The clump of the lavatory chain and the heavy splash of water filling the overhead cistern sounded throughout the cottage. Then there was a clatter on the stairs and Linda appeared, quickly followed by her mother trying to catch hold of her. ‘I told you, madam. Stay upstairs.’
Linda took no notice. She ran to Ted. ‘Daddy.’ She scrambled onto his knee, her arm wound tight around his neck. ‘Where’ve you been?’ She grabbed his chin, pulled his face down to hers. ‘I’ve missed you.’
‘Sorry, love, I’ve been busy in the shop. Have you had a nice holiday?’ Ted held her close.
‘Yes. Uncle Peter takes us to the beach.’
Mary didn’t miss the small automatic drawing in of Ted’s eyebrows.
The little girl bobbed her head as she spoke. ‘But we have to come home now, don’t we?’ She screwed her head round to look up at Ellen. ‘Eh, Mummy, don’t we have to go home?’ There was anxiety in her voice. ‘And I miss Beauty.’
‘I’ve been feeding him and changing his water,’ Ted reassured her. ‘Her budgie. Got him for her birthday,’ he said, answering Mary’s look of enquiry.
‘He’s blue and he talks,’ Linda said, ‘nearly.’
‘That’s nice, love.’ Mary smiled at her, standing up. She pointed to her chair. ‘Sit down,’ she said to her sister.
‘No.’ Ellen didn’t take her eyes off Ted. ‘I’m okay.’
Mary lifted William out of her sister’s arms. ‘Sit,’ she said again and then wriggled her fingers at her neice. ‘Come on, sweetheart, let’s go and play in the garden.’
Obstinate, Linda clutched tighter to Ted. ‘No.’
‘Go on, love,’ he said, ‘go and do as Auntie Mary says, there’s a good girl.’ She wailed but let herself be put onto the floor and led away. ‘Me and Mummy have things to talk about.’ He glanced at Ellen. ‘And then, soon, we’ll all go home.’
Mary heard the sharp intake of breath and saw her sister fold her arms. ‘Give him a chance,’ she hissed, making for the back door.
Outside the sun had shifted around, casting the garden nearest the cottage in shadow. Mary shivered.
The children squirmed until she let go of them and they ran along the path into the sunshine. William’s unsteady gait, a rolling from side to side, reminded Mary of her father’s walk. They followed a large seagull that was strutting about and managing to stay a few feet away from them. She moved from the steps to the low wall to sit watching the children in case they went too near the greenhouse. She wrapped her cardigan around her and hunched over. Shadowed from the sun the back garden hadn’t much warmth in it. Deliberately turning her back she realised that, even above the rhythmic sigh of the incoming tide, she could still hear Ted talking.
‘Whatever’s wrong, tell me and we can sort it. I can’t live without you and the kids.’
‘No.’
Nothing more was said. The minutes dragged by. Mary hesitated, not sure what to do. If it was true what Ellen said, life at Henshaw Street must be unbearable for her sister and Ted needed to know how bad things were. But was it only that? Was Ted having an affair? And would their marriage survive such betrayal?
Since Tom died, so much had happened; so many secrets rising to the surface, some still being kept. Mary covered her face with her hands. When she looked up the children were sitting on the path watching the seagulls circling around them. They were safe for the moment. And they needed to be safe in the future. If she couldn’t be truthful to Peter about Tom, if she couldn’t bring herself to ask him how he really felt about what Frank had done to her, she could at least do something about her sister and Ted.
She moved quickly, up the steps and into the kitchen. Ted was still at the table. Ellen, arms crossed, had her back to him and was leaning on the doorframe facing the parlour.
‘Why don’t you take the kids to the beach and let them have a run around?’ Ellen refused to move. Mary raised her voice. ‘So you can have a talk.’
Ellen glowered over her shoulder. ‘I’ll think about it.’
‘You won’t just think, you’ll do it.’ Mary caught her lower lip with her teeth. Ellen wouldn’t like what she had to say next. ‘I’ll be honest with you. You can’t stay here forever. This place is too small for all of us. You need to get things sorted.’