Meredith and Brendan sat down in the lounge while Laurie brewed some tea. Meredith didn’t like to sit in the kitchen because she found the seats there uncomfortable. Comfort often becomes a casualty of style, she had remarked once. And if Meredith didn’t like the seats, Brendan was expected not to like them either.
‘How are you two doing?’ Laurie called from the kitchen.
Brendan opened his mouth to reply but Meredith cut in. She didn’t only wear the trousers in their relationship, but the shirt, Blue Harbour jacket and Panama hat. ‘Not bad, considering. We’re ploughing all our energies into the arrangements for Naomi and Jefferson’s wedding.’
Naomi was Alex’s younger sister by ten years. They hadn’t been particularly close siblings. Naomi was a spoilt brat indulged child who had grown into a spoilt brat indulged adult. The last Laurie had heard about the wedding was that Naomi couldn’t decide between arriving at the church in a Cinderella coach and horses or by helicopter. Meredith saw everything through the prism of her beloved children. Alex used to joke that Laurie, by association with him, was bathed in the same angelic light, but woe betide her should they ever split up. Laurie was an extension of Alex in Meredith’s eyes, and without him she was no longer an honorary member of the charmed family circle.
‘Goodness, it’s getting close now isn’t it,’ said Laurie, doing a quick calculation.
‘Twelve weeks. It’s costing us an arm and a leg,’ said Brendan, the words riding on a long outward breath.
Laurie brought a tray of tea through, set it on the coffee table. Three delicate mugs from a set of four bought especially for Meredith’s visits because she would only drink from fine bone china.
‘Such a big house this,’ said Meredith. ‘I always wondered why you and Alex went for something this size.’
‘Well, it was never meant to be just for us two,’ Laurie answered that – again. ‘Here, let me move that for you.’ She lifted the Daily Trumpet file from the sofa so Brendan had more room to spread out.
‘Back in the swing of work?’ asked Brendan.
‘Yes,’ said Laurie. ‘Back in the swing.’
‘That’s good,’ remarked Meredith. ‘We all have to earn a crust. It’s what makes the world go round, after all.’
I thought that was love, Laurie didn’t say.
Meredith reached for her mug as Brendan reached for his, as if they were synchronised. They both took a sip at exactly the same moment.
‘Have you done anything with Alex’s clothes yet?’ asked Meredith.
‘No, I haven’t,’ said Laurie. ‘I should really but I’m not sure what to do with them. Do you . . . is there anything you want of his? I know I have to . . . do something with his suits but they’re too expensive to give to a charity shop and so I . . . so I haven’t done anything. Yet. I should. I will.’ Meredith always made her feel as if she were lacking in efficiency and needed jollying along. Haven’t you got that curtain rail fixed yet? Haven’t you rung up about having your guttering cleared? Haven’t you packed up my son’s worldly possessions and given them to deserving people who might make use of them?
‘Someone in church told me about a place called Fashion . . . something or other UK,’ said Meredith. ‘They take the clothes and sell them on and the money all goes to charity but they deal with more quality goods. You can choose which charity the money goes to. The Air Ambulance would be a good one to pick.’
‘That sounds an ideal solution,’ said Laurie.
‘I can come and help you pack them away if you want,’ suggested Meredith. ‘Unless your mother is coming back to help you. I wouldn’t want to get in the way.’
‘I don’t think she has plans to come back for a long time,’ said Laurie with certainty. Her mother had done her duty by flying in for the funeral on a haze of Chanel No. 5 complete with big hat and facial net and cried her way through three packets of tissues despite only meeting her prospective son-in-law a handful of times. ‘Thank you for asking, but I’m fine doing it by myself.’ She didn’t want to risk blubbing in front of anyone, and she’d partly held off from tackling it because she knew that it would break her.
Meredith and Brendan both sipped their tea silently and elegantly as if they were at a garden party. The atmosphere seemed strange, charged with an odd energy, as if there was something they weren’t saying running underneath the words they were.
‘Is that still the same goldfish?’ asked Brendan, as if scraping an invisible barrel of subjects for something to talk about.
‘Yes, still same Keith. He’s indestructible,’ said Laurie.
‘He landed on his feet here. Look at that tank, must have cost a small fortune,’ said Meredith with a hint of disdain. ‘All for a fish.’
‘So, how are Naomi’s wedding plans going?’ asked Laurie. Meredith didn’t do pets, she would never understand how anyone could have become attached to a goldfish and Laurie wasn’t really in the mood for trying to convince her how that worked.
‘Expensively, that’s how they’re going,’ replied Brendan. ‘Her dress cost fifteen thousand pounds.’
‘She bought that herself,’ added Meredith quickly, while grinning with pride. ‘Like she says, you only get married once.’ She took a throatful of tea before continuing. ‘You can appreciate that we want to give our girl the day of her dreams.’
‘Of course.’ Laurie nodded. She could.
‘She’s our only child now.’ Meredith sighed.
‘She’ll have the best day that money can buy,’ confirmed Brendan.
More mention of money; Laurie picked up there was a theme running here.
‘As Brendan says though, the best day will be expensive,’ continued Meredith. A beat. ‘So, do you think you’ll be able to afford to stay in this house alone?’
‘I expect so,’ said Laurie, confused at the quick turn in the conversation. ‘For now, I’ll stay put until I decide what I want to do with it.’
‘It’s far too big for you to manage,’ Meredith went on, sweeping critical eyes over the room as if seeing every mote of dust in glorious technicolour.
‘I’m going to get a cleaner,’ said Laurie.
‘They’re not cheap,’ said Brendan, with a ‘huh’ of sarcasm.
‘It’s affordable and would be worth it,’ said Laurie. They had a cleaner so she wasn’t quite sure why she shouldn’t. Another job she’d been meaning to get around to and hadn’t.
‘It’s just . . . that . . . we could really do with our share of the money,’ said Meredith. ‘Not for us, we don’t need it, of course we don’t, but for Naomi.’ Then she added, ‘Alex’s sister,’ as if Laurie was in any doubt.
Laurie’s head gave a slight wobble, as if she needed to shake it to rearrange Meredith’s words into an order that made sense.
‘I’m sorry, what?’
Meredith’s brow crinkled. ‘Oh dear . . . there’s no not-awkward way of putting this, Laurie, but it does need to be said. I think we’ve left it long enough.’
‘What needs to be said?’ asked Laurie, clearly confused.