Chapter Seventeen

 

FRANCES AND MOIRA MADE THEIR APPEARANCE, just after we had finished our concert ...and had settled ourselves comfortably in the lounge again, with endless chatter over Robbie’s miraculous achievements ...for they were nothing short of that. There was no other word to explain the phenomena.

“Amy ...Amy, how wonderful to see you again,”

Frances ran up to me and threw her arms around me, hugging me closely whilst Moira stood back, a little shy, awaiting her turn.

“Frances ...Moira ...It’s lovely to see you too. I’m so happy to be back so soon and my … how you do look well ...both of you.”

Frances shook her hair as she removed her head scarf.

“Moira’s doing an essay on some of her school work and I just went along to give her a hand,” she said as she fluttered her long, dark eyelashes, revealing those gorgeous lilac eyes as Stella glanced at me with a suspicious, if loving eye. Not a word had been said about Zubin.

“Are you staying long Amy?” Moira asked timidly and smiled. “I mean, will we be able to go out for long walks and things . . .?”

“I’d love to go shopping Amy,” Frances announced, “I’ve seen some things I’d love and I have a part-time job now, down at the factory in Newton Street. Quite a nice job …I’m a Receptionist there,” she added proudly, “but it’s only three days a week at the moment.”

“Why that’s lovely Frances,” I said turning to both girls, “But I’d love to take you both shopping with me in London ...my treat. How would you like that?”

Dark and red hair danced in the air at that suggestion and there was a lot more hugging.

“Aaagh ...Aaagh!” Robbie tugged at my sleeve.

“Of course darling ...We wouldn’t leave you out. Of course you must come.” It was Frances who spoke and echoed my sentiments and it seemed the whole family knew Robbie’s language. I knew that I too was becoming indoctrinated and I was glad that Robbie was coming with us. He didn’t need to talk for me to understand his mind. I was fascinated by it and wanted to get into that part of his life which was so fertile, if uncommunicative and restricted. ...and I knew I would get in there one day ...It was only a matter of time.

The girls came downstairs to dinner and Frances handed Robbie a bar of Cadbury’s Milk Tray as she passed him.

“That’s alright, isn’t it Mum? He’s had his dinner, hasn’t he?” she enquired but Stella shook her head, as if to give up ... as she brought the meals from the kitchen.

“No he hasn’t eaten yet, but I think he deserves that little treat Frances. He’s been a very good boy today and played his piana beautifully for Amy, he did,” she said as she nodded her approval towards the chocolate bar and Robbie tore open the wrapper with great gusto.

“You’ll spoil him,” added George, “Now that you’re working, young lady ...You smell nice Frances ...Zubin coming round this evening?”

I could see Stella touching her hair lightly, pretending she wasn’t interested in what her husband had said, but she waited to hear her daughter’s answer before she went back into the kitchen.

Frances hesitated for a moment ...”Er ...yes, I think so daddy,” she said and Moira burst out in a fit of pique as she pulled a face.

“You told me he was Frances,” she shouted, “Round about 8.o’clock. That’s why she’s wearing that awful scent daddy.”

“I couldn’t keep a secret with you around, rent-a-mouth,” Frances retorted, “and its not scent, baby face. Its perfume.” and Moira was about to retaliate when George intervened.

“Will you two stop arguing? We have a guest in the house, don’t forget,” he said and turned to me to apologise, “Sorry Amy ...don’t pay any attention to them.”

Stella burst into the room at that moment and turned on the radio.

“Can we hear the news please? Do you mind Amy?”

“No ...Not at all,” I said and suddenly realized that there was no television in the house. I remembered then, that George had recently been made redundant.

 

***

 

Zubin duly arrived for supper at exactly 7.55pm, very prompt indeed for his arranged meeting at 8.Opm and I thought he was indeed very handsome, just as everyone had said. He stood about six foot two or three, I would have thought, with a shock of blue-black shiny hair over his silky cream forehead. He smiled at me as we were introduced and I felt ...well, very old. That was the only way I could describe our first meeting. Frances blushed when she saw him and I could see her eyes flashing, with modest restraint of course ...He gave her a box of chocolates that he produced from behind his back, though God alone knows how he balanced them there as he shook hands with me and gave me a profound bow. I could see immediately what Frances saw in him and I could understand why George thought at first, he might be ‘Italian or something ...however, it turned out later that he was a little Indian or something ... and that his father was from the Punjab whilst his mother was French. I could also understand Stella’s misgivings, but whatever had been surmised or speculated, Zubin was a dream ... and had the most beautiful dark, sensitive eyes I had ever seen on a man. His teeth were perfect and he had the dimpled chin to set them off when he smiled. His skin was like satin, smooth and clear and immaculate and his lips were the colour of the deep crimson peony that grew in mother’s garden at home.

At home ...I thought ...At home …I hadn’t thought of London as my home for some considerable time and if as they say, Home is where the heart is ...well, I hadn’t found mine yet and the nearest person to my heart was young Robbie ...and perhaps ...just a little after that as a possible second, was Steven Capriano.

The evening went well for everyone and Frances did everything to make sure that her friend Zubin was made welcome at the family gathering. They spent rather a long time on the porch together too, before he drove off in a flashy Porsche which I am sure belonged to his eminent father, but nobody spoke about that. Stella looked rather worried as he left the house and she turned to me to watch my reaction to the visit, but I smiled and she knew that I could understand her feelings, but somehow, I felt there was no need for worry.