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Authors: Rebecca Tope
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business.
Now she wished she had somebody she might phone for a long lazy Sunday chat, mentally reviewing possible candidates. Still mildly haunted by her dream of the night before, she paused at the thought of her sister Jocelyn, revising her earlier careless dismissal of the idea of calling her. Two years earlier Joss had spent a few days with her in Frampton Mansell, and since then they had seen little of each other. There were five children in the family, which meant there were very few opportunities for long lazy chats, besides which, it was not their habit to call each other. But it was worth a try, perhaps, especially in the light of the dream.
Jocelyn’s husband answered the phone, sounding impatient. ‘Oh, Thea … hello. What’s the trouble?’
‘No trouble at all. I just wondered if I could have a little chat with Joss.’
‘She’s upstairs. Hang on.’
Already Thea was regretting the impulse. Casual conversations about nothing were a waste of time. Her family had never gone in for such stuff, which meant that Jocelyn would leap to the same conclusion as her husband had, and assume there was a problem.
‘Thea? What’s the matter?’
‘Nothing. I’m bored, that’s all. Are you busy?’
‘No more than usual. Where are you?’
‘Snowshill, if you know where that is.’
‘Not the foggiest. Is it snowing?’
‘Not today. Apparently it does, quite a lot, in the due season.’
‘Is it nice?’
‘It’s fantastically lovely. Same gorgeous old houses as there are all over the region. Plus a famous manor for good measure.’
‘Sounds okay.’
‘How about you? What’re you doing for the summer? Mum said you might go to the Shetlands – can that be right? With the whole family?’
‘Yes, it’s all fixed. We leave on Wednesday and get the ferry. Everybody’s wildly excited.’
‘What an adventure. Lucky I caught you, then.’
‘Thea – are you really okay? You sound odd. Sort of drained . What’s the house like? Have you got loads to do?’
‘It’s stuffed full of knick-knacks. Hepzie and I daren’t move in case we break something. But no,there’s hardly any work. That’s why I’m bored.’
‘Have you met any people?’
‘One or two. Nobody interesting. Oh – Jessica’s boyfriend has dumped her. She’s dreadfully upset, poor girl.’
‘The swine! You never did like him, did you?’
‘Not much. But I didn’t think he’d be as rotten as this. He did it by text, apparently.’
‘They’ve all forgotten how to speak face-to-face. Mine are getting to be the same.’
‘I’ve got very fond of my BlackBerry, I must admit.’
‘Pooh! A BlackBerry is very yesterday, dear. It’s moved on since then.’
‘Don’t tell me that. I don’t think I could face starting again with something else. Anyway – it does so many things, how can a new version be any better?’
‘Don’t ask me. Anyway, I can hear ructions in the garden. I’ll have to go. I’m sure you’ll have a lovely time there. The weather’s good, and you can go and explore that manor.’
‘Yes, I can. Go on then and quell the riot. And have a lovely holiday.’
‘Thanks, we will. Bye, then.’
Thea disconnected the call with a rare feeling of warm sisterhood. She should value Jocelyn more highly, spend more time with her, keep up the bond between them. Their older brother, Damien, was difficult and distant, since becoming a committed Christian and trying to make them see how fulfilledand inspired he was. When they politely wished him well, but failed to adopt the same all-consuming faith, he had withdrawn from them. Their sister Emily was distant for other reasons, which nobody in the family could bring themselves to discuss.
Her arm was almost better, the terrible pain of the hornet sting almost as forgotten as the much more distant throes of childbirth – which had been far from excruciating anyway. Nonetheless, she harboured a persistent nervousness about the front garden, as well as an
Now she wished she had somebody she might phone for a long lazy Sunday chat, mentally reviewing possible candidates. Still mildly haunted by her dream of the night before, she paused at the thought of her sister Jocelyn, revising her earlier careless dismissal of the idea of calling her. Two years earlier Joss had spent a few days with her in Frampton Mansell, and since then they had seen little of each other. There were five children in the family, which meant there were very few opportunities for long lazy chats, besides which, it was not their habit to call each other. But it was worth a try, perhaps, especially in the light of the dream.
Jocelyn’s husband answered the phone, sounding impatient. ‘Oh, Thea … hello. What’s the trouble?’
‘No trouble at all. I just wondered if I could have a little chat with Joss.’
‘She’s upstairs. Hang on.’
Already Thea was regretting the impulse. Casual conversations about nothing were a waste of time. Her family had never gone in for such stuff, which meant that Jocelyn would leap to the same conclusion as her husband had, and assume there was a problem.
‘Thea? What’s the matter?’
‘Nothing. I’m bored, that’s all. Are you busy?’
‘No more than usual. Where are you?’
‘Snowshill, if you know where that is.’
‘Not the foggiest. Is it snowing?’
‘Not today. Apparently it does, quite a lot, in the due season.’
‘Is it nice?’
‘It’s fantastically lovely. Same gorgeous old houses as there are all over the region. Plus a famous manor for good measure.’
‘Sounds okay.’
‘How about you? What’re you doing for the summer? Mum said you might go to the Shetlands – can that be right? With the whole family?’
‘Yes, it’s all fixed. We leave on Wednesday and get the ferry. Everybody’s wildly excited.’
‘What an adventure. Lucky I caught you, then.’
‘Thea – are you really okay? You sound odd. Sort of drained . What’s the house like? Have you got loads to do?’
‘It’s stuffed full of knick-knacks. Hepzie and I daren’t move in case we break something. But no,there’s hardly any work. That’s why I’m bored.’
‘Have you met any people?’
‘One or two. Nobody interesting. Oh – Jessica’s boyfriend has dumped her. She’s dreadfully upset, poor girl.’
‘The swine! You never did like him, did you?’
‘Not much. But I didn’t think he’d be as rotten as this. He did it by text, apparently.’
‘They’ve all forgotten how to speak face-to-face. Mine are getting to be the same.’
‘I’ve got very fond of my BlackBerry, I must admit.’
‘Pooh! A BlackBerry is very yesterday, dear. It’s moved on since then.’
‘Don’t tell me that. I don’t think I could face starting again with something else. Anyway – it does so many things, how can a new version be any better?’
‘Don’t ask me. Anyway, I can hear ructions in the garden. I’ll have to go. I’m sure you’ll have a lovely time there. The weather’s good, and you can go and explore that manor.’
‘Yes, I can. Go on then and quell the riot. And have a lovely holiday.’
‘Thanks, we will. Bye, then.’
Thea disconnected the call with a rare feeling of warm sisterhood. She should value Jocelyn more highly, spend more time with her, keep up the bond between them. Their older brother, Damien, was difficult and distant, since becoming a committed Christian and trying to make them see how fulfilledand inspired he was. When they politely wished him well, but failed to adopt the same all-consuming faith, he had withdrawn from them. Their sister Emily was distant for other reasons, which nobody in the family could bring themselves to discuss.
Her arm was almost better, the terrible pain of the hornet sting almost as forgotten as the much more distant throes of childbirth – which had been far from excruciating anyway. Nonetheless, she harboured a persistent nervousness about the front garden, as well as an
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