‘Right. Well, if there are books I’m always happy to have a look. Here’s our card. The number’s on there if you need us...’ He fishes one from a box on the counter and hands it to me. ‘I’m Fergus,’ he adds.
‘I’m Kate. And thanks,’ I say, slipping it into my pocket.
He reaches below the counter for a coffee pot and fills two chunky pottery mugs. ‘Here you go,’ he says, handing one to his daughter. ‘That’ll perk you up a bit.’ Then to me: ‘Sure you wouldn’t like one?’
I hesitate, checking the time on the wall clock behind the counter. There’s just enough time, I decide, reluctant to leave just yet. ‘Oh, why not? Just a quick one—’ But the words have barely left my mouth when my phone trills in my skirt pocket. Without checking the caller’s name I answer it, expecting Alice to say she’s waiting for me.
Except it’s not Alice. It’s Vince, who seems to be shouting – but I don’t know what about.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
‘I can’t hear you,’ I say. ‘You keep cutting out...’
‘I saidviss-ate-my—’
‘Vince, you’re all muffled. I don’t think there’s a very good signal—’
‘...I said JARVIS ATE MY DRESSING GOWN!’
‘Okay! No need to shout!’ I look around at the man and his daughter, give them an apologetic grimace and quickly leave the shop.
‘I’m just saying,’ Vince says hotly.
I’ve travelled four hundred miles from home and this is the most pressing matter. Although, of course, he doesn’t know where I am. For all he knows I could still be at Euston station. I stride away from the bookshop, along the narrow side street and back towards the main hub of the town. ‘That’s unlike him, isn’t it? To eat a non-food thing? I hope he’s all right—’
‘Yes,he’sfine,’ Vince exclaims. ‘He’sabsolutely tickety-boo, thanks for asking...’
‘Vince—’
‘I’mnot, though—’
‘Is it mendable?’
‘Mendable? You tell me! Only thing I know is, we were having a perfectly nice time at our party, and then you’d stormed out—’
‘I don’t mean ourmarriage.I mean your dressing gown. Is it a big rip or just a tiny hole—’
‘I haven’t examined it forensically,’ he announces. ‘I mean, yes. It’s pretty sizeable...’ He exhales. ‘Look, I wasn’t going to call you. I figured you needed some time to cool off or simmer down or whatever the hell’s going on. I didn’t want to bother you,’ he adds with a martyrish edge. ‘I just wanted to tell you—’
‘About your dressing gown?’ I cut in.
‘No! Well, not just that. We need to talk, don’t we?’
Something seems to clench inside my chest. I’ve reached the town clock now, where there are benches and ornamental flower beds. I place my shopping bags at my feet. ‘I know we do,’ I say tightly.
‘Sorry,’ Vince mutters. ‘I’ve just been having a pretty stressful time with work and everything, and Jarvis peed in my study yesterday as well...’
‘Did he?’ I exclaim, shocked at these sudden changes in his behaviour. I’ve never known him to have an accident indoors.
‘...So there was that to mop up,’ Vince goes on. ‘Why couldn’t Edie have a goldfish instead of thismammalwith all its assorted emissions?’
He’s trying for a joke, but it hangs limply. The town is growing busier now. People are in and out of shops and cafés, carrying paper bags of baked goods and in one case a giant bunch of sunflowers. ‘Did you clear up the sick?’ I ask.
‘What?’
‘Jarvis’s sick on the hall carpet.’
‘’Course I did,’ he mutters.
