‘George! It’s only on loan’ Jessie smacks his hand away from the tin box ‘He hasn’t given it to me. It’s just that I didn’t get time to look at it at the weekend’

‘Ain’t surprised neither, all that chankin’ yer did.’ George mutters and eyes the box speculatively ‘That’d be just right fer keepin’ me seeds in’

‘Well you’re not having it and that’s that. What’s the matter with sticking them in your pocket like you usually do?’

‘Can’t see ‘em in there ‘til I got ‘em out’

‘And you say I talk nonsense’ her eyes roll as she lifts the lid and lets it fall back.

‘The gal wi’the kiddy’s got er’n in a box all lined up. Right profess’nal it looks an’ all’

‘Well you’ll have to be professional with something else, won’t you? This is Graham’s and you’re not having it’

‘I could ask ‘im’ George persists stubbornly.

‘Listen here’ Jessie starts to lose her temper ‘This is this shape...’ she moves her head, her eyes following the outline of the oval box ‘and your packets are this shape’ she describes a rectangle in the air with both index fingers ‘They won’t fit!’

‘I could keep the little ’uns up the thin end and the big ‘uns in the middle’

Her eyes narrow ‘I’ll put something up your end in a minute and it won’t be thin!’ she threatens irritably. ‘I thought you were going out?’

‘I am afore long’ George takes his time putting his reading glasses in their case and folding his newspaper. He checks the change in his pocket and the whereabouts of his wallet.

‘Thank the Lord for that! Give me some peace and quiet’ Jessie rests her wrists on the top edge of the tin and starts to bring the papers it holds forward one by one, scanning each briefly before moving on to the next. ‘Any other time you’d be up the allotment by half past nine’

‘Yeah, well...’ he clears his throat as he tucks his wallet into the back pocket of his trousers and yanks his pullover down over it. ‘I ain’t goin’ t’day’

‘You’re not?’ she swivels on her chair to glare. ‘So you’re telling me you spent all that time up there ‘digging’ in the rain and now the sun’s out, you’re not going?’

George avoids looking at her directly and with a plaintive sniff puts his hand on the small of his back. ‘There’s a bit on a wind blowin’. Catches me summat awful when it’s windy’

‘The greenhouse closed as well, is it?’ Jessie says sarcastically, her eyes wide and questioning and her eyebrows raised.

‘We ain’t t’go while next Monday’ he mumbles as he passes behind her to go into the hall.

‘What do you mean you can’t go until Monday?’ she lifts herself from her seat to call after him ‘Who told you that?’

George returns to the doorway pulling on his coat. ‘Bloke from the ‘lotment ‘sociation. We been suspended’

‘Suspended?’ she gawks.

‘Me ‘n Ern ‘n Charlie’ he shrugs the coat onto his shoulders and pulls out the collar where it has become tucked in. ‘It were on’y a bit of a lark’ he grumbles.

‘What was?’ Jessie demands, her face a picture of disapproval ‘Are you going to tell me or have I got to wait until I see Edna?’

‘Fer gawd’s sake don’t you go tellin’ ‘er!’

‘Too much drinking and not enough weeding, I suppose’ her lips pinch together.

‘Too much wee’in’ George smiles to himself as he fastens the first button.

‘I said weeding’

‘I know what you said alright’

Jessie closes her eyes and sighs as realisation dawns. ‘Tell me you didn’t’

‘It were good fer the compost! We was on’y seein ‘ow far we could stand back an’ still get it in....’

‘All three of you?’

‘an’ the bloomin chairman turns up, don’t ‘e’

‘Well, serves you right!’ She turns on her heel and sits down again, lifting her hand and pointing a finger as she makes her pronouncement ‘That’s it. No more beer at the allotment and no beer anywhere for the next month. I’m not having that sort of carry on from any husband of mine!’

‘I ain’t no kid t’be told what I can a can’t do!’ George snaps back immediately.

‘You were kid enough to stand round a flipping compost heap with your thingy hanging out!’

‘Blimmin ‘eck. I’m off!’ He pulls his cap from his pocket and slaps it on his head as he turns to go.

‘Oh no you don’t!’ Jessie rushes past him to bar the front door. ‘You needn’t think you’re going to The Legion or anywhere else they sell beer. I’ll ring the vicar and tell him you’ll be there to mow the grass in the churchyard. It needs doing. .......And while you’re there’ she jabs him in the chest with her finger and backs him along the hall again ‘You can thank the Lord it was him and not one of the ladies who spotted you!’

Rose Cottage, Albans Lane

Chapter Forty-two

Tawny House, Manor Road

‘And she called Christopher her husband!’ Harriet continues in her litany of criticism. ‘Oh that their circumstances were so normalised’ her lips press together in a tight expression of disapproval ‘The child is almost three years of age!’

Jeannie stops what she is doing to stare at Harriet in disbelief ‘The child haes a name, an’ a bonnie name it is too!’ She turns back to her task and vigorously rubs a fly spot from the mirror above the mantel with her duster. ‘An’ what would ye hae the lassie call Mister Christopher. Would ye mebbe prefer ‘lover’ or some such?’ The hand holding the duster fists on one hip as she looks back again.

‘I would not’ Harriet looks marginally uncomfortable at being confronted and lifts her chin in defence.

‘Dae ye nae like the family tae visit?’

‘Under normal circumstances....’

‘There’s naught changed but ye’ Jeannie interrupts crossly ‘yer gaun the right way aboot haein them keep away fae guid  wi’ yer muid. The lassie wis back tae see ye again an’ ye couldna be mair grumfie’

‘She had walked out of my house!’ Harriet justifies indignantly.

‘I’m nae surprised wi’yer carryings on. It’s a wonder the bairn wants tae come at all.’ She takes a swift look around the room and, satisfied all is clean and tidy, nods and tucks the duster into her apron pocket.  ‘An’ ye’ve nae many years left tae enjoy her’ she says, unplugging the vacuum cleaner and winding the lead around the handle.

‘And you think I am not aware of that?’

Jeannie pushes her hair from her forehead and blows a breath upwards, regretting her sharp words when Harriet’s chin quivers. ‘Och, nae mind me’ she says, moving forward ‘It’s nae fae me tae say such things’

‘I know you to be truthful...’ Harriet says as tears glisten in her eyes ‘and I know there is truth in all of what you had to say. I behaved abominably, I know that’

‘But why, hen?’ Jeannie perches on the arm of the sofa ‘I thought ye’d set it tae mind tae enjoy yersel nae matter what? Ye’ve surely haed some adventures this last wee while that brought ma heart tae ma mouth! ‘She offers a tentative smile. ‘And here ye are wi’oot a smile fae anyone an’as cranky as a gadgie at a bellyrive wi’oot nae teeth’

Harriet cannot help but smile, although tears spill over. ‘That is almost certainly an insult but no doubt well deserved.’ She pulls her handkerchief from her watch strap and mops her eyes.  ‘I seem unable to stop myself.  I am becoming everything I despise in the elderly. Difficult and cantankerous and a burden to those who show nothing but love and concern’

‘Och, that’s nae true at all! Yer nae a burden tae anyone’ Jeannie presses her lips together and waits with a twinkle in her eye for Harriet to get the message.

‘Oh, Jeannie’ Harriet stretches out a hand and they share a touch and a quiet chuckle ‘What would I do without you?’

‘Well.........’ Jeannie tilts her head in a parody of thought...’there’s.....’ She smiles and squeezes Harriet’s hand. ‘Ye’d hae nae time tae be cranky, right enough’

‘Perhaps the reverse is true’ Harriet replies on a sigh ‘I have been so busy of late.’

‘Aye....mebbe. Ye’ve bare had time tae breathe. Ye’re tired oot an’ it’s nae wonder’

‘Yes...I am weary....but all I see is time running out and it makes me so....... angry!’ tears seep from her eyes again.

‘It comes tae us all, hen’ Jeannie says softly ‘an there’s nae one of us disna want tae meet oor maker haeing done all we wished but the list grows longer the older we get. We hae tae leave some things undone tae pay mair mind tae those as mean most’

‘You think I have been so busy I have neglected my family?’ Harriet bridles.

‘Nooo’ Jeannie flaps the idea away with her hand ‘Ye’ve nae neglected them.....but  mebbe ye’ve been sae tired ye’ve nae enjoyed them as ye did’

Harriet lapses into silence and gazes into the middle distance ‘I will not see her grown’ she heaves a shuddering sigh and buries her face in her hands ‘And I may not see this rift with Imogen mended nor Kester and Helen with a family of their own...and what of Ellis?’

‘T’is the way of it’ comes the gentle but matter of fact reply ‘If it’s nae one thing it’d be another. Nae doubt oor grannies thought the same an’ their grannies afore them. We canna do it all an’ we canna do aught aboot it either. T’is nae guid pushing them awa’ tae save oor heartache’

‘You are right, of course’ Harriet admits after a few seconds.

‘Aye’

‘I shall telephone Lynn and apologise...although how I am to explain why I....’

‘Och, there’ll be nae need fae that’ Jeannie stands up and moves to the window to draw the curtain sufficiently across so that the sun does not fall on the television. ‘The lassie knows full well ye wisna yersel’ she says as she turns the television on. ‘There noo. Hae yersel a wee snooze in front a yon programme while I make us some scones fae oor tea an’ we’ll hae another wee chat when ye’ve rested’