Scarlet Feather (34 page)

‘But aren’t you in and out of each other’s houses all the time?’ Lizzie was surprised.

‘Used to be, not so much these days. Mam, was she gorgeous-looking when she was young?’

‘She certainly was, and wild! You wouldn’t believe it… When we were married first Muttie and I couldn’t come back into my mother’s house without getting a list of complaints as long as your arm about Geraldine – she was out till all hours, never doing her homework… Dressed like a tramp… I wish my poor mother had lived to see the way she turned out in the end. The perfect lady, mixing with the highest in the land.’ Lizzie spoke with admiration and amazement but no jealousy.

‘And when did she change?’

‘Oh, she had this fellow, I can’t remember his name. Very posh anyway, and a good bit older; she began to smarten up her act to go out with him. Then after he was gone she went back to school again. My poor old ma used to think she was trying to educate herself so that Teddy – that’s his name, Teddy – would think she was more top-drawer, but I said it was a bit late for that now. Anyway it didn’t work out and there was no mention of him again. Teddy! I haven’t thought of him in years.’

Cathy wondered if this was also true in Geraldine’s case. She was going round there later, once she and Sara had made their second visit to the twins’ family home. What she had said to her mother was true. There were many, many ways in which Cathy knew absolutely nothing about the glamorous, groomed, self-confident woman who took cars and jewelled watches and even an apartment from married men. She didn’t even know whether Geraldine would want her fortieth birthday highlighted or buried.

This time the tea tray was on the table when they arrived. Kay poured from the heavy teapot with a frail, shaking hand. Kenneth seemed to be more aware of his surroundings and of the fact that his children, whom he had abandoned for months, were not automatically being returned to him. He knew that he had to put on some kind of a show.

‘Two charming ladies
and
my beloved twins as well… Too much happiness,’ he said.

The children looked at him, startled. This was even more effusive than last time.

Sara spoke first. ‘Can we run through a few outstanding matters,Mr Mitchell,’ she said briskly.

‘My dear lady… anything, anything.’

Kay came running in at that moment. ‘I made scones,’ she cried triumphantly.

‘But Mother, you don’t…’ Simon began.

Cathy frowned a terrible frown at him, and he stopped in mid-sentence. Cathy looked at the small shop scones which the woman had heated up in her attempt to make this look like a normal home. She felt a lump in her throat. Kay
had
given birth to Simon and Maud nine years ago. They must mean something to her, even in her confused state of mind. She had looked so poorly when they visited her in hospital; Cathy had never seen the day coming when she would be in charge of a home again.

‘Your nephew Neil was telling me about your financial arrangements last night,’ Sara said. ‘Apparently his father has arranged for this house to be mortgaged and has set up a trust.’

‘Very good of Jock, sorted it all out,’ Kenneth nodded and beamed eagerly.

‘He gave me these figures, and it’s agreed that this proportion goes towards their clothes, school needs, books, bus fares, and so on, and that there was a figure towards the upkeep of the house, including Mrs Barry three times a week and a gardener half a day once a week to keep the place in check.’

‘It all sounds wonderful,’ Kenneth said.

‘And how much do you think Walter will contribute to the household?’ Sara’s face was expressionless as she asked the question that she must have known was futile.

‘Oh, poor Walter doesn’t have any ready money,’ his mother said with a little laugh.

‘But his room and board? After all, he does go out to work and earns a salary,’ Sara was dogged.

‘He must be quite poor because he sometimes works in Cathy and Tom’s waitressing, I mean catering, business as well,’ Maud said helpfully.

‘Not recently; he won’t have that as a source of income any more,’ Cathy said in a tone that left no doubt whatsoever.

Sara looked up with a smile. She was really pretty when she smiled. Her funny spiky hair and her big boots were outside the frame.

‘You could of course let his room if he weren’t here?’ Sara’s eyes were mischievous.

‘Oh, no, it’s the boy’s home,’ said Kenneth. ‘By the way, he left you a note about his room…’ He offered her a letter without an envelope, ‘One that all were meant to see.’

Sara read it out. ‘Dear Sara, sorry that I can’t be here today to meet you. On your last visit my cousin’s wife seemed to be suggesting that I was unwilling to show you my bedroom. I would hate it if my little brother and sister’s return home were to be delayed by any misunderstanding over something so irrelevant. I have tidied it up, ready for inspection. Please feel free to go in as you please.’

They all listened as she read. ‘No need to, of course, but very courteous of him,’ Sara murmured.

‘No need now,’ said Cathy, half under her breath. Whatever Walter had been storing in his room, whatever stolen goods he was fearful that they should see, had been moved. They did a tour of the house, checked the bedrooms, saw that the linen had been aired, the bathroom properly cared for. Sara was very thorough; she checked that the washing machine worked and went through the food cupboard and examined the dates on items in the freezer. She asked practical questions about what work Mrs Barry would do, ensured that there were cleaning materials and even checked the garden shed.

‘Nothing to cut the grass with,’ she observed.

‘We used to have a big motor mower,’ Kenneth was startled. It was quite new, actually. Do you remember it, darling?’

Kay thought hard. ‘Not really, not since last summer… Children, do you remember a motor mower?’

‘Walter took it to be mended,’ Simon said.

‘When was that, Simon?’ Cathy asked.

‘Ages ago, when we were living here,’ he said. ‘I think it was a secret.’

‘Why do you think that?’ Cathy was gentle.

‘I don’t know. I thought he had broken it himself, you see, cutting the grass, and he wanted to get it mended before Mother and Father found out.’ Simon’s face was so innocent that Cathy wanted to cry.

‘When was this, can you remember at all?’ Sara wondered.

‘Oh, last summer, a long time ago,’ said Simon, who had never wondered before why the machine had never been returned to the shed, and wasn’t even particularly worried now.

‘Will we wait until Neil gets here before we agree that they can come back?’ Sara asked as she and Cathy walked through the wilderness of the garden.

‘Neil?’

‘Yes, he said he’d be here.’

‘Oh, sure.’ Cathy was actually sure that he wouldn’t be here. She had left him back at Waterview still on the telephone about some other crisis.

‘Walter sold the grass-cutting machine. And the kids’ things,’ she said.

‘We’ve no proof whatsoever of that, Cathy.’

‘Would you believe it if Neil said it?’

‘But surely he doesn’t think… ?’ She seemed aghast.

‘Let’s ask him, Sara, when he gets here,’ Cathy said.

In her heart she thought, If he gets here.’ But she was wrong: when they got back to the house he was there, just as businesslike as Sara.

‘Uncle Kenneth, have you been through the house to make sure that nothing went missing while you were away?’ he asked crisply.

‘But how could it have? I mean, Walter was here.’

‘You know how hopeless young people are. Any items like clocks, or maybe any silver?’

‘I  did wonder had we put away the little carriage clock so carefully that we couldn’t find it,’ poor Kay trilled.

‘And I can’t seem to see those silver brushes I had,’ Kenneth seemed puzzled.

‘Maybe we should make a list,’ Neil said.

‘Oh, do you think so?’

‘I do.’ Neil was very firm.

‘You see, when we were assessing the value of your estate, we took all the possessions into account. We’ll have to assess downwards if some things turn out to be missing, and anyway we’ll need to give a list to the police if you’re to claim on your insurance.’

‘And to show to Walter also, Neil,’ Cathy suggested, ‘because quite possibly he may have taken some of these items to have them mended.’

‘Mended?’ Neil asked.

‘Yes, Simon here was telling us that Walter kindly got the new motor mower mended, took it off with him at the end of last summer… And it hasn’t been mended yet, apparently,’ Cathy said.

He nodded. ‘You’ve understood all this, Sara?’ he asked.

‘Totally,’ she said.

‘Right, we’ll go round the house and see what’s not where it should be… Can you help, Maud and Simon? Your sharp young eyes will be terrific, and it will make it into a sort of game.’

‘I think that the marble chess set isn’t where it used to be… I can’t see it, anyway,’ Simon offered as information.

‘Can I have a board like Sara’s to write on?’ Maud asked. ‘Please, if it’s possible, I mean,’ she added.

Sara immediately ripped some pages off and handed the clipboard and pad to the child. Neil smiled at her in gratitude, and

Cathy then saw the look that Sara gave him in return. It was naked admiration.

‘Cathy, it’s Geraldine.’

‘People always say this, but I was just thinking about phoning you five minutes ago.’

‘You weren’t thinking about Sunday lunch tomorrow, by any chance?’ Geraldine asked.

‘No, but you’re very welcome. It would force us to cook something instead of just picking, and we’d love to see you. That would be great.’

‘I meant here, it’s a working lunch… I really think it’s time someone did something about Marian’s wedding. Their hotel accommodation is booked, but nothing else… We should have a council of war.’

‘Well, we have the hall. Should Tom come too, do you think?’ Cathy asked.

She hated breaking into his weekend as she did into her and Neil’s. There was so little free time for any of them these days. She was relieved when Geraldine said not to disturb him during his weekend.

It isn’t necessary now, not at this stage… This is really only talks about talks. Shona’s coming, she’s a great help at things like this, and Joe Feather will be here about something else, it’s a fashion show he’s setting up but he might have a few ideas about the Chicago party as well.’

Cathy felt tired. There was too much to think about. Her mind felt full of problems, like swarms of bees.

‘That would be great, Geraldine. Can I bring something with me?’

‘No, no.’ It didn’t sound convincing.

‘I can go into the premises, take something out of the freezer,’ she said.

‘Well, if you did have a dessert… I certainly wouldn’t say no.’

‘Chocolate roulade?’ Cathy suggested; she had plenty of those in the freezer.

‘Great, see you tomorrow, notebooks at the ready.’

Cathy wondered whether Tom knew that his brother was setting up a fashion show, and more importantly, whether Marcella knew. But it was a Saturday night, let it go, let it go. Enough drama in her own family. Why get involved in other people’s?

‘That’s twice in a month Joe came to see us, Maura, the boy’s heart must be in the right place,’ JT said as they had their Sunday lunch.

‘I did offer him a dinner today, but he had somewhere fancy to go.’ Maura was not yet totally won over.

‘He’s setting up a fashion show, Maura; he has to have lunch with the people who will help him.’

‘They shouldn’t be working on the Sabbath day,’ she said.

‘I don’t imagine it’s
working
as such, more talking, I’d say.’

‘What would
you
know, JT, about fashion shows, and whether they’re working or talking?’ she asked.

‘What indeed? But don’t I have a proper life for myself, a great wife, a fine home, a decent business and a grand Sunday dinner on the table? Isn’t that better than anything Joe has?’

He was rewarded. Maura returned to the kitchen and cut him an extra slice of beef off the very overdone roast which had been in the oven for several hours. She was gradually coming round to the son who had hurt her so much over the years by ignoring his family and abandoning his faith.

‘No love, I can’t go,’ Neil said.

‘Okay.’

‘No, Cathy, don’t be like that…’

‘Neil… I said okay. I suppose I’m disappointed not to have you there, and I thought we might go to the pictures afterwards… But if you have too much to do then I understand.’

She called Geraldine to tell her there would be one less, but the number was engaged. What the hell, she’d tell her when she got there.

But when she got to the Glenstar apartment the table was only set for four.

‘Joe not coming then?’ Cathy asked as she placed the roulade on one of Geraldine’s plates.

‘No, he’s on his way. It
is
set for four, isn’t it?’

‘Yes, of course.’ Cathy was puzzled.

‘You, me, Shona, Joe?’ She came out of the kitchen and counted, and looked surprised that Cathy had thought it would be otherwise.

‘Did Neil ring you then?’ she asked, surprised.

‘Neil? No, why?’

‘To say he couldn’t come. He was very sorry…’

‘I didn’t expect him to come…’ Geraldine said. ‘Well it turned out all right. My mistake, I thought…’ ‘Of course he was invited, but he never turns up at things, does he?’ Geraldine said, going back to the kitchen.

‘Ah, he does, Geraldine, he was marvellous out with the twins yesterday, you’d be amazed at him. He was just like a dog with a bone, nothing would deter him. He
does
go to things.’

‘And if I wanted a lawyer for any cause whatsoever, he’d be first on my list, that’s without a doubt.’ ‘But this wasn’t a case, it was family.’ ‘
His
family, Cathy. He’s too busy for other things.’ The buzzer went and Shona had arrived, followed minutes later by Joe. They were sitting down making plans. Cathy had to drag her mind back to the conversation. Why hadn’t she forced Neil to come today? He would have if she had told him that she needed him. Cathy wondered was she getting flu; she had been feeling tired and slightly weepy for a few days now. Suddenly a terrifying thought came to her. There was no wild possibility that she could be pregnant? She grabbed her diary to see where she had put the little x’s to show when she expected her period. It was three days late. But it often was, Cathy told herself firmly, and forced herself to listen to ways they could publicise a fashion show. As soon as this was over they would help her to organise her sister’s wedding. And she’d think about the other thing later. There was no problem.