by Charlot King
“I hate her. The fat slug!”
Jonathan doesn’t much like Susan, but aware they are being overheard from all directions would prefer his sister didn’t use such a foul turn of phrase.
“C’mon Sis’. Susan is not my favourite cup of tea either, but let’s not bring ourselves down to her level, eh?”
“She’s a pudgy slime faced idiot. I hate every inch of her sweaty smelling flesh.”
Kara smiles weakly at Jonathan, what are they going to do?
“Let’s talk about something else. How about opening that picnic. I could do with a cold drink up here, punting’s thirsty work.”
Rebecca flips the wicker basket open and violently throws a glass bottle of lemonade at Kara, which nearly hits her. She wobbles a little on the back of the boat, frowning at Rebecca for a moment.
“Woah, okay. Thanks, I think.”
Jonathan chips in.
“Well caught, darling.” He pulls out a beer for himself, while Rebecca retrieves a bottle of champagne.
“Great, I didn’t know we were celebrating. Thanks Kat, for your sensitivities. But then you always were the party girl.”
“Sorry. I just put it in there as I thought it might help us all relax. It wouldn’t be me if I hadn’t, now would it?”
“How true.” Jonathan knows his fiancée so well.
“Well let’s celebrate then.” Rebecca struggles with the bottle, ripping off the silver foil angrily, then getting frustrated with the metal twist. Jonathan watches and offers to help.
“Give it here.”
“I have it!” Rebecca protests then pops the cork, drinking the explosion of froth shooting out the top, some spilling onto her cheeks and dress.
“Go steady, it’s not quite lunchtime yet. Want to keep some room for the,” Jonathan looks in the picnic, “smoked salmon and quails eggs.” He looks up at Kara. “Nice.”
“Cucumber sandwiches. How spiffing.” Rebecca continues to drink down champagne like it is water. She pulls out cucumber sandwiches from the container, and with a fling scatters them widely in the water. One lands in another punt.
Jonathan says “Sorry” as he tries to stop Rebecca. She’s having none of it.
Kara tries to explain.
“They’re for our picnic. We need them more than the ducks do. Save some for me, Darling.”
“Quack, quack, quack.” Rebecca stands and continues to throw sandwiches. Kara is concerned the punt is becoming unsteady.
“Rebecca, do sit down. You’re making a bit of scene.”
“Oh, so sorry. What am I thinking?”
Rebecca starts to throw sandwiches at an adjacent punt chauffeur, shouting at him.
“Edward hated you lot. Always prancing about like you own the place.”
“Rebecca. Stop. Sorry.” Jonathan apologises, noticing a sandwich has landed in the rim of a chauffeur’s boater. The chauffeur deftly removes it, takes a bite, and shouts back. “Thank you. No crusts. How delightful.” He doffs his hat to Rebecca, smiles to his boat of tourists - who all nod at Rebecca as if this is some kind of ritual on The Backs - and then continues with his tour in mandarin, effortlessly gliding by, making this river pastime look like a walk in the park.
Rebecca, now bored, finds some crisps and opens the bag, which explodes onto Jonathan. She bends down trying to pick them up, putting retrieved crisps back into the bag.
“Can you sit down now. You’re going to have us all in.” Jonathan tries to get his sister to calm down, while Kara has drunk most of her lemonade and has bent down and picked up the odd cucumber sandwich from the river. She looks at Rebecca.
“Darling. It’s going to be okay.”
“How will it? I hate her.” Rebecca swigs her champagne and sways in the boat. A few people watch from a bridge, which had been earlier swept for finger prints.
“Your brother’s always bending over backwards for you. He said we should keep you company, he’s supposed to be in London.”
“Jonathan’s only interested in his career. You know that, Kat, you sad act. Does nobody tell you anything?”
“Thanks! I am here, you know.” Jonathan is exasperated with both of them.
Rebecca looks at Kara. “How could you bring me onto the river? Today of all days.”
Kara is wobbling as a result of Rebecca rocking the punt and makes a last effort to control Rebecca.
“Enough, Rebecca, we’re just trying to do our best. We’ve always just wanted to be a decent family. To be honest and respected. You’re part of that.”
But Rebecca isn’t listening.
“She’s ruined my life. I’ve nothing. No one. Edward. I’m...”
Kara is curious what she is going to say next
“What?”
“I’m going to get Susan’s pug ugly face, and ring her bloody neck!”
People observing from the Wren Bridge raise their eyebrows and walk to the other side as the punt goes underneath like a pooh stick, keen not to miss any of the action when it reappears. Amongst them is a local newspaper photographer, who, having been kicked out of King’s College earlier, has come to take pictures of the river where Edward fell and can’t believe his luck. Kara has punted close to the grassy bank between St John’s and Trinity, and Rebecca begins to step out of the punt, putting one foot up on the side, ready to exit and begin her attack on Susan.
“Rebecca, sit down.” Her brother is now agitated and puts his beer down on the punt floor.
“Don’t try to stop me.”
“Please.” Kara tries to balance the punt with the pole as she walks towards Rebecca, encouraging her to sit down as the punt drifts away from the bank again. Rebecca’s arms flail as she resists, brushing Kara’s helping hand away she accidentally hits Kara’s face and knocks her into the water. Jonathan watches as Kara and the pole fall away from the punt. He picks up his beer and raises a toast, as the people on the bridge cheer. He looks up at them and raises the bottle in acknowledgement. The local newspaper photographer snaps this opportunity, unspotted by Jonathan. Kara also notices her husbands lack of empathy as she swims to the bank, and coughs out water as she clings to the edge. Rebecca just continues without a flicker of guilt.
“I’m going to kill Susan.”
Jonathan takes hold of Rebecca’s arms, shakes her and quietly hisses.
“Get a grip. There are people listening. Do you want them to hear you say that?”
Rebecca looks up and sees everyone watching her and then at her brother. Jonathan looks up, this time straight into the camera lens. The flash snaps away. He whispers urgently in Rebecca’s ear.
“Let’s sit down and eat our strawberries. Susan will come a cropper, don’t you worry.”
Elizabeth has been watching a while, with the other spectators. She walks over to meet Kara, offering her a hand to climb out. Jonathan reaches over for the punt paddle. He spots Elizabeth.
“Not you again. Are you following us or something? You’re beginning to grate!” he shouts. Elizabeth is now standing next to a dripping Kara.
“Is your husband always this charming?”
Kara smiles, grateful for the help to get out of the river.
“Thanks. He doesn’t mean it. And, actually he hasn’t made an honest woman of me yet.”
“We nearly met before. When you were outside King’s in the court earlier this morning. You were wearing such a beautiful dress. Elizabeth Green.”
“I suppose I did look better then than I do now. Kara Anderson. Just call me Kat, everyone else does. Are you at King’s?”
“No, but I did know Edward Wiley. He was a colleague of mine. He passed away in my garden last night.”
“Oh yes. Rebecca’s been mumbling this morning something about Edward talking before he died. Was that to you? What did he say?”
Jonathan wants rid of Elizabeth
and makes no effort to hide it.
“I’m beginning to think this might be a case of harassment you know, Mrs Grain.”
Elizabeth shouts to Jonathan in the punt.
“Green. I just wanted another quick word with your sister, if I may?”
“My sister needs her privacy and time to grieve for God’s sake.”
Rebecca ignores her brother and shouts back to Elizabeth, wanting to know more about Elizabeth’s investigations.
“You’ve been to see her haven’t you? See, I told you she was the devil. Did you see it in her eyes?”
Elizabeth wants to know Rebecca’s reaction to Susan’s accusation she made earlier.
“Susan said that Edward was coming to talk to you. That he was going to leave you.”
Jonathan interrupts.
“That’s it.”
Jonathan paddles furiously to the side to reach Elizabeth. Rebecca stands up again in the punt and fizzes at Susan’s words.
“I’ll kill her!”
It all feels too out of control for Jonathan and he takes it out on Elizabeth.
“I’m coming over there and you’d better be gone Professor Green!”
Kara can see her future husband growing progressively more angry so leans into Elizabeth.
“Perhaps you should go. This isn’t a great time. I know what he’s like and he means business.”
Elizabeth is not deterred by his ridiculous protestations and continues to press Rebecca for a reaction.
“Is it true Rebecca? Was he about to leave you?”
Rebecca’s contorted face spits out the words.
“How can you ask me such a thing when my husband has just... the woman is evil. No, of course not. We were going to have a baby together. I’m pregnant.”
Jonathan looks at Rebecca completely shocked, temporarily forgetting his anger at Elizabeth. Kara looks floored by the news, asking Rebecca, “Is this true?”
“Will everyone just leave me alone.” Rebecca replies.
Jonathan has managed to row the boat to the bank and Rebecca jumps out and runs towards St John’s. Kara looks to follow, but Jonathan shouts.
“I’ll go. You go watch this ruddy punt.” He then looks at Elizabeth “Leave us alone. This is enough damage now.”
Kara defends Elizabeth.
“Jonathan, it’s hardly this lady’s fault.”
“This is a proper stinking mess.” Jonathan runs off after Rebecca, who has already made it across St John’s lawns heading for New Court arches. The photographer thinks he has enough, chuckles to himself and heads back to the paper, as Elizabeth smiles at Kara.
“I didn’t mean for her to run away. Is she always like this?”
“It’s unusual circumstances isn’t it?”
“Yes, quite so. Well then I apologise for aggravating the situation. I just wanted to find out if Edward was just about to leave his wife before he died.”
Kara isn’t sure where the conversation is going.
“Sorry, you must think this rude. But why are you talking to friends and family of Edward? I mean, you’re not a police woman are you?”
“He was a friend of mine. I’m concerned that something is amiss, that he didn’t die by an accident. Did you know Edward?”
Kara shakes her hair, takes off and squeezes out her tiny cardigan. The spray touches Elizabeth’s sandals causing her to step back.
“Not very well to be honest. They hadn’t been married long and he was always abroad on some research trip or other. It is simply awful. I can’t believe she’s pregnant?”
“Why?”
“Oh nothing really. I didn’t think they were trying I guess. Just a feeling, you know?”
Elizabeth steals a beady look at Kara.
“But you’re surprised?”
Kara doesn’t answer Elizabeth
“Quite something to keep to oneself when there has been a death. Well, I guess I should get out of these wet clothes, if you’ll excuse me?”
“Didn’t your fiancé ask you to watch the punt?”
“He’s always asking me to do things. If I did all of them I’d never have time to do the things I want to do.” Kara smiles. Elizabeth starts to walk away, but then finds that Kara is also walking the same way, back to King’s.
“My bicycle is at the porter’s lodge, you parked out front?”
“No, I’m just going to borrow some clothes from Bex’s rooms.”
“Have you a key?”
Kara thinks the question odd, what is it of her business?
“She never locks anything. They’ve had more than one thing stolen over the past year. You’d think she’d take up the college offer to install locks. But they’re creaky old doors. Hundreds of years old apparently. Edward didn’t want to bastardise them with modern trappings. And now, now we have to stay close, or we fear Rebecca will lose it if we don’t. You saw she’s not the most balanced of people. That’s why Jonathan cares for her so.”
Elizabeth continues to walk alongside Kara, warming to this too beautiful woman.
“Could Rebecca have harmed Edward?”
Kara hesitates on the gravel, pulling at her wet green dress, to separate it from her legs.
“Surely not. You don’t think so, do you? Why would she?”
Elizabeth watches the water run down Kara’s face from her dripping hair.
“I just wondered what you thought.”
“Even if she wanted to, she’s hardly strong enough.”
“Perhaps. Forgive me, I know it is most rude, but I can’t mask my curiosity. Is that a Cape Town accent?”
Kara smiles.
“Ten out of ten. Yes, I grew up in Jo’burg.”
“Is that where your family live?”
“Mum is from England and always had an affinity with the place. She’s dead now. Sorry I really must get changed.”
They start to walk again and Elizabeth has to speed up her pace to keep stride with Kara.
“Is your father still in Africa?”
“Yes, though he travels a lot and is hardly there. I don’t have much to do with it now, I never go back, not since I came over to Cambridge for my degree.”
“Oh really. When was that?”
“Years ago. Ethics. I met Jonathan at a ball. Here in fact. Trinity. Well, bye.”
Kara begins to walk away from Elizabeth, towards Rebecca’s rooms, but Elizabeth stops dead where she is, to try to keep the conversation going for as long as possible. Kara politely halts.
“Oh, you’re both alumni? Trinity punts, a good perk.”
“For him, yes. No, nothing so grand for me. I just liked the look of the city. I was at Cambridge polytechnic as it was then. Anglia Ruskin now, still stuck out on the East Road, with its burger bars and pound shops. It tries to blend in and is expanding. But it’s no cigar. Jonathan has the breeding, I just have the money. Nouveau riche I believe it’s called in Europe?”
“I do admire your engagement ring and earrings. They are very large.”
“Jonathan spoils me. Well I think this is me.”
“Quite. Nice meeting you Miss Anderson. I hope Jonathan manages to catch up with Rebecca.”
“I’m sure he will. Goodbye.”
As Elizabeth turns and heads towards the main gate she wonders about Rebecca, who has just dropped this bombshell on her brother and Kara. Kara, or Kat, seemed like a graceful gazelle from the African plains. Though what she was doing with that awful man she really doesn’t know. Good job Rebecca has her family around her. Elizabeth knows more than most how important that is.
20. Gerald
‘Death is a fearful thing.’
William Shakespeare
Elizabeth has left Kara at King’s, picked up her bicycle and made her way down Trumpington Street. She cycles past Corpus Ch
risti, Pembroke, Peterhouse, and finally the white pillared front of the Fitzwilliam Museum. She is soon seated at a mezzanine table in a far corner of Browns restaurant, a pile of unmarked essays sitting next to her. Listening to a jazz pianist play Autumn Leaves, Elizabeth surveys the ambient room, full of laughing happy people; it feels like a world away from the past twelve or so hours. She has come to have lunch with Emily Masters, an esteemed Professor of the classics at the university, and fellow of Emmanuel College, who also happens to be her oldest and dearest friend. They often make this a lunchtime haunt as it is close enough for them to have a noon time interlude from never-ending academic responsibilities. Emily enters through wood panelled revolving doors, a little late having played catch up all day. She spots Elizabeth and points to the mâitre d’, who walks her over to the semi-secluded vantage point. Thin as a pencil, Emily wears a very expensive deep grey jacket and skirt, hugging her frame, and a ruffled cream blouse. With grey stockings and black suede high heels, she looks far younger than her fifty seven years. Emily kisses the mâitre d’ one on each cheek. The mâitre d’ knows her well and asks if she’d like ‘the usual?’ and if Professor Green would like ‘a top up?’ to which she nods and Elizabeth gratefully thanks him. The mâitre d’ promptly walks off in the direction of an art deco bar, and Emily sits down. She removes fitted gloves to reveal immaculately painted nude nails and a huge diamond ring. Reeking haute couture, with freshly blow dried auburn hair set this morning, she is the most elegant woman in the room.
“I must apologise for being late. I was kept back by the Master.”
“Have you been naughty again Emily?”
“If only. I don’t know how he expects us to tutor the freshers and final years this term with less of us now. My one-on-ones are banked up until the fourth of July.”
“You are their favourite professor.”
“I mustn’t grumble. Oh how the charmed live. Talking of charm, how is my favourite person in the whole world?”
“You must mean Pepper?”
“No, Elizabeth, though Pepper and I had a lovely walk on Jesus Green this morning. He was playing ball with me for a change and not trying to worry the canal boat cats, the cheeky mutt. He was off the lead yesterday and ran straight into Jesus Green pool. Did you know they’ve opened it now, for the summer?”