One Night Only (149 page)

The
y
sa
t
there
,
lik
e
tw
o
stranger
s
wit
h
n
o
conversation betwee
n
them
.
Ther
e
wa
s
jus
t
th
e
hu
m
o
f
th
e
televisio
n
to brea
k
th
e
deafenin
g
silence
.
Rut
h
wen
t
t
o
spea
k
an
d
then stopped
.
Sh
e
trie
d
again
,
bu
t
th
e
word
s
wouldn
’
t
come
out
.
Wh
o
wa
s
thi
s
youn
g
gir
l
anyhow
?
Wh
y
wer
e
things alway
s
s
o
straine
d
betwee
n
them
?
Surel
y
the
y
wouldn
’
t
go
i
n
th
e
sam
e
directio
n
tha
t
sh
e
ha
d
wit
h
he
r
ow
n
mother?
Sh
e
couldn
’
t
le
t
i
t
happen
.

“So
,
wha
t
ar
e
you
r
plan
s
fo
r
toda
y
then
,
Mel?
”
she
asked
.
“
Y
o
u
doin
g
anythin
g
nice?
”

Sh
e
alway
s
calle
d
he
r
Me
l
whe
n
sh
e
wa
s
tryin
g
t
o
be o
n
he
r
wavelength
.
Me
l
use
d
t
o
lov
e
i
t
a
s
a
youn
g
child. No
w
i
t
go
t
righ
t
u
p
he
r
nose
.

“Don
’
t
cal
l
m
e
that
,
Mum
.
M
y
nam
e
i
s
Melanie.” “Sorr
y
,
Melanie,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
Sh
e
crosse
d
he
r
leg
s
and
the
n
uncrosse
d
them
.
Wh
y
di
d
he
r
ow
n
daughte
r
make
her feel
so uneasy?
“So, what
have you
been up
to then?”
“Nothin
g
much,
”
sai
d
Mel
,
stil
l
starin
g
a
t
th
e
T
V
.
“Is ther
e
anythin
g
t
o
eat
?
Y
o
u
lef
t
her
e
yesterda
y
an
d
there wa
s
nothin
g
fo
r
dinne
r
.
I
wa
s
starving
.
I
ha
d
t
o
g
o
ge
t
a
Chinese.
”

O
h
bo
o
hoo
,
though
t
Ruth
.
I
ha
d
t
o
g
o
ge
t
a
Chinese
.
Normall
y
,
Melani
e
woul
d
brea
k
he
r
ar
m
fo
r a
Chinese.

“Whic
h
i
s
wh
y
I
lef
t
yo
u
mone
y
,
”
sai
d
Ruth
.
“Ha
d
I
lef
t
foo
d
a
s
a
n
alternative
,
I
doub
t
i
f
yo
u
woul
d
have cooke
d
it
,
woul
d
you
?
I
didn
’
t
imagin
e
yo
u
woul
d
turn int
o
Nigell
a
Lawso
n
overnight.
”

“Nigell
a
who
?
A
t
leas
t
I
woul
d
hav
e
ha
d
th
e
option,” sai
d
Melanie
.
“
I
didn
’
t
hav
e
a
choice.
”

Rut
h
sa
t
bac
k
i
n
th
e
armchai
r
an
d
pu
t
he
r
fee
t
u
p
on th
e
coffe
e
table
.
Sh
e
wasn
’
t
normall
y
s
o
slobb
y
,
bu
t
so
d
it. I
t
wa
s
Sunda
y
an
d
he
r
daughte
r
wa
s
bein
g
a
littl
e
bitch an
d
i
t
wa
s
he
r
hous
e
s
o
sh
e
woul
d
pu
t
he
r
fee
t
u
p
o
n
the
coffe
e
tabl
e
i
f
sh
e
blood
y
wel
l
wante
d
to
.

Sh
e
close
d
he
r
eye
s
fo
r
a
fe
w
minutes
,
an
d
the
n
opened the
m
whe
n
sh
e
hear
d
footstep
s
upstairs
.

“I
s
tha
t
Ben?
”

Melani
e
le
t
ou
t
a
noise
.
I
t
wa
s
a
mixtur
e
o
f
a
grun
t
and
a
snor
t
s
o
Rut
h
wa
s
unsur
e
i
f
i
t
mean
t
ye
s
o
r
no
.
I
n
saying
that
,
wh
o
els
e
woul
d
i
t
be
?
T
o
m
fuckin
g
Cruise
?
Hardly
!

“Ben!
”
sh
e
called
.
“I
s
tha
t
you?
”

Mayb
e
sh
e
woul
d
ge
t
a
mor
e
pleasan
t
an
d
productive
welcom
e
hom
e
fro
m
he
r
son
.
H
e
wa
s
alway
s
suc
h
a
pleasant bo
y
,
jus
t
lik
e
hi
s
fathe
r
ha
d
been
.
Perhap
s
Melani
e
wa
s
a
chi
p
of
f
th
e
ol
d
bloc
k
whe
n
i
t
cam
e
t
o
th
e
Landsburys
,
but
sh
e
wouldn
’
t
allo
w
hersel
f
t
o
thin
k
tha
t
wa
y
.