‘No, it’s perfect.’ She threw an arm around him and kissed his cheek. ‘Thank you. I just wish Mum could have seen it. She would have loved it so much – once she got over being cross with you for giving her a present.’ She wiped her eyes. ‘I’m going to bring it to the mortuary tonight and ask them to put it on the coffin tomorrow at the funeral.’
It was another long, deadening day of arrangements, tea and visitors. Claire was so weary of the inertia, she was almost relieved when it was time to go to the mortuary that evening, finally signalling the beginning of the end.
She had questioned the wisdom of bringing the children, worried that they would be spooked by seeing the body laid out. But Michelle insisted that it would help them come to terms with their granny’s death. More likely, Claire suspected, she thought it would be good material for her column.
‘Is she going to be a vampire now?’ Ben asked solemnly, as he gazed into the coffin.
‘Some people don’t become vampires,’ Adam said. ‘They have the true death.’
‘I hope she is one,’ Ben said. Then he gasped. ‘She wouldn’t bite us, though, would she?’
‘No,’ Adam said firmly. ‘She’d only bite bad people, like murderers or… the government.’
Cian was sobbing uncontrollably in Michelle’s arms. ‘I think it’s hit him that he’s never going to see his nana again,’ she said to Claire, over the top of his head.
‘Maybe he will,’ Adam said.
‘That’s right, Adam.’ Michelle smiled down at him. ‘We’ll see her again in Heaven, won’t we?’
‘We might see her before that,’ Adam said, ‘if she turns into a vampire.’
Claire was touched by the number of people who came to the mortuary. She thought she would be shaking hands for the rest of her life as friends and neighbours streamed past for what felt like hours, offering their condolences. There were some unexpected faces, some Claire hadn’t seen in so long it took her a moment to place them, and a few she didn’t recognise at all.
Afterwards the house was thronged, and Claire was kept busy with the caterers, seeing that everyone got food and topping up glasses. She was too preoccupied with looking after the guests and chatting to people to think about getting anything for herself, until Luca thrust a plate into her hand.
‘You should eat,’ he said, leading her to an empty chair and handing her a glass of wine. Claire thanked him, and began mechanically forking food into her mouth, barely even tasting it.
‘You’re looking after Claire, are you, Luca?’ Mary said, joining them. ‘Good lad,’ she continued, without waiting for an answer.
Jim soon joined them, followed by Lily, Nancy and Michael, forming a little huddle around Claire and Luca. It was strange to see them so subdued, but Claire wastouched by their gentle concern for her, and admired the way they looked after each other in their mutual grief. And she couldn’t help feeling a little childish glee that their obvious fondness for Luca and their assimilation of him into their little gang was pissing off Michelle, if the suspicious looks she was throwing in their direction were anything to go by.
Claire looked around the room, filled with chatter and laughter. There were so many friends, some of whom her mother hadn’t seen in a long time. It was sad that they were here now, when it was too late.
‘Mum would have loved this,’ she said quietly, her eyes filling. It seemed horribly unfair that Espie was missing her own party.
Luca took her hand silently, and she interlinked her fingers with his. She was so grateful that he was here. She didn’t know how she’d have coped without him in the last couple of days. It struck her how much more alone and lost she’d have felt if not for his constant reassuring presence. Everyone was being so kind, but they all left in the end and she was so glad that she wasn’t alone when they were gone.
‘Can you stay again tonight?’ she asked him.
‘Of course,’ he said, squeezing her hand. ‘Whatever you want.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Besides,’ he smiled, ‘there’s going to be a ball at Netherfield. I don’t want to miss that.’
The following day was warm and bright, and Claire was glad that the glare of the sun gave her an excuse to wear dark glasses and hide her ravaged eyes as the family left thehouse and got into the funeral cars. She was dimly aware of the blur of faces as they pulled up outside the church and got out, surprised and touched to see Luca’s parents among the throng with Ali. He seemed as surprised to see them as she was.
The service was sad, the music unbearably moving. When her mother’s friends started playing, Claire hoped Mary’s tuneless scraping wouldn’t reduce her to giggles. But the violin was so heartbreakingly sweet and melodious, she had to check that another musician hadn’t taken over at the last minute. She broke down again at the sight of the old lady, her teeth gritted and her face set in a grimace of concentration while tears rolled down her cheeks.
‘What’shecrying for?’ she heard Michelle hiss further along the pew, as Luca discreetly wiped tears from his eyes. ‘And why is he in the front with Claire? Who does he think he is – chief mourner or something? He’s not even family.’
None of them had had the energy to dissuade Michelle from speaking, but they had insisted that Jim should be allowed to do the main eulogy so she was cut mercifully short. Jim’s speech was fittingly funny at times, evoking the spirit of the friend he had lost.
Claire broke down completely as the service ended, sobbing uncontrollably and clinging to Luca, who was practically holding her up as they followed the coffin out of the church. Outside, everyone stood chatting, and once she had recovered, Claire moved around, thanking them for coming and inviting them back to the house after the crematorium.
‘Mary, your playing was beautiful,’ she said, as soon as she saw the old lady.
‘Ah, I couldn’t let Espie down, today of all days. She was always very forgiving, but I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself if I hadn’t done right by her.’
