Two Loves by Sian James

first?’
    â€˜Good gracious, what about?’
    â€˜About Anthony.’
    Marian sighed her relief. A dead husband seemed less worrying than almost anything else. She made herself comfortable on the oversized sofa.
    â€˜When Anthony was married to Molly he had a mistress called Erica Underhill and he wrote her some very private poems. Anyway, she’s now short of money and she’s having her autobiography written, which will include the poems, and some of the papers will publish extracts from it. I think there may be a fair bit of publicity. And I thought you should know about it beforehand.’
    â€˜Good gracious. When you say private poems, do you mean pornographic, dear?’
    â€˜Erotic, anyway.’
    â€˜Good gracious. Well, I only hope I’ll be able to understand them. I haven’t understood much of his work so far.’
    â€˜I think there could be quite a fuss. You know, because he’s considered an important poet. I suppose he’ll come in for quite a bit of criticism about his private life and so on. Perhaps some of his other mistresses will discover some other poems. There may be a certain amount of mud-raking.’
    â€˜I wonder how it will affect Joss.’
    â€˜Joss? I don’t suppose he’ll understand much of it, will he? He’s not ten yet.’
    â€˜That boy understands far too much, dear. The things he insists on watching on the television! And if I pretend not to understand something, oh, he explains it to me. I blame all this sex education they have nowadays. I didn’t know anything about erections, dear, until I started nursing, but Joshua…’
    At the same moment they both realised that Brian was standing at the open door of the lounge – in stockinged feet, of course – and listening to them with some interest.
    â€˜I came in for a cup of tea,’ he said, ‘but don’t let me interrupt you.’
    â€˜Come and sit down, Brian. Rosamund’s a bit worried because Anthony had been writing some rather risqué poems to one or two of his mistresses and now they’re going to be published. There’ll be quite a little scandal, Rosamund says.’
    Brian seemed to come to life. ‘Fancy that, now! That’ll be something to live up to in the George, won’t it? What relation is he to me, Marian? My late stepson-in-law? Yes, my late stepson-in-law. Harvey, have you read those little verses by my late stepson-in-law? All right, aren’t, they? What are they like, Rosamund? “There was a young man of Khartoum…” How does it go? That was a good one.’
    â€˜That’s a limerick, dear. Not the same thing at all. And no, we don’t want to hear it.’
    They had tea and some home-made lemon cake, Marian and Brian seeming very lively, Brian telling them about the time he did National Service and knew a thing or two, and Marian recalling her three months on Men’s Surgical when she did her nursing training.
    â€˜I must get back or Joss will be home before me,’ Rosamund said after her second cup of tea. ‘And by the way, Mum, I love the new rug.’
    *   *   *
    A few days later, Anthony’s son Alex contacted her. Rosamund and Alex had always treated each other warily; he resented her, with the result that she was nervous of him. ‘I’m ringing on my mother’s behalf,’ he said stiffly. ‘My father’s agent has been in touch with her about something rather worrying.’
    â€˜Is it to do with Erica Underhill?’
    â€˜How did you know? Did Giles contact you?’
    â€˜No, of course not. He’s completely loyal to your mother, still regarding me as an interloper.’
    â€˜So how did you know? Erica Underhill’s been in touch with you?’
    â€˜I’ve never spoken to her in my life. Nor heard from her.’
    There was a long pause before Alex decided to continue.
    â€˜Giles had a phone-call