Read Online The Grail Tree by Jonathan Gash - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jonathan Gash
Ads: Link
on.
‘Gelt man,’ Sandy added. He gave a serene regal wave to a demented gatekeeper at the level crossing towards the by-pass. I opened my eyes as the Norwich express thundered past inches from me. Sandy sounded his horn at it, irritated. ‘Pestered the life out of us for some lovely Belgian niello and gold pendants, didn’t he, Mel?’
I scraped my memory for details of Leyde but could find very little. I’d heard he seemed to deal mostly in London and the Midlands.
By the time we reached Liz Sandwell’s place, I was so uneasy I wasn’t able to keep up with Sandy’s racy comments on his side of the trade. Mel pretended I was lovelorn. Great jokes at my expense. The pubs were open as we pulled in to the kerb at Liz’s shop.
‘You will forgive us, Lovejoy,’ Sandy said. ‘But we need something to settle our little tummies. We’ll come back for you elevenish.’
‘She asked us to have a bite with her,’ I said, but I know they sometimes go to this tavern for supper in Dragonsdale. They tittered, nudging.
‘Bouillabaisse,’ Sandy warned me. ‘It’s all she can do, poor cow.
Wrong
seasoning.’
‘Do take care, dear boy,’ Mel said. ‘Avoid her horsehair sofa at all costs. Gallant lads have been known never to return.’
They blew extravagant kisses at Liz’s window as they pulled away.
‘They send their apologies,’ I said apologetically to Liz. She laughed. ‘I quite understand, Lovejoy.’
‘Leyde,’ I found myself saying as we went inside. ‘Any news of him lately?’
‘Bill Leyde?’ Liz sounded surprised. ‘The geltie? Not for weeks. He got a gold-mounted George the Second scent flask from Margaret in the Arcade, last I heard. Why?’
‘Nothing.’ That sort of small purchase is a typical purchase for the dedicated geltie. ‘May be a deal on, that’s all.’
It lingered in my mind, but I chatted about this and that. It was bouillabaisse, Liz told me, whatever that is. I said fine and did the wine. I’m all thumbs at things like that but Liz only laughed at the shredded floating cork. She said we could spoon the bits out.We spent some moments on her horsehair sofa after supper.
It was a chance remark she made much later that connected oddly in my mind and fetched me back to earth.
‘You’ve torn my blouse again, Lovejoy.’
‘Oh, er, sorry.’
She smiled and said not to worry, rubbed her forehead on my face. The clock said eleven. ‘Everything you touch gets changed, doesn’t it?’ she said, still smiling but looking into me. I pulled my eyes away and went for the antiques.
We settled faster than I should have done. Unease was settling on me. The air seemed thicker. For some inexplicable reason the Irish glass seemed suddenly of secondary importance. Everybody gets these feelings, don’t they? By the end of our deal I was almost hurrying and trying not to. Eventually, it was half-past and the pair not back yet.
‘I’ve suddenly remembered something, Liz.’
‘Lovejoy.’ She was looking at me. ‘Are you all right?’
‘Sure, sure.’ I found myself at the door. ‘I’ll ring you about collecting the stuff, right?’
‘Any time.’ She followed me anxiously on to the step. A cold wet wind was blowing. ‘See you at the White Hart tomorrow?’
‘Sure.’
We waited, talking in brittle sentences, neither knowing quite what to say. Liz asked if it was something she’d said. I told her of course not.
They came at midnight, talking simultaneously, neither listening to the other’s inane prattle. Beats me how they communicate. They had full glasses of wine.
‘Goodness!’ Sandy squeaked, pointing, as I rushedin and slammed the door. ‘What
did
she do to you, dear boy? You’re so
pale
.’
‘Er, could we go now, please?’ I felt choked. ‘Buresford,’ I said.
‘At
this
time?’ Mel decided to sulk again. ‘Sodding
hell
.’ He gave me his glass to hold while he took the wheel.
Despite some bickering they did as I said. I was in an ugly sweat by
‘Gelt man,’ Sandy added. He gave a serene regal wave to a demented gatekeeper at the level crossing towards the by-pass. I opened my eyes as the Norwich express thundered past inches from me. Sandy sounded his horn at it, irritated. ‘Pestered the life out of us for some lovely Belgian niello and gold pendants, didn’t he, Mel?’
I scraped my memory for details of Leyde but could find very little. I’d heard he seemed to deal mostly in London and the Midlands.
By the time we reached Liz Sandwell’s place, I was so uneasy I wasn’t able to keep up with Sandy’s racy comments on his side of the trade. Mel pretended I was lovelorn. Great jokes at my expense. The pubs were open as we pulled in to the kerb at Liz’s shop.
‘You will forgive us, Lovejoy,’ Sandy said. ‘But we need something to settle our little tummies. We’ll come back for you elevenish.’
‘She asked us to have a bite with her,’ I said, but I know they sometimes go to this tavern for supper in Dragonsdale. They tittered, nudging.
‘Bouillabaisse,’ Sandy warned me. ‘It’s all she can do, poor cow.
Wrong
seasoning.’
‘Do take care, dear boy,’ Mel said. ‘Avoid her horsehair sofa at all costs. Gallant lads have been known never to return.’
They blew extravagant kisses at Liz’s window as they pulled away.
‘They send their apologies,’ I said apologetically to Liz. She laughed. ‘I quite understand, Lovejoy.’
‘Leyde,’ I found myself saying as we went inside. ‘Any news of him lately?’
‘Bill Leyde?’ Liz sounded surprised. ‘The geltie? Not for weeks. He got a gold-mounted George the Second scent flask from Margaret in the Arcade, last I heard. Why?’
‘Nothing.’ That sort of small purchase is a typical purchase for the dedicated geltie. ‘May be a deal on, that’s all.’
It lingered in my mind, but I chatted about this and that. It was bouillabaisse, Liz told me, whatever that is. I said fine and did the wine. I’m all thumbs at things like that but Liz only laughed at the shredded floating cork. She said we could spoon the bits out.We spent some moments on her horsehair sofa after supper.
It was a chance remark she made much later that connected oddly in my mind and fetched me back to earth.
‘You’ve torn my blouse again, Lovejoy.’
‘Oh, er, sorry.’
She smiled and said not to worry, rubbed her forehead on my face. The clock said eleven. ‘Everything you touch gets changed, doesn’t it?’ she said, still smiling but looking into me. I pulled my eyes away and went for the antiques.
We settled faster than I should have done. Unease was settling on me. The air seemed thicker. For some inexplicable reason the Irish glass seemed suddenly of secondary importance. Everybody gets these feelings, don’t they? By the end of our deal I was almost hurrying and trying not to. Eventually, it was half-past and the pair not back yet.
‘I’ve suddenly remembered something, Liz.’
‘Lovejoy.’ She was looking at me. ‘Are you all right?’
‘Sure, sure.’ I found myself at the door. ‘I’ll ring you about collecting the stuff, right?’
‘Any time.’ She followed me anxiously on to the step. A cold wet wind was blowing. ‘See you at the White Hart tomorrow?’
‘Sure.’
We waited, talking in brittle sentences, neither knowing quite what to say. Liz asked if it was something she’d said. I told her of course not.
They came at midnight, talking simultaneously, neither listening to the other’s inane prattle. Beats me how they communicate. They had full glasses of wine.
‘Goodness!’ Sandy squeaked, pointing, as I rushedin and slammed the door. ‘What
did
she do to you, dear boy? You’re so
pale
.’
‘Er, could we go now, please?’ I felt choked. ‘Buresford,’ I said.
‘At
this
time?’ Mel decided to sulk again. ‘Sodding
hell
.’ He gave me his glass to hold while he took the wheel.
Despite some bickering they did as I said. I was in an ugly sweat by
Similar Books
