In a Dark Wood by Amanda Craig

Author:Amanda Craig
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
ISBN: 9780385505628
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 2002-02-19T00:00:00+00:00

THIRTEEN

“WHAT’S GRAY and has a big trunk, Dad?”

“An elephant?”

“Wrong! A mouse going on holiday.”

I laughed.

“Dad, Dad, why is an elephant wrinkled?”

“Tell me.”

“Well, have you ever tried to iron an elephant?”

Assured of my undivided attention, Cosmo had blossomed. I remembered this person with shining eyes and dancing feet: this was the way he had been before everything went wrong.

I hadn’t intended to take my son with me; I wasn’t due to have the children until after the Easter weekend, but Georgie had rung me. “I was wondering if you could take the children earlier,” she said. “I’ve just had to sack the new nanny. Bruce can’t cope.”

“Tell Bruce to keep his hair on,” I said. “Oh, I forgot—he hasn’t got any, has he? Of course I can take the children, but they’ll have to come with me to America. I’ve got a flight booked for Friday.”

There was a long pause while she digested this. “I don’t think Flora could do that,” she said cautiously. “She’s too young. But Cosmo—could you really take him? How long are you going for?”

“A couple of weeks,” I said.

She was so desperate, she even paid for his ticket. Poor Cosmo. Nobody wanted him, any more than they had wanted me at his age.

I had told Ruth I’d decided to go to America the day after my meeting with Nell. She had reacted as though I were making a great step forward in therapy. I didn’t tell her I was going because of a fairy story, or because I couldn’t bear to live under her roof anymore. She wanted to believe I was getting better. I was plied with names and addresses of people we could stay with, advice about what to see and where to go. Even before I was landed with Cosmo, I knew it would be impossible to stay with any of them. Now I had a credit card again, I wanted to have some fun. I told Ruth I would stay in a hotel.

“Give Len and Rupert my love and tell them to visit soon. I may ring them myself. You’ll find Len particularly interesting. He’s really big in Hollywood now, but I know he spends as much time as he can in New York.”

“But will they be able to tell me about my mother?”

She hesitated. I watched her struggle with her desire to conceal from me her own involvement in my mother’s death.

“They knew her before I did. You should meet them anyway. Who knows, they might be able to help you find more work. But you should get to know them. You’re doing the right thing.”

I held myself stiffly as she put her arms around me and hugged. She felt it and drew back, looking at me quizzically. Georgie always claimed that knowing what I was feeling was like tracking the spoor of a wounded animal in the jungle, but Ruth was usually more perceptive.

“There’s something else,” she said, then paused.

“What?” I could hear the grudging note in my voice.

“I’ve got your aunt’s address and number, too.

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