‘I know,’ said Peg. ‘But that’s all right.’ She looked around the kitchen, noticing for the first time how neat it was. In fact, it was spotless. ‘I was going to say, “right, let’s get things sorted”, but it appears they already are. Sofia made it sound as if she’d just dropped everything when they heard about Henry. She said she had a turkey in the oven…’
‘Mmm, it’s still there,’ said Blanche. ‘But only because I daren’t throw it away. It’ll be no good now, of course, but I’ve cleared up everything else. We should take some of it, actually, there’s a mountain of food, ridiculous, really.’
Peg nodded. ‘Sofia mentioned a pavlova?’
‘Ah…’ Blanche coloured slightly. ‘I’m very partial to those. We can take what’s left, anyway.’ She flicked an amused glance at Peg. ‘But let’s leave the trifle behind…’ She shook her head. ‘I’ve never liked trifle.’
In the end, Peg had taken responsibility for the turkey and bundled it into a carrier bag, before throwing it in the bin. She reasoned that nobody would want to come home and have to deal with it. She let Blanche decide what else they should take, and after waiting so that she could also pack a few precautionarythings for an overnight stay, they set off back to her cottage. The relief was immense.
‘Oh, this is lovely,’ declared Blanche, walking into Peg’s kitchen. ‘And don’t take this the wrong way, but everything looks socomfortable. Not spartan at all.’
Peg laughed. ‘It’s all very well used, but at least when it’s like this it doesn’t matter if you make a mess. It is a kitchen, after all.’
‘Oh, and you have a Rayburn…’ added Blanche, wandering over to look at the cooker. ‘Oh, no, it’s not, it’s an Essie. Goodness, I haven’t seen one of these in years. I had one not long after I was married. Good, aren’t they?’
‘I love it,’ replied Peg. ‘Makes incredible cakes and roast dinners, so I can forgive it all else. Do you want to sit in here for a minute? I left Mim having a lie-down, so I expect the fire in the living room has gone out. It will be chilly in there if it has, and it will be a while before it warms up.’
‘Shall I put the kettle on?’ asked Blanche.
‘Oh yes, do. Thanks.’
She beetled off to check on Mim, leaving Blanche to make the drinks. It tickled her that Sofia thought Blanche needed someone to look after her. The opportunity to sit down a little more frequently, perhaps, but that was about all.
Ten minutes later, with Mim still sound asleep, they were beside the fire, enjoying a cup of tea while watching the hearth dance with flame. It was almost five in the afternoon. The curtains were drawn against the darkness outside, and the only other light in the room came from the twinkling stars on the Christmas tree.
‘I wonder if I ought to check in with Sofia and see how things are,’ said Peg. ‘When I left, Henry was out of theatre and had just been moved into intensive care. They were still waiting to see him.’
‘It wouldn’t hurt,’ said Blanche. ‘And absolutely finish your tea and have a rest first, dear, but if you do want to go back to the hospital, I shall be perfectly all right, and perfectly happy to look after your aunt, too.’
Peg shook her head. ‘It’s a time for family. I’d only feel in the way.’
‘Perhaps later then, once things are a little calmer.’ She gave Peg a warm smile. ‘Henry mentioned to me that you’d lost your husband at this time of year. I’m sorry, this must be especially difficult for you. I think that was why he was so worried about your aunt, because you’d already suffered such a loss.’
To her horror, Peg felt her eyes begin to well with tears. ‘It’s just this whole bloody thing about Christmas, isn’t it? That everything has to be so perfect and nothing can go wrong. But life’s not like that. Sometimes it does what it damn well pleases and there’s nothing you can do about it.’ She sniffed, blinking furiously. ‘And I’m fine, really. Julian died four years ago, but it’s just, the hospital, you know. It brought it all back. The waiting…The not knowing whether you should hope or not. Telling yourself you mustn’t because it’ll only make it worse. Remembering every stupid argument you’ve ever had and swearing that if he would only make it through, you’d never have a cross word again. And hating yourself because you never told him nearly enough how much you loved him.’
Blanche leaned forward to take her hand. ‘You always think you have time,’ she said, squeezing her fingers against Peg’s. But Time’s a thief, and she can steal it from right under your nose when you least expect it. My Daniel has been gone for more years than I care to remember, but there are days, like today, when I rail against how unfair life can be.’
Peg swallowed. ‘Yes, I’m sorry, of course you must have lost people too. My grief is no worse than anyone else’s.’
‘Perhaps not. But you still have a right to feel it, and to express it. Lifecanbe unfair. But it can also be wonderful and bring as much joy as it does pain. And people…’ She smiled again. ‘She can bring people into our lives, too. Sometimes when we least expect it.’
From beside her, Peg’s phone began to vibrate. She glanced at the screen. ‘It’s Sofia,’ she said, eyes wide. ‘Do you want to take it?’
‘Can you put it on speaker?’ asked Blanche. ‘Then we can both hear it.’ She patted Peg’s knee gently before withdrawing her hand.
‘Hello, Sofia…how are things?’ asked Peg. ‘How’s Henry?’
‘Alive,’ said Sofia. ‘We’ve just been in to see him, but I don’t think he even knew we were there. He didn’t move, just lay there. Propped up with wires everywhere. It was horrible.’
‘I’m sure he did know you were there,’ said Peg. ‘He would have been able to hear you, even if he couldn’t say anything.’ Hearing is the last thing which goes, she thought. She remembered the nurses telling her that.
‘They’ve told us that the next day or so will be critical. Henry’s brain is still swollen and until that goes down it will be hard to tell how things will turn out. And then there’s his lung, so…That’s partly why I’m ringing, because Adam wants to stay. They’ve a room we can use, apparently.’
‘Yes, I thought as much,’ said Peg. ‘But that’s fine. Blanche has brought a few overnight things with her, so she’ll be quite all right.’
‘Can you put her on, and I’ll have a little chat with her.’
‘You’re on speaker, Sofia. Go ahead, she can hear you.’
