man, everything’s under control. He can provide for his family, and—’
‘What? What are you thinking you shouldn’t say?’
She frowned for a moment. ‘Very well, I’ll tell you. I think money was a big part of the problems between him and your mother. She used her money to try to turn him into her view of what he should be. She bought their house without consulting him. It was her money, so why should she, was what she told him. There were other things too, but her having income she’d never had to work for was at the root of it.’
‘You’re kinder than I am. Who’d want to stay married to her? She harps on all day, nag nag nag.’ I pulled out my phone. ‘Still, I’d better tell her about Dad or I’ll never hear the end of it.’ I rang, but had to leave a message on the answer phone. Sometimes the universe smiles.
At last a doctor came in. Iris sprang to her feet. ‘Mrs Grey.’ He came towards us, smiling. ‘Your husband’s come through the op. We’ve put stents in, and once he recovers he’ll be as good as new, providing he looks after himself.’
My unflappable stepmother burst into tears and blubbed her thanks all over the poor guy. He patted her shoulder. ‘He’s in recovery now. You can visit him once he arrives on the ward.’
Chapter Seven
IT WAS LATE and dark when I got home. Mum was still up. Hostile . I bent over backwards not to be.
I broke all habits by walking in and giving her a hug. ‘He’s going to be all right, Mum. They operated and …’
She pulled away from me. ‘I’m not remotely interested in Charles Grey.’
All the stress of the day crashed down on me. My voice rose in a screech of fury. ‘Well, you bloody ought to be interested. He’s my father and he’s Hadleigh’s father. You should care about him just because he’s the father of your kids.’ You cow .
At least I had enough control not to yell that in her face.
I went to bed howling my heart out. I’d never work her out, never be the daughter she wanted.
I calmed down enough to Facebook Hadleigh with the bare facts of the day. I dithered over whether or not to tell him about Iris’s bombshell but decided against it. I finished with Love you, bro. Sorry again for being such an idiot at the airport. You were right to go. xxxxx
The following morning, I rang Iris. Dad was doing well, she said, so would I be able to come and get her at some stage so she could collect her car.
‘Sure. This afternoon okay?’
‘Lovely. Thanks, Bess.’
No drama. No undercurrents. No hostility on either side. Progress in my dealings with my step mother, despite the witchy element. Not so with my mother, who was choosing offendedness as her emotion of the day. She just gave me her cool, raised-eyebrow look and didn’t speak.
I would have understood perfectly if I’d had her burnt as a witch.
I took myself off to the factory, glad to concentrate on that instead of the workings of my head.
The men had put in solid posts along the front, spaced too closely to let a car through. I let myself in via the squeaking door, and spent the morning dusting and photographing the tables before ringing Clint to ask what reserve to put on them.
‘Southey household. Nick speaking.’ For a split second I saw him as he was at thirteen, wild, scruffy and with the glint of the devil in his eyes.
‘Bess here, Nick. Thanks for yesterday. Dad’s going to be okay.’
‘Brilliant. I’ll tell Dad. He’ll be relieved.’ He was so grown up now, his voice deep and warm — and I’d better not forget he loved Lulu. I supposed he did, anyway. I dragged my mind back to where it should be. ‘I need to talk to Clint. Is he around?’
‘I’ll get him. Hang on. Dad! Bess on the phone.’ Then, ‘Hey, I never found out — how did you get down from that tree?’
‘Jumped.’
‘Shit, girl! That was one hell of a drop. What a tosser I was. You could have killed yourself.’
I laughed. ‘You never did buy me that ice
‘What? What are you thinking you shouldn’t say?’
She frowned for a moment. ‘Very well, I’ll tell you. I think money was a big part of the problems between him and your mother. She used her money to try to turn him into her view of what he should be. She bought their house without consulting him. It was her money, so why should she, was what she told him. There were other things too, but her having income she’d never had to work for was at the root of it.’
‘You’re kinder than I am. Who’d want to stay married to her? She harps on all day, nag nag nag.’ I pulled out my phone. ‘Still, I’d better tell her about Dad or I’ll never hear the end of it.’ I rang, but had to leave a message on the answer phone. Sometimes the universe smiles.
At last a doctor came in. Iris sprang to her feet. ‘Mrs Grey.’ He came towards us, smiling. ‘Your husband’s come through the op. We’ve put stents in, and once he recovers he’ll be as good as new, providing he looks after himself.’
My unflappable stepmother burst into tears and blubbed her thanks all over the poor guy. He patted her shoulder. ‘He’s in recovery now. You can visit him once he arrives on the ward.’
Chapter Seven
IT WAS LATE and dark when I got home. Mum was still up. Hostile . I bent over backwards not to be.
I broke all habits by walking in and giving her a hug. ‘He’s going to be all right, Mum. They operated and …’
She pulled away from me. ‘I’m not remotely interested in Charles Grey.’
All the stress of the day crashed down on me. My voice rose in a screech of fury. ‘Well, you bloody ought to be interested. He’s my father and he’s Hadleigh’s father. You should care about him just because he’s the father of your kids.’ You cow .
At least I had enough control not to yell that in her face.
I went to bed howling my heart out. I’d never work her out, never be the daughter she wanted.
I calmed down enough to Facebook Hadleigh with the bare facts of the day. I dithered over whether or not to tell him about Iris’s bombshell but decided against it. I finished with Love you, bro. Sorry again for being such an idiot at the airport. You were right to go. xxxxx
The following morning, I rang Iris. Dad was doing well, she said, so would I be able to come and get her at some stage so she could collect her car.
‘Sure. This afternoon okay?’
‘Lovely. Thanks, Bess.’
No drama. No undercurrents. No hostility on either side. Progress in my dealings with my step mother, despite the witchy element. Not so with my mother, who was choosing offendedness as her emotion of the day. She just gave me her cool, raised-eyebrow look and didn’t speak.
I would have understood perfectly if I’d had her burnt as a witch.
I took myself off to the factory, glad to concentrate on that instead of the workings of my head.
The men had put in solid posts along the front, spaced too closely to let a car through. I let myself in via the squeaking door, and spent the morning dusting and photographing the tables before ringing Clint to ask what reserve to put on them.
‘Southey household. Nick speaking.’ For a split second I saw him as he was at thirteen, wild, scruffy and with the glint of the devil in his eyes.
‘Bess here, Nick. Thanks for yesterday. Dad’s going to be okay.’
‘Brilliant. I’ll tell Dad. He’ll be relieved.’ He was so grown up now, his voice deep and warm — and I’d better not forget he loved Lulu. I supposed he did, anyway. I dragged my mind back to where it should be. ‘I need to talk to Clint. Is he around?’
‘I’ll get him. Hang on. Dad! Bess on the phone.’ Then, ‘Hey, I never found out — how did you get down from that tree?’
‘Jumped.’
‘Shit, girl! That was one hell of a drop. What a tosser I was. You could have killed yourself.’
I laughed. ‘You never did buy me that ice
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