‘Does it?’ I ask, my voice a little tremulous still.
‘He must’ve taken a shine to you then because he called me, you know, asking for the name of the agency Marjorie used. He was obviously after was after tracking you down.’
‘You said you’d buy a goldfish, remember?’No answer.
‘My boy! Please tell me he didn’t approach you like that.’
‘No.’ I smile. ‘I work for Beckett’s wife. That’s my main job, and we just sort of bumped into each other one evening, didn’t we?’More like you bumped into me drunk, I can almost hear him say.
‘He loves you, you know.’ I nod. Swallow. Lean down and graze my lips over a patch of James’s skin. ‘Did he say?’
‘Yes. That morning. And I didn’t say it back.’ I break out into gulping, painful sobs.
‘Hush, now.’ Thomas pulls his chair next to mine and slides his arm across my shoulders to give me a very proper kind of hug. ‘Here, blow your nose, m’dear.’
I try my eyes and blow my nose, doing as I’m told. It’s hard not to. Thomas has an innate kind of authority that I’ve seen reflected in his son. Except Thomas’s takes an avuncular direction, while James is more like, take off all of your clothes.
‘God, I miss him.’
‘Me, too. But we keep the faith, he whispers quietly. ‘Just as he would do. Just as he did with you, I know.’
‘How can you say that? How could he have known if I didn’t tell him?’
‘Quite simple. You see the chain your wearing? It was his Mothers. When she was diagnosed with cancer, she found it started to affect her hands. Something to do with the nerves, the cancer causing numbness. They swelled terribly, too. And she stopped wearing her wedding ring. Now, this necklace,’ he adds, pointing at the brilliant sitting against my chest. ‘This was her engagement ring, and for Mother’s Day, James used his own money to have the stone from the ring set into a mount. We knew she was dying.’ His gaze falls away for a beat, his memory slipping back to that awful time. ‘We were prepared for the one thing you cannot prepare for, and my boy wanted to bring a little happiness into her life.
‘She was overjoyed to be able to wear the ring. And she told him, that when she passed, he was to keep the necklace for his wife. His wife, Miranda. He knows you love him. You’re wearing the evidence of that around your neck. Love, dare I say it, pays no attention to age, or station, or gender. It is completely indiscriminate. And let me tell you, any chance you get to experience it, grab it with both hands. Revel in it.’ He reaches for my hand, his fingers almost punishing in their grip. ‘Because you just never know how long you’ll get not keep it. And however long, you’ll find it’s never long enough.
‘Now, enough of that. Eat some casserole. I also brought you something to read while you’re here.’
‘Thanks.’ I swallow convulsively, my voice hoarse. ‘But Heather brought me some magazines.’
‘Yes, I know. I heard you reading an article about winter fashion earlier today.’ I read aloud. You know, so James can hear. ‘And I have to say, if you were reading such drivel to me, I jolly well wouldn’t wake up, either!’
Okay...
39
Miranda
Your mum wantedto come in with me this morning.’ Heather kicks up her feet onto the bottom of the bedframe, folding her hands behind her head.
‘Eesh. A Sunday morning visit would’ve been all I needed. Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest. Of peace, not of pecking people’s heads.’ Hooking my hand under her ankles, drop her feet back onto the floor. ‘Were you raised in a barn? Didn’t anyone ever tell you you don’t put dirty shoes on furniture?’
‘Harry isn’t complaining. Are you?’
I openmymouth to complain, then realise I’d be contradicting everything I’ve been saying about not talking over him. I’d gotten a little cross this morning when Griff and Beckett arrived and did just that when discussing yesterday’s football results.
I think I might be going a little stir crazy.
‘So she’s not coming?’
‘Nah, mum persuaded her to stay home. Apparently, she’s going to bake and deliver a quiche and an apple cake to Harry’s place tomorrow because she says she’s worried you’re living on hospital food. And everyone knows that stuff makes you ill.’
‘I’m fine. But it’s nice that she would think about me.’
‘She’s your mum, Mir, Of course she thinks about you. Granted, she might not have done a great deal of that lately. But it looks like that’s changing. Maybe it’s the thought of becoming a grandmother. Anyway, she wants to help.’
So I’ll let her. There’s no point saying that Sandy, James’s housekeeper, cooks for the same reasons.Not the grandmotherly reasons.Anyway, I’m rarely there to eat it.
