Page 31 of Old Girls Behaving Badly

‘I already do.’

‘Whoop!’ Juliet leaped from the bottom step onto the grass. ‘This week just got a whole lot better,’ she said and then ran down the lawn towards the house.

‘I do not like this at all,’ Dorothy said, watching her granddaughter’s retreating figure.

‘I know. Neither do I, but surely you can see that to not include her would be a mistake. That conversation she’s got on her phone is problematic. Isn’t it better if she’s onside? Wouldn’t that keep her safer? There’s no point telling her to forget about it, is there, because she won’t. Then, a wrong word from her, here or there, and Leonard will get wind. We can tell her the bare minimum and get her to help in a small way. But however you look at it, we’re a group of three now.’

14

GINA

I decided to phone my daughter when I got back to my room. Alice answered after only a couple of rings.

‘Mum!’

She always did that, sounded surprised when I phoned her even though I made sure never to leave it too long between calls and my name was in Alice’s phonebook and clearly displayed on the screen. I smiled at that small familiarity. After a few odd days in a house full of strangers, my daughter’s voice was welcome.

‘Hello, love, how are you? How are the girls?’

‘All good, although we’ve had a dose of head lice, which is disgusting and very inconvenient. Dad was trying to get hold of you. Have you spoken to him?’

Alice was Douglas’s favourite, a daddy’s girl. They adored each other, which did make them blind to each other’s failings and a bit dismissive of me, but I was very close to Chris, so it all worked out. Every family had its dynamics and that was ours.

‘He left me a message to see where I was. I haven’t got back to him yet, though.’

‘Bit mean. Are you punishing him? Because I think he’s reaching out to you.’

‘I’m not punishing him – I just haven’t had the chance. I’m working this week, in Norfolk, like I told you.’

‘It’s not really work, though, is it. Being a friend to an old lady – sounds like fun to me.’

‘You might be surprised.’ I laughed. ‘Would you like to meet for lunch next week when this job is up?’

It sounded odd to me, the thought that this was a job that had a finite point. I was so involved with the situation and the family now that I couldn’t see the end. Whatever the outcome, though, it would be over on Sunday.

‘Come to the house or meet somewhere out?’

‘Can I let you know? I’m not sure if I’m going back to the house to be honest.’

‘What do you mean you’re not going back? Where are you going?’

‘I’ll look to rent somewhere and I’ve got my eye on other companion jobs.’

This wasn’t actually true at the moment, but I did have it in the back of my head. Also, I did wonder about the possibility of a permanent position with Dorothy. The wanted ad had hinted there was a chance, but I was getting mixed messages from both Dorothy and her family. Dorothy didn’t feel she needed help, but at least Lavinia and Miles did.

‘Will you bring the girls with you? I’d love to see them.’

‘I’ll leave them with Jim. He’s working from home at the moment. We can have a proper chat if I come on my own.’

‘A proper chat – that sounds ominous. Is everything okay?’

‘Everything’s fine with me; it’s you I’m worried about. We can talk about what you plan to do. You obviously need some help organising your life, Mum. I mean, you won’t look after old people forever. Frankly it’s a bit weird starting work at your age.’

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I said nothing.

‘Well, I look forward to seeing you next week then. I’ll call you on Monday and we can arrange when and where.’

‘Bye, Mum,’ Alice said, and then she hung up.