You are.” Frowning, he stepped forward and peered up at the angel, which appeared to have been wedged on hard enough for the top of the tree to burst out through its head.
“That’s Candy,” Lucy said proudly.
“Candy, huh? And what exactly happened to Candy?”
“Mummy put her on,” Lucy explained, “and it went a bit wrong, but she said it’s funny so we should leave it.”
“She did, huh?” After staring at the angel for a moment, he turned and looked back through toward the kitchen. He could hear Beth and Bob keeping their voices down as they had a hushed, urgent-sounding conversation. “Well. It seems like your mother has some pretty strong thoughts about Candy, doesn’t it?”
***
“Are you coming or not?” Jack asked, standing on the steps and looking up at his father, who was just reaching the front door. “Dad, make your goddamn mind up -”
“I’m not coming,” Harry snapped, pulling the door open and stepping back inside. “Go to hell, the lot of you!”
“Don’t you think this’d be a good opportunity to make
“What friend?” Beth asked, turning to Bob.
“I bumped into Ben earlier,” he replied uneasily. “I was just giving a colleague a lift and -”
“He had this hot little thing in his car,” Ben continued, turning to Beth with a broad grin. “Low-cut top, bedroom eyes, the works. It’s a good job I know he’s such a faithful guy, ‘cause frankly, most men would’ve gone weak at the knees if they were within twenty feet of that girl. I mean, I can’t say it in front of the kid here, but the girl he had in his car was in full possession of all the attributes that usually make men start gawking.” He turned back to Bob. “What was her name again? Did you even tell me? Crap, I don’t remember.”
Lucy giggled.
“Language,” Beth hissed at Ben, before looking over at her husband again. “So you gave someone a lift back from work, did you?” she asked bitterly. “Wouldn’t happen to be that Candy girl, would it?”
“Actually, it was,” Bob replied, starting to loosen his tie before thinking better of it and untucking his shirt instead. “I… She was tired, and I thought I’d take her to her door, that’s all. She was going to get the bus, but it didn’t show up and I was pretty much going up her road anyway.”
“I bet you were.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Hey,” Ben interjected, “I was just making a bad joke, I certainly didn’t mean to imply anything untoward. Beth, it really was innocent, I swear. I could tell, and anyway, Bob here’s a good guy. He’s not the kind of low-life scum you have to worry about, who’d go running around with younger ladies behind anyone’s back. He loves his family.”
“Absolutely,” Bob replied, forcing a smile. “I was just being a gentleman, that’s all.”
“Do you want to see our Christmas tree?” Lucy asked, staring up at Ben.
“Of course, sweetheart,” he replied, as the girl took his hand and led him through to the front room. “Sorry,” he added, glancing back at Beth and Bob, “looks like I’m being led away.”
“Mummy and I decorated it,” Lucy explained as they reached the tree. Reaching down, she flicked a switch and the fairy lights began to sparkle. “Do you think it’s pretty? I think it’s really pretty, even prettier than last year’s.”
“I think it’s absolutely beautiful,” Ben replied. “You know, it’s been a long, long time since I saw a tree like this.”
“Don’t you have a tree at your house when it’s Christmas?”
“I’m afraid not,” he told her. “Where I live, there isn’t really a lot of room for things like that. Besides, I haven’t got anyone to help me decorate it, so I’d just end up getting the whole thing wrong. I’d probably plant it upside down, something like that.”
“Mummy says I’m good at decorating trees.”
“You are.” Frowning, he stepped forward and peered up at the angel, which appeared to have been wedged on hard enough for the top of the tree to burst out through its head.
“That’s Candy,” Lucy said proudly.
“Candy, huh? And what exactly happened to Candy?”
“Mummy put her on,” Lucy explained, “and it went a bit wrong, but she said it’s funny so we should leave it.”
“She did, huh?” After staring at the angel for a moment, he turned and looked back through toward the kitchen. He could hear Beth and Bob keeping their voices down as they had a hushed, urgent-sounding conversation. “Well. It seems like your mother has some pretty strong thoughts about Candy, doesn’t it?”
***
“Are you coming or not?” Jack asked, standing on the steps and looking up at his father, who was just reaching the front door. “Dad, make your goddamn mind up -”
“I’m not coming,” Harry snapped, pulling the door open and stepping back inside. “Go to hell, the lot of you!”
“Don’t you think this’d be a good opportunity to make
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