Read Online Passing On by Penelope Lively - Free Book Online

he can possibly fetch up doing, with that voice and those looks.’ She was given to assessing people in terms of appearance. Girls were classified as pretty girls, nice girls and clever girls. Pretty was best; clever was worst. One could not help noting that Dorothy herself, in youth, could not have fallen into any of these categories, but then Dorothy always saw herself as apart. Not in any sense of superiority: simply as apart. There was her, and there was the rest of the world.
    At first Helen was upset by Dorothy’s disparagement: ‘Just as well you’re prepared to put up with that chap’s acne — no one else would, I imagine.’ Why hasn’t anyone ever told him about his teeth?’ Then she ceased to bring her friends home, unless it was unavoidable. Eventually what Dorothy said no longer mattered.
    During the long-ago weeks and months when it had seemed possible that she might be on the brink of a permanent alliance she explained to the man in question about her mother, and he appeared to understand. As it turned out, she need not have bothered.
    The hall clock struck four. Edward and Helen, apart and awake, heard it. Edward remembered that he had to coach the remedial French class in a few hours’ time, always a taxing business; he turned over and made a resolute attempt to sleep.
    Helen felt an odd little tingle of interest at the approach of the new day: another unusual sensation. In the Britches a cat yowled.

FOUR
    ‘Why are there ladders everywhere?’ said Edward.
    ‘Ron Paget’s men are mending the broken guttering.’
    ‘The house looks like some medieval siege. Do tell them to be careful of the martins’ nests.’
    ‘They’ve been told. Though I don’t see why the martins shouldn’t do some rebuilding. Here is Ron.’
    Edward made a dive for the door, but too late. Ron Paget was already there.
    ‘Better to come round to the back, I thought, this time of day.
    Don’t let me interrupt your tea. I heard Mr Glover’s car go past so I thought I’d just pop over and see the men are getting on all right. What about that window-frame — shall I have them see to that while they’re about it?’
    ‘I suppose they may as well,’ said Helen.
    ‘No problem.’ Ron’s glance slid around the kitchen. ‘The damp’s really got a hold in here, hasn’t it? You ever thought of having a proper damp course put in?’
    ‘Well …’ Helen began.
    ‘Tell you what — why don’t I have a look round later this week? Work out what we could do and how much it would set you back. Just to give you an idea. It’d be a biggish job, mind, but I’d make a special price — we’ve been neighbours a heck of a long time now and I had a soft spot for your mother.’
    Helen and Edward looked at each other.
    ‘You leave it to me,’ said Ron. ‘I’ll suss out the damage and we can talk about it later.’ He turned sideways to look out into the garden. ‘Lovely place, this. Of course it’s bound to get out of hand, you’ve neither of you got the time to give to it. You know, if it was me I’d have a patio. Cut down on some of the grass — give you an area for sitting out — York stone paving, swing seat with an awning, very nice.’
    The Glovers made no comment.
    ‘Yes. Well, of course you’ve gone rather more for the natural look, the way it is. Is that a yew hedge?’
    believe it is,’ said Edward. ‘In theory, anyway.’
    ‘It needs the clippers taken to it, certainly. And beyond it there’s what you’d call the kitchen garden, right? Your mother did a bit in the veg line, I seem to remember.’
    ‘Not for quite a while,’ said Helen, wondering how to curtail all this. ‘Anyway, thanks very much, Mr Paget, we mustn’t keep you, the men seem to be. .
    Ron took a few steps backwards and stared up at the house.
    ‘There’s a bit of re-pointing needs doing up there, too. We’ll see to that. And I tell you what, Miss Glover, I’ve had a thought.
    About your garden. Our Gary’ll come in for a