Page 70 of The Way We Are Now

‘I’m so sorry.’ I tried to calm down, speak slowly. ‘Do you know how he is? Is he badly hurt?’

‘We know very little,’ Ava said, ignoring Mum and the other members of my travelling circus who had now gathered around them. ‘The hospital rang us a couple of hours ago after they found Theodore’s details on his driving licence.’

‘May I come in with you?’ I asked in my most polite voice.

‘I’d rather you didn’t.’ Hugh Mandeville spoke for the first time. There was no friendly kiss on the cheek for me on this, our second meeting.

‘I really need to know how he is,’ I pleaded. ‘This is all my fault and…’

‘We’re quite aware of that,’ Ava snapped icily. ‘How on earth you persuaded my son to go into that… that… unlawful riot… I can’t begin to imagine. Now, I would ask that you allow us, his parents, to do what we have to do and turn yourself right round and go back where you came from.’

‘Theo’s car…’ I started.

‘All sorted.’ Hugh narrowed his eyes at me. ‘The estate staff are on their way to pick it up.’

‘I need to know how he is,’ I repeated. ‘I need to see him. He probably saved my brother’s life…’

‘Aye, he did that an’ all.’ Les was determined to have his say, putting in a good word on Theo’s behalf, but the pair ignored him.

‘We ask that you leave us alone, at this time…’ Ava started.

‘He’s not… he’s not…?’

‘No,’ Hugh snapped. ‘Lucky for you and your family he’s alive. Apparently he’s under sedation and about to have surgery.’

‘Surgery?’ I felt the colour drain from my face. ‘What surgery?’

‘That’s what we’re about to find out. Now if you’ll excuse us.’

They walked off without a backward glance and Dad took my arm. ‘Come on, let them be. They upset. Their only son. They come round.’

‘Can’t see ’em ever coming round to our ’ouse,’ Les said, shaken I think by the Mandevilles, but attempting humour to lighten the situation.

‘I’m going in. I’m going to wait, if I have to wait all night,’ I said. ‘You go back, see to Les – he needs that head looking at.’

‘Aye, in more ways than one,’ Mum put in grimly.

‘I thought you approved of the picketing,’ Les said sulkily.

‘I do. I did. What I don’t approve of is you taking this boyfriend of Anna’s with you. For heaven’s sake, Les.’

‘Go,’ I said, shooing them away. ‘Go home. Thanks, Uncle Maurice.’

I set off towards reception.

The reception staff were unable to fill me in with any more details other than Theo was comfortable and waiting for the consultant and for X-rays.

‘We’ve had a particularly busy day as you can imagine,’ the head honcho – Veronica, according to her badge – said without looking up. ‘You’re not family of Mr Mandeville?’

‘No – a friend.’

‘Well, his family are with him. I suggest you go home – the hospital waiting areas are packed out after the awful riots by those miners today. Go home and ring up tomorrow.’

‘I’ll wait, if that’s all right.’

Veronica deigned to glance my way before looking down her nose at me. ‘I can’t stop you.’

The clock on the waiting room wall informed me it was now after 9 p.m. I’d been up since 5 a.m. but sleep wasn’t an option. I sat in the one seat not taken, then immediately stood to hunt for water at a fountain, drinking copious amounts from an abandoned paper cup before taking my seat once again. I was conscious of my grass-stained skirt, my scratched bare legs and scuffed, filthy trainers as well as the headache that was starting a monotonous tantivy on the left side of my head. Please don’t let this turn into a migraine, I pleaded, sitting back and closing my eyes. I thought back to the last one, just after I’d met Theo, making me unable to return to Bodington Hall for another round of cleaning with Fliss.