Ruth watches Nelson getting dressed, pulling on his shirt and jumper, ruffling his wet hair. She almost offers to make him a cup of tea but decides against it. To be honest, it’s as if he already left last night, as soon as he got the call from Laura. Ruth understands his concern for his daughter. Nelson is a devoted father, it’s one of the things she loves about him. But is he always going to leave her, as soon as he gets a summons from his other family?
‘I hope Laura’s OK,’ she says now.
Nelson turns around, looking almost surprised to see her there. You’re still in my house, Ruth wants to tell him. You’ve just got out of my bed.
‘She will be,’ says Nelson. ‘It’s just lockdown and being in that flat. I think she just needs some space.’
‘It must be hard,’ says Ruth. She has too much space, she thinks. Her cottage is surrounded by space, the marshes, the sea and the sky. Sometimes it feels as if she and Kate are on another planet. Well, at least she now has Zoe next door.
‘I’m sorry, love,’ says Nelson. Though he doesn’t say what for. He kisses her quickly, his lips hardly touching hers. And he’s gone.
Laura arrives home at ten a.m. Nelson has already been back for three hours, trying to make the place look lived in.
‘I think you should go now,’ Ruth had said last night. Her voice was perfectly pleasant, and he couldn’t tell if she was annoyed or not.
‘Oh no, Dad,’ said Katie. ‘Please stay. We haven’t got to the six-fingered man yet.’
So Nelson had stayed the night but he got up at six to drive home. Ruth had still been pleasant in the morning but it was as if all the intimacy had vanished. She sat up in their still rumpled bed, looking, in her white nightdress, like a statue of virtue. ‘I hope Laura’s OK,’ she said, as if asking after an acquaintance.
Nelson had tiptoed in to kiss Katie goodbye then he’d walked out to his car. Looking back, he saw the devil cat at the window, obviously planning a party to celebrate his departure. Was there a flicker at the next-door window too, a hand pulling back a curtain, a white face looking out? Nelson still isn’t sure. As he drove along the coast road, the mist lifted and the sea was smooth and clear, like a mirage. He didn’t see a single other car.
‘Where’s Bruno?’ says Laura as soon as she comes through the door.
‘Jan’s looking after him. I’ve got a lot on at work.’
‘What about Maura?’
‘I thought Jan was easiest. What with lockdown and everything. And she’s got Barney too.’
‘We could get him back now I’m here.’
‘You’ll be working too, won’t you?’
He knows that Laura is still going into school, teaching vulnerable children and the children of key workers. The strain of this and coming home to a shared flat with no outdoor space is clearly what is making her feel stressed. Nelson has always worried about his eldest daughter who has struggled in the past with anxiety and eating disorders. She’s hard-working, conscientious and sensitive and, five years ago, she saw a man die in this very room. It’s no wonder that lockdown is proving hard for her.
‘It would be nice to take Bruno for walks,’ she says.
‘You can take me for walks.’
‘You! Go for a walk without Bruno! That’ll be the day.’
I went for a walk yesterday, Nelson wants to say. Katie found a revolting object called a mermaid’s purse and I had to put it in my pocket along with several lucky stones. But he just gives Laura a hug. ‘It’s good to have you home.’
‘Were you lonely on your own?’
‘Very lonely,’ says Nelson.
‘I’ll look after you now,’ says Laura. ‘I bet there’s no food in the fridge.’
Ruth is left to face Sunday, never her favourite day, on her own. Kate is whiny and bored, missing Nelson. Even Flint looks disappointed. Ruth is at a loss as to how to distract her daughter. Normally, they’d drive into Lynn, look at the shops or go to the cinema. Or they’d go to the swimming pool and race each other up and down the lanes before having frothy cappuccino and KitKats in the café. There’s still the sea, Ruth tells herself, but Kate greets the prospect of another beach walk with disdain.
‘You could take your wetsuit,’ says Ruth. ‘See if it’s warm enough to swim.’
She knows the water will be absolutely freezing. Ruth doesn’t have a wetsuit but will be forced to go in if Kate does. She’s slightly relieved when Kate dismisses that idea. Ruth knows not even to mention homework.
They are eating a rather silent and grumpy breakfast when there’s a knock at the back door. This is unusual enough to make mother and daughter look at each other. Ruth feels an actual twinge of fear. They are on their own, without the protection of Nelson. What if it’s the person who’s been sending her the messages? The Grey Lady can walk through locked doors. You can never be safe from her hunger.
The door is the stable type. Ruth opens the top half to see Zoe standing on the other side. She’s wearing jeans and a pink jumper but still manages to look somehow chic, pulled together in a way that Ruth can never achieve.
‘Sorry to disturb you,’ says Zoe. ‘But I’m going mad with boredom on the other side of the wall. Do you two fancy going for a walk? We could take tennis rackets and play on the beach. It’s the perfect game for keeping two metres apart.’
Ruth is afraid that Kate is going to pull that face again but it seems that a walk with their fun new neighbour is far more exciting than one with just her mother. She agrees immediately and goes off to get dressed. Ruth makes Zoe a coffee and passes it over the door.
‘Thank you,’ says Ruth. ‘You’ve saved our lives. Or rather you’ve saved our Sunday.’
‘It’s a funny day, isn’t it?’ says Zoe. ‘Even if you don’t go to church it feels different from other days.’
‘My parents were very religious,’ says Ruth. ‘They spent almost the whole day at church. I hated it when I was a child, but I suppose it gave them something to do. I wonder what my dad’s doing now that churches are closed.’
‘Is your dad on his own? Oh no, I think you said he’d remarried?’
‘Yes. It was a bit of a shock at the time but I’m just glad he’s got someone to keep him company. And Gloria is very nice, which helps. She’s religious too. In fact they met at church. This whole thing has made me a bit more tolerant of religion. Their church really does seem to be looking after its parishioners.’
‘My parents went at Christmas and Easter,’ says Zoe. ‘I quite liked the ritual of it.’
‘You must miss them,’ says Ruth.
Zoe looks away for a minute. ‘I was watching a programme about Romanian orphanages the other day,’ she says, ‘and I realised that I’m an orphan. It’s like something out of a Victorian children’s book.’
‘There are lots of orphans in children’s books,’ says Ruth. ‘Anne of Green Gables. Mary in The Secret Garden. Harry Potter.’
‘Why are you talking about Harry Potter?’ Kate appears, fully dressed, even wearing an anorak.
‘Are you a fan?’ says Zoe. ‘I am. Let’s talk about it on the way. Who’s your favourite character?’
Zoe really is the perfect neighbour, thinks Ruth, as she fetches her own cagoule. Ruth would be hard put to think of her favourite Harry Potter character though she does have a soft spot for Dobby the House Elf.
Judy waits until late morning to ring Tina’s number again. There’s no answer but she leaves a message.
‘Hi. This is Judy Johnson. Hope you’re feeling better. When you’re up to it, please give me a ring. I’d love to hear what you remembered about Avril. Take care. All best.’
She feels twitchy all day, all through a long walk along the beach, Sunday lunch and Michael and Miranda’s afternoon concert with Michael playing the piano and Miranda the recorder, accompanied by Maddie’s unexpectedly beautiful singing voice.
When the children are in bed and Cathbad’s listening to music on his headphones, Judy and Maddie settle down to watch Grey’s Anatomy. They are just into the first soothing medical catastrophe when Judy’s phone rings. Tina Prentice, says the screen. It’s ten thirty p.m. Tina must be back from hospital. Thank goodness.
‘Hallo. Tina?’
There’s a pause and then a voice says, ‘It’s Denise. Tina’s daughter. Mum passed away this morning.’
‘Oh my God,’ says Judy. ‘I’m so sorry.’ She stares at the TV. Maddie has thoughtfully turned the sound off but figures in blue scrubs are moving purposefully round a pristine operating theatre. Judy can’t help thinking that Tina’s last moments must have been very different.
‘I’m so sorry,’ she says again.
‘We weren’t allowed to be with her because of Covid,’ says Denise. ‘I just hate to think of her dying alone.’ She’s crying now.
‘I’m sure . . .’ starts Judy but she stops because she isn’t sure of anything any more.
‘I’m ringing because when she went into hospital she was really struggling to talk. Struggling to breathe really. But she wanted to tell you something. She said, “Tell Judy. It was you.”’
‘It was me?’
‘It didn’t make sense to me but that’s what she said. Liam, my husband, remembers it too.’
‘Thank you for telling me,’ says Judy. ‘I do appreciate it. And, again, I’m so sorry. I only met Tina once, but I could see what a lovely person she was.’
‘She really was,’ says Denise. Her voice is choked and she rings off quickly.
Judy turns to Maddie and Cathbad, who are both looking at her with concern.
‘It’s started,’ she says.