Thirty - One

As soon as Marjorie was helped onto the bed in the delivery room, she was overcome with fear and regret. Her eyes had the fearful expression of a cornered animal, and her breathing was shallow and quick.

‘Try to breathe deeply and slowly,’ the staff nurse advised.

‘Where’s Ted?’ Marjorie demanded.

‘Your husband?’

‘Of course.’

‘I think he’s on his way.’

‘But where is he? I want him here.’

The staff nurse sighed, then smiled comfortingly at Marjorie as she propped up her pillows. ‘I expect he’ll be here any minute now.’

‘Huh!’ Marjorie exclaimed loudly, deliberately showing the staff nurse what she thought of her husband.

The nurse turned away to conceal an amused smile.

***

Ted was at Charing Cross station when he received news that his wife had gone into labour. He immediately telephoned Donald at the antique shop to share the news, but Bamber answered. Ted paused, pressing the mobile close to his ear, then asked if he could speak to Donald.

‘Who wants him?’ Bamber enunciated carefully, as if demanding a password.

Ted paused again. ‘It’s Ted here.’

‘Ah,’ Bamber chuckled. ‘I thought I could hear trains being announced in the background. Are you Donald’s Shakespeare friend?’

‘Er - ye-es,’ said Ted, guardedly.

‘Sorry? You’ll have to speak up. All I heard was a loudspeaker announcing the next train for Dover.’

‘Yes!’ yelled Ted, looking around foolishly at the people milling about him on the platform. ‘I’m Donald’s Shakespeare friend.’

Bamber sniggered. ‘But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the East and Donald is the sun. D’you like that, Ted?’

Ted was at a loss. ‘Um - I have some news to tell Donald. Can I speak to him, please?’

‘He’s not here. He’s gone out buying.’

‘Could you give him a message for me? Can you tell him my wife’s gone into labour?’

‘I’ll tell him on one condition.’

‘What’s that?’

‘Come round soon and let’s have that threesome.’

Ted was about to speak, to tell Bamber he had to get back on his train, but he was numbed by the thoughts running through his head. Intriguing and deliciously tempting, an invitation to explore things which he had only fantasized about. He was brought back to reality by Bamber’s harsh laugh.

‘Didn’t my partner tell you? I asked him to.’

Ted cleared his throat. ‘I think he may have mentioned it.’

Bamber chuckled delightedly. ‘Well?’

‘Yes. All right. But I really do have to get back on this train. Be sure to give Donald my message.’

‘I will. And I look forward to meeting you properly, Ted.’

Ted hung up quickly and boarded the train.

***

‘Say cheese for a cheesy grin,’ giggled Nigel, his arm round Jackie’s waist. She snuggled up to him and sighed contentedly.

‘Oh, Nigel.’

Vanessa and Nicky exchanged pained expressions, which the photographer caught as he took the picture. ‘Just one more like that,’ he coaxed. ‘And could the girls try to look happy this time.’

Several of Jackie’s relatives and friends stopped smiling and stared at Vanessa and Nicky with enquiring expressions. Nigel sniggered. He was too full of his own satisfaction to worry about his wife’s daughters. The ceremony had gone well, and he had managed to banish the disappointment he felt at his own son not attending, and hadn’t given it another thought since they had arrived at the registry office.

‘Come on, you two,’ he said, heartily. ‘Don’t be miserable all your life. Have a day off.’

Jackie smacked him playfully on the bottom. ‘Behave yourself, you.’

Vanessa, not wanting to be thought of as a complete killjoy, grinned artificially and said, ‘I think he’s got over-excited.’

The photographer gritted his teeth. He had a far more interesting assignment to attend soon and he was becoming anxious. He clapped his hands together and shouted: ‘Come on now, everyone! Big smile! Here we go!’

They all posed, grinning at the lens. Even Nigel’s uncle, who was well into his eighties, and not known for his high spirits, managed a lopsided grin. Unfortunately the camera was unable to capture evidence of this rare smile. The instant was lost as he raised a hand in front of his face to wipe a dew drop from his nose.

***

As soon as Ted walked into the delivery room, Marjorie took the mask away from her face. ‘You took your time,’ she panted. ‘Where’ve you been?’

‘I didn’t think you’d want me here in uniform,’ he said. ‘So I went home to change first.’

‘You’ve got about as much sense as...’ she began. Then, unable to think of a suitable analogy, she smacked the mask back over her mouth and inhaled deeply.

Ted sank unobtrusively into a chair by her bedside.

‘I’ll leave you to it for a minute,’ said the nurse.

Ted looked panic stricken at her departure. ‘But what about...’

The nurse turned at the door and smiled. ‘I don’t think anything’s likely to happen for a while. I won’t be far away if you need me.’

As soon as they were alone, Marjorie glared at her husband over the top of the mask. Ted felt he had to make some sort of gesture of affection, so he stroked her hand gently, but she found his touch feeble, more irritating than comforting, and snatched it away.

‘I’m sorry,’ Ted said.

***

Jackie held Nigel’s hand under the table and beamed at her guests; but as she looked around the table, the smile faded, giving way to a puzzled frown. She hadn’t thought about it up until now, but why did Nigel only have one decrepit old uncle attending? It was odd to go through life without making any friends. No wonder he had moaned about her having eleven guests, not counting Vanessa and Nicky, to attend the wedding. It wasn’t so much a reluctance to pay a hefty bill for the wedding breakfast, she realised, more a feeling of inadequacy. It showed him to lack popularity. She had been going out for almost a year with a man who had no friends, and she had never noticed up until now

Nigel smiled at the waiter who had taken all the orders except for the bride and groom. ‘My wife...’ He stopped to give Jackie a possessively loving glance before continuing. ‘Will have prawn cocktail, followed by the Dover sole. And I’ll have the prawn cocktail to start off with, followed by a sirloin steak.’

Jackie frowned. ‘Is that wise, darling?’

‘Is what wise?’

‘Steak.’

Nigel frowned back at her. ‘What’s wrong with steak?’ He looked pointedly at some of Jackie’s other guests, the ones who had ordered steak.

‘Well...’ Jackie dropped her voice, and glanced shyly up at the waiter, hoping he would come to her rescue.

‘Nothing wrong with the beef, madam,’ he said. ‘Only the best. We’ve never had any complaints.’

Jackie coloured slightly. ‘No, I’m sure it’s perfectly ... but we don’t normally eat red meat.’

Nigel snorted. ‘Speak for yourself.’ He followed this with a bellowing laugh, lest others thought him serious.

‘I mean,’ Jackie went on, becoming more flustered, ‘that fish is far healthier. And Nicky’s practically vegetarian. Aren’t you, Nicky?’

‘I don’t mind fish,’ said Nicky.

‘Oh, well,’ Nigel said, reluctantly, ‘I seem to be outnumbered. I may as well have the sole too. But I warn you, I’m going to be hungry again by dinner time.’

After the orders had been taken, Vanessa stood up and raised her champagne glass, inviting the guests to toast the happy couple. Gratefully, Jackie smiled warmly at her daughter as they all raised their glasses and wished them happiness. And then she noticed that Nicky, who was sitting opposite her, was staring pensively at her glass and hadn’t joined in with the toast. Jackie leaned forward and asked her if anything was wrong.

‘I was just thinking...’ said Nicky.

‘I thought I could smell burning,’ laughed Nigel.

Nicky gave him a withering glance before continuing. ‘I wondered where we’re going to live now you’re both married.’

‘Well,’ said Jackie, taking a delicate sip of champagne, ‘Nigel and I have talked about selling our house and moving into his house.’

‘But what about us?’ demanded Nicky, rather forcefully.

‘There’s enough room for all of us.’

Without warning, Nicky burst into tears. ‘But I’m going to miss my room. I’ve always lived where we are now. I don’t want to move. And you can’t make me.’

She pushed her chair back from the table and ran out of the dining room. The other guests offered Jackie expressions of concern and sympathy, some of them shaking their heads disapprovingly at her daughter’s behaviour. The only one not to have noticed anything was amiss was Nigel’s uncle, who had busied himself with blowing his nose loudly during the exchange, and was now closely examining the discharge in his handkerchief.