Masters of the House by Robert Barnard

Author:Robert Barnard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scribner

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Back to normal

MATTHEW AWOKE to the smell of frying bacon. His nostrils almost twitched under the sheets at the delicious unexpectedness of it. When he went out onto the landing, he found Annie and Jamie in the bathroom; and the two elder ones exchanged the sort of looks that their recent complicity had made so frequent: looks that did not need words added to them. This one said all sorts of things like, “Just like old times” and, “We’re not having to do it ourselves” and, “We’re free at last.” It was Greg who ran downstairs shouting, “Fried breakfast! Yippee!” but he put all their feelings into those simple words.

“Now, you’re not to think you’ll be getting this every morning,” said Mrs O’Keefe, as she took warmed plates from under the grill and began dishing out. “I know as well as anyone that wouldn’t be good for you. But on Sundays . . .”

They all pulled back chairs and sat at the table, looking at her raptly.

“We’ve just been having cereals and toast,” said Annie, making an advance towards friendship and intimacy—an intimacy that involved complicity as well. “But this is wonderful. Mum used to cook us a proper breakfast on weekends.”

Annie suddenly caught sight of little Jamie, looking at Mrs O’Keefe with his brow wrinkled; and she knew with certainty that he was about to ask, “Who are you?” She jumped in quickly with, “Now, Jamie, you’ll just have to wait till Auntie Connie has done yours.”

There was a pause for thought, and then, “Auntie Connie,” repeated Jamie, as if this solved his problem.

“That’s right,” said Mrs O’Keefe, turning round and smiling. “We talked it over last night, what you should call me, and that’s what we decided on. Auntie Connie.”

“Auntie Connie,” said the two younger ones.

“You can tell people I’m a friend of your Auntie Maureen’s, and I’m here to look after you till your dad is all right.”

This was a new idea to Greg.

“Is Daddy going to get well?” he asked.

“Well, we’ll surely hope so, won’t we? Sick people usually do get well, don’t they?” She turned and began putting the plates before them. “I’m going to make a start today by arranging for his doctor to come round.”

They all took up knives and forks and began tucking in joyously.

“His doctor’s in a group,” said Matthew, his mouth full. “I think they only have emergency calls on Sundays.”

“Does the doctor go to St Joseph’s?”

“Oh yes. It’s Doctor Maclennan.”

“Then I”ll ring him up before he goes off to mass. If I can’t speak to him I’ll speak to his wife. I’m sure she’ll understand how important this is.”

Breakfast was wonderful, with unlimited toast and marmalade, though Auntie Connie said she didn’t like that awful sliced stuff, and she’d have to look around for some real bread somewhere. She managed not to make it sound like a criticism. When they were finally replete, Annie and Matthew said they’d wash up; and after a moment’s thought, Auntie Connie nodded agreement.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.