‘Yes.’ He looked at the window, a small, resigned smile on his face. Maybe he had a little insight. ‘Remember, we swam, we drank, I kissed you under that waterfall again and I made you tell me about your sister and the boat.’
‘You did more than that.’
He nodded, smiled, and I was surprised to see his eyes shine and a crease between his eyebrows. ‘I’m so sorry we lost it, Abs. Truly, I am.’
‘Me too.’
I got it though … what he was trying to say. Fears were meant to be conquered. Don’t be feeble. I had to get out of the car and face what was happening.
We climbed the stairs and walked down the corridor to Iris’s room. The light from the grey day was streaming through her window, making me squint at the glare. My grandmother was tucked in her bed, dressed in a nightgown, so white it almost caused as much blinding light as the window. Her hair was in a loose braid that fell over her right shoulder and her eyes were closed.
She looked altered, suddenly frail. The fall had left an enormous bruise on her right arm and there was a gash on her temple, with another bruise underneath her cheekbone which looked like badly applied contour, a Kardashian’s face before blending.
‘Abigail Cavendish. I hope they did not call you back from your holiday in Melbourne with your Nicholas over this little bruise. I hoped the two of you would finally forget all of your nonsense, make love and then declare yourselves.’
Jesus Christ.I cleared my throat.
‘Hello, Nicholas.’
‘Iris.’
‘Well, dears? How did it go? Did you sort each other out in the physical sense and the ever-after sense?’ She peered at us closer. ‘Dear me. Neither?’
Oh, my God.‘Gran, are you all right?’
‘Dearest, it’s all a big kerfuffle. I was simply trying to make tea.’
‘Gran, if you use your buzzer and call a nurse, they will bring you tea. Remember, I told you?’
‘Lionel proposed last night, and I think I was just overwhelmed, dear.’
‘Lionel proposed?’
‘Marriage, dear.’
‘Yes, Gran, I gathered … And are congratulations in order?’
‘Abbey, dearest, it would seem that I … I don’t want that. I’m terribly worried I have upset him, and I just feel …’ She reached for her chest and I took her other hand and buzzed for a nurse. ‘I just do not wish to marry again.’
‘I’m sure Lionel is all right, Gran. Would it ease your mind if we checked on him? They’re worried about your heart, and I don’t think you should be stressing about anything at the moment.’
‘Perhaps Nicholas would be a dear?’
‘Of course, Iris. I’ll go check on him. Man to man.’
I threw him a grateful smile, and he left.
The nurse came in and clucked over Gran, propping up her pillows and reminding her to try to stay calm.
‘Abbey, I feel quite upset, dearest.’ I had seen my grandmother cry twice in my life. The first time was when we lost our mum, and the second was when we lost our father.
‘Hey now,’ I said, sliding onto her bed and putting my arm around her. ‘There is no need to worry. Lionel will be fine. He’s a big boy. Besides, how many men have you turned down over the years? You should be an old hand at this.’
‘Fewer than you would imagine.’
Hmmm.
Kate flew around the door and bolted to the bed, lunging at us, hugging us both tightly.
