Read Online House of Silence by Linda Gillard - Free Book Online Page B

are.
But if anyone should ask, they’re for everyone. The family ,’
he added with emphasis.
    I could see no resemblance between brother
and sister. Hattie’s hair was mousy and her eyes were grey, whereas
Alfie’s were brown. She had nothing of his easy elegance or
compactness of body. There was perhaps an expression in the eyes, a
sadness that I occasionally saw in Alfie’s - an anxiety almost, an
eagerness to please. But otherwise, they were chalk and cheese.
    Hattie finally registered my presence and,
after regarding me for a moment, said to Alfie sotto voce ,
‘Who’s your friend?’
    ‘Didn’t Viv explain? This is Gwen Rowland.
She lives in Brighton. We met when I was filming in Sussex. Gwen,
this is my youngest sister, Harriet Donovan.’
    Hattie thrust a hand in my direction.
‘ Now I remember! Gosh, I’m getting as bad as Rae! How d’you
do? Viv’s put you in the attic. Don’t worry, it’s very cosy up
there and it’s near the nursery, where Alfie sleeps, so if you two
want to sleep together, you can.’ Hattie mistook my look of blank
astonishment and explained, ‘There’s a double bed in the attic, you
see. The springs are a bit creaky but no one will hear you - we’re
all at the other end of the house.’ She turned to Alfie. ‘But you have to have your old room, or Rae will go mad. Well,
not mad, exactly. She’s not mad yet, but she gets pretty upset if
we change anything, especially at Christmas, so there was no
question of putting you both in the attic.’ Hattie turned back to
me. ‘Alfie has to sleep where he’s always slept, you see. House
rules. And anyway, we didn’t know whether you’d want to
share a room, and Viv didn’t like to ask.’ She looked speculatively
from Alfie to me, then back to Alfie. ‘ Do you sleep
together?’
    With a sidelong glance at my dropped jaw,
Alfie said gently, ‘That’s none of your business, Hat. You’re
making Gwen feel uncomfortable.’
    Her face fell. ‘Oh, sorry! Take no notice of
me, Gwen. I’m a bad person. I can’t do anything right. But I mean well.’
    Alfie shrugged off his coat and threw it on
to the settle. ‘Be an angel, Hat, and make us some tea, would you?
And could you possibly do something about those bloody dogs? Has
Viv started riding to hounds now?’
    ‘No, that’s just Harris and Lewis! They’re
excited. We’re all excited! It’s Christmas and Alfie’s home!
Let’s go and have some tea and mince pies. You can have mine, which
are burned but homemade, or Sainsbury’s, which are neither.’
    Putting on a brave smile, I said, ‘I think I
could probably manage one of each.’ Alfie shot me a grateful
look.
    ‘Good! The burned ones aren’t too bad. Viv put so much brandy in the mincemeat, you almost don’t
notice,’ Hattie added cheerfully. ‘Take your coat off, Gwen, and
come along to the kitchen. I’ll get these flowers into some water
and then make us a big pot of tea.’ Alfie led the way and, as I
fell into step beside her, Hattie said, ‘You mustn’t mind me! It’s
just that Alfie has never brought a girlfriend home before. We’d
always assumed he was gay .’
    ‘Hattie!’ Alfie bellowed over his shoulder.
‘ Tea!’
    I don’t know what got into me. I think I was
vaguely irritated with Alfie for not hugging his sister, for
refusing to show her some token of affection when she was so
clearly pleased to see him. As we followed him along the corridor,
I looked at Hattie meaningfully, pointed silently to Alfie’s back,
and mouthed, ‘He isn’t’. Then I winked.
    Hattie clapped a hand to her mouth and
giggled noisily, like a dishwasher on its drain cycle. Alfie turned
round and regarded the pair of us. ‘Oh, God,’ he groaned. ‘I can
see you two are going to get on famously.’
    Hattie linked her arm through mine and
squeezed it. ‘Oh, I do hope so!’ I looked at her pollen-stained
face gazing up at mine. The expression was that of a wide-eyed,
eager child; the awkward, unprepossessing body