The Nothing Girl Part 28

' Dont do that. You need to stay hidden. This might turn ugly. Right in the middle of the High Street, too. Lets hope she wont make a scene in public.

Aunt Julia was forging on. 'I remember that the last time I had occasion to reprimand you for mistreating your wife you very cleverly managed to throw the blame back at me for not giving you a chance to explain your actions properly. I would not care to make the same mistake again so perhaps you could enlighten me as to why Jenny appears to be weighed down with boxes that are obviously much too heavy for her, while you are not?

He could have explained hed dropped his off at the Rover and come back for mine. He could have shown her how light they were. He could have relieved me of my load. He didnt do any of that. He made a big mistake.

'I dont have to explain my actions to you, Julia. Now, if youll excuse us ... He took my arm.

I noticed that Aunt Julias concern for my well-being had not led her so far as to relieve me of any of the despised boxes. Or even to say 'h.e.l.lo.

And b.l.o.o.d.y Francesca was here somewhere. I seriously considered flinging my boxes to the ground and walking off.

'I wouldnt, advised Thomas. ' Those boxes are all thats preventing this situation deteriorating into a public brawl.

'Why?

'Have you seen your face since this morning?

'Id forgotten all about it. It doesnt hurt at all.

'You look like the poster child for battered wives. Hang on to those boxes whatever you do.

I started to turn away. The car wasnt far. Id leave them to it.

Then Francesca, bless her, put her elegantly shod foot right in it.

'Oh, Jenny, you do look funny with all those boxes. Russell furiously grabbed the top three or four.

I could see again. There was Francesca. And Aunt Julia. And half of Rushford walking past very slowly so they could get an earful. And the other half staring into the nearest shop window, apparently enthralled by the display of surgical trusses, incontinence pads, and a special offer on stair-lifts.

But back to the current crisis.

Russell, grabbing the boxes, caught a glimpse of my face, closed his eyes briefly, and muttered, 's.h.i.+t.

I had no sympathy. Id been with him all afternoon and hed only just remembered? He was on his own.

Aunt Julia, thank G.o.d, was temporarily speechless. I hoped by the time shed regained her composure, she would realise the embarra.s.sment of a public scene and content herself with telling tales to Uncle Richard.

Another pig soared majestically into the stratosphere.

'Its up to you, Jenny, said Thomas. 'Deep breath, focus, and go.

I took a deep breath, focused, and went.

'It was an accident, Aunt Julia.

'Another one?

'He wasnt even there. I fell in the pond.

'Not making things any better.

'You fell in the pond? Which pond?

'The Duck Pond. At the ... bottom of the lane. I was rescuing a cat.

'Which cat?

'The cat in the pond.

'Why?

Now I was baffled. 'What?

'Why? Why were you rescuing the cat?

'Because it was in the pond. I thought Id made that clear. I wish people would listen to me.

'You let your wife fall in a dirty pond?

'I wasnt there. Believe me, Julia, Im with you on this one and when you see the cat, youll know why.

'So you hit her because she saved a cat?

'No! I mean I didnt hit her at all. Ive never hit a woman in my life. Not even Francesca. It was the cat.

'Oh dear.

'Youre telling me the cat hit her?

'No one hit her. She fell over a tree.

'You said she fell in a pond. You need to get your story straight, Russell Checkland.

'The tree was in the pond.

'And where was this again? A mangrove swamp in Florida?

I realised Id started to shake. Id never done that before.

'Jenny? said Thomas, concerned.

I made a huge effort to get some control over my life.

'Its all ... right, Aunt Julia, weve just been ... sh I couldnt get any further. The word 'shopping refused to budge.

I tried again. 'Art stuff.

'Oh? said Francesca, sharply. 'Youve started painting again, Russell? You didnt tell me.

'Nothing to do with you, Francesca. You walked out, remember? Left me high and dry.

Hed gone very white. Any minute now, things would be said from which there was no going back.

'I dont need your permission to paint. Or your presence. In fact, Im better off without you. Go and marry Daniel and stop making such a nuisance of yourself.

She slapped him.

Without thinking, I tried to say, 'Russell, Id like to go home, please. I stood, desperately trying to get something out. My mouth worked nothing happened. I was back in the school playground again. I began to dribble. Hot tears ran down my cheeks. I was rooted to the spot. I couldnt move, or speak. I could hardly see. But I could smell ginger biscuits.

I tried to pluck Russells sleeve, but he and Francesca were too busy shouting at each other. Aunt Julia stood off to one side, not attempting to interfere. No one was even pretending to look in shop windows now. I could sense a crowd gathering. Someone laughed. I was hot with shame and mortification. I hated everyone. My stupid self, most of all.

I shook and jerked with the effort of speaking. To tell them to stop, for G.o.ds sake. To give me a few minutes peace. All these people who professed to care for me so much and I was ignored by every single one of them. I wished the ground would open up and swallow me. I wished Id never been born at all.

'Jenny, said Thomas. ' I would like you to stay very calm, please. Dont try to speak and especially, dont cry. Please just stand quietly. Try to let it all go over your head. Help is coming.

And indeed, it was. Andrew shouldered his way through the crowd, took in the situation at a glance, didnt even bother trying to speak to the protagonists, threw my boxes to the ground, put his arm round my shoulders, and took me away to Tanyas office.

She was just saying goodbye to a client. She and Andrew obviously had their own code, because she said to her a.s.sistant, 'You will give me no more calls, please, and took us into her office.

I sat quietly in a chair with a box of tissues and Thomas breathing into my hair. The smell of warm ginger biscuits pervaded the room and slowly, everything subsided back into place.

When I was able to look around me again, Tanya was dissuading Andrew from thumping his cousin.

'It will not help, she told him. She looked at me. 'The damage is done. I dont think she was talking about my face. 'There has been a public argument and charges were made. The whole town will talk of it. The best course is to ignore everything. You must all seem to be on excellent terms as soon as possible. Some sort of public meal is a good idea. Jenny must not be injured any more. That is most important. And you, Andrew, will not hit Russell again.

Again?

'Actually, my angel, the last person to hit Russell was you.

'No, actually, Jenny, the last person to hit Russell was you.

'No, actually, it was Francesca.

'Now, I will tell my a.s.sistant I have finished today and we will all have a quiet meal at home. Jenny, you will stay with us tonight. I will telephone to Russell.

If hed even noticed Id gone.

'He will not argue, I think, and tomorrow he can collect you from us and you will not hit him, Andrew. No one will hit Russell.

'Hitting Russell seems to be the favourite pastime around here.

I made no answer.

Andrew and Tanya had a small flat in what had been the old eye hospital. The conversion was very nice and they had a large balcony with views over the river. We all sat in the kitchen. I was given potatoes to peel and carrots to sc.r.a.pe. Andrew cut up onions and meat. Tanya defrosted a cheesecake and ordered everyone around. I think we all enjoyed it. This was my first experience of a normal household. No one shouted. Andrew and Tanya danced round each other in the kitchen, never colliding, each aware of the other. Once, he lifted her hair and kissed her neck.

I felt unbelievably lonely.

He put a gla.s.s of wine in front of me. The telephone rang and I took a large swig.

'Its all right, said Thomas.

Andrew answered the phone, but Tanya held out her hand. 'Please give it to me.

He handed it over, winked at me, and picked up his wine.

'Russell? Yes, of course she is here. Did you think we would leave her standing in the middle of the pavement while you and FrancescaKingdom made fools of yourselves? No, you may not speak to her. She is considerably distressed.

I nodded into my wine. G.o.ddammit, I was distressed. Thomas chuckled.

'No you may not come round tonight. We are about to have a quiet meal and an enjoyable evening and it will not be either if you are here. I leave it to you to explain to your household how you managed to lose your wife in the middle of Rushford, although I am sure by now there is not much they do not know. That is a problem for you to manage. You may, if she wishes it, speak to Jenny tomorrow. That is for her to decide. In the meantime may I suggest you take some time to think over your recent disgraceful behaviour and if I see signs of genuine remorse and a willingness to do better, then I shall do my best to dissuade Andrew from knocking you to the ground. Again. Alternatively, if I am in the mood, I may do it myself. Goodnight, Russell.

She put the phone down.

'Wow. Shock and awe!

'Did he actually manage to get a word in? asked Andrew, beaming at her.

'I do not know. I was not listening. Jenny, drink more wine.

'Yes, Jenny, drink more wine before she turns on us.

It was a lovely evening. They both, in their own ways, made me feel comfortable and at home. Andrew told me funny stories about his work. Tanya ordered us both gently around. I had a long bath and emerged in borrowed PJs and an enormous fluffy dressing gown. Andrew laughed and rolled up the sleeves for me. Tanya gave me some cream for my cheek after Andrew checked it wasnt for ear canker. The food was fine. And no one shouted. We played Trivial Pursuit afterwards and Thomas helped me with the answers until, worn out with the day, I was sent to bed.

I didnt mean to listen, but as I left the bathroom, I heard Tanya say, 'That may be true, but it is too late, Andrew. She is to divorce him.

'h.e.l.l never let that happen, believe me.

'Do you think she knows that?

'Hard to say. Shes nowhere near as stupid as people think.

I pa.s.sed silently down the hall to my bedroom.

Tanya brought me tea the next morning. We ate a large, late breakfast and afterwards, Andrew settled down to do his accounts. Tanya emptied her briefcase on the table and muttered over its contents and I curled up with a book. Occasionally, one of us got up and made coffee. Cla.s.sical music played quietly in the background. It was the most peaceful day Id had for a very long time.

At two oclock, someone rang the bell. Tanya put her folder back in her briefcase and Andrew switched off his computer. He went to the door and came back with Russell.

Tanya pointed to an armchair. 'You will sit.

Wisely, he complied.

'We will make coffee in the kitchen, she announced. 'It will take about ten minutes. You may have two chances Russell, since you will certainly make a mess of your first apology.

'Apology?

'One down. Only one attempt left. Use it wisely. She and Andrew melted into the kitchen.

'To listen at the serving hatch if they have any sense.