Scarlet Feather (11 page)

‘What did she say?’

‘She said that she’d explain it all to them in the van going home. God alone knows what she’ll explain, she’ll make it worse you can be sure.’

‘You’re not taking them again tomorrow?’

‘Of course I am, where else can they go?’

‘And what will they do in your house, if I can ask?’

‘They’re going to bring their washing in a big bag and I’m going to show them how to use the washing machine and hang their clothes on the line

‘You’re not?’

‘And then I’m working most of the rest of the day up in the flats, and they can have a swim in the pool. The place is empty in the day. I don’t suppose you would—’

‘No, I wouldn’t do whatever you were supposing. I rang you about Marian.’

‘Marian?’

‘Listen Lizzie, have you gone soft in the head? You have a daughter called Marian, in Chicago, and she’s coming to stay with you soon. She wants to know can she sleep with her boyfriend.’

‘She wants to what?’

‘You heard.’

‘Why does she want my permission if she’s going to? They all do what they like nowadays over there, anyway.’

‘Not in Chicago, in Dublin when she comes to stay in your house.’

‘She’s ringing you from Chicago to ask
you
this?’

‘She said I was to ask you tactfully if she and Harry could share a room in your house when they come over, so I’m doing that. Asking you tactfully.’

I don’t know, Ger, it’s one thing turning a blind eye, it’s another when it’s in your own home. I don’t know what Muttie would think…’ She was riddled with doubt.

‘Muttie will mainly be thinking of what to back at Wincanton,’ Geraldine said.

‘It’s very blatant, isn’t it?’

‘Will I tell her yes, that of course they can have the room?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘And that you don’t know whether you’re going to do it up in pale green, or a sort of beige pink?’

‘What?’

‘What colour? I think green myself, and I’ll tell Marian to bring you a nice set of dark green towels to go with it. Americans love bringing towels as a gift, but they need to know the colour.’

‘But Ger, who’d paint it? You
know
Muttie has a bad back.’

‘Oh, yes, I know that, you’d paint it and I would, and if we still have that child labour force hanging around the place they could hold things and carry things for us, before we send them up and down the chimneys.’

‘Ger, you’re ridiculous.’ But Lizzie was laughing. The battle was won.

The white van stopped for an ice cream. Cathy bought three cones and they settled down companionably to eat them in the van.  I always think an ice cream is just as good in the winter,’ she began.

‘Why do you hate our father and mother?’ Simon asked.

Cathy shrugged.  I don’t hate them at all, I’ve hardly met them. In fact, they didn’t even come to our wedding.’

‘So what were you shouting at Lizzie about?’

‘You heard what I was shouting about. I hate your aunt Hannah. I don’t hate your mum and dad, believe me.’

‘Why do you hate Aunt Hannah?’

‘You hate her too, you’ve often said so,’ Cathy said defensively, coming down to their level.

‘But you’re not meant to hate her, and anyway, you’re married to Neil.’

‘That’s the problem, she doesn’t like my being married to Neil, she thinks that my family and I have no class. That annoys me, you see.’

‘Do you want to have class?’ Maud wanted to know.

‘No, no way. I don’t give three blind damns what she thinks about
me
, I’ve plenty of class. But she looked down on my mother, and I can’t forgive her for that.’

‘Do you want us not to tell?’ Simon’s eyes narrowed at the wonderful opportunities and power that lay ahead.

‘Tell what?’ Cathy asked, wide-eyed.

‘All this about what you said, and about our father roaring round and our mother getting drunk to help her nerves.’

‘But that’s the way it is, isn’t it?’ Cathy looked from one to the other, bewildered.

‘Yes.’ Simon was on less firm a footing now. ‘But do you want us not to tell about your hating Aunt Hannah?’

‘Tell anyone if you want to, I don’t tell her
you
hate her, it’s just a matter of being polite, really. But it’s not a secret, is it?’

Simon saw his vantage point disappear. He gave a last try. ‘Suppose we told Neil?’ he tried.

‘Neil is sick of hearing it, Simon, but if you’d like to tell him again, please do. Now let’s go and buy some supper, since you didn’t make us a pie today.’

They finished their ice creams and drove off. Cathy allowed herself a small smile.

In the Chinese restaurant the children studied the menu carefully. ‘Are you and Neil rich or poor?’ Simon asked.

‘Tending to be more rich than poor, but if you don’t mind my saying so, it’s not a question you ask people… Just so that you know.’

‘But how would you ever find out, then?’ Maud was interested.

‘Sometimes we have to face it that we can’t know everything.’

I needed to know.’

‘You did?’

In order to know how many dishes we could order,’ Simon said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

‘Oh, I see. Well, there’s four of us.’

‘We could have Imperial Menu A for five,’ Maud said.

‘Let’s have it. I’d love Imperial Menu A.’

‘Don’t you want to check up the price of items first?’

‘No, Simon, I don’t.’

‘You must be very rich indeed, richer than your father.’

‘What?’ she was exhausted.

‘Muttie, your father. Do you hear things in your head, like he does?’

I didn’t know he heard things in his head.’

‘Yes, all the time. The sound of hooves, thundering hooves.’

‘Oh, like the races, I see.’

‘He says they go at the same rhythm as your heart. Did you know that, Cathy?’ Maud wanted to share any new things that she had learned.

I’m not sure I did.’

‘
And
Muttie says that the sound makes your blood run faster in your veins and gives you a better life.’

‘Oh, it does? we must try that then,’ she said as she grabbed the price list and ordered Imperial Menu A for five.

I don’t think it’s something you try.’ Simon was doubtful.

‘You have it or you don’t. We both have it, as it turns out,’ Maud positively smirked with pride.

I’m very sorry if you do, very sorry indeed,’ Cathy said.

‘Why?’

‘Because you’ll spend the rest of your lives deafened by the hooves, and have no time or money for anything else,’ she said grimly.

Back at Waterview the twins set the table, washed their hands and sat down politely, ‘Would you like a can of lager?’ Simon offered.

‘God, no. Thank you all the same, Simon.’

‘It’s just that Muttie says it relaxes him.’

I’m totally relaxed as a matter of fact,’ Cathy said.

The phone rang, it was Tom. ‘All going okay?’ he asked.

I’m hanging in there, Tom.’

‘Kids are still with you, I gather?’

‘Absolutely.’

‘So I won’t ask you, did everything else go all right?’

‘Amazingly it did, no problems at all. And at your end?’

‘Good, tiring but no disasters,’ he said.

‘
I’m
sure it was,’ she sighed.

‘You’ll have a day off next week, I’ll organise it.’

‘I know you will. Glad it all went well. Good luck, Tom.’ She hung up and came back to the table.

‘Is Tom doing a waitressing job tonight?’ Maud asked.

‘Catering,’ Cathy corrected.

‘Yes, is he?’

‘Sort of, yes. What’s the black bean sauce like?’

‘A bit salty but okay. Can we finish this?’ Simon was spooning it out of the containers.

‘Sure, I’ve enough, and I’ve left Neil’s in the oven.’

‘And the shoemaker isn’t coming?’

‘No, Simon, he’s not.’

‘I hope he never comes,’ said Simon. ‘You always get upset when you talk about him.’

‘They go back to school next week,’ she told Neil that night in bed.

‘Should make it a
bit
easier, I suppose,’ Neil said.

‘Tell me something, Neil.’

He put down the copy of the law reports he was reading and turned to face her.  I know the question you are going to ask, and the answer is none.’

‘What am I going to ask?’ Cathy laughed.

‘What plans did I make for the twins today?’ he smiled ruefully. ‘Honey, it was a desperate day.’

‘I know; mine was fairly filled, too,’ she said.

‘I know, I know, and then I was late home, but Cathy, I can’t work while they’re here, I just sat in a cafe. It’s terrible to be kept out of your own home because children keep asking question after question.’

‘I suppose it’s what kids do,’ she said.

‘I’m going to get them made wards of court,’ he said simply. ‘I’ll start proceedings tomorrow.’

She looked at him, shocked. ‘But they’d have to go into care, a home, a foster family, total strangers.’

‘We were total strangers a few days ago…’ he began.

‘But they’re family,’ she said.

‘Not yours and mine.’ Neil was trying to sound firm and in control.  I can’t
have
this,’ he said.  I met that little shit Walter down at the Four Courts today, and he’s as cool as a cucumber about it all. He has to work, he has to see people, he has to go skiing, there’s nothing
he
can do.’

‘Well, would you trust them to him for two hours?’

‘But it’s not just my work alone, it’s your work too. I’m just not going to
let
this happen to us now. We’ve put too much in to let it be wrecked by children.’

I suppose that’s happening all over the world.’

‘People’s own children
might
be different, though I must say this has proved to me once and for all that we are totally right not to want them. Just looking at Maud and Simon makes me realise that very clearly.’

‘Our children wouldn’t look like Maud and Simon,’ she giggled.

‘We’re not going to find out,’ he said grimly. ‘And truly, Cathy, I’ll get them out of your hair. There has to be
some
money there, we’ll mortgage The Beeches, something to borrow against, we could still keep an eye on them.’

‘You know we’d have no say in where they’re sent. Leave it for a few days until we know more.’

He reached out for her. And she lay awake with her eyes open for a long time afterwards.

Geraldine still got to her office before eight o’clock. In the mornings, she herself handled only the public relations and publicity for the hotel group, but three others looked after the list of clients that she had built up when she opened a private company of her own. She flicked through the list of projects to see was there anything that might be channelled in Scarlet Feather’s direction. Haywards the store were doing a fashion show some months down the line, but they wanted to book a hotel, nothing for Cathy there. Quentin’s the restaurant were doing a presentation of cookery prizes, but that was obviously in-house. Makers of garden furniture greatly wanted a presentation, possibilities there, but first she would have to examine the location, no point in sending those two into some awful place full of lawnmowers and rakes where nobody would see and appreciate their food.

By the end of the week, a lot of things had changed. The electrical appliances had all been installed, the shelves were painted and Tom and Cathy were waiting for the rest of the equipment. The window frames and door had been painted a vivid red. James Byrne had spoken to them gravely, as if he were interpreting from some aliens on another planet, that the Maguires had professed themselves satisfied with everything. Tom and Cathy’s solicitor said it was the nature of the law that things must take their time, but that nothing untoward was showing up in the search on the company title. Marcella was being supportive and begging to be allowed to help. Geraldine was already coming up with names of contacts for future events. Cathy and Neil had decided that there was now no way they could immediately abandon Simon and Maud, but that living permanently in Waterview was proving too much of a strain, and that they did need a bit of space from them. Lizzie and Muttie, on the other hand, seemed perfectly content with them, and found endless jobs for them to do around the house. Next week they would be going back to school. It was a compromise. Neil had told them that an unofficial carer’s allowance had been arranged by his father. In fact, it was guilt money put up by Jock and Hannah until the situation sorted itself out. The arrangement was that Muttie and Lizzie would get a fixed amount for minding Simon and Maud in St Jarlath’s Crescent after school, and they would sleep alternately in Waterview and St Jarlath’s. Two homes instead of one. Maud and Simon said okay, it would suit them.

‘Manners, Maudie,’ said Cathy’s father. There was a way that Muttie could correct the worst excesses of the twins without appearing ever to have taken offence.

‘I’ll never be able to thank you, Mam,’ Cathy said to her mother.

‘Don’t go on like that, Cathy, doesn’t it give Muttie some shape to his days. He’s very fond of them.’

‘He can’t be, they’re pig rude at times. Make sure they make their beds and wash up and everything. They left wet towels all over the floor of the bathroom in Waterview. Neil nearly lost his mind.’

‘No, no, that’s all fine,’ her mother reassured her. ‘And Neil is giving us so much money, I can give up Mrs Gray.’

‘The one who’s as bad as Hannah?’[]

‘Oh, poor Mrs Mitchell was a walking saint compared to Mrs Gray,’  Lizzie Scarlet said with a laugh.

Neil had been so good about going to St Jarlath’s Crescent that Cathy felt she must visit Oaklands in return. Surely there must be other women in the world who had to sit down and think up a reason before calling to visit their mother-in-law? Cathy didn’t want to talk about the excitement of the business, the way the premises were leaping ahead because Hannah was so obviously against the whole undertaking. Nor did she want to go into detail about the fact that Jock Mitchell’s nephew and niece were currently residing partly in St Jarlath’s Crescent with her ex maid and what she always referred to as the unfortunate maid’s ne’er-do-well husband. She couldn’t say she had done those apple strudels for Hannah’s friend, the nervous, edgy Mrs Ryan because she would be accused of having touted successfully for business at the New Year’s party. Mrs Mitchell showed no interest in what she and Neil had done with their house in Waterview, which was probably just as well, since she had done so little recently. Still, she owed it to Neil to keep the channels open.