“I’m going to conquer the world with my song!”
“Which song? What does it go like?” Maddie said.
“Well, when I say song, I mean all of my songs, my entire opus,” Ted told her.
“Hum one,” Maddie said. “Hum a song.”
“Maddie,” Rose began, knowing how tenacious her daughter could be when she got her teeth into something. “Leave Ted alone.”
“I’m just saying, if he’s going to take over the world with a song then it had better be a really good one . . .”
“Anyway,” Ted said, “what are you two girls up to tomorrow?”
Rose looked at Maddie, who returned her gaze.
“What are we up to?” she asked, suddenly unsettled.
“Nothing yet, especially,” Rose said. “I’ve got a few more things to do here, and then . . .” Rose had no idea about the “and then” part. What would it change if she went to see her father, or if she met Frasier McCleod again? And as for what would happen afterwards, what she and Maddie would do next, Rose didn’t have the courage to think about that.
“I could take you out for a sightseeing trip,” Ted offered. “Not got much on in the afternoon. We can go up the mountain, look at the view and stuff.”
“I don’t like walking much,” Maddie said.
Ted looked at her, nodding. “I know what you mean, but the thing is, walking up a mountain isn’t the same as walking to school or to the shops. It’s like walking in the clouds. And like you are looking down on a world of ants.”
“I do like miniature things,” Maddie conceded thoughtfully. “And clouds.”
“So pick you up at lunch?” Ted nodded at Rose, who really could not understand why this strange young man would be so keen to spend time with a married woman and her daughter. Maybe Jenny had put him up to this; perhaps she was deploying him as her secret information-gathering weapon.
“I could pack us a picnic,” Ted went on. “One I’ve prepared myself, something to save you from the terrible food you’ll get here.”
He winked at his mother and earned a stiff punch in the arm for his cheek.
“Brian, say something!” Jenny told her husband, who set a perfect miniature television down in front of a delighted Maddie.
“Say what, woman?” Brian grumbled. “It’s your fault he’s like this. You’ve always been too soft on him and now he thinks he’s God’s gift.”
“I’m just being friendly!” Ted protested.
“It’s why you’re being friendly that worries me. If you were a real man,” Jenny scolded Brian, “he wouldn’t have grown up so unruly.”
Brian chuckled, shaking his head as he tucked into his dinner, entirely unoffended by Jenny’s jibes. “Only a real man could be married to you for thirty years, my love. You ask anyone hereabouts and they’ll tell you, I’m a hero.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Jenny exclaimed, half cross, half laughing.
“It means you’re damn lucky I agreed to marry you all those years ago,” Brian told her with an affectionate smile. “Disagreeable old bird that you are.”
“That is more true than the ‘right looker’ thing.” Maddie nodded in agreement, apparently entertained by the friendly banter, even though this was the sort of gentle joking and teasing within a family that neither Rose nor her daughter were used to. Cross words at home were always cross, and barbed comments were always meant to be cruel. It came as something of a welcome surprise to Rose that Maddie seemed completely at home and relaxed here. Her precious book was looking neglected on the bed upstairs, and evenBear was looking rather put out as he sat unattended on the sofa in the living room, staring unblinkingly at the TV.
“I think,” Rose said, interrupting a kiss between husband and wife that Maddie thought was hilariously revolting, “I think that, actually, tomorrow I will be busy.”
“And that’s the brush-off!” Brian said, slapping Ted on the shoulder.
“No, it’s not that,” Rose said.
“Which song? What does it go like?” Maddie said.
“Well, when I say song, I mean all of my songs, my entire opus,” Ted told her.
“Hum one,” Maddie said. “Hum a song.”
“Maddie,” Rose began, knowing how tenacious her daughter could be when she got her teeth into something. “Leave Ted alone.”
“I’m just saying, if he’s going to take over the world with a song then it had better be a really good one . . .”
“Anyway,” Ted said, “what are you two girls up to tomorrow?”
Rose looked at Maddie, who returned her gaze.
“What are we up to?” she asked, suddenly unsettled.
“Nothing yet, especially,” Rose said. “I’ve got a few more things to do here, and then . . .” Rose had no idea about the “and then” part. What would it change if she went to see her father, or if she met Frasier McCleod again? And as for what would happen afterwards, what she and Maddie would do next, Rose didn’t have the courage to think about that.
“I could take you out for a sightseeing trip,” Ted offered. “Not got much on in the afternoon. We can go up the mountain, look at the view and stuff.”
“I don’t like walking much,” Maddie said.
Ted looked at her, nodding. “I know what you mean, but the thing is, walking up a mountain isn’t the same as walking to school or to the shops. It’s like walking in the clouds. And like you are looking down on a world of ants.”
“I do like miniature things,” Maddie conceded thoughtfully. “And clouds.”
“So pick you up at lunch?” Ted nodded at Rose, who really could not understand why this strange young man would be so keen to spend time with a married woman and her daughter. Maybe Jenny had put him up to this; perhaps she was deploying him as her secret information-gathering weapon.
“I could pack us a picnic,” Ted went on. “One I’ve prepared myself, something to save you from the terrible food you’ll get here.”
He winked at his mother and earned a stiff punch in the arm for his cheek.
“Brian, say something!” Jenny told her husband, who set a perfect miniature television down in front of a delighted Maddie.
“Say what, woman?” Brian grumbled. “It’s your fault he’s like this. You’ve always been too soft on him and now he thinks he’s God’s gift.”
“I’m just being friendly!” Ted protested.
“It’s why you’re being friendly that worries me. If you were a real man,” Jenny scolded Brian, “he wouldn’t have grown up so unruly.”
Brian chuckled, shaking his head as he tucked into his dinner, entirely unoffended by Jenny’s jibes. “Only a real man could be married to you for thirty years, my love. You ask anyone hereabouts and they’ll tell you, I’m a hero.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Jenny exclaimed, half cross, half laughing.
“It means you’re damn lucky I agreed to marry you all those years ago,” Brian told her with an affectionate smile. “Disagreeable old bird that you are.”
“That is more true than the ‘right looker’ thing.” Maddie nodded in agreement, apparently entertained by the friendly banter, even though this was the sort of gentle joking and teasing within a family that neither Rose nor her daughter were used to. Cross words at home were always cross, and barbed comments were always meant to be cruel. It came as something of a welcome surprise to Rose that Maddie seemed completely at home and relaxed here. Her precious book was looking neglected on the bed upstairs, and evenBear was looking rather put out as he sat unattended on the sofa in the living room, staring unblinkingly at the TV.
“I think,” Rose said, interrupting a kiss between husband and wife that Maddie thought was hilariously revolting, “I think that, actually, tomorrow I will be busy.”
“And that’s the brush-off!” Brian said, slapping Ted on the shoulder.
“No, it’s not that,” Rose said.
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