Hannah was now shaking her head, and she smiled as she said, ‘I would have to work that one out, Mrs Drayton, but about the word “wisdom”, I’m afraid that he was being more than kind; in fact, imaginative, because I know myself and I know that although I’m not a birdbrain, I’m a very mediocre person inside. I’ve wished, oh, how I’ve wished, I could be different, even like Janie, my sister. Now she is vivacious. Full of personality. Beside her, I’ve always felt like a mouse, but nevertheless I do thank you for telling me what Mr Drayton said. One regret I have is that we didn’t really come to know each other earlier.’
‘I too, my dear. That’s another thing I could never forgive Humphrey for. Anyway—’ She jerked in the chair as if throwing off her morbid feelings of the moment and, now smiling, she said, ‘Talk about visiting the sick to cheer them up, and what do I do? Pour my troubles over you.’
‘You can do that any day in the week, Mrs Drayton. You know that, any day in the week, but please’ – now she was wagging her finger at the older woman – ‘don’t expect to have any wise answers to your problems. It would be much better if you went to a fortune-teller.’
They were both laughing, and as Mrs Drayton got to her feet the front doorbell rang, and now she hurriedly bent forward and kissed Hannah on the cheek, saying, ‘Likely that’ll be another visitor. Goodbye, my dear, I’ll keep in touch.’
‘Do. Do, please.’ Hannah put her hand on to the fine-boned cheek. They stared at each other for a moment before Mrs Drayton picked up her bag and turned about to where Peter, who had now moved the trolley to one side, was making his way towards the door. Just then the bell rang again.
On opening the door, Peter was confronted by Mr Gillyman and his wife, and the gentleman’s greeting was, ‘My! it’s taken you some time,’ to which Peter answered, ‘I’m sorry, sir, but my wings are at the workshop being refuelled.’
‘Now you watch it, laddie!’
‘Be quiet! Let’s get in.’
‘Oh, I’m sorry.’ Gilly’s voice and manner had changed, for now he was addressing Mrs Drayton. ‘Good afternoon. Mrs Drayton, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, Mr Gillyman, it’s Mrs Drayton.’ She smiled gently at him.
‘We’ve met before; it was in Germany – Frankfurt, wasn’t it? At the conference. Oh, and this is my wife. Natasha, this is Mrs Philippa Drayton.’
Smiling, the two women shook hands.
Again Gilly’s voice changed as he said, ‘I was very sorry to hear about your husband. We were well acquainted, he and I. We seemed to meet up at least every year.’
‘Yes; yes, I know you did. He often mentioned you.’
She now smiled and nodded her goodbye before moving to where Peter was holding the door open, and to him she said softly, ‘Thank you for that most lovely tea.’ Then, her voice dropping still further, she said, ‘Will you please tell Mr Craventon I am looking forward to meeting him?’ Peter did not close the door until Mrs Drayton entered the hired car.
‘Oh, what beautiful flowers! And look at that fruit!’
As Natasha greeted Hannah, her husband said, ‘Yes, some people can afford to bring such presents, but we’re not up to it, I’m afraid.’
As she sat down by the head of the couch, Natasha exchanged a smiling glance with Hannah before saying, ‘We’re really not on speaking terms; the man’s impossible. D’you know where he’s had me this afternoon?’
Hannah shook her head.
‘The river.’
‘No! He knows you don’t like the river and he takes you there?’
‘Yes, Hannah, he knows how I hate the river, all rivers, all water, but he takes me there. We were driving along an ordinary side road when he stopped by a high wall. At a green wooden door he said, “Get out; I’ve got something to show you here. Close your eyes.” Yes, he did; he said, “Close your eyes.” I closed my eyes thinking he was about to lead me into a secret garden or something, and after a dozen or more steps he said, “Look at that!” I looked, and there, before me, was a very green lawn leading down . . . sloping down, not a nice flat croquet-looking lawn, no, it was sloping down to the river. And going past was a pleasure steamer full of people! D’you know what he did? He handled me – that’s the word they would use in court, handled – and not gently, and got me into what he called the house; and it was nothing more than a bungalow, a straggling bungalow.’
‘Your informant is wrong, Hannah. There is a beautiful verandah leading off four rooms on the upstairs floor. The bungalow, as your informant misinforms you, is a large house with four main reception rooms as well as kitchen quarters and an annexe for staff. It’s a lovely place.’
‘Yes,’ put in Natasha, ‘and all looking on to water: milling water, boats going up and down, up and down.’
‘Are you thinking of buying it?’ asked Hannah of Gilly, trying to keep her face straight.
‘Of course, my dear; of course I am. Now I put this to you.’ Unceremoniously, he pushed her feet to one side at the end of the couch and sat down, only to be chastised by his wife: ‘What d’you think you’re doing?’ she cried at him. ‘She’s all bruised.’
‘Her feet aren’t.’
‘Anyway, my dear; to answer your question further, I’ll put it like this: if you happen to see a marvellous outfit in a shop window, you know, something like your last lovely one . . . Oh, I’d better not go on. As I was saying, if you were to see this outfit and, just to make it simple, say it’s original price was a hundred pounds and because the shop was closing down it was going for seventy-five, what would you do?’
‘Go in and ask what size it was.’
As both she and Natasha spluttered their laughter Gilly turned his head away, saying, ‘This is no time for frivolity. Houses on that river cost a fortune.’
At this Natasha bent towards Hannah, again saying, ‘You see, Hannah, he’s being offered it at a bargain price—’
‘And you know I can’t resist a bargain! The house is owned by Oscar Overton, a friend of mine, and he’s off to America. And he’s asked me if I’d like to buy it before he puts it on the market. And as my ungrateful partner knows, I love rivers and always longed to live near one, but for years, to please her, I’ve buried myself in the midst of bricks and mortar right in the heart of the city.’
Natasha put in quietly, ‘And at least fifty thousand books.’
‘Oh, here’s tea,’ Hannah said, and as Peter pushed the trolley towards them Gilly, peering down at it, said, ‘My, my! that looks elegant.’ Then glancing up at Peter he said, ‘Were you expecting royalty?’
‘Yes. Yes, sir, we were.’
‘Well, well!’ Gilly was looking at the trolley again. ‘Dinky mats under cups. Good gracious!’ Then, again glancing up at Peter, he said, ‘You’ll be putting socks on the table legs next. Shades of Victoriana.’
‘No, not quite, sir; it’s just that madam prefers tea set like this in the afternoon.’
As he walked away unsmiling, Hannah put her hand to her face to avoid the look that Gilly was bestowing on her, and then, glancing at Natasha, she said, ‘I never ask for afternoon tea, not like this: a cup on a tray does me as a rule, but he’s so good, so kind.’
‘Yes, he is.’
‘Some people are lucky.’ This disgruntled remark came from the far end of the couch; then added to it was, ‘Well, who’s going to pour the tea, then?’
Without further words, Natasha rose to her feet and went to the trolley to officiate, and immediately her husband moved up the couch to take her place beside Hannah, and quietly said, ‘How are you feeling, Hannah?’
‘Much better, thanks, Gilly.’
‘Your back easier?’
‘Oh yes, quite a bit.’
He leant closer to her now and, taking her hand, he whispered, ‘When you’re on your feet again I’ll take you out a
nd show you this house.’
And she whispered back, ‘Sounds intriguing; I’d love to see it.’
‘Do you like rivers?’
‘Yes.’ She glanced sideways towards Natasha, but that lady, with head bent, was busily pouring tea. ‘David took me up the river on a pleasure steamer recently. It’s amazing how different the city looks from that perspective.’
The whisper was not quiet as it said, ‘D’you think you could put a word in for me?’ Gilly’s head was jerked towards his wife, and Hannah, adopting his tone, said, ‘I’ll do my best. I can’t promise results, but I’ll try.’
‘Well, anyway, I feel I’ve got someone on my side. That big stiff-neck back in the office is in sympathy with people who are obstinate about rivers.’
A few minutes later, when they were well into the tea, Gilly looked at the two pieces of bread and butter now left on the plate and said, ‘If nobody wants those I’ll finish them; I never get bread and butter like this at home.’
As Natasha shook her head, Hannah reached over and, lifting the other plate, said, ‘Look, there’s only one cake left; it’s a shame to let it go back into the kitchen.’
‘I’m with you.’ Gilly picked up the cake and put it on the side of his plate; then, leaning towards her, said, ‘Can you hear anything?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, can’t you already hear the echo of the telling-off I’m going to get once I get out of this flat?’
She nodded at him, saying, ‘Yes; yes, I can.’
‘And what d’you think?’
‘I think you rightly deserve it.’
And so the banter went on for another fifteen minutes until they, too, were about to take their leave. It was then that Gilly, putting his hand into his coat pocket, brought out a narrow box, which he handed to Hannah, saying, ‘A pre-engagement present.’ Then he immediately turned to his wife and said, ‘Well, come on; dust the crumbs off yourself. You always were a messy eater.’
For answer, Natasha breathed more deeply, and said to Hannah, ‘Open it.’
Slowly Hannah undid the pretty wrapping, to reveal a deep-blue velvet-covered box, with a gold emblem of hands on the lid. When she opened it, she continued to stare down at the gold-linked wristwatch lying there; then looking from one to the other she asked, ‘Why?’
‘Haven’t I just told you, woman!’ Gilly’s voice was loud. ‘It’s a pre-engagement gift.’
‘But . . . but I’m not . . . we’re not, and this is too—’
‘Listen!’ It was Natasha bending over her now, saying quietly, ‘You may not be engaged at the moment, but you will be shortly. Your divorce will take no time, nor will David’s, when he gets down to it. The only snag with his is that maniac of a wife he has. She fought against the separation and likely she’ll do the same about the divorce. But we’ll deal with that when the time comes.’
‘Oh, I don’t know what to say—’ Hannah’s voice broke now as she clasped the small box to her. ‘Your kindness overwhelms me.’
‘Well, all I can say is, it’s about time you were overwhelmed about something. To my mind, loneliness is a thing apart, and that man imposed it on you. Oh, he was a brute. Goodbye, then, my dear; we really must get back to the house, because himself will be tearing his hair to get back here. That man is inordinately fond of you, you know.’
‘Yes, yes, Natasha, I know. But even so, it can’t be more than I am of him.’
‘What are you two whispering together? Come along, Tishy, don’t take all day.’
Natasha flicked a glance at her husband, smiled grimly, then stood to the side to allow him to take her place; and when he looked down on Hannah and said one word, ‘Well?’ she replied, ‘It’s silly to say I’m lost for words but I really am, Gilly, I really am. It’s so good of you.’
‘You like it?’
‘Oh, how could I do anything but love it?’
‘Well, put it on.’
‘Oh, oh! Oh, yes.’ Hannah took the watch from its case and Gilly helped her to adjust it to her wrist, muttering, ‘Why do they make such fancy snappers, one would have been enough, not two. But there, that’s fixed.’
‘It’s beautiful. Oh, really beautiful.’
‘She chose it.’ Gilly jerked his head towards his wife. ‘Good taste in some things.’
‘Oh, Natasha, I could never have imagined having anything like this in my life.’
‘Why not, with the fortune that’s been left to you?’
‘Oh, yes’ – she put her head back and laughed – ‘I . . . I forget about that. That’s another thing I can’t believe.’
‘Well, to my mind you earned that.’ Gilly was nodding to her now. ‘What d’you say, my dear?’
‘Yes, indeed; indeed you’ve earned it; but there’s something or someone you’d rather have at this moment than all the money in the world, if I know anything, so we’d better get back to my husband’s right-hand, left-hand and brains man.’
‘That’s a new one, that is’ – Gilly was nodding at Natasha now – ‘right-hand, left-hand and brains. Well, well! we’ll have to find out how you’ve come to that conclusion.’
‘Yes, dear. Come along, and we’ll discuss it on the way.’ They both bent over her and said their goodbyes.
Peter was waiting to see them to the door, where there was another exchange of banter.
After closing the door on them, Peter went to the couch, saying, ‘A lovely couple.’
‘Yes, aren’t they? And I’m sure, Peter, he looks forward to the sparring match.’
‘Yes, I’m sure he does. He had it all planned out what he was going to say.’
‘You think so?’
‘Oh, yes, yes. It was almost a verbal boxing match when we were clearing this flat out.’
Hannah sat back on the couch and said, ‘It’s been a lovely afternoon. And, Peter, look at this.’ She held out her wrist, and he, taking her hand, stared at the watch, and after a moment he said, ‘My! that’s beautiful. It’s a Cartier, studded with diamonds.’
‘What!’
‘Oh, yes, madam; Cartier wouldn’t use glass, madam. And Mr Gillyman is not the kind of man to give anyone he likes a cheap present; and apart from his liking you for yourself, he’s also grateful to you for bringing happiness into Mr David’s life, because between you and me, madam, it’s been pretty barren over the last years and very uncomfortable into the bargain; we seem to have been hiding, as it were, going from one place to another, and you know the reason.’
‘Oh, yes; yes.’ She nodded, her face no longer smiling. ‘From the little I’ve heard of her, and the very sight of her, I think she could be a dreadful woman. She must be very dominant.’
‘You’ve said it; you’ve said it, madam. Very dominant. Even her two brothers, and they’re no weaklings, need help with her at times. Oh, more often than not. And you know, since her visit here, he’s more uneasy than ever and wonders if we shouldn’t make yet another move.’
‘Oh, that’d be a pity because he’s made the place so comfortable.’
Peter now straightened and looked around the room and, as if reckoning up, he said, ‘It would take her about three minutes to devastate the lot: bedroom, kitchen and upstairs too. A whirlwind is nothing to her when she gets going. She should have been put away years ago. Everybody says that about her. But then there are the brothers, and she could have no better guardians inside a psychiatric hospital than she has outside with them. But I can’t understand, never have been able to, why they put up with her. They let their mother go without a qualm, and their other sister was there long before they had any say in the matter.’
When the telephone rang he smiled at her and said, ‘Well, here we go again.’
A few moments later he came back to the couch, exclaiming softly, ‘It�
�s your sister; she seems in a bit of a state. Apparently she’s been getting the wrong number.’
‘Oh; I’ll get up.’
‘No; you’ll stay where you are, madam. The wire will stretch to the couch.’
Janie said, ‘Hello! Are you there?’
‘Yes, Janie; I’m here.’
‘Oh, my! woman, how are you? I’ve been worried to death since David phoned me. I’ve not had a minute when I haven’t been surrounded by kids and he told me you had visitors this afternoon. What’s happened? Can you talk now?’
Hannah sighed. ‘Well, now,’ she said, ‘I could if you’d let me get a word in.’ She then related all that had happened since the day of the funeral, ending with her encounter with Humphrey.
‘I went straight back to the flat to collect my things, but Humphrey came on the scene and tried to kill me. He’d have succeeded too had it not been for the taxi driver waiting for me outside. He heard me scream, and rushed in and just managed to stop Humphrey from throttling me. Things went a bit dim after that, and the next thing I remember is lying in bed here.’
‘Wait till Eddie hears about this.’
‘Janie, as I’ve told you before, if Eddie organises any rough stuff it’s only going to upset me more. Humphrey’s paid enough already, and he’ll go on paying because he knows that when his aunt dies he’ll not get a penny.’
Janie was silent for a moment; then said, ‘I’d love to come and see you, but there’s the tribe.’
‘Well, bring them.’
‘The lot?’
‘Yes, the lot; of course, the lot.’
‘When?’
‘Well, whichever day suits you. I’ll be here taking things easy for the next few days; it’s only when I try to walk, my shoulders won’t move, they’re so sore. Make it any day you like, but give me a ring first.’
The Thursday Friend Page 25