‘Think I’ll have to start opening a few more pubs if I’m going to get free beer’ David Owen laughs and returns his wallet to the back pocket of his jeans. ‘Cheers!’ he says, lifting his glass and taking a swallow.
Viv leans on the bar, giving him the benefit of her cleavage. ‘It was good of you to stand up and do it, don’t think I could have said what you did off the top of me ‘ead. That and the fact you probably charge ‘undreds when people book you for real. I reckon I’ll call that good fortune, so a pint or two ain’t no skin off my nose’
‘It was a good night; glad Charlie brought me along’
‘So am I, sweetheart. Only wish I’d got a bit of advertising done with your name on it, that would have brought the punters in’
‘Then I would have had to charge you thousands...or my agent would’ he says, grinning into his glass.
‘You say you never done a pub before?’ she asks, filling a bowl of salted peanuts next to him on the bar.
‘Nope...Garden centres, shopping centres and even franchises for gardening tools in DIY stores, but never a pub’ he funnels a handful of peanuts into his mouth. ‘I was one of a few well known faces here last night.’ He manages to chew, speak and smile at the same time. ‘Any one of them would have done it if you’d asked’
‘I wouldn’t have asked them any more than I’d have asked you. They’re just regular punters when they come in ‘ere. That’s what they like, that’s why they keep comin’ back, get treated same way as anyone else and none of the folk in the village’d think of making a big thing of it neither’
David blows a breath from his cheeks ‘There’s always some clown who thinks it’s their right to ask for an autograph while you’re eating dinner’
‘They don’t let you order steak, then, just in case you go at ‘em with yer knife’ Viv chuckles as she puts a new filter in one of the coffee machines and loads it ready to put on as soon as the other starts to run low. She pours herself a cup from the one already brewed.
‘Oh, it’s tempting, believe me!’
‘I believe you, love, but we’re pretty lucky ‘ere. Them as do come to sticky beak usually follow the locals’ example and leave folk alone. Tickles ‘em pink to see Christopher James chucking a few arrers at the dartboard but they know better than to bother ‘im with the likes of Charlie around to put ‘em straight. I’d have thought he’d been with you today. Wouldn’t Edna let ‘im out?’
‘Edna is...suffering’ David says with a wry smile. ‘All that free wine you were pushing her way. She can’t hold her drink like Charlie can, though she says that’s not the reason she’s had to go back to bed, says she’s got a cold coming. Charlie’s having to dance attendance’
Viv laughs ‘She did knock it back a bit. Charlie’ll dine out on that one for a few weeks! Good people’ she decides after a short pause. ‘Edna was an absolute brick when we had all that business ‘ere. Dunno what I’d’ve done without ‘er really’
‘Funny how things work out, isn’t it?’ David muses. ‘She was just another someone in the programme I’d got to talk to but we hit it off right from the start and now she’s definitely a somebody in my life...a spare auntie...no, that’s wrong..A very good friend’
‘She’s like that...but you’re either in or you’re out. There’s no in between with Edna. You must have had something’
‘Charm...wit...good looks’
‘Besides all that’ she rolls her eyes ‘Big ‘ead’
‘So....’ David leans his arms on the bar so their faces are only inches apart ‘As another friend, tell me....What did you do to Daniel Painter that he took off in such a hurry?’
‘I never did anythin’ she pushes her hands against the bar and straightens up, blushing furiously.
‘You must have done something. Edna said you were mates, said it was him who persuaded you to take all this on’
‘We talk’ Viv admits with a toss of her head ‘He’s been round my place a couple of times but that’s all there is in it and anyone who tells you otherwise is a bleetin’ liar. Like a son to me, ‘e is’
‘Bloody hell, you would’ve had to start early, what would you’ve been...eight....ten?’ David chortles ‘Get off your high horse, woman, I’m only pulling your leg...but I have to say, he looked as pissy as I’ve ever seen him’
‘He had to get back, that’s all. His girl was home for the weekend, ‘e was going to bring ‘er but she’d got some do or other she’d got to go to so she couldn’t come. He doesn’t like her in the house on ‘er own at night’
‘We weren’t all too busy for him to say goodbye to, though, were we?’ he observes, supping the last of his pint and taking a few more peanuts.
‘If he’d said goodbye to everyone, he’d still be ‘ere. He had to get back, like I said’
‘Fair enough, have it your way...but I have to warn you’ he says with a wink ‘Edna’s looking out recipes for wedding cake’
Viv chokes on her coffee ‘Leave it out!..What....Me and Daniel?’
A sudden silence falls around the bar as she hoots with laughter.
The White Horse
Chapter Forty-four
Woodbury General Hospital
‘Hello my lovely’ Pam Philpott beams as she approaches Stephanie’s bed. ‘Well, just look at you!’ She lightly kisses her on the forehead and sits down, immediately taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. ‘Sitting up and taking notice!’ Tears come into her eyes as Stephanie smiles her lopsided smile.
‘Gnnyon’ Stephanie’s eyes light up and she raps from her chest to her navel with her knuckles.
‘Aaw, I noticed that...It’s lovely seeing you in a proper nightie again. It’s very pretty. Did Nathan buy it for you?’
Stephanie shakes her head and grabs Pam’s hand and pulls it to her chest ‘GNNYON!’
‘Ohhh!‘ Pam’s eyes widen when her fingers meet no resistance. ‘What a dope I am. I was so surprised at seeing you sitting up a bit; I never thought anything about why you were actually able to....Oh, that’s wonderful. When did they take it off?’
‘Nnnn’ Stephanie’s lips refuse to come together to form the hum of an em. ‘Nnornin’
‘And it’s better? Getting better?’ She modifies the question when Stephanie tilts her hand from side to side to mean her first assumption was not exactly right. ‘I’m surprised they’ve let you sit up’ she continues, the initial elation over and a worried expression taking the place of her smile ‘after looking like a tortoise for all this time’
Stephanie opens and closes her hands six times. ‘Aarn our’
‘And then what, they lay you back down again? Oh, right I see. Early days yet though. Expect you’re glad to get it off, bet it itched like hell’
‘Oth’ her tongue slips from between her teeth and she tries again ‘Hod’
‘Oh, I bet. It’s hot enough in here as it is’ She watches as Stephanie puts a hand down the neck of her nightdress then draws it back, holding something between fingers and thumb for her to see. Unsuspectingly, she puts out her hand. ‘Oh, you horrible, horrible child!’ She looks round for somewhere to rid herself of the flakes of peeled skin in her palm. ‘Horrible, disgusting, revolting child!’ Stephanie makes a gurgling sound in the back of her throat and Pam realises that she is trying to laugh. ‘Couldn’t you have saved that for somebody else?’ She twists her mouth into a tight purse of disapproval but starts to laugh when her niece shakes her head. ‘Only me would find it funny, eh? Well, all I can say is, I hope they’ve got some decent moisturiser or you’ll look like a lizard by the time you get out of here’
She gets up to deposit the contents of her palm into the paper waste bag clipped to the side of the bedside locker. ’Steph?’ her face clouds when she turns to sit down again ‘what’s wrong, my lovely? Are you in pain? Shall I call someone?’ she asks, regretting her careless words about appearance.
Stephanie shakes her head, her face becoming more contorted as her eyes fill with tears and she lifts her hand to her forehead.
‘It’s doing well’ Pam reaches out and gently pulls the hand away ‘It really is. Healing nicely. They’ve made your pretty face beautiful again.’ She tilts her head to one side and gives a closed lipped smile when Stephanie’s hand falls to her cheek and down to her mouth. ‘That will get better too, I promise you.’
‘Nnirror. I yant a nirror’
‘I don’t think that’s for me to do, pet. Not yet. There’s still a bit of healing to do and you won’t realise how much better it’s looking than it was...and it’s going to get a lot better than it is now’
‘NIRROR!’
‘I’ll get a nurse, she’ll be able to sit with you, she’ll know what’s what and what’s going to mend first, things like that’
Stephanie grasps her arm ‘Nnyo, you!’
Pam hesitates, looking round for some help. ‘I’m not sure I should’
Stephanie threads her fingers through Pam’s and pulls her hand closer. ‘Nnyou... fflease. You helf nee do it. I phant to see’
‘Everything alright, Stephanie?’ A nurse comes to the end of the bed, sensing a mini crisis developing. ‘Best we lie you down and you get some rest now, okay?’
‘She wants to look in a mirror’ Pam ventures, hoping the nurse will dissuade her and she can avoid the distress of seeing Stephanie upset.
‘Are you sure?’ the nurse asks ‘We were going to give it a few days yet. Why don’t you wait? We’ve got a lady who comes and tells you how to put make-up on...you know.....just until the scars have faded completely’ She quickly skirts the bed to touch a reassuring hand to Stephanie’s shoulder when a horrified look passes over her face. ‘Nooo, it’s very minor really, honestly. Sorry, I didn’t mean...... We don’t think there’ll be any permanent scarring on your face at all; maybe a little on your forehead where the scrapes were deepest but your fringe will easily cover that.’
‘Nirror, now’ Stephanie says stubbornly.
The nurse looks at Pam. ‘Might be best after what I went and said. You’ll be worrying about it otherwise, won’t you?’ she says to Stephanie. ‘And there really isn’t any need.’ She takes a deep breath and lets it out again. ‘Okay...but you’ve got to remember you’re going to look a lot better than you do now’
‘That’s what I told her’
Stephanie makes an impatient gesture with her hand and holds it flat, waiting for Pam to provide a powder compact from her handbag.
‘I can get a proper mirror if you give me a minute’ the nurse turns to go.
‘Nnyo’ she takes the compact and fiddles with the catch to open it.
The nurse stands at the side of the bed, her hand resting on Stephanie’s arm. Pam looks on, holding her breath while Stephanie slowly lifts the mirror. They both wait, ready for whatever reaction there might be.
