E for England (31 page)

‘Looks like it. Are you?'

‘I thought I'd give Annie a call and see if she can meet for a pizza.'

‘Short notice.'

‘Kevin's there for the kids.'

The number rang for so long he thought he'd go to voicemail but Annie finally answered.

‘Hello.'

‘Hi Annie, how are you?'

‘Fine thanks.'

Voices, laughter sounded in the background. Did they have guests? ‘Are you busy?'

‘We're at a party. Kevin's boss always invites his new staff over, apparently.'

‘Having fun?' She sounded cheerful and she sounded like a wife.

‘They have a great house. Overlooking the water at Beauty Point. Luckily the sun's come out because it's an outdoor thing.'

‘I haven't heard of Beauty Point. Where is it?'

‘It's across the harbour on the way to Manly. I'm standing on the terrace looking out at the water. It's lovely.'

‘Right. I'd better let you get back to the party.'

‘It's okay. I'm really just keeping an eye on Mattie and Floss making sure they don't damage anything. It's like a display garden, immaculate. Why did you ring?'

‘I just wondered if you'd be up for a movie and maybe a pizza tonight.' He already knew the answer. She was in her other world, the one that didn't include him.

‘I'm not sure when we'll be home. What time were you thinking of meeting?'

‘It doesn't matter. It was just a spur of the moment idea.'

‘I can't really do spur of the moment.'

‘No, I suppose not. And you sound as though you've got your hands full with the new house and everything.'

‘Yes it's been pretty hectic. I'm sorry, Hugh.'

‘Another time then.'

‘Okay.'

And that, my friend, is that. Hugh closed his phone. ‘I'm home for dinner, too,' he said to James.

Annie slid her phone back into her bag. What a total bummer! Stuck here with the most boring bunch of people she'd ever met in her whole life and missing a date with Hugh.

‘Mummy, I'm bored, can we go home?' Floss clung to Annie's hand and looked up with her pleading face on. Mattie backed her up, equally disgruntled, scuffing the toe of his shoe against the paving stones.

‘Don't do that, you'll wear a hole in your shoe.'

Another tug on her hand. ‘Pleeeease. I don't like it here.'

‘Sshh. We can't go until Daddy is ready.'

‘When will he be ready?'

‘I'm not sure.'

Kevin was over by a big leafed shrub, listening intently with two other men while George the boss held forth. A big square body with the face of a man who didn't compromise. He'd turned Mattie and Floss into cringing mutes with his brusque, ‘Hello, children', and fearsome bushy eyebrows. No other children had appeared and there was nothing for Mattie and Floss to do beyond explore the garden, which they'd already done. She had the distinct impression when they'd arrived that George and Thelma Bates weren't expecting the children. How had Kevin misinterpreted that little detail? The other two couples had looked at them as though they were plague carriers.

‘Who were you talking to?' asked Mattie.

‘Hugh.'

‘Can Hugh come over and read our stories tonight?'

‘Not tonight, sweet pea.'

Annie summoned a sociable a smile as Thelma approached. She moved like a galleon under full sail, large and difficult to change course when underway. A long loose cream linen jacket affair over voluminous matching slacks didn't alleviate the maritime image. Her manner was as daunting as her husband's. If they didn't measure up in some indefinable way, Kevin's job could well be threatened. He'd admitted there was a three month trial period in his contract.

‘Why can't Hugh come over?' whined Floss right on cue.

Thelma Bates peered down at her with a tiny, rather forced smile. For all the insistence of the importance of family she clearly didn't actually like children. ‘Is Hugh a little friend of yours?'

‘He's my mummy's friend but he's my friend too. And Mattie's.'

Thelma shot Annie a look, eyebrows raised, question hovering. Not Kevin's friend?

‘Hugh was our neighbour.'

‘Oh I see.' She clearly didn't see but didn't press the point.

‘He reads us our bedtime stories,' said Floss. ‘And he does funny voices.'

‘That's nice.'

‘Mattie and I like Hugh much better than Edward. He's got duck feet.' Floss broke into giggles.

‘Is Edward a neighbour?'

‘He's Daddy's friend but we don't like him.'

Annie watched the doubts and questions flit across Thelma's face. ‘Children,' she said quickly, rolled her eyes and grinned, catching Thelma's eye with a conspiratorial glance. ‘You have a beautiful garden, Thelma.'

‘Thank you.'

From the terrace where they stood emerald green grass spread towards the water in a carefully manicured flow. Someone must get down on hands and knees with nail scissors to keep it so smooth and weedless. Winter flowering plants bloomed bravely in military precision along the borders. The other two wives were studying a shrub in the far corner. One was a childless career woman, the other's children had left home.

‘A select gathering of newcomers to the company,' Thelma had said, eyeing Mattie and Floss with suspicion when they arrived. ‘Do make yourselves at home. We're out on the terrace.'

The men had almost immediately gone into their huddle, leaving Annie with the women. After a few minutes of strained chat with the two equally uncomfortable wives and Thelma, Annie had been dragged away by the kids to look at the birdbath. Thelma disappeared inside and the other pair had begun examining the plants, having discovered a common interest.

Something alcoholic was definitely called for if she was to get through this afternoon but they'd been here thirty minutes and hadn't been offered a drink. What sort of party was this?

‘Mummy I'm thirsty,' said Mattie, her little mind-reader.

Annie turned to Thelma. ‘Could I get Mattie a drink of water, please?' And a stiff gin for herself.

‘Of course. Come through to the kitchen. We'll be having tea soon anyway.' Tea? This was afternoon tea.

‘I want one too,' said Floss.

Thelma stopped and studied Floss. ‘You want one what?'

‘A drink,' said Floss, looking up with her cutest smile. ‘Of water.'

‘You want a drink…' Thelma paused expectantly, glaring at Floss. Cute didn't register.

Annie nudged her. ‘Please,' she said softly.

‘I want a drink too, please,' said Floss in a rush.

‘Very well.' Her beady eye turned on Annie. ‘Manners are so important and young people these days are growing up with none, as far as I can see.' One black mark.

‘They're usually very good with their pleases and thank you's.'

‘I'm sure they are but they mustn't forget.' Thelma surged through the open French doors to the living room. Thick cream carpet and antique furniture, a large chintz-covered sofa, no television or stereo, a glass fronted china cabinet with an undoubtedly valuable collection on display. Knick-knacks distributed like landmines on the side tables, just waiting to explode into a million pieces as a wayward child brushed by. A table in the corner was set with tea things and an array of cakes and scones on tiered servers.

Annie grabbed a hand of each offspring and held them close. No ornaments would be endangered while they passed, no food would be touched. She almost held her breath until they reached the door to the hallway.

‘The guest bathroom is just here.' Thelma indicated a door as they passed.

‘I need to do a wee,' announced Floss.

‘I'll just pop in with her, Thelma.'

‘Matthew and I will be in the kitchen. Along the hall and to the left.'

Mattie cast a despairing look at Annie but she nodded and he followed the galleon.

When they joined him he was standing with a blue plastic tumbler in his hand. Another sat on the bench. Thelma indicated the drink.

‘There's your water, dear.'

Annie passed the tumbler to Floss who said, ‘Thank you,' very loudly.

‘I don't hold with all this fizzy sugary muck they sell children these days. Nothing wrong with water. That's what we drank when I was young.'

‘I agree,' said Annie. ‘I don't buy soft drink but we do have fruit juice.'

‘Full of sugar and additives,' said Thelma. ‘You must squeeze your own fruit to make sure it's pure.'

‘Mummy likes drinking wine,' said Floss. ‘So does Leonie, except she likes gin best.'

‘I only drink wine occasionally,' said Annie. ‘With dinner.'

‘George and I are teetotallers,' said Thelma. ‘We don't approve of excessive alcohol consumption.'

‘You drank a lot of wine when Hugh and Leonie and James came round for dinner. We counted the empty bottles. There were twelve.' Mattie placed his tumbler carefully on the sink. ‘Thank you for the drink, Mrs Bates.'

‘I think we should go outside and find Daddy,' said Annie. Before any more bombs were dropped on Kevin's prospects with this firm. So far they'd notched up bringing ill-mannered children, questionable friendships with sundry men and drunken evenings with same, plus a gin-swilling female acquaintance. The sooner they escaped the better for all concerned.

‘Yes, do go ahead,' said Thelma through gritted teeth and a hideous attempt at a smile.

Mattie and Floss darted through the door. ‘Don't run,' called Annie in desperation. ‘Be careful.'

She threw Thelma an apologetic glance and dashed after them. They reached the living room door and had a little tussle to gain first entry. Mattie won but Floss, with a cry of rage, gave him an almighty shove which sent him stumbling into the room. Annie gasped as they disappeared, expecting to hear the crash as priceless antiques smashed to pieces. Feet thudded on carpet. She reached the doorway just as the fighting, roiling kids shot out onto the terrace and collided with Cathy, the younger of the two wives who was coming up the steps on high heeled sandals, precarious at the best of times.

Cathy gave a strangled shriek and fell backwards down the shallow flight with the two terrors tumbling with her. By pure chance and nifty footwork she stayed upright but Floss fell onto the hard stones and screamed with glass shattering penetration. Mattie stepped back, shamefaced, wide-eyed. Annie ran to Floss and knelt by her side.

‘It hurts.' Red-faced and teary.

‘Where does it hurt?'

Floss's sobs increased. ‘My arm. Oooh.' She held her left arm with her right hand.

Annie sat her up carefully, smoothed hair from the damp face. ‘Where exactly?'

‘What happened?' Kevin's voice. The men crowded around.

Cathy's furious husband, a stringy, bony man with self-righteous written all over him said, ‘I saw it. Those kids crashed into my wife. Nearly knocked her over.'

‘Totally out of control,' said someone else. Maybe George.

‘I'm terribly sorry.' Kevin, doing bugger all to help his injured daughter. ‘They really do know better. Are you all right, Cathy?'

‘Yes. Just.' Very terse.

Floss's wrist ballooned rapidly.

‘It needs ice,' said Annie.

‘Is it broken?' asked Kevin, finally taking notice. ‘Can you wiggle your fingers, Floss?'

She concentrated and managed to move one finger a tiny bit. ‘It hurts,' she wailed. ‘I feel sick.'

‘We need ice, please,' said Annie again, louder. ‘Do you have an icepack?' she stared up at George but he shook his head. Stinker.

‘We'd better go.' Annie stood and picked up Floss, who clung to her with her good hand as though she were drowning.

‘I'll carry her,' said Kevin the Useless, finally remembering he was a father.

‘It's okay, I've got her. ‘Like all the other times when he wasn't there. Floss sobbed pitifully into her neck wetting her collar. ‘Come on, Mattie.'

‘What's going on?' Thelma appeared in the doorway. ‘What's all the noise about?'

‘Those children ran through the doorway and nearly knocked my wife down the steps.'

Annie gritted her teeth. Kevin hovered hopelessly by her side and said nothing.

‘Oh my goodness. Is she all right?' Thelma clearly meant Cathy not Floss, but Annie said, ‘I think her wrist might be broken. I'm taking her for an X-ray.'

‘Oh, yes, of course. Take her this way rather than through the house.' She led Annie along the terrace and round the side of the house to the driveway while Kevin apologised yet again to all and sundry.

She paused at the bottom of the drive and faced Annie. ‘You can go straight out this way.' Without contaminating the house.

‘Thanks, Thelma. I'm sorry this happened to spoil your afternoon.' Floss's sobs had subsided but watery hiccupping gulping noises emerged every now and then.

‘I do hope she's all right.' She patted Floss's hair in an awkward gesture.

‘She'll be fine. It's probably a sprain.'

Kevin caught up to them. ‘I'm sorry, Thelma. Thank you for everything. I'm sorry about this.'

‘Goodbye.' Annie barrelled up the sloping drive to the street without waiting for Kevin to finish grovelling.

She loaded Floss into the car, helped Mattie in, slid into the driver's seat and started the engine. Kevin sprinted up the drive and climbed in beside her.

‘For God's sake, Annie!'

‘I wasn't going to leave you there.' She pulled out into the street. ‘Although I was very tempted for all the notice you took of your injured daughter.'

Kevin's flimsy control snapped, released by the absence of the Bates'. ‘So what the hell was going on?' he shouted. ‘What were you two doing running around in the house? Can't you control them for five minutes?'