She wouldn’t have wanted to be on her own if Dilly had to be put down; she’d be an absolute mess. But Jessica’s mind was made up.
‘No. I’m a big girl. I can cope,’ she said, before inhaling sharply and straightening her back.
‘I want him to have a calm, peaceful death; it’s the least I can do. Hopefully he’ll just drift off to sleep on my lap.’
Clearing her throat, she pushed back a strand of loose hair and secured it tightly with a clip. Seeming more composed now, she rose, still clutching her pile of books, and Edie did the same.
‘Thank you for your kindness,’ Jessica said.
She was back to her old, polite, slightly formal self.
‘I hope it goes OK later, or as well as you could hope for,’ Edie replied. ‘Let me know if you change your mind about the lift.’
It wasn’t long before the bell rang and Edie didn’t see Jessica again until the end of the day. Children were spilling out of her ground-floor classroom, jostling with each other in the corridor and chattering excitedly. It was Friday, after all.
‘Er, excuse me,’ Jessica said in a loud, commanding voice, appearing at the door just as Edie approached. ‘Lower the volume, please, and walk, don’t run. We don’t want any accidents.’
Edie’s lesson had finished promptly and she’d been on her way to the car park with her coat in one arm, her heavy canvas tote bag, packed with exercise books, in another.
She paused, waiting for the last pupils to leave, before asking Jessica how she was feeling.
‘All right, thanks. I think I’ve got my head round it now. He’s a dog, after all, and he’s had a very good life. One mustn’t be silly and sentimental.’
Edie was surprised. As far as she was concerned, it was totally natural to be sentimental about the death of a much-loved pet. Still, she admired her friend’s stoicism.
‘You’re right,’ she said, doubtfully. ‘That’s a very sensible attitude. I’d be blubbing all over the place if Dilly died. I don’t know what I’d do without Ralph?—’
The comment just slipped out and Edie inhaled sharply, wanting to kick herself. If only she could take it back! The last thing she wanted was to make things worse by drawing attention to the fact Jessica didn’t have a partner. But she needn’t have worried.
‘Oh, I’ve never needed a man to hold my hand,’ Jessica replied airily. ‘In my experience, most of them aren’t up to much.’
Edie was momentarily stung on Ralph’s behalf, but quickly recovered. After all, it’s not as if she hadn’t been aware Jessica was somewhat anti-male. Indeed, she’d sometimes wondered if her friend had had a bad experience or if she were gay, but there’d never been any evidence.
She drew herself up with a nod.
‘I agree. Women are much stronger than men,’ she said, touching Jessica lightly on the arm. ‘Good luck. I’ll be thinking of you.’
3
Ralph was in the kitchen pouring himself a glass of white wine when Edie arrived home. There was another, empty glass waiting for her on the island, along with a bowl of crisps and some green olives.
‘Want some?’ he asked, waving the wine bottle in her direction.
She nodded. ‘Please.’
After handing her a drink, he pecked her lightly on the cheek before pulling out a stool from under the bench and sitting down. She did the same, kicking off her shoes and placing her stockinged feet on the foot bar.
Moments like this with Ralph were unusual. He didn’t normally leave the office till later, and she felt an unfamiliar glow of pleasure. She took a sip of wine, savouring the mellow, fruity taste, before breathing in deeply with her eyes closed, allowing herself to bask in the warmth that was slowly spreading through her body.
‘Good day?’ he asked.
Her eyes flickered open again and she was surprised to find him gazing at her intensely. It was slightly unnerving.
‘What?’ she asked, squirming on the stool. ‘Do I need to blow my nose?’
He laughed. ‘No! I was just thinking you look very attractive tonight. Am I allowed to say that?’
Now it was her turn to smile. ‘Of course, but you never normally comment on my appearance.’
