He looked at me. I looked back. The silence dragged on.
For a long time he sat, twisting his hands and looking down at his feet. Just for once, he couldnt think of anything to say. Hed stood and shouted at my aunt in the street. Hed been publicly slapped. Aunt Julia had accused him of hitting me. He really couldnt think of anything to say.
I couldnt think of anything either. I remembered my shameful struggle to speak. There were no words to make this right. Where did we go from here?
The minutes ticked away.
Finally, he looked up and said, "Your cat bit me.
He held up a bandaged finger.
Thoma.s.s snort was echoed in the kitchen.
I didnt dare laugh.
"It throbs, he said, plaintively.
"Youd better let me take a look, said Andrew coming in from the kitchen with mugs on a tray. "It might be infected.
"I expect it is, he said, gloomily. "That b.l.o.o.d.y cat hates me.
"Everyone hates you at the moment, mate, said Andrew. "Death by cat bite is nothing to what Tanyas got in store for you.
"Do you hate me? he asked.
I shook my head.
"Well, youre the only one that really matters. Everyone else will just have to get over it.
Tanya came in with the coffee and he stood, warily.
"Thank you for looking after Jenny. Both of you.
To relieve the embarra.s.sment, Andrew began to unwind the bandage. "Oh, yuk.
"What? said Russell, anxiously. "This is my painting hand.
"You havent painted in years so stop whining.
"No, I said. "Thats what we were doing ... yesterday. Buying painty stuff.
"Really? Well, good for you, Russ. About time. Does that hurt?
"Ow. No, he said, unconvincingly.
"Well it should do. Youre oozing.
Everyone craned their necks to look at Russells ooze.
"Ill clean it up for you and put a proper dressing on it. If it doesnt get better go to the doctor.
Tanya poured the coffee.
"I wish youd come home, Jenny. Mrs Crisp wont stop crying. Your b.l.o.o.d.y cat bit me when I wasnt looking. Kevin wants to know whether to uproot some shrub or other, Marilyn keeps wandering around looking for you and Boxer ... hasnt worked out whats going on yet, but h.e.l.l be upset when he does. And Sharons made a cake. Please come home. Why are you crying? Now what have I done?
"For G.o.ds sake, Russell, said Andrew. "Just shut up, will you.
"But ...
"Im sorry, Jenny, he doesnt have a clue.
"But ...
Tanya yanked Andrew back into the kitchen again. I remembered the way hed lifted her hair ...
Now Russell really was caught between a rock and a hard place. They were obviously expecting him to kiss and make up, unaware of the terms of the agreement.
"What will he do?
He crossed to the sofa and sat beside me, taking my hand. "Youre a great deal too good for me, wife.
I thought Id help him out a little and rested my head on his shoulder. He put his other arm around me, gently lifted my chin, and kissed me softly on the lips. And who knows what would have happened next, but the telephone rang.
He looked down with an expression I didnt understand at all. "Saved by the bell, Jenny. Although which of us had been saved wasnt really clear.
After wed drunk the coffee, he said to me, "I thought you might like to come back with me this afternoon and help me put my studio back together.
"You mean the poor girl can lug all those boxes up all those stairs while you arrange your paints in a pretty pattern.
"No, I meant what I said. You can help me lay it all out, set up my easel, put my paper away. That sort of thing.
I remembered him saying no one ever went into his studio. He was making a genuine effort.
"Yes, I said, "Id like that very much.
"I found your Vermeer book. Its in your room.
Your room? I saw Andrew and Tanya exchange a tiny glance.
"We will all return with Jenny and help Russell with his studio, announced Tanya. She threw him a challenging glare and he nodded. "And then we shall see what Jenny wants to do.
"You really dont need me, do you? said Thomas. "Its like having your own private Panzer Division.
Russells studio lay at the end of the other bit of the upstairs dogleg. It was empty. Swept clean. Hed painted it, along with the rest of the house, but he hadnt bothered with the paint-splattered floor. The windows were bare. The walls were bare. The air was stale. He forced open a window and we all looked around.
"Bleak, said Thomas.
He wasnt the only one who thought so. Andrew was staring around, his face tight. I guessed hed been in here in happier times and this had come as a shock. For the first time he saw the full extent of the damage. As Russell went to step past him, Andrew gently rubbed his arm. Neither of them looked at the other. Neither spoke, but comfort was offered and accepted. I looked away, not wanting to intrude. When I looked back, they were about six feet apart.
"Right, said Russell with a bit of an effort. "Andrew and I will bring everything up here. Tanya and Jenny will open the boxes. Well get it all out and then Tanya will tell us where to put it. However, he was grinning at her as he said it and she smiled back. Maybe shed seen that moment too.
n.o.body trusted me with a Stanley knife, so Tanya slit and I unpacked. Andrew and Russell toiled up and down the stairs. Mrs Crisp brought us tea and cake.
Actually, it was a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Russell and Andrew took an easel each and had a compet.i.tion to see who could get his a.s.sembled first. When compared with pictures of the finished product, Russells was back to front and Andrews was inside out.
"What is it with humans and flat-pack? said Thomas. " It says quite clearly to fit f.l.a.n.g.e A to hinge B. How could they get it so wrong?
Tanya pushed them aside. She a.s.sembled; I pa.s.sed her the bits as required. We had them both done in ten minutes. Andrew and Russell, their manhood affronted, sulked.
Tanya and Russell laid out his paints, I stacked his canvases and Andrew laid his various sketchpads on a shelf, demanding to know why one man needed seventeen, eighteen, nineteen sketchpads.
"Im an artist, said Russell, loftily. "Ordinary people wouldnt understand. Dont knock yourself out stacking them neatly I prefer them a bit battered.
"Why?
"Its not easy making the first marks in a pristine, virginal sketchbook. It sullies their perfection and I get hung up. So I knock them around a bit first. A friend of mine in college actually used to leave his out in the rain so they were all wrinkled and crinkled when he used them. He reckoned it worked wonders for his creativity.
I could see Andrew forming a sentence in which the words "pretentious and "pillock were going to play a large part so it was just as well that Mrs Crisp stuck her head around the door.
Sadly, the news was not good. "Mrs Kingdom is here.
"Do you realise weve seen more of her in the last month than in the previous twenty years?
"Yes, I said, wearily.
"Has she come to apologise?
"Doubt it.
"She said to tell you there was no rush. She knows youre busy up here. When you have a moment, she just wants to check youre recovered.
Russell nipped out a moment, returning to say, "I dare you to make her wait.
"For how long?
"Bet you cant last fifteen minutes.
"Dont do that, Russ. If she has to wait too long sh.e.l.l come up here herself. Do you want that?
"G.o.d, no. Jenny, get yourself down those stairs. Now. Chop chop.
"Arent you coming?
"Are you kidding? Now get down there and sacrifice yourself for the common good. Go!
I glared at him, which had about as much effect as liquid on a small floating birds back and hurried down the landing to the stairs. Oh, G.o.d, he was right. She was half way up the stairs, fumbling in her handbag. She looked up.
"Oh, Jenny, there you are. You look much better.
I got as far as, "h.e.l.lo, Aunt Ju and my right foot slid out from underneath me and I crashed backwards. I tried to grab the banister and save myself, but I was travelling so fast I couldnt get a grip and twisted my wrist. I caught a glimpse of Aunt Julias horrified face and then I was tumbling downstairs, hitting every last one of them with knees, elbows, hips: every bone in my body. The only thing I didnt hit was my head so I was fully conscious for every single, painful moment of it. I finally crashed to a halt, half on and half off the bottom three stairs.
Above me, I could hear Aunt Julia calling for help. Mrs Crisp and Sharon dashed out of the kitchen. Andrew and Russell ran along the landing.
I rolled over and fell off the bottom three stairs. I could see people racing towards me from all directions. Tanya stopped at Aunt Julia who had run up to the landing and was now sitting on the top step, her face as white as the handkerchief clutched to her chest.
"No, no, she said, hoa.r.s.ely. "Please, see to Jenny. Ill be all right. I just need a minute. See to Jenny.
Russell was there and he was pretty pale too. "Jenny? Can you hear me?
"Yes, I said faintly, because the fall had knocked all the wind out of me and breathing hurt. All my bones hurt. You really dont want to fall down a long flight of uncarpeted wooden stairs.
Andrew felt along my arms and legs. "Its OK, he said. "I do this for dogs all the time. On his instructions, I wiggled fingers and feet, rea.s.sured him about my spine and pelvis, denied any injury to my head and told him he was holding up three fingers.
"Can you get up?
"Not yet, I told him. "Give me a minute.
I closed my eyes and waited for the comfort of warm ginger biscuits to envelop me.
"There. Hows that?
"Better, thank you.
"What happened?
"I slipped. Please just give me a minute.
Russell was gently brushing the hair off my forehead, his own face full of concern. "Just take it slowly, Jenny, theres no rush. Well get you an ambulance.
I shook my head.
"No arguments. That was a bad fall.
I shook my head again and whispered, "No, really ... Ill be fine ... Nothing is broken.
Andrew said, "No, I think shes right. Nothing seems to be broken and she hasnt banged her head. But Id get the doctor in just the same. He grinned. "He can take a look at your hand at the same time.
Tanya came down the stairs. "Russell, you and Andrew will lift Jenny very carefully onto the sofa and then come back for Mrs Kingdom.
I suddenly remembered Aunt Julias white, shocked face. "Is she all right?
"Yes, but she too needs a little time. Russell, while you do that I will ring for her doctor. I believe you said Dr Williams?
"Yes. Jenny, Im going to lift you ...
"No. I can walk.
"No you cant.