Read Online Trouble by Fay Weldon - Free Book Online Page B

feel quite drained after my conversations with you. Rhea says this is because you represent the suffocated and suffocating mother. First Aileen, now you.’
    ‘Spicer,’ said Annette, ‘I am doing my best to make this relationship work.’
    ‘Are you?’ asked Spicer. ‘I really wonder. Your problems conceiving? An unconscious rejection of the baby: hatred of the husband? That’s what it feels like to me.’
    ‘I’m going back to bed,’ said Annette. ‘I feel really ill.’
    ‘And I’m going to work,’ said Spicer. ‘Present you with a little truth, Annette, and your reaction is to sulk. It’s the children I’m sorry for. But not having had the experience of a happy childhood, how can you hope to recreate it for your own children? At least you’re in therapy: there may be some hope for the rest of us: otherwise God help us.’
    ‘Oh God, Gilda.’
    ‘Now what’s the matter?’
    ‘I’ve just had a very strange dream,’ said Annette.
    ‘But it’s the middle of the morning,’ said Gilda.
    ‘The morning sickness was so bad I was exhausted and went back to bed,’ said Annette.
    ‘You’ve hardly been morning sick at all so far,’ said Gilda, ‘and it’s far too late to start now.’
    ‘Well, I had a row with Spicer and I was. Not exactly a row: just home-truth time. He’s seeing a therapist: she’s the one who’s been turning him on to astrology.’
    ‘So that’s it,’ said Gilda. ‘At least it’s not a mistress. They do say treatment stirs things up. That’s why he’s been so moody.’
    ‘She’s also a homeopath. She’s mending his mind, casting his star chart, and mine, and giving him drops for high blood-pressure.’
    ‘Steve said something about Spicer’s blood-pressure,’ said Gilda. ‘I expect it’s all all right. But it can’t be nice having another woman helping out in quite so many respects.’
    ‘It isn’t,’ said Annette.
    ‘Are the drops working?’ asked Gilda.
    ‘Spicer says so,’ said Annette.
    ‘That’s something,’ said Gilda. ‘But you have to be careful, Annette. Therapists tends to think all illness is caused by stress, and stress is caused by the spouse, so to cure the patient get rid of the spouse.’
    ‘I think you’re rather over-simplifying matters,’ said Annette.
    ‘I’d never let Steve go to a therapist,’ said Gilda. ‘For therapist read the rapist. The rapist of dreams and weddings.’
    ‘Spicer does what he wants,’ said Annette.
    ‘You can say that again,’ said Gilda. ‘What was your dream?’
    ‘I dreamt I was having a row with Spicer and he bit me on the shoulder.’
    ‘Like a vampire?’ asked Gilda.
    ‘More like a love bite,’ said Annette. ‘It hurt and I woke up. Oh, how extraordinary!’
    ‘What’s extraordinary?’ asked Gilda.
    ‘I do have a love bite on my shoulder and it is hurting. Spicer must have done it last night. Sorry, Gilda.’
    ‘That’s okay,’ said Gilda. ‘Any time. But is quite so much sex good for the baby? See you at the Clinic tonight. Now do you mind if I get on with buttering my toast?’
    ‘Hello, Annette.’
    ‘Hello, Mum.’
    ‘All well?’
    ‘Everything’s fine.’
    ‘What did they say at the Clinic?’
    ‘Everything’s running to plan.’
    ‘Because I thought on Monday your wrists were a little puffy. Did they say anything about that?’
    ‘They picked it up,’ lied Annette. ‘They’re very careful. They decided any puffiness was well within normal limits. Now don’t worry, Mum: everything will be just fine.’
    ‘And how’s Susan? Are you spending enough time with her? She isn’t still sulking in her room? You should take her out and about. No reason why mothers and daughters shouldn’t be friends. You don’t want her to feel neglected even before the new baby comes along.’
    ‘I’m very conscious of the danger, Mum. But Susan’s a very self-sustaining girl. And she has a lot of friends up and down the Crescent.’
    ‘And Jason? I mustn’t forget little