have some too.’
‘I won’t,’ says Jack. ‘I have a lot to do this afternoon.’
‘I will,’ I tell Esther. ‘Would you prefer red or white?’
The conversation, while we’re waiting to be served, turns to the local musical festival, which takes place every July and draws people from miles around. We agree that where we all live, we’re near enough to be able to attend the festival easily yet far enough away to not be disturbed by the thousands of people thatdescend on the town. Although Diane and Adam always go to the festival, Jack and I have never been and we’re soon drawn into Diane’s plans for all of us to go together. In talking about music, we learn that Esther plays the piano and Rufus the guitar and when I admit to not being at all musical, Esther asks me if I like reading and I tell her I do, although I do very little. We talk about the sort of books we like, and Esther mentions a new bestseller that has just come out and asks if we’ve read it. It turns out that none of us have.
‘Would you like me to lend it to you?’ she asks, as the waitress puts our meals on the table.
‘Yes, please.’ I’m so touched that she has offered to lend her book to me rather than to Diane that I forget.
‘I’ll drop it round this afternoon,’ she offers. ‘I don’t teach on Fridays.’
Now I remember. ‘You might have to leave it in the letter box. If I’m in the garden, which I probably will be, I won’t hear the bell.’
‘I’d love to see your garden sometime,’ she enthuses. ‘Especially after what Jack said about you having green fingers.’
‘There’s no need for you to drive over,’ says Jack, neatly sidestepping the massive hint she’s just dropped. ‘Grace can buy the book for herself.’
‘It’s really no problem.’ Esther eyes her salad appreciatively. ‘Gosh, this looks lovely.’
‘In fact, we’ll go and buy a copy as soon as we’ve finished here. Smith’s is just around the corner.’
‘Is it just on Fridays that you don’t work?’ I ask, wanting to change the subject.
‘No, I don’t work Tuesdays either. One of the other teachers and I job-share.’
‘I’d love to be able to do that,’ says Diane wistfully. ‘It’s hard working full-time when you’ve got children. But I’d hate to give up working altogether, which is the only alternative because my firm haven’t heard of job-sharing yet.’
Esther looks over at me. ‘I can’t believe you don’t miss working. I mean, you had a pretty exciting job before you got married.’
I busy myself cutting a piece of steak, because it’s hard being reminded of the life I used to have. ‘Not at all—I have plenty to keep me occupied.’
‘So what are your other hobbies, apart from painting, gardening and reading?’
‘Oh, a bit of this and a bit of that,’ I say, realising how lame it sounds.
‘What Grace hasn’t told you is that she makes a lot of her own clothes,’ Jack intervenes. ‘Just the other day, she made herself a lovely dress.’
‘Really?’ Esther looks at me with interest.
Used to thinking on my feet, I don’t bat an eyelid. ‘It was just a dress to wear around the house,’ I explain. ‘Nothing fancy. I don’t make clothes to wear out in the evening or anything too complicated.’
‘I didn’t know you were good with a needle.’ Diane’s eyes gleam. ‘I’d love to be able to sew.’
‘Me too,’ says Esther. ‘Perhaps you could teach me, Grace.’
‘Maybe we could start a sewing circle with you as our teacher,’ Diane suggests.
‘I’m really not that good,’ I protest, ‘which is why I’ve never mentioned it before. I’m too worried people will ask to see something I’ve made.’
‘Well, if you sew anything like you cook, I’m sure the dress you made is beautiful!’
‘You’ll have to show it to us sometime,’ Esther says.
‘I will,’ I promise. ‘But only if you don’t ask me to make you one.’
The constant need to field her remarks makes
‘I won’t,’ says Jack. ‘I have a lot to do this afternoon.’
‘I will,’ I tell Esther. ‘Would you prefer red or white?’
The conversation, while we’re waiting to be served, turns to the local musical festival, which takes place every July and draws people from miles around. We agree that where we all live, we’re near enough to be able to attend the festival easily yet far enough away to not be disturbed by the thousands of people thatdescend on the town. Although Diane and Adam always go to the festival, Jack and I have never been and we’re soon drawn into Diane’s plans for all of us to go together. In talking about music, we learn that Esther plays the piano and Rufus the guitar and when I admit to not being at all musical, Esther asks me if I like reading and I tell her I do, although I do very little. We talk about the sort of books we like, and Esther mentions a new bestseller that has just come out and asks if we’ve read it. It turns out that none of us have.
‘Would you like me to lend it to you?’ she asks, as the waitress puts our meals on the table.
‘Yes, please.’ I’m so touched that she has offered to lend her book to me rather than to Diane that I forget.
‘I’ll drop it round this afternoon,’ she offers. ‘I don’t teach on Fridays.’
Now I remember. ‘You might have to leave it in the letter box. If I’m in the garden, which I probably will be, I won’t hear the bell.’
‘I’d love to see your garden sometime,’ she enthuses. ‘Especially after what Jack said about you having green fingers.’
‘There’s no need for you to drive over,’ says Jack, neatly sidestepping the massive hint she’s just dropped. ‘Grace can buy the book for herself.’
‘It’s really no problem.’ Esther eyes her salad appreciatively. ‘Gosh, this looks lovely.’
‘In fact, we’ll go and buy a copy as soon as we’ve finished here. Smith’s is just around the corner.’
‘Is it just on Fridays that you don’t work?’ I ask, wanting to change the subject.
‘No, I don’t work Tuesdays either. One of the other teachers and I job-share.’
‘I’d love to be able to do that,’ says Diane wistfully. ‘It’s hard working full-time when you’ve got children. But I’d hate to give up working altogether, which is the only alternative because my firm haven’t heard of job-sharing yet.’
Esther looks over at me. ‘I can’t believe you don’t miss working. I mean, you had a pretty exciting job before you got married.’
I busy myself cutting a piece of steak, because it’s hard being reminded of the life I used to have. ‘Not at all—I have plenty to keep me occupied.’
‘So what are your other hobbies, apart from painting, gardening and reading?’
‘Oh, a bit of this and a bit of that,’ I say, realising how lame it sounds.
‘What Grace hasn’t told you is that she makes a lot of her own clothes,’ Jack intervenes. ‘Just the other day, she made herself a lovely dress.’
‘Really?’ Esther looks at me with interest.
Used to thinking on my feet, I don’t bat an eyelid. ‘It was just a dress to wear around the house,’ I explain. ‘Nothing fancy. I don’t make clothes to wear out in the evening or anything too complicated.’
‘I didn’t know you were good with a needle.’ Diane’s eyes gleam. ‘I’d love to be able to sew.’
‘Me too,’ says Esther. ‘Perhaps you could teach me, Grace.’
‘Maybe we could start a sewing circle with you as our teacher,’ Diane suggests.
‘I’m really not that good,’ I protest, ‘which is why I’ve never mentioned it before. I’m too worried people will ask to see something I’ve made.’
‘Well, if you sew anything like you cook, I’m sure the dress you made is beautiful!’
‘You’ll have to show it to us sometime,’ Esther says.
‘I will,’ I promise. ‘But only if you don’t ask me to make you one.’
The constant need to field her remarks makes
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