Read Online The Fence by Meredith Jaffe - Free Book Online Page A

thanks, Mrs Hill.’ He yawned and stretched. Marigold had wet the bed again last night. Another 2 am strip and wash, singing her back to sleep, waking to find himself curled alongside her, his aching back reminding him that a toddler bed was not built for two.
    As he pulled his arms over his head, Gwen noticed the tattoo snaking around his forearm, the words ‘Silver’ and ‘Amber’ ensuring the world would know of his undying love and devotion to his offspring. There was no ‘Marigold’ or ‘Bijoux’, maybe they were hidden somewhere under that polar fleece, a love heart with an arrow through it perhaps. Still, it was no worse than those casts of their newborn’s feet and hands people went in for these days. One of the mothers at Gumnut had brought in an actual cast of her entire newborn. It was a grotesque thing, for all the world like a stillborn baby.
    Mr Boyd stayed in the doorway, no invitation for a cuppa or any indication she was welcome. Cursing Eric, Gwen decided it was best to get this over and done with. She knew how it was with young children, there was always some catastrophe brewing. As she opened her mouth to speak, there came a loud wail and Brandon raced away to deal with the crime.
    Gwen stood there, unsure what to do. She wasn’t used to standing on doorsteps. In this neighbourhood, one barely needed to knock. It was ‘Yoo-hoo, it’s only me’ and in you sailed. Well, at least at Babs’ and Val’s it was. Then again, Val had said the same thing happened to her when she had tried to welcome the Desmarchelliers-Boyds to the street.
    She and Val were having their weekly coffee morning, although Gwen was still struggling to adjust to Babs’ absence. The mere presence of Babs was enough to bring out a more genteel Val. Now, Gwen was lucky if Val removed the cake from the supermarket wrapper and she never bothered with the milk jug and sugar bowl anymore.
    â€˜Did I tell you,’ Val had said around a mouthful of cake, ‘what your new neighbour said to me?’
    It wasn’t Gwen’s job to warn Val about how prickly Francesca could be. And Val wasn’t exactly the most tactful of people at the best of times.
    â€˜I thought I’d pop over on my way to bridge, seeing as I was dressed up and all. I had no intention of staying, but I thought it only polite to extend a welcome from the neighbourhood.’
    â€˜I’m surprised you found her home on a Friday. She works full-time you know.’
    â€˜Well, I don’t know about that, Gwennie, but she was so rude. Said she was on her way out before I even had the chance to invite her kiddies over for a play date with the grandkids. Practically slammed the door in my face. She’s got tickets on herself that one.’
    Brandon hadn’t slammed the door in Gwen’s face but he may as well have. She moved her basket from one arm to the other and flexed her arm against a cramp.
    â€˜Sorry about that, Mrs Hill. What can I do you for?’
    â€˜I brought you a gift, to welcome you to the neighbourhood.’ Gwen pressed the basket towards him, adding, ‘They’re from my garden.’
    He poked about in the basket.
    Gwen smiled, wishing she could turn on her heel and flee. ‘I popped some mandarins in as well. Kids like mandarins, so much easier to peel than oranges.’
    Brandon thought it best not to tell Mrs Hill that Marigold was allergic to citrus. That of the four children, only Bijoux liked fruit.
    Gwen drew breath. Would it kill him just to say thanks and leave it at that? Young people today had no idea about courtesy. ‘Well I must be off, plenty to do at this time of year.’
    He nodded and closed the door, leaving her stranded there. ‘Cabbages and strawberries,’ she fumed as she stomped down the stairs and raced between the crab apples. ‘That’s what we are Babs, cabbages and strawberries.’
    When she