The Girl in the Mirror by Cathy Glass

Author:Cathy Glass [Glass, Cathy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: ePub Bud (www.epubbud.com)
Published: 2011-07-30T16:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Two

When Mandy awoke just after 6 a.m. she felt pretty good, and rested. Grandpa had only woken twice in the night and had resettled easily, which had allowed her two three-hour sleeps in the armchair – more than she had at home if she’d been out late. She’d grown used to sleeping in the armchair, and because of her routine of showering and changing first thing had come to feel she was ‘getting up’ in the morning, only it was from a chair not a bed. However, she was aware that John, bigger built and older, was finding it more difficult sleeping in a chair. He rarely managed more than fifteen minutes at a time and always went upstairs for a lie-down in the morning once Evelyn was up.

John was asleep now but restless – more so than Grandpa, who lay on his back very still, breathing gently. Mandy wondered what Grandpa thought about when he was awake and if he’d contemplated or even prepared himself for death. She wondered if that was why he’d accepted the morphine the night before – that having mentally readied himself, and begun the journey, he simply wanted to get on with it. In which case, she supposed, there was something to be said for growing old and dying slowly – it gave you time to adjust; unlike suddenly being snatched from the world in a car accident or being struck down by cancer while young.

Standing, Mandy crept from the study and went upstairs to shower and change into fresh clothes. Having not left the house the day before because Grandpa had been so awake, and following Sunday, when she’d only walked in the garden with Simon, she felt she needed some fresh air and exercise, and also to get away from the house for a while. It was Tuesday and Mrs Pryce would be in the shop so she decided to walk into the village. She ate breakfast as usual with Gran, and once Gran was settled in the study with Evelyn and John had gone for a lie-down Mandy said: ‘I was thinking of walking into the village. Do you want anything from the shop?’

She appreciated there was an element of playing devil’s advocate in mentioning the store to Evelyn. ‘No, thank you,’ Evelyn said tartly.

‘Can you see if they still do those sherbet lemons?’ Gran said. ‘I really fancy some of those.’

‘Of course.’

‘If you fetch my purse I’ll give you the money.’

‘No you won’t,’ Mandy refused. ‘My treat. Anything else you fancy?’

‘No. Thanks, love.’

Five minutes later Mandy slipped on her jacket, left the house and began a leisurely stroll along the lane and towards the village. It was very different from the way she’d left the house last time on Friday, when she’d fled after Simon’s comments and had run most of the way into the village and the bus stop. Now she strolled and had time to take in and savour the country views. At nearly 10.40

a.m. the morning was

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