Literary Remains
Page 20
Terrance was surprised that Brendan and Donna hadn’t been woken by the noise, but Wendy pointed out that Donna, at least, used earplugs at night because of Brendan’s snoring. When they heard the story the following morning she denied this, but both admitted that they hadn’t been disturbed. Both Wendy and Terrance accepted the events that night at face value, but it was Donna who had her doubts. She was convinced that something else must have happened between Robert and Georgina, and when she remembered the odd glances that she had previously seen them exchange she became convinced that there was more to it. Apparently in corroboration of this, those glances had now ceased, and, in fact, Georgina seemed to go out of her way to avoid Robert’s company and appeared to do her best not to meet his eyes when he looked at her. Certainly they did not speak to each other over the coming days, and Donna was faced with a dilemma.
She made her decision a few nights later after a long talk with Brendan. The next morning she took Wendy to one side and was told that she was talking rubbish and, frankly, it was none of her business. It caused Wendy some doubt, however, and she too began to scrutinise the two of them and voiced her concern to Robert on the day before they were all due to leave the cottage. Already frustrated by the turn of events, and some days after it had happened doubting his memory of them, he accused his wife of not trusting him and realised with annoyance that he was being hypocritical. He walked into the living room, thinking it was empty but found Terrance and Georgina there. He could never recall what Terrance had said to him or why he had taken offence, but the argument the followed was all the more unpleasant because it had not been about anything of importance.
The following morning, before they left, everyone who had said anything out of turn the previous day apologised to everyone else and good relations were re-established. When the three couples left in their separate cars only Donna was in tears, convinced that she had been misunderstood by everybody.
That December Christmas cards were exchanged as usual, but the following year Donna felt unable to arrange the usual holiday for all of them. Twelve months later Wendy booked a holiday cottage for four in the Peak District, and at the last moment Terrance and Georgina felt able to accept the invitation.
LITERARY REMAINS & Other Stories
Copyright © 2012 by R. B. RUSSELL
The right of R. B. Russell to be identified as Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Originally published in printed book form by PS Publishing Ltd in May 2010. This electronic version published in January 2012 by PS by arrangement with the author. All rights reserved by the author.
These stories previously appeared as noted: ‘Llanfihangel’ (pseud. Elizabeth Brown), Strange Tales II, ed. Rosalie Parker, 2007; ‘Loup-garou’; The Werewolf Pack, ed. Mark Valentine, 2008; all other stories are original to this collection.
FIRST EBOOK EDITION
ISBN 978-1-848632-35-6
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
The author would like to thank Rosalie Parker and Jim Rockhill.
PS Publishing Ltd
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Contents
Literary Remains
LITERARY REMAINS
AN ARTIST’S MODEL
LLANFIHANGEL
UNA FURTIVA LAGRIMA
ANOTHER COUNTRY
LOUP-GAROU
BLUE GLOW
A REVELATION
ASPHODEL
WHERE THEY CANNOT BE SEEN
LITERARY REMAINS & Other Stories