now this. Oh, Albert, what are we going to do?’
Albert took out a handkerchief and mopped his forehead. He’d known mentioning money and debts would send Vera up the wall. But, as he’d expected, it was making her listen to him a lot more carefully.
‘The first thing is to get him back to work,’ he said. ‘His debts aren’t the main problem, although what possessed him to put all your money into stocks and shares I’ll never know. Never mind that, they say the stock market is on the upturn and once he’s back at work he can get it all sorted out. Now, what he really needs is time and space from Esmond. If not, there’s no saying what the consequences may be.’
‘But the school holidays are coming up at the end of the week and how can I stop my own darling Esmond from getting on Horace’s nerves? He’s such a lovely boy and always wants to be helpful and –’
‘I’ve thought of that,’ said Albert before she couldgo into her nauseous sentimental mode. ‘Esmond can come and help me around the garage and give Horace a bit of peace and quiet to get well again …’
Upstairs Horace Wiley listened to the murmur of voices in the kitchen and felt better. That bit about the water butt had done the trick. Even Albert had gone a funny colour when he’d heard that one.
Chapter 8
In the Ponsons’ extensive bungalow, a confection of flock wallpaper, gold Dralon sofas and ankle-deep pink carpets, and where every bedroom had both a bathroom and a jacuzzi, the news that the place was shortly to be infested by Esmond Wiley was not entirely welcome.
Belinda Ponson, Albert’s wife, was not a large, loud, effulgent woman like her sister-in-law and she was certainly not a sentimental one. She was best described as quiet and particular – although she had not always been that way – and she was particularly particular about her furnishings. The thought of what an adolescent with muddy shoes and oily hands would do to the flock wallpaper and the Dralonsofas, not to mention the pink carpet, deeply disturbed her.
‘I’m not having him spoil the decor’, she told Albert, who always had to take his shoes off in the front porch and put on some special slippers before entering the bungalow. ‘I know what boys are like. That sister of yours has spoilt that son of hers something awful and he’s bound to be unhygienic as well. All boys are. What possessed you to invite him without consulting me?’
‘Horace did,’ Albert said tersely. ‘He’s off his rocker.’
‘I don’t care what he’s off. He’s never done you any favours so why have you got to do him any? That’s what I want to know.’
‘Because, like I say, he’s off his trolley, and he’ll stay off it and worse if he has the boy around the house. I don’t want Vera on my hands for the rest of her natural. Do you want her living here and interfering and all?’
There was no need for Belinda to answer.
‘Well, all I can say is I’m not having Esmond bring his girlfriends here and lounging about in dirty jeans and messing my house up.’
Albert helped himself to a large Scotch from a cut-glass decanter with a gold-plated label that said Chivas Regal.
‘He doesn’t wear jeans. He goes around in a blue suit and a tie just like his dad,’ he said. ‘That’s what’s driven Horace bonkers. Says it’s like having another him around the house.’
‘Another him? What are you talking about? I never heard such nonsense in my life.’
‘Like he’s got a dopple … a double. Like he’s a split personality. And seeing Horace is the way he is, I mean the way he looks, it must be bloody horrible to have two of him round the house.’
‘If that’s the case, I don’t want one of him,’ said Belinda. ‘Your sister can keep all three of them.’
‘Three of them? What the hell are you on about?’ Albert demanded. But Belinda had already gone through to the Poggenpohl kitchen to relieve her feelings on the washing machine.
Around her the
Albert took out a handkerchief and mopped his forehead. He’d known mentioning money and debts would send Vera up the wall. But, as he’d expected, it was making her listen to him a lot more carefully.
‘The first thing is to get him back to work,’ he said. ‘His debts aren’t the main problem, although what possessed him to put all your money into stocks and shares I’ll never know. Never mind that, they say the stock market is on the upturn and once he’s back at work he can get it all sorted out. Now, what he really needs is time and space from Esmond. If not, there’s no saying what the consequences may be.’
‘But the school holidays are coming up at the end of the week and how can I stop my own darling Esmond from getting on Horace’s nerves? He’s such a lovely boy and always wants to be helpful and –’
‘I’ve thought of that,’ said Albert before she couldgo into her nauseous sentimental mode. ‘Esmond can come and help me around the garage and give Horace a bit of peace and quiet to get well again …’
Upstairs Horace Wiley listened to the murmur of voices in the kitchen and felt better. That bit about the water butt had done the trick. Even Albert had gone a funny colour when he’d heard that one.
Chapter 8
In the Ponsons’ extensive bungalow, a confection of flock wallpaper, gold Dralon sofas and ankle-deep pink carpets, and where every bedroom had both a bathroom and a jacuzzi, the news that the place was shortly to be infested by Esmond Wiley was not entirely welcome.
Belinda Ponson, Albert’s wife, was not a large, loud, effulgent woman like her sister-in-law and she was certainly not a sentimental one. She was best described as quiet and particular – although she had not always been that way – and she was particularly particular about her furnishings. The thought of what an adolescent with muddy shoes and oily hands would do to the flock wallpaper and the Dralonsofas, not to mention the pink carpet, deeply disturbed her.
‘I’m not having him spoil the decor’, she told Albert, who always had to take his shoes off in the front porch and put on some special slippers before entering the bungalow. ‘I know what boys are like. That sister of yours has spoilt that son of hers something awful and he’s bound to be unhygienic as well. All boys are. What possessed you to invite him without consulting me?’
‘Horace did,’ Albert said tersely. ‘He’s off his rocker.’
‘I don’t care what he’s off. He’s never done you any favours so why have you got to do him any? That’s what I want to know.’
‘Because, like I say, he’s off his trolley, and he’ll stay off it and worse if he has the boy around the house. I don’t want Vera on my hands for the rest of her natural. Do you want her living here and interfering and all?’
There was no need for Belinda to answer.
‘Well, all I can say is I’m not having Esmond bring his girlfriends here and lounging about in dirty jeans and messing my house up.’
Albert helped himself to a large Scotch from a cut-glass decanter with a gold-plated label that said Chivas Regal.
‘He doesn’t wear jeans. He goes around in a blue suit and a tie just like his dad,’ he said. ‘That’s what’s driven Horace bonkers. Says it’s like having another him around the house.’
‘Another him? What are you talking about? I never heard such nonsense in my life.’
‘Like he’s got a dopple … a double. Like he’s a split personality. And seeing Horace is the way he is, I mean the way he looks, it must be bloody horrible to have two of him round the house.’
‘If that’s the case, I don’t want one of him,’ said Belinda. ‘Your sister can keep all three of them.’
‘Three of them? What the hell are you on about?’ Albert demanded. But Belinda had already gone through to the Poggenpohl kitchen to relieve her feelings on the washing machine.
Around her the
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