Dr Minchin eventually turned up and was able to confirm that Lilian wasn’t suffering from a concussion. After he had been over to the Parrys’ to see to the captain’s nose, he had kindly offered to drive Bobby and Charlie home in his car.
Bobby hadn’t liked to leave her sister alone, and had been making plans to stay at the cow house overnight. Tony had arrived home, however, chastened and surprisingly still sober, which had changed matters.
‘You’d better go, Bob,’ Lilian had said quietly. ‘He and I ought to talk.’
So Bobby had left with Charlie and the doctor, but not without a glare that told Tony exactly what she currently thought of him.
‘Well that was quite a day,’ she said to Charlie when they were home.
‘I can see that,’ Charlie said, glancing at her dirty, bloodied pinny. ‘Sit down, Bob. I don’t know what happened today but I’m sure it can’t have done you any good.’
‘I’m jolly glad I was there, though.’ She sighed. ‘What a mess it all is.’
Charlie guided her to the settee. ‘What on earth went on earlier? I saw that look you gave Tony. He didn’t do that to your sister, did he?’
‘He did.’
Charlie shook his head darkly. ‘That bastard. I wish I’d been there. I might have thought Tony Scott was a lot of things, but I never had him down as a wife-beater.’
‘It was a little more complicated than that. Hold me, can you?’
Charlie sat down beside her and guided her into his arms.
‘Well, what happened?’ he asked.
After Bobby had filled him in, Charlie looked rather stunned.
‘Gosh,’ he said at last.
‘I know.’
‘Your sister and Captain Parry! I’d have thought he’d be too stuffy for anything as exciting as an affair.’
‘It wasn’t an affair. Not exactly.’ Bobby sighed. ‘I felt so sorry for them when they said goodbye. I think they’ve fallen quite deeply in love. And now they can never see each other again, except to nod to in the village. Lil’s had so much bad luck, it doesn’t seem fair that there won’t be any happy ending for her.’
‘She ought to leave him. Tony,’ Charlie said grimly. ‘I’ve got no time for men who hit women. I heard you tell your brother you weren’t sure you believed in cowards, but I do. Men who prey on the weak. Men who beat women. They make me sick.’
‘I don’t believe Tony’s a bully by nature. He looked horrified when he realised what he’d done.’
‘Good. He should do.’
‘What do you think will happen to them? Could they ever be happy?’
‘I don’t know, Bob. It draws a line, something like what happened tonight. The fact Tony hurt you sister, I mean. Everything afterwards will be coloured by it, even if it never happens again.’
‘You might be right,’ Bobby said with a sigh. ‘I wish there was something I could do.’
‘You can’t fix everything, darling. It’s between Lil and Tony now.’
‘I know.’ She stroked his hair. ‘Why don’t you rest your head in my lap? Marmaduke always sleeps when he feels you there.’
‘All right, but not for too long. You need to eat, Bob.’
He lay down, and Bobby let out a deep sigh. She could feel the tension of earlier dissipating with Charlie’s head in her lap and the baby settling in response. Once again, she wondered how Marmaduke always seemed to know when his dad was near.
She felt rather sleepy herself. Her eyes started to flicker, but Bobby forced herself to remain awake. There was something she wanted to ask Charlie before she let herself relax.
‘Did Roger say anything about that equipment?’ she asked.
