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“What was all that about?” Iris asked, bemused.
“I don’t know, she suddenly had a dizzy spell. I hope she’ll be all right driving home.”
“Me too. So, apart from that, how did it go?”
“Really well.”
“Did it help, talking to her?”
“Yes, it really did,” Gabriel said, because if the lie he had told had helped Maggie, had allowed her to move on, he was no longer going to feel guilty about it.
52
Iris heard Beth’s footsteps on the stairs.
“Is everything all right?” she asked, coming into the kitchen “I just saw Charlie’s mum leaving, from my bedroom window. She seemed to be in a hurry.”
“I’m not really sure what happened,” Iris said, pouring herself a glass of sparkling water. She held up the bottle, offering some to Beth, who shook her head. “She was in the garden with Dad and then she suddenly came running into the house. She said she didn’t feel well. I tried to get her to sit for a while, but she wanted to go.”
“Did Dad say something to her? Something that upset her? About Charlie, I mean.”
“No, I don’t think so. He seemed as surprised as me.”
“Weird.” Beth leaned back against the countertop. “I’m worried about him, Mum. He looks awful.”
“I know. But maybe meeting Maggie will have helped.”
Beth opened the fridge and took out a carton of juice. “I might go to Esme and Hugh’s later. I promised Esme I’d look after Hamish for a while.”
Again, Iris wanted to say. “Good idea,” she said instead, passing Beth a glass. She didn’t blame Beth; being with her and Gabriel twenty-four-seven must be depressing.
“I might go upstairs and read for a while.”
“Okay.” Iris gave her a smile, looking for something to keep Beth with her a bit longer. “Maybe we could go shopping on Saturday, have lunch out.”
“I’d love that,” Beth said happily. “It would be really nice to spend some time together.”
Beth left and Iris’s thoughts went reluctantly back to something Beth had said when she’d come back from Esme’s last night.
“It’s really sweet how attached Joseph is to Hamish,” she’d said, flopping down on the sofa next to Iris.
Iris had put her book down. “In what way?”
“Just that he dotes on him. If Esme needs anyone to hold Hamish, or to go and fetch him from his cot, or put him to bed, Joseph is there before me and Hugh. Even Marcus didn’t get a look in over the weekend, and he only really came down to see Hamish.”
“Doesn’t Hugh mind? About Joseph?”
Beth had laughed. “I think he’s relieved. He and Esme are pretty exhausted at the moment. They’re still getting up a couple of times a night for Hamish, so they’re grateful for any help they can get in the evenings.”
“Does Joseph spend every evening with them, then?”
“Not every evening, just some. Where’s Dad?”
“In the shower.”
Beth had stretched her arms above her head. “I think I’ll go to bed,” she’d said, yawning. “How about you, are you coming up?”
“In a minute.”
