Part 35 (1/2)

Subsequent events are a little blurred in my mind. I know I refused to go to hospital until I saw Thomas safely into his box. After that, Russell swept me away and we pulled into the hospital car park, clattering like an old sewing machine. There was a lot of shouting from Russell, obviously. I just closed my eyes and let them all get on with it.

Everyone was very kind, but I soon discovered that if I opened my eyes then lots of people wanted to talk to me about lots of things, so it seemed better for everyone if I just lay quietly with my eyes shut, so I did.

I used the time to think.

I thought about what had just happened. I thought about our dinner party. Russell had been at the other end of the table. Not exactly miles away, but certainly I had been out of his reach. Then I thought about Kevin upsetting the water jug and the ensuing confusion. Everyone lifted up plates and gla.s.ses while things were mopped up. It would have been easy to slip something in a gla.s.s any gla.s.s and then put that gla.s.s in front of me when the table was put back together. We were all drinking the same wine and, in the state I was in, I certainly wouldnt have noticed. It would have been easy. And if Kevin hadnt knocked over the water some other opportunity would have occurred, I was sure.

I thought about falling down the stairs. I remembered my foot, sliding away from me and my frantic grab for the banisters. I remembered the sickening impact as I fell backwards. It was a miracle I hadnt cracked my head open. And so I would have if the little pool of oil had been spilled on a lower stair. My head would have crashed back onto the bare wooden staircase and at the speed I was going, it would have been nasty.

Just two normal household incidents. A stomach upset and falling down the stairs. Both easily explained away.

But this this was different. This was a tangle of wire left across a path where I rode. And not just me. It was Thomas too. My precious Thomas, who had looked to me to get us home and who stood so patiently while I untangled that filthy wire with cold, shaking fingers.

Yes, this last incident was very different. An escalation. Much more difficult to explain away. Especially since Id kept the wire.

The question was, what was I going to do about it? Love and loyalty can only take you so far. The safest place for me would apparently be Uncle Richards house. Aunt Julia would ostentatiously throw a Total Exclusion Zone of about a hundred miles around the house and Russell Checkland wouldnt be allowed anywhere near me. Ever again. And if Russell was far away then I would seem to be safe. But that really wasnt what I wanted. That wouldnt solve anything. And it wasnt just me any more.

More than ever, I missed big, golden Thomas, who would have stood beside the bed, swis.h.i.+ng his tail and who would certainly have had something to say about all this. But hed gone. Hed left me. Because, supposedly, I was grown-up now and able to deal with this on my own. I wondered if hed foreseen all this. Of course he had. Yet, still hed left me. Because he thought I could do this by myself. So Id better get on with it then.

They let me go the next day. Russell went charging off to bring the car to the patient loading bay and I was awaiting his return. The doctor, whose name I have now forgotten, came to stand alongside me.

'You take care now, Mrs Checkland.

'I will. Thanks for everything. I appreciate it.

We both watched Russell pull up on double yellow lines and smile blindingly at the parking attendant.

'Yes, she said, in amus.e.m.e.nt. 'Do you think hes disastrously charming or just charmingly disastrous?

What I would have said to this was never known, because the subject of the conversation was suddenly with us, grabbing my bag, thanking the doctor and whirling me away before I could properly gather what pa.s.sed for my wits these days.

Russell chattered all the way home, but drove (comparatively) slowly back to Frogmorton, where I ignored his instructions and went straight to see Thomas.

Poor old Thomas. The sight of him brought home to me the seriousness of what had happened in a way that my own injuries hadnt. Theyd piled up his bedding and he was well rugged, but he still looked cold and miserable. His head hung low and his eyes were half-closed.

'Thomas?

He lifted his head and made a little sound of greeting that nearly had me in tears. But he didnt move towards me. I stared anxiously.

'Which part of go straight into the house and keep warm didnt you understand? Why wont you do as I tell you? I swear you are the most troublesome wife Ive ever had, said Russell, materialising unnervingly beside me.

'Well, never mind. Not much longer now.

Was there the slightest pause?

'No. No, as you say, not much longer now.

The silence thickened.

'What does Andrew say?

'Andrew says h.e.l.l be fine in a week or so. Stop changing the subject.

'What subject?

'Us. Our future. What were going to do.

I remembered that arguing about our future was what had sent me flying out of the house in the first place.

'Cheer up, Russell. If this ... keeps up, Im not going to have much of a future. Ill probably be struck by lightning next Tuesday and all your troubles will be over.

He stepped back, suddenly very tight around the mouth.

'What?

'If anything happens to me while were still married then you get everything. House. Money. Francesca, if you still ... want her. Everything.

He grew, if anything, even tighter. I braced myself.

'What are you saying?

'Im saying that you need to be very, very careful, Russell. Ive worked out whats going on. You know what Im talking about.

'How long have you known?

I pulled out the coil of wire and laid it gently on the table in from of him. He stared at it, picked it up, turned it over, and laid it back down again. His eyes were very watchful.

'What are you going to do?

'Nothing. I dont want anyone else involved in this. Theres enough gossip about us already. I think, and Im sure you will agree, that this was one ”accident” too many. I dont think there will be any more of them now. If you think about it carefully, Im sure you will agree.

He picked up the wire again, seemingly unable to leave it alone.

'I do.

'As things stand at the moment, youre in much more danger from them than I am.

'Well, he said lightly, balancing the coil of wire on the palm of his hand, 'wed better make sure nothing happens to you then, hadnt we? Now for heavens sake, come inside and let Mrs Crisp start looking after you.

They were so pleased to see me. I couldnt believe it. Mrs Crisp forgot my bruises, hugged me tightly, apologised, and hugged me again. She was warm and soft and smelled of sherry.

Sharon, remembering my bruises, hugged me not so tightly. She was warm and soft and smelled of vanilla.

Kevin shook my hand in a very manly way, so I hugged him anyway. He smelled of horses.

The cat unwound himself from the range, jumped into my arms, and head-b.u.t.ted me. He smelled of tinned salmon.

'b.l.o.o.d.y animal, said Russell. 'Every time I go near him he bites me. I dont know why hes still here, Jenny. I gave particular instructions he was to be shown the door. Why does no one ever take any notice of anything I say? You lot do realise you work for me, dont you?

His workforce regarded him stoically. He changed the subject.