so kind. He was like his mother.
On one such trip, they were in their hotel suite, before bedtime, and Lil was saying that she was going to take little Alice for the day when she got back to give Mary a chance to go shopping.
Ian said, ‘You two women are really pleased with yourselves.’
This was venomous, not like him; she had not - she thought - heard that voice from him before.
‘Yes,’ he said, ‘It’s all right for you.’
‘What do you mean, Ian, what are you saying?’
‘I’m not blaming you. I know it was Roz.’
‘What do you mean? It was both of us.’
‘Roz put the idea into your head. I know that. You’d never have thought of it. Too bad about Tom. Too bad about me.’
At this she began to laugh, a weak defensive laugh. She was thinking of the years with Tom, watching him change from a beautiful boy into a man, seeing the years claim him, knowing how it must end, must end, then should end, she should end it … she and Roz . , . but it was so hard, hard …
‘Ian, do you realise, you sound demented when you say things like that?’
‘Why? I don’t see it.’
‘What did you think? We’d all just go on, indefinitely, then you and Tom, two middle-aged men, bachelors, and Roz and me, old and then you two, old, without families, and Roz and I, old, old, old … we’re getting on for old now, can’t you see?’
‘No, you aren’t,’ said her son calmly. ‘Not at all. You and Roz knock the girls for six any time.’
Did he mean Hannah and Mary? If so … the streak here of sheer twisted lunacy frightened her and she got up. ‘I’m going to bed.’
‘It was Roz put you up to it. I don’t forgive you for agreeing. And she needn’t think I’ll forgive her for spoiling everything. We were all so happy.’
‘Good night, I’ll see you at breakfast.’
Hannah had her baby, Shirley, and the two young women were much together. The two older women, and the husbands, waited to hear news of second pregnancies: surely the logical step. And then, to their surprise, Mary and Hannah announced that they thought of going into business together. At once it was suggested they should work in the sports shops: they would have flexible hours, could come and go, earn a bit of money … And, it was the corollary, fit second babies into a comfortable timetable.
They said no, they wanted to start a new business, the two of them.
‘I expect we can help you with the money,’ said Ian, and Hannah said, ‘No, thanks. Mary’s father can help us out. He’s loaded.’ When Hannah spoke, it was often Mary’s thought they were hearing. “We want to be independent,’ said Hannah, a trifle apologetic, herself hearing that she had sounded ungracious, to say the least.
The wives went off to visit their families for a weekend, taking the babies, to show them off.
The four, Lil and Roz, Ian and Tom, sat together at the table in Roz’s house - Roz’s former house - and the sound of the waves said that nothing had changed, nothing … except that the infant Alice’s paraphernalia was all over the place, in the way of modern family life.
‘It’s very odd, what they want,’ said Roz. ‘Do we understand why? What is it all about?’
‘We’re too - heavy for them,’ said Lil.
‘We. They,’ said Ian. ‘They. We.’
They all looked at him, to take in what he meant.
Then Roz burst out, ‘We’ve tried so hard. Lil and I, we’ve done our best.’
I know you have,’ said Tom. ‘We know that.’
‘But here we are,’ said Ian. ‘Here we are.’
And now he leaned forwards towards Roz, passionate, accusing - very far from the urbane and affable man everyone knew: ‘And nothing has changed, has it. Roz? Just tell me the truth, tell me, has it?’
Roz; s eyes, full of tears, did meet his, and then she got up to save herself with the ritual of supplying cold drinks from the fridge.
Lil said, looking calmly straight across at Tom, ‘It s no good, Roz. Just don’t, don’t …’ For Roz was
On one such trip, they were in their hotel suite, before bedtime, and Lil was saying that she was going to take little Alice for the day when she got back to give Mary a chance to go shopping.
Ian said, ‘You two women are really pleased with yourselves.’
This was venomous, not like him; she had not - she thought - heard that voice from him before.
‘Yes,’ he said, ‘It’s all right for you.’
‘What do you mean, Ian, what are you saying?’
‘I’m not blaming you. I know it was Roz.’
‘What do you mean? It was both of us.’
‘Roz put the idea into your head. I know that. You’d never have thought of it. Too bad about Tom. Too bad about me.’
At this she began to laugh, a weak defensive laugh. She was thinking of the years with Tom, watching him change from a beautiful boy into a man, seeing the years claim him, knowing how it must end, must end, then should end, she should end it … she and Roz . , . but it was so hard, hard …
‘Ian, do you realise, you sound demented when you say things like that?’
‘Why? I don’t see it.’
‘What did you think? We’d all just go on, indefinitely, then you and Tom, two middle-aged men, bachelors, and Roz and me, old and then you two, old, without families, and Roz and I, old, old, old … we’re getting on for old now, can’t you see?’
‘No, you aren’t,’ said her son calmly. ‘Not at all. You and Roz knock the girls for six any time.’
Did he mean Hannah and Mary? If so … the streak here of sheer twisted lunacy frightened her and she got up. ‘I’m going to bed.’
‘It was Roz put you up to it. I don’t forgive you for agreeing. And she needn’t think I’ll forgive her for spoiling everything. We were all so happy.’
‘Good night, I’ll see you at breakfast.’
Hannah had her baby, Shirley, and the two young women were much together. The two older women, and the husbands, waited to hear news of second pregnancies: surely the logical step. And then, to their surprise, Mary and Hannah announced that they thought of going into business together. At once it was suggested they should work in the sports shops: they would have flexible hours, could come and go, earn a bit of money … And, it was the corollary, fit second babies into a comfortable timetable.
They said no, they wanted to start a new business, the two of them.
‘I expect we can help you with the money,’ said Ian, and Hannah said, ‘No, thanks. Mary’s father can help us out. He’s loaded.’ When Hannah spoke, it was often Mary’s thought they were hearing. “We want to be independent,’ said Hannah, a trifle apologetic, herself hearing that she had sounded ungracious, to say the least.
The wives went off to visit their families for a weekend, taking the babies, to show them off.
The four, Lil and Roz, Ian and Tom, sat together at the table in Roz’s house - Roz’s former house - and the sound of the waves said that nothing had changed, nothing … except that the infant Alice’s paraphernalia was all over the place, in the way of modern family life.
‘It’s very odd, what they want,’ said Roz. ‘Do we understand why? What is it all about?’
‘We’re too - heavy for them,’ said Lil.
‘We. They,’ said Ian. ‘They. We.’
They all looked at him, to take in what he meant.
Then Roz burst out, ‘We’ve tried so hard. Lil and I, we’ve done our best.’
I know you have,’ said Tom. ‘We know that.’
‘But here we are,’ said Ian. ‘Here we are.’
And now he leaned forwards towards Roz, passionate, accusing - very far from the urbane and affable man everyone knew: ‘And nothing has changed, has it. Roz? Just tell me the truth, tell me, has it?’
Roz; s eyes, full of tears, did meet his, and then she got up to save herself with the ritual of supplying cold drinks from the fridge.
Lil said, looking calmly straight across at Tom, ‘It s no good, Roz. Just don’t, don’t …’ For Roz was
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