Second Fiddle by Mary Wesley

Author:Mary Wesley [Wesley, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4804-5061-5
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2013-10-03T00:06:00+00:00

PART III

A Year Later

A YEAR LATER, IF she thought of Claud, it seemed right to Laura that an affair begun in a spirit of jest should end on the same note. Her life in London was so remote from the atmosphere of the Old Rectory and the tightly interlocking society of the country town that it had been relatively easy to let thoughts of Claud dwindle to manageable proportions. If she had been in danger of making herself ridiculous, she was the only person to be aware of it.

Her work kept her busy; she made several trips abroad, going twice to Brussels, once to Milan, and once to Lyons. She went on holiday as she had often before to stay with hospitable friends in Tuscany, where she dallied agreeably with a fellow guest who was at a loose end between divorces. She found his company relaxing and enjoyable. Reminded briefly of Claud as she straddled her new acquaintance, she thought how much easier it was to be agreeable to people who made no demands, were not intense.

Every two or three months she telephoned her mother (a duty call). She learned that life at the Old Rectory carried on much as usual. The acquisition of living-in help had not made much difference. For reasons of her own Emily was for some time coy about naming her minions, letting slip only by degrees that the live-in housekeeper was Terrence and his aide, Mavis, who lent a hand when she felt like it.

It transpired that Emily had hoped that Mavis would couple up with Terrence, but Nicholas thought Terrence was homosexual, which knocked that little plan on the head. Fortunately Bonzo had taken to both the young people.

Laura did not speak to Nicholas.

On her return from one of her business trips there had been a letter from Claud forwarded from the Old Rectory. He asked her to meet him for lunch on a day already past to celebrate the acceptance of his book by a publisher.

Laura had not (being so splendidly distanced) even known that the book was finished. She had presently dialled Ann Kennedy’s number. Ann answered.

‘Yes,’ Ann had said. Claud’s book was to be published; he was getting a good advance. He had been to London to meet with his editor. Happily Mavis had been home—yes, resting—she had gone with him to see the editor to give moral support. He had been nervous, poor boy.

‘How fortunate,’ said Laura, ‘for Claud.’ Was Mavis filling the gap? Was Mavis’ precious virginity at risk? Would she, Laura, mind a Mavis/Claud linkage or Mavis’ virginity kept or lost? Neither eventuality moved her in the slightest.

Ann said she would tell Claud to ring Laura when he came in from the market. Claud was making rather a good thing out of his stall, quite a respectable amount of money. Mavis gave him a hand sometimes.

Laura noted with amusement the change in Ann. Claud, no longer in need of bolstering by his mother, was earning real money.

When later Claud telephoned, Laura asked, ‘How did you get my number?’

‘I braved your mother.

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