Women of a Dangerous Age. Fanny Blake

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СКАЧАТЬ to point out the two rogue eyebrow hairs that curled over the frames of his specs. No. No longer her concern.

      ‘The holiday’s obviously done you good,’ he commented. Now she’d arrived, he could relax.

      They clinked glasses, more out of habit than good cheer.

      ‘How was it? Christmas, I mean,’ she asked.

      ‘Quiet. I took Nic and Tom to dinner at the Mermaid’s Heart, that new fusion restaurant in Shoreditch. I thought being at home might make things a bit difficult, with you not being there and Jamie and Rose in Canada. Besides, can you imagine if I’d tried my hand at a turkey … ashes is the only word that leaps to mind.’

      Surprised by this unusual sensitivity towards their children, she laughed nonetheless.

      ‘Where were you?’ he asked. So he was interested after all.

      ‘At a tented camp, sitting around a blazing fire under the stars. Not a turkey or a Christmas tree in sight.’ To be teleported there right now would be a prayer answered.

      ‘Camping?! That’s not like you. The Lou I know likes her creature comforts: good food and wine, sprung mattresses, hot water on tap, light to read by.’

      ‘Oh, we had all that. I didn’t know tents like those existed, or I’d have gone long ago. And there wasn’t a boy scout to be seen.’ She was about to wax lyrical about the luxury they’d enjoyed – the comfortable beds, the electric light, the home-cooked meals, the showers – when she noticed that he’d adopted that look she knew so well. Indulge her for a while and then, with a bit of luck, she’ll shut up and we can get onto the main agenda so I can get off to do the next thing on mine. Well, if that’s the way you want to play it, bring it on, she thought, draining her vodka. Feeling suitably fortified, she summoned up all her sangfroid and leaned forward. Then I’ll begin.

      ‘Actually, I called you for a reason.’

      Hooker looked gratifyingly alarmed by her earnest expression, then snuck a look at his watch. ‘Come on, then. Spit it out. Whatever it is, can’t be that bad.’

      ‘There’s no easy way of putting this. I’ve got some news for you that you may be less than happy with.’ She hesitated and took a sip of the white wine, then taking a breath, she braced herself.

      ‘We’re going to be grandparents!’ There.

      ‘What? Jamie and Rose?’ He banged his glass on the table, looking more pleased than she could remember seeing him in a long time. ‘That’s terrific news. But why didn’t they tell me themselves? Perhaps they thought I’d prefer it if they’d waited till after they’d got married. Well, I would of course. The timing’s not perfect. But when’s the baby due? Are they bringing the marriage forward? My God!’ He crashed his fist onto the table, so his beer almost slopped over the edge of his glass. ‘A grandfather. That’s not something I ever expected to be so soon. What about you? Grandparents, eh? This calls for something stronger.’

      Lou sat silent, unable to interrupt. Then, as he sat back, beaming with pleasure, she prepared herself to prick his balloon.

      ‘No, not Jamie and Rose.’ She took another sip.

      ‘Not Jamie and Rose.’ He repeated her words slowly as he absorbed their meaning. ‘Who then? Tom?’ He shook his head. ‘The little idiot. How many times have I warned him about not using condoms.’ He gave a little snort of laughter.

      I bet you have, she thought. One of your specialist subjects, no doubt. There was an underlying pride in his voice at having a son who sowed his wild oats with abandon and virility. Every feminist bone in her body objected to his tone but she bit back any comment. This was not the time for personal recrimination. This was a moment when they should be pulling together. Let’s get this over with.

      ‘No,’ she said, her fingers stroking the stem of her glass. ‘Not Tom. Nic.’

      As he stared at her, she thought his head might explode. His face grew a deeper and deeper shade of red until he let all his breath out in one convulsive rush. ‘Nic? No. She must have made a mistake.’

      ‘There’s no mistake.’ Keep calm, breathe deeply. If anyone’s going to make a scene, it’s not going to be you.

      Hooker seemed genuinely flabbergasted at first, as if unable to believe such a thing of his beloved daughter. Watching his face, Lou saw his thought process: from shock, to confusion, to denial, to acceptance, to fury. With his anger came the return of his power of speech.

      ‘Who’s responsible?’

      Pointing out that Nic inevitably bore fifty per cent of the responsibility would not help. Instead, Lou said, ‘Max, I think.’

      ‘You think? Why aren’t you sure? When I see him, I’ll …’ He stopped, unable to think of a sufficiently terrible threat.

      The people on the next two tables had paused in the conversation and turned to see what was going on.

      ‘Shhh,’ Lou cautioned. ‘There’s no point getting worked up.’

      ‘Worked up? What the hell do you mean? I’ve every right to be worked up. You walk in here and tell me that my daughter’s having a baby and expect me to be calm.’ He lowered his head into his hands. ‘Oh, my God. A grandfather.’ His earlier pride had given way to despair. He angled his head so that he could see her. ‘I definitely need something stronger. A whisky.’

      ‘And you want me to get it?’ Lou bridled at being asked to go to the bar for him a second time. Nor did she relish the idea of a repeat encounter with Tess and her fashionista companions who she’d noticed looking in their direction.

      ‘No, no. I’ll get them. Same again?’ He picked up her empty wine glass as he edged out of the narrow space, his other hand already foraging for the change in his pocket.

      She nodded, relieved to be left on her own for a moment.

      By the time he returned, his expression was something approaching normal. Having finally accepted that a man had defiled his precious only daughter without his consent but with hers, he had moved on to a new tack.

      ‘Presumably you’ve persuaded her that the sensible way to deal with this is for her to have an abortion?’

      Here we go.

      ‘No, I haven’t.’ She registered the taut straight line of his mouth. ‘This is Nic’s life and Nic’s decision. She wants to keep the baby and I only want to support her.’

      ‘For God’s sake, Lou. She’s far too young. Surely even you can see that.’ He was speaking to her as if she was irredeemably stupid. ‘A single mother. My daughter. No.’ He gave a heartfelt groan. If what they were talking about weren’t so serious, Lou would have laughed at the theatricality of his response.

      ‘Hooker, get a grip. Yes, she’s your daughter but she’s not the toddler you built sandcastles with every year any more. She’s not the thirteen-year-old whose pocket money you stopped when she threw her Bacardi Breezer bottles into the neighbours’ garden. She’s got her own life now and she doesn’t have to account to us for what she does any more. Whether you like it or not. Our job’s to give her all the help we can. That’s all we can do.’

      ‘But СКАЧАТЬ