Visiting Elizabeth – Aunt Elizabeth, officially – in her flat was very unlike arriving at Evelyn Gardens, Victoria reflected. There the process had been ceremonious, the front door opened with a mild flourish, the coat taken, greetings to Wilson, the walk upstairs, admission to the drawing room, where she would be sitting surrounded by piles of paper and perhaps a caller or two. Now she answered the door herself.
‘Victoria, how nice. I thought you would be at that job of yours.’
No, she had some news.
‘Good news?’
Not good news.
‘Not Edward, you’re not going to tell me darling Edward is ill. . .’
No.
‘Not the boys?’
No.
‘Then what could it be?’
It was curious how she never supposed that Victoria might be ill. But then Victoria never was ill, people relied on that. She sometimes wished people did not rely on her so much.
‘It’s about the bicycle company. It’s collapsed. Mr White has absconded, he was a charlatan. It turns out everything was in his name, there’s no money left. Every penny’s gone, all Edward’s capital, all yours.’
Victoria was prepared to staunch Elizabeth’s tears, listen to angry questions, offer what comfort she could. But instead Elizabeth said, ‘Is darling Edward all right?’
Darling Edward, indeed! Blind, obstinate Edward who’d refused to listen when she advised him against investing everything with White, Edward who was only kind to his mother when he wanted her money. Victoria pursed her lips. ‘He is as all right as can be expected. He asked me to come in his place.’
‘Poor darling. . .’
‘I cannot say how upset he is.’
‘He is not well, don’t forget that.’
‘I don’t forget it, how could I? And I don’t forgive him.’
Her hostess peered into the distance, as though fascinated by her new little sofa. ‘I never offered you any tea, would you like some? Don’t worry, my dear, I’ll manage, I have the pension, really it is quite generous. I’m not ambitious as I used to be, it’s one of the advantages of old age.’ She seemed almost gratified by what had happened. ‘Darling Edward, he must be so unhappy. Tell him to come and visit his old mother, tell him she’s forgiven him, though really there’s nothing to forgive, it’s not as though he deceived me. . . Will you manage, yourselves?’
‘Oh yes. Remember, I earn money. And when my parents sold up, something came my way, which I did not invest in Edward’s enterprise.’ Victoria gave a grimace. ‘Imagine, the two of us talking about money, when we were brought up never to mention it.’
‘Tell Edward that I do understand, that I respect him for having made such a brave effort. Tell him that what he can do to comfort me is come and visit me, I would like that more than anything.’ She smiled beatifically and bustled out.
Victoria sat motionless. She supposed she should be relieved that Elizabeth was not angrier.
Well, she must make something better of her own life, and the boys’. That was the thing left to her.