Spring Music by Elvi Rhodes

Author:Elvi Rhodes
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781446464991
Publisher: Transworld

14

Isobel was breastfeeding Harry when the doorbell rang. She knew it would be Hugh and Cecily, they had telephoned earlier to say they were coming. Rising from her chair, crossing the room so adroitly that the nipple did not once fall from Harry’s mouth, nor was his vigorous sucking interrupted, she pressed the button which would unlock the door on the ground floor, then skilfully, the rhythmic flow of milk in no way impeded, she manoeuvred herself back into her seat. Thus was she revealed when her siblings entered, like a fifteenth-century Italian Madonna, her straight dark hair framing her serene oval face and falling against her over-plump neck to her bounteous bosom.

She held up a warning hand to silence her brother and sister, and waved them to sit down.

My God, Cecily thought, surveying the tableau, does she do this all the time? She opened her mouth to speak but Isobel held a finger to her lips.

‘Really, Isso!’ Cecily said crossly. ‘If we’re not to be allowed to speak, we might as well leave at once!’

‘One minute!’ Isobel whispered.

They sat in silence for a short time, at the end of which Isobel withdrew the nipple from Harry’s mouth with a sound like the rubber stopper being withdrawn from a vacuumed wine bottle.

‘There!’ she said, holding him against her shoulder and gently massaging his back. ‘Here’s your Uncle Hugh and your Auntie Cecily come to see you!’

She turned to Cecily.

‘I’m sorry, but I do like to maintain an atmosphere of peace and calm when I’m feeding Harry, bless him!’

‘Well we weren’t exactly going to jump up and down or play trumpets,’ Cecily said. ‘Does he feed all the time?’

‘Quite a lot,’ Isobel said happily.

‘That’s why he’s getting fat,’ Cecily said.

‘He is not fat,’ Isobel informed her. ‘He is plump, which all babies should be.’ She turned to her brother. ‘And how is Uncle Hugh?’

‘Uncle Hugh? Oh, you mean me!’ Hugh said. ‘I’m not quite used to being an uncle! He looks a very nice baby!’ Was that the right thing to say? he wondered.

Apparently it was. Isobel smiled happily at him. ‘He is!’ she agreed. ‘Would you like to hold him?’

‘Well …’ he hesitated. ‘I’m not … I mean, I wouldn’t like to upset him … but if …’

‘Perhaps you’re right!’ Isobel said. ‘He doesn’t see many strange men. I’ll put him down for a sleep.’

She left the room with Harry.

‘She looks different,’ Hugh said to Cecily in a low voice. ‘She’s put on a lot of weight, hasn’t she?’

Cecily nodded. ‘I know! And she is different. She’s like a Milch cow!’

‘I can hardly believe it’s Isso,’ Hugh said. ‘Why do people change so? First Ma and now Isso. And we’ve got to talk to her about Ma. After all, she’s the one nearest!’

‘And how is Ma?’ Isobel asked, coming back into the room. ‘How’s the new job going?’

‘All right as far as I know,’ Hugh said. ‘Don’t you see much of her?’

‘Oh, maybe once or twice a week,’ Isobel said. ‘For short visits.

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