‘Oh, darling,’ Mary said the moment she and Hattie were alone. ‘How lovely to see you.’
Hattie swallowed. ‘Lovely to see you too! But how on earth did you get here? Did you know you were coming?’
Mary shook her head. ‘Clive came round on Friday evening and said he’d arranged a home for me. He expected me to be pleased, and I suppose I had been saying I’d wanted to go to one for a while, but it wasn’t the one I had chosen.’
‘And he wanted you to go that night?’
Mary nodded. ‘He packed me a suitcase, put me in the car and here I am. Of course I haven’t got any of the things I really wanted with me. If he’d let me leave it until the following day, I could have packed myself.’
‘What about your medication?’
‘I’ve got the little box but I’m not sure about the one I take at night. I didn’t take it last night.’
‘Well, don’t worry. It’s probably all right to miss one. We’ll make a list of everything you need and I’ll go and get it for you.’
‘Do I have to stay here?’
Hattie had no idea really. ‘It might be best to stay for a few days, to let yourself recover from the drama of being plucked out of your house and deposited somewhere else.’ Hattie smiled to imply she was joking, but she wasn’t. ‘Then, when you’ve had time to gather your wits, we can make a plan.’
‘I’m very tempted to ask you to take me straight home now but I am tired, and I think it would be foolish. The staff are very kind here, even if, aesthetically, it’s not where I want to live. There’s not much garden. I need a garden around me.’
Hattie nodded. ‘Is there anything I can get for you locally? I can find a supermarket and get you underwear, nighties, things like that?’
‘Clive tipped my entire underwear drawer into the case, so I don’t need knickers. But it’s personal things like my little radio. My pillow, my eye mask and my skin cream. I also want my old cardigan. I’ve had it so long it’s falling apart but it’s comforting.’
Hattie wanted to cry again. ‘Well, don’t worry. We’ll make a list, and I’ll bring everything you need.’
‘Maybe I’ll make the list tomorrow, when I’ve had a chance to think what I really do need. I wouldn’t want you to have to come twice. It’s a long way.’ She paused. ‘I’d fallen asleep in the car, so I felt very disorientated when I arrived. The nurses called me dear, which I know was kindly meant, but it made me feel old and anonymous.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ said Hattie. ‘Now, have you got anything to read?’
‘Apparently there’s a library but I haven’t found it yet.’
‘I’ll find it and bring you back some books. Otherwise, as I said, I can pop to a supermarket.’
‘I just hope I’ve got my reading glasses.’
‘Let’s have a look. They’re probably in your handbag, surely?’
Mary shrugged. ‘They were probably lying around with everything else. I don’t know exactly what Clive scooped up before we left.’
Hattie nodded again. ‘OK, you see if your reading glasses are in your bag and I’ll find the library and bring you some books. If you haven’t got reading glasses I can probably buy some.’
It was late afternoon before Hattie headed home. She had left Mary with a pile of books, (Jacqueline Susann, Georgette Heyer and Ethel M. Dell) and a new pair of reading glasses as well as lots of other comforts. Chocolate ginger biscuits, chocolates and a box of Jaffa Cakes. She was planning to go back with Mary’s own reading glasses and a lot of other things that Clive had left. She was very tired. So much had happened since she’d set off from home to join Luke for the dinner dance. She decided to have a nap; then she’d deal with everything that needed to be done.
It was a shock to see that the back door had been tampered with and more of a shock to realise her key no longer fitted, which meant the locks had been changed. She took a lot of deep breaths and rushed into the garden for a wild wee. She couldn’t do anything about anything while she was so desperate after the long drive.
She rinsed her hands in the water butt and then got out her phone. She pressed on Clive’s number, swearing to herself she would be calm and controlled. Being hysterical was what he wanted her to be.
‘Clive! Hi!’ She sounded as friendly as she could. ‘I was just wondering how to get into Mary’s house, where I live. Have you left me a key anywhere handy? Under a flower pot? I discovered you’ve changed the locks.’
‘Yes I have and I’m afraid you don’t live there any more. I’ll be selling the house to pay for Mary’s care home.’
‘But my things are inside. And I visited Mary: there are a lot of things she needs too.’
‘What can she need? I packed everything for her.’
‘I have a list.’
