concern.
'You're not well, are you?'
She shook her head but said, 'I'll be all right.'
She moved unsteadily towards the door. Robert held her by the elbow, and steered her through the gap and out into the street. She was glad of the support.
Outside, it was bitterly cold now. It was very nearly dark and an east wind was blowing with sharp little gusts that sent the leaves left over from Autumn spiralling into the January air.
'Come on,' Robert said. 'I'll run you home.'
'The bus ….'
'Catch that another day, when you're feeling better.'
She hadn't the strength to object, or to think straight. Everything was a struggle.
Robert's car was in a nearby car park, just a couple of minutes' walk away.
'Costs a fortune, parking here,' he said, 'but I have to pay it. I need the car to be handy.'
'What about the Metro?'
He shook his head. 'That's all right for where I live, and where I work, but not for getting to the childminder's.'
'You're a busy man,' she said lightly, beginning to recover a little.
'You're telling me! But needs must.'
'Does your wife pick the children up some days?'
'Not really.'
She wondered what that meant. It wasn't a yes and it wasn't a no.
He opened the passenger door and saw her inside. He was very gallant, she thought with reluctant appreciation, as he walked round to the driver's side.
'Gosforth, isn't it?' he asked, as he got in.
She nodded. 'Just off Salters Road.'
'Right. Let's see if we can beat the traffic.'
Too late, she thought of the children.
'What about the child minder?'
'She won't mind me being a few minutes late.'
'More than that, surely?'
'It doesn't happen often. Emergency, I'll tell her,' he added with a grin.
The traffic was heavy already. Driving wasn't easy in the evening rush, which seemed to start soon after lunch these days. Robert didn't say a lot, for which she was grateful. She closed her eyes and tried to wish a developing headache away. But wondering what she would find at home made it impossible.
Maybe Jamie would be there after all? Perhaps it had been a joke, or a mistake. He couldn't have been well last night. He liked Jenny and Mike. He wouldn't have wanted to miss them. They were more his friends than hers anyway.
It was a forlorn hope. As soon as they turned into her street, she knew Jamie wasn't there. No red BMW. No lights on in the house. Her spirits, briefly raised by hope, sank again.
'Take care,' Robert said as he let her out of the car. 'Look after yourself, and try to have a good weekend.'
'Thank you.'
She gave him a weak smile and a little wave as he drove off. Then she fumbled for her key and headed for the front door.
The house was cold. The heating hadn't come on yet. And it was dark. After she had shut the front door, she stood still for a moment, almost afraid to go any further. If she stayed where she was, she reasoned, everything might go back to how it had been.
But it didn't. She switched on the lights and went through to the kitchen to turn on the heating. Then she went upstairs, dreading what she would find.
She saw at a glance that Jamie really had been and gone. She stared with dismay at the open and empty wardrobe that had housed his clothes. She opened a couple of his drawers. Empty, too, apart from bits of rubbish.
She stared. Then she flung herself on to the bed and began to weep. She wept until her insides, as well as her heart, ached.
Chapter Three
On Saturday morning Meg was sitting in the kitchen, staring at a cup of tea she had made but couldn't drink. She rushed to answer the door bell, knowing it must be Jamie at last. He'd forgotten his key. Lost it again, more like.
'You needn't look so disappointed!' Jenny protested with a wry chuckle.
'I thought it was someone else.' She recovered. 'I mean, I thought ….'
'I know what you thought. But it's only me. Can I come in?'
Meg stood aside reluctantly.
Jenny came in, closed the door and wrapped her arms around her. 'Any word?' she asked.
Meg
'You're not well, are you?'
She shook her head but said, 'I'll be all right.'
She moved unsteadily towards the door. Robert held her by the elbow, and steered her through the gap and out into the street. She was glad of the support.
Outside, it was bitterly cold now. It was very nearly dark and an east wind was blowing with sharp little gusts that sent the leaves left over from Autumn spiralling into the January air.
'Come on,' Robert said. 'I'll run you home.'
'The bus ….'
'Catch that another day, when you're feeling better.'
She hadn't the strength to object, or to think straight. Everything was a struggle.
Robert's car was in a nearby car park, just a couple of minutes' walk away.
'Costs a fortune, parking here,' he said, 'but I have to pay it. I need the car to be handy.'
'What about the Metro?'
He shook his head. 'That's all right for where I live, and where I work, but not for getting to the childminder's.'
'You're a busy man,' she said lightly, beginning to recover a little.
'You're telling me! But needs must.'
'Does your wife pick the children up some days?'
'Not really.'
She wondered what that meant. It wasn't a yes and it wasn't a no.
He opened the passenger door and saw her inside. He was very gallant, she thought with reluctant appreciation, as he walked round to the driver's side.
'Gosforth, isn't it?' he asked, as he got in.
She nodded. 'Just off Salters Road.'
'Right. Let's see if we can beat the traffic.'
Too late, she thought of the children.
'What about the child minder?'
'She won't mind me being a few minutes late.'
'More than that, surely?'
'It doesn't happen often. Emergency, I'll tell her,' he added with a grin.
The traffic was heavy already. Driving wasn't easy in the evening rush, which seemed to start soon after lunch these days. Robert didn't say a lot, for which she was grateful. She closed her eyes and tried to wish a developing headache away. But wondering what she would find at home made it impossible.
Maybe Jamie would be there after all? Perhaps it had been a joke, or a mistake. He couldn't have been well last night. He liked Jenny and Mike. He wouldn't have wanted to miss them. They were more his friends than hers anyway.
It was a forlorn hope. As soon as they turned into her street, she knew Jamie wasn't there. No red BMW. No lights on in the house. Her spirits, briefly raised by hope, sank again.
'Take care,' Robert said as he let her out of the car. 'Look after yourself, and try to have a good weekend.'
'Thank you.'
She gave him a weak smile and a little wave as he drove off. Then she fumbled for her key and headed for the front door.
The house was cold. The heating hadn't come on yet. And it was dark. After she had shut the front door, she stood still for a moment, almost afraid to go any further. If she stayed where she was, she reasoned, everything might go back to how it had been.
But it didn't. She switched on the lights and went through to the kitchen to turn on the heating. Then she went upstairs, dreading what she would find.
She saw at a glance that Jamie really had been and gone. She stared with dismay at the open and empty wardrobe that had housed his clothes. She opened a couple of his drawers. Empty, too, apart from bits of rubbish.
She stared. Then she flung herself on to the bed and began to weep. She wept until her insides, as well as her heart, ached.
Chapter Three
On Saturday morning Meg was sitting in the kitchen, staring at a cup of tea she had made but couldn't drink. She rushed to answer the door bell, knowing it must be Jamie at last. He'd forgotten his key. Lost it again, more like.
'You needn't look so disappointed!' Jenny protested with a wry chuckle.
'I thought it was someone else.' She recovered. 'I mean, I thought ….'
'I know what you thought. But it's only me. Can I come in?'
Meg stood aside reluctantly.
Jenny came in, closed the door and wrapped her arms around her. 'Any word?' she asked.
Meg
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