Everything to Gain. Barbara Taylor Bradford

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СКАЧАТЬ T-shirt and white shorts, I stood in front of the mirror, peering at myself and grimacing at my image. I realized that I had spent far too long in the garden unprotected yesterday afternoon; my freckles seemed to have multiplied by the dozen.

      A few fronds of hair frizzled around my temples and ears, and I sighed to myself as I slicked them back with water, wishing, as I so frequently did, that I was a pale, ethereal blonde. As far as I’m concerned, my colouring is much too vibrant, my eyes almost unnaturally green. I have inherited my colouring from my father; certainly there is no mistaking whose daughter I am. My eyes mirror his, as does my hair. Mind you, his is a sandy tone now, although it was once as fiery as mine, and his eyes are not quite as brightly green as they once were.

      That’s one of the better things about getting older, I think: everything starts to fade. I keep telling myself that I’m going to look like the incomparable Katharine Hepburn when I’m in my seventies. ‘Let’s only hope so,’ Andrew usually remarks when I mention this little conceit of mine. And it is wishful thinking on my part; what woman doesn’t want those lean, thoroughbred looks of hers, red-headed or not.

      Brushing back my hair, I secured it with a rubber band, then tied a piece of white ribbon on my pony tail and ran down the stairs.

      My little office, where I did paperwork and household accounts, was situated at the back of the house, looking out towards the vegetable garden. Seating myself at the large old-fashioned desk, which we had found at Cricket Hill, a local antique shop, I picked up the phone and dialled our apartment in New York.

      On the third ring my mother-in-law answered with a cheery, very British, ‘Hello?’

      ‘It’s me, Diana,’ I said, ‘and the top of the morning to you.’

      ‘Good morning, darling, and how is it out there?’ she asked. Not waiting for my response, she went on, ‘It’s frightfully hot here in the city, I’m afraid.’

      ‘I thought it would be,’ I answered. ‘And we’re having the same heat wave in Connecticut. All I can say is, thank God for air-conditioning. Anyway, how are my holy terrors today?’

      She laughed. ‘Divine. And I can’t tell you how much I relish having them to myself for a couple of days. Thanks for that, Mal, it’s so very sweet and considerate of you, letting me get to know my grandchildren in this way.’

      ‘They love you, Diana, and they enjoy being with you,’ I said, meaning every word, then asked, ‘And what are you planning to do with them?’

      ‘I’m taking them to the Museum of Natural History, after breakfast. You know how they are about animals, and especially dinosaurs. Then I thought I’d bring them home for a light lunch, since it’s so nice and cool in the flat. I promised to take them to F. A. O. Schwartz after their nap. We’re going shopping for toys.’

      ‘Don’t spoil them,’ I warned. ‘Doting grandmothers have been known to spend far too much money at certain times. Like when they’re on holiday visits.’

      Diana laughed, and over her laughter I heard my daughter wailing in the background. Then Lissa said in a shrill voice, ‘Nanna! Nanna! Jamie’s broken my bowl and the goldfish is on the carpet. Dying.’ The wailing grew louder, more dramatic.

      ‘I didn’t do it on purpose!’ Jamie shouted.

      My mother-in-law had not spoken for a moment, no doubt distracted by this sudden racket exploding around her. Now she exclaimed, ‘Oh God, hang on a minute, Mallory, the fish is gasping. I think I’d better grab a glass of water and pop the fish in it. Won’t be a tick.’ So saying she put the phone down.

      I strained to hear my children.

      Jamie cried plaintively, ‘I’m sorry, Lissa.’

      ‘Pick up the phone and speak to your mother,’ I heard Diana instruct from a distance, sounding very brisk and businesslike. ‘She’s waiting to say hello to you, darling. Go on, Lissa, speak to your mummy,’ my mother-in-law commanded in a tone that forbade argument.

      After a moment, a small tearful voice trickled down the wire. ‘Mommy, Jamie’s killed my goldfish. Poor little fish.’

      ‘No, I haven’t!’ Jamie shrieked at the top of his lungs.

      ‘Don’t cry, honey,’ I said to Lissa, then added in a reassuring voice, ‘And I’m sure your goldfish isn’t dead. I bet Nanna has it safely in water already. How did the bowl break?’

      ‘It was Jamie that broke it! He banged on it with a spoon and all the water fell out and my little fish.’

      ‘He must have been banging awfully hard to break the glass,’ I said, ‘perhaps it was already cracked. I’m sure it was an accident, and that he didn’t do it on purpose.’

      In the background, Jamie cried again, ‘I’m sorry.’

      Lissa said, ‘He was banging hard, Mommy. He’s mean, he was trying to frighten Swellen.’

      ‘Swellen?’ I repeated, my voice rising slightly. ‘What kind of name is that?’

      ‘She means Sue Ellen,’ Diana said to me, having relieved my daughter of the phone. ‘And I suspect the fish bowl was defective, Mal. In any case, the goldfish is alive and kicking, or should I say swimming, in one of your Pyrex dishes. I’ll get a goldfish bowl later, at the pet shop where I bought the goldfish yesterday. That’ll make her happy.’

      ‘You don’t have to bother buying a new one,’ I said. ‘There’s a bowl from the florist’s in the cupboard where I keep the vases. It’s perfectly adequate.’

      ‘Thanks for the tip, Mal. Jamie wants to speak to you.’

      My son took the phone. ‘Mom, I didn’t do it on purpose, honestly I didn’t. I didn’t!’ he protested.

      ‘Yes, you did!’ Lissa yelled.

      It was apparent to me that she was standing directly behind Jamie, I heard her so clearly. I murmured, ‘I’m sure you didn’t mean to break it, honey. But tell Lissa you’re sorry and give her a kiss. Then everything will be fine.’

      ‘Yes, Mom,’ he mumbled.

      Because he still sounded tearful, I tried to reassure him. ‘I love you, Jamie,’ I said.

      ‘I love you, too, Mom,’ he answered a bit more cheerfully, and then he dropped the receiver down with a clatter.

      ‘Jamie, ask Nanna to come to the phone!’ I exclaimed, and repeated this several times to no avail. I was about to hang up when Diana finally came back on the line.

      ‘I think peace reigns once more,’ she said, and then chuckled. ‘Oh dear, I do believe I speak too soon, Mal.’

      A door banged; there was the sound of Trixy barking. ‘I guess Jenny just came back from walking the pooch,’ I said.

      ‘Exactly. And I’d better prepare breakfast for my little troop here, then get the twins ready for their outing. And seriously, Mal, everything seems to be all right between them. They’ve kissed and made up, and Sue Ellen is happily contained in the bowl, swimming her heart out.’ She chuckled again. ‘I’d forgotten what a handful six-year-olds СКАЧАТЬ