‘And whisk you and Edyth off to lunch in the Carleton in Queen Street, to dine in “sophisticated surroundings with beguiling background music”,’ Toby quoted the Carleton’s advertisement from the Glamorgan Gazette.
‘Sorry,’ Peter muttered, ‘I have a funeral in half an hour.’
‘I suppose that’s the problem with being a vicar,’ Toby sympathised. ‘Unlike me you can’t say, “I don’t feel like working today, so push off and bury yourself.”’
‘I have no idea who you are, young man, but that comment borders on blasphemy.’
Anxious always to be the first to know what was going on in the vicarage, Florence had left the dining room ahead of Edyth to join Peter in the hall.
‘You remember Edyth’s elder sister and her husband from our wedding, Mother,’ Peter reminded her.
‘Mrs Ross, isn’t it?’ Florence looked down her long nose at Bella, as Edyth embraced her sister.
‘Yes.’ Bella held Edyth at arm’s length. ‘Are you all right, Edie? You look very pale.’
‘I’m fine,’ Edyth answered unconvincingly.
‘Well, if we can’t take the two of you out to lunch, we’ll just take Edyth,’ Toby announced cheerfully.
‘That is out of the question. Edyth and I have to attend a meeting of the altar flower circle in an hour,’ Florence announced flatly.
‘Please, don’t stand there, Belle, Toby,’ Edyth opened the sitting-room door. ‘Go on in. I’ll ask Judy to bring you coffee.’
‘The maid, Edyth,’ Florence reprimanded. ‘How many times have I told you not to refer to the girl by her Christian name? You’re far too familiar with the servant.’
Drawing strength from Toby and Bella’s presence, Edyth said, ‘I prefer to call her Judy.’
‘I’m sure the ladies of the altar flower circle can do without Edyth for once, Mother. After all, the group looks to you for inspiration and advice.’ Peter softened his suggestion by adding a compliment. ‘And this is the first time Edyth has seen any of her family in over a month.’
‘I suppose we could manage without her,’ Florence said ungraciously.
Edyth took Bella and Toby’s hats and coats and hung them on the stand before going into the kitchen. She turned to see her mother-in-law at her elbow.
‘If you do go to lunch with your sister you’ll have to be back here by half past two,’ Florence warned.
‘Why?’ Edyth lifted a tray down from the top of a cupboard and handed it to Judy, who had already put the kettle on to boil.
‘The Mothers’ Union tea is being held in the church hall this afternoon …’
‘Not until three o’clock and you are chairman. I don’t even qualify as a member,’ Edyth added pointedly with a backward glance into the passage, but Peter had disappeared.
‘I need you to help serve the tea.’
‘Judy or Mrs Mack could assist you.’
‘They’re servants, dear. Besides, you know full well that the maid goes to the grocer’s on Monday afternoon and Mrs Mack always takes a few hours off between lunch and dinner.’
Edyth was convinced that Mrs Mack used the ‘few hours’ to sleep off the effect of the drink she downed in between her morning chores. And she couldn’t understand why Peter still categorically refused to sack the woman, when she grew more insolent by the day towards her and Peter, and ever more subservient towards his mother.
‘Think how it would look, Edyth dear, if you weren’t at the tea,’ Mrs Slater drawled.
‘It would look as though I have taken a day off to visit my family, which I have tried to do every week for the past three weeks without success,’ Edyth replied.
‘You really are unbelievably selfish, Edyth.’
‘Selfish! I –’
‘Edyth, could you come here for a moment, please?’ Peter called from his study.
‘Take tea into the sitting room for three, please, Judy,’ Edyth went to the door.
‘I take it I am not invited to join you and your sister and her husband?’ Florence murmured in a hurt tone.
‘I assumed that you would want to go upstairs to write letters as you usually do after breakfast. Mother, please excuse me, I have to see what Peter wants.’ Reining in her temper, Edyth left Judy laying the tray and went into Peter’s study. Peter was sitting behind his desk. She closed the door behind her.
‘Edyth, please, can’t you have a little patience with Mother?’ he asked.
‘I and my patience are exhausted, Peter.’ She sat on one of his visitors’ chairs and leaned her elbow on his desk. ‘This is our house, but you wouldn’t think it from the way your mother behaves or from the way she insisted on furnishing it. I … I …’ Mindful of Mari’s dictate about not having to take back what had been left unsaid, she bit her lip.
‘You’re what, Edyth?’
She looked up at him, saw concern in his eyes and decided that for once she was going to tell him exactly how she felt. ‘Angry, frustrated and furious. When I married you I assumed that we’d have a normal marriage, which included you sleeping in my bed and didn’t include your mother living with us and taking over my role as mistress of the house.’
‘Keep your voice down,’ he pleaded.
‘Why should I, when Judy, Mrs Mack and your mother know we sleep in separate rooms, and you and Mrs Mack take more notice of what your mother says than me? I want children –’
‘Edyth, please. I have a funeral in half an hour –’
‘There’s always something in half an hour,’ she dismissed, her anger getting the better of her. ‘A funeral, christening, wedding, churching, confirmation, communion or special service. How can I make our marriage work when you won’t even discuss our private life?’ When he didn’t say anything in his own defence she finally voiced the suspicion uppermost in her mind. ‘Are you ill? Is that it? Do you have a contagious disease that you’re afraid of passing on to me?’
He looked at her. There was no anger in his eyes, only a pleading for understanding that she chose to ignore.
‘I am going into the sitting room, I am going to drink tea with Bella and Toby, and then I am going out with them for the day. And frankly, the mood I’m in, I might not come back.’
‘And if I promise you that we’ll talk – really talk – tonight if you do?’
‘Not just over the dinner table with your mother sitting in pride of place?’
‘Of course not at the dinner table. But I have Scouts this evening –’
‘After Scouts,’ she interrupted. ‘I will come in here, sit down and face you across this desk like one of your parishioners and discuss my problems with you. And you’ll listen, even though the only problems I have are with you, your mother and Mrs Mack,’ she added vehemently.
Florence knocked the door once and walked in. ‘Peter, I think it might be an idea for you to host the Mothers’ Union tea if you can spare the time –’
‘Peter doesn’t like people walking into his study, Mother,’ Edyth reminded her.
‘I could hear you, Edyth, so I knew that you two were alone.’
‘We would like to continue our discussion in private.’
‘You weren’t discussing anything with Peter, dear, you were shouting at him, and your sister and her husband could hear you in the sitting room. Really, Edyth, I thought you’d have more consideration, if not for yourself, then for Peter.’
‘Mother, Edyth and I have decided that she should have a day to herself once a week,’ Peter said before Edyth had time to think of an apt retort to his mother’s comments.
‘Are you sure that’s wise, considering all the things that have to be done in the parish?’ Florence said even more softly than usual.
‘Yes, I do, Mother. And now I have to go to the church to prepare for the funeral. Will you be back for dinner, Edyth?’
‘No,’ she said decisively, determined to stay away from Florence for as long as possible, although she doubted that she’d find her any less irritating on her return. ‘But I will be b
ack by nine o’clock. Scouts will have finished by then and we’ll have that talk.’
‘I’ll see you then. I’ll just pop in and make my apologies to Bella and Toby. Mother,’ he smiled at Florence, ‘I’ll see you at lunch.’
Edyth knew her mother-in-law was furious that she’d been thwarted in the plans she’d made for both of them for that day. But much as she wanted to, she didn’t allow herself a smile of triumph. Not even a small one.
Toby jumped out of the taxi he’d hired to drive him, Bella and Edyth from the vicarage to the centre of Cardiff. He held the door open and kissed Bella’s cheek as she passed. ‘Do some serious shopping, Bopsy. I’ll meet you both in the Carleton at one.’
‘You’re not coming with us?’ Edyth asked.
‘Have to meet a new client who wants to be painted for posterity, but I’ll be through by lunchtime. See you then.’ He kissed Edyth’s cheek, then Bella’s again, and stepped back in the taxi.
‘Coffee in Gwilym James’s tea shop first?’ Bella asked.
‘So you can interrogate me?’
‘You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to, Edie. But everyone in the family is worried about you. Your letters aren’t a bit like you. All about church meetings and functions and no mention of anything personal. And you’re always promising us a visit and never turning up.’
‘So Mam and Dad sent you down here?’ Edyth guessed.
‘Toby had to come anyway and I have some news.’ Edyth looked into her sister’s face. She wasn’t just happy and smiling, she was positively blooming.
‘You’re having a baby?’ she guessed.
‘I am. Toby’s over the moon, and Mam and Dad …’ Her face fell slightly. ‘The last thing I want to do is crow, Edyth.’
‘And you’re not.’ Edyth flung her arms around her sister’s neck. It would be churlish of her to begrudge Bella and Toby their happiness just because her own marriage hadn’t worked out the way she’d expected it to. ‘I’m so happy for you and Toby. I’m going to be an aunt again.’ She wiped a tear from her eye.
‘Come on, Edyth.’ Bella wrapped her arm around her sister’s shoulders. ‘Let’s find a quiet table where we can talk.’
It was still early, and the tea shop was deserted. Bella took possession of a table in the furthest corner from the door and the kitchens, divested Edyth of her hat and coat, and ordered scones and tea for two.
Edyth pulled her handkerchief from her pocket. ‘I suppose you heard me shouting at Peter this morning.’
‘Toby and I couldn’t help it, Edie,’ Bella said apologetically. ‘I thought your mother-in-law was difficult at your wedding, but she’s a living nightmare. How long is she staying with you?’
‘She’s moved in.’
‘Permanently? And you let her?’ Bella cried indignantly.
‘It was understood between her and Peter that she would move in with him as soon as he had a place of his own.’
‘And you went along with it?’
Edyth shrugged. ‘What else could I do? Tell Peter his mother wasn’t welcome in his house?’
‘It’s your house, too, and frankly, if I had a mother-in-law who behaved the way Mrs Slater does, I’d do just that. Did you know that she was going to move in when you spent most of your honeymoon at home?’
‘Yes.’
‘And you never said.’
‘There didn’t seem to be any point. How is David, really?’ Edyth asked, wanting to change the subject.
‘As I’ve said in my letters, and told you this morning, on the mend. Harry’s hoping he’ll be allowed out of hospital in a couple of weeks. Mam and Dad are pressing Harry and Mary to stay with them until after Christmas, and then go home with the children afterwards. It would be wonderful if you and Peter could come, too. There’s bags of room, between our house and Mam and Dad’s.’
‘It’s Peter’s busiest time.’
‘You won’t even be home for Christmas?’ Bella cried in disbelief.
Not trusting herself to speak, because she couldn’t bear the thought of spending Christmas anywhere but at home, Edyth shook her head.
‘Edyth,’ Bella lowered her voice to a whisper, ‘Toby and I overheard what you said to Peter this morning about separate bedrooms …’
‘He hasn’t made love to me if that’s what you’re wondering,’ Edyth revealed. She hadn’t realised how desperate she had been to talk to someone about her problems with Peter until that moment.
‘You have to ask him why,’ Bella advised strongly.
‘If you heard that much you must have heard us making arrangements to talk this evening.’ Edyth was amazed that Bella wasn’t more surprised by the revelation, but then, she had overheard the argument.
‘Have you any idea why he won’t sleep with you?’ Bella asked quietly.
‘Only what I said, that he’s ill. I have no idea if it’s true but it’s the only explanation I can think of that makes sense. Other than I’m so disgusting he can’t bear to come near me.’
‘You know that’s not true, Edie.’
Edyth reached across the table and grabbed her sister’s hand. She held it until the waitress brought their order. Glancing around the room, which was still more than half-empty, she saw Harry striding towards their table.
‘Why do I get the feeling that I’ve been set up?’ Edyth looked from her brother to her sister.
‘I own this store – remember?’ Harry pulled a chair out from under the table and joined them. ‘Tea and scones for me too, please, Eira.’
‘Yes, Mr Evans.’ The waitress scurried away.
‘You knew where to find us?’ Edyth asked.
‘Bella happened to mention that you might come shopping here this morning to take advantage of the family discount,’ he said lightly.
‘Happened to mention?’
‘All right,’ Harry conceded, ‘we’re concerned about you.’
‘I get the message. But I married Peter. The problem is mine and I’ll sort it out,’ she said firmly.
‘The sooner the better from the look of you, Edie,’ Harry said soberly.
‘What do you mean?’ she asked indignantly.
‘You’ve lost an alarming amount of weight in a month, your hair’s scraggy and in need of a good cut, and you look tired.’
‘The hair we’ll remedy this morning,’ Bella said cheerfully. ‘I’ve already booked appointments for us at the salon upstairs. You’ll meet us at the Carleton, Harry?’
‘If the board meeting I called finishes in time. If not I should make coffee.’
‘And then Edyth and I –’
‘And then Edyth will go home,’ Edyth interrupted Bella.
‘You told Peter that you wouldn’t be back until after dinner. I heard you.’
‘My mother-in-law has a Mothers’ Union tea.’ Edyth dropped two sugar cubes into her cup and stirred it. ‘She asked Peter to call in, but he won’t, because he can’t stand the vice-chairwoman. So he’ll be alone in his study. Judy will be out shopping and Mrs Mack will be taking a couple of hours off, so we’ll have the house to ourselves. It will be a good time to sort out our problems.’
‘And when you have, you’ll come and visit home soon?’ Harry pressed.
Edyth smiled at her brother and sister. ‘I promise.’
‘And if you want me to talk to Peter, I’ll be here all day –’
‘That won’t be necessary, Harry.’
‘But you have the telephone number of the store, just in case.’
‘You two know something, don’t you?’ She looked from Bella to Harry.
‘We don’t know anything you don’t, Edie,’ Harry assured her.
‘But you suspect something,’ she persevered.
‘Talk to Peter. Whatever is wrong between you should be discussed by you two and no one else,’ Harry declared. ‘I hope I’m wrong about Peter. But if I’m not, I’ll never forgive myself for not stopping you from marrying him. But you have to hear it from him, Edie. Not me.’
&nbs
p; Edyth walked from the city centre to the docks after lunch. It was a cold, dry day and she was enjoying the fresh air and the prospect of a few hours to herself. Her newly cut and permanently waved hair was safely tucked beneath her hat and after spending the morning with Bella and eating lunch with her sister, Toby and Harry, she felt confident enough to tackle Peter and the world. She was also angry with herself for not confronting Peter sooner and for allowing him to move into a separate bedroom.
She tip-toed past the church hall, lest anyone hear her passing and drag her inside. Judging by the noise, the Mothers’ Union tea was in full swing.
She opened the front door of the vicarage and stepped inside. The house was so deathly quiet she could hear Peter’s mother’s clock ticking in the sitting room. She hung her coat and hat on the stand and carried the bag of underclothes and cosmetics she had bought upstairs. She opened her bedroom door and froze. Peter was lying in bed with Constable Jones. They were clinging to one another, kissing the way a man did a woman …
Hating herself for watching, yet unable to move, she continued to stare into the room, at Peter and the young man. The clothes – shirts, trousers and underclothes scattered around the bed …
Peter looked over the young man’s shoulder. He saw her and his eyes widened in horror. ‘Edyth …’
She hung her head and turned her back to him.
Mrs Mack was behind her, blocking her path. An evil smile of pure delight lifted her crabbed features.
‘Now perhaps you can understand why your husband doesn’t want you in his bed, Mrs Slater.’
She dropped her bag and fled down the stairs. She heard Peter cry out her name behind her. She lifted her hat and coat from the rack and wrestled with the lock that refused to open.
She heard Peter shout, ‘That’s the end of your blackmailing, Mrs Mack. Pack your bags and leave.’
Finally she managed to wrench the door open and ran out of the house and across the courtyard. She could hear the slap of Peter’s bare feet chasing after her. His voice, high-pitched and anguished, calling her name.
Tiger Bay Blues Page 40