‘Good morning, George’

‘Mmmorin’ George mumbles, trying to moisten sleep-gummed lips with his tongue as his eyes flicker open. ‘Gawd!’ his feet furiously cycle backwards, pushing himself to the edge of the mattress and dropping off of the side of the bed. ‘I dint know you was there, I dint ‘onest! I never ‘eard yer’ he groans and scrabbles sideways for his dressing gown from the footboard.

‘I know you didn’t’ Jessie giggles ‘Say one for me while you’re down there’

‘Sorry, gal’ he fumbles his arms into the sleeves. ‘I never even come to, I been that bloomin tired. I gen’rally ‘ears yer, else feels yer get in. I never this time’

‘That’s because I was very careful not to disturb you’ she pats his side of the bed.

‘You c’n do that, can yer, be careful like, even when you’s sleepwalkin?’ George says through a yawn.

‘I wasn’t sleepwalking, not last night. I waited until I thought you’d be asleep and started off here’ Jessie pats the bed again ‘You can get back in if you want’

‘You got in on purpose?’ he makes no attempt to move from his knees.

‘It was an experiment’

‘What sort a ‘speriment?’ he eyes her warily.

‘To see if I would sleepwalk the other way…and I didn’t, I had the best night’s sleep I’ve had in ages…since….since my Tom went’

‘Yer do look perky’ George comments with a nod of approval.

‘And you look daft down there, get back in’

‘Can’t fer a minute, I shall a’ter go t’lavatory first. You gimme such a turn!’ George wheezes a laugh and bangs his chest ‘So wha’s next, then wi’ this ‘sperimentin lark?’ he asks as he hauls himself to his feet.

‘You start off in my bed’ Jessie declares with the confidence of someone with a well thought out plan. ‘With me…and then we see what happens’

‘But yer never know what might ‘appen, an’ yer don’t want summat to ‘appen what yer don’t want ‘appening, do yer?’

‘I’m planning on you being too tired’

‘Ah, yer might be right….but there again’ George pauses at the foot of the bed to wag a cautionary finger ‘Yer never knows an’ I don’t want no tellins off fer doin summat what I don’t knows I’s doin cos I’s asleep’

‘I’ll take that risk’ Jessie pushes herself to sitting and tucks her pillows at her back ‘If I still sleepwalk, it’s the bed I’m missing, if not…then…’ a slight flush colours her cheeks as she reaches for her glasses from the bedside cabinet ‘It’s you I want to be with’

‘Gawd a’mighty’ George hops from one foot to the other ‘Yer reckon?’

‘I do, George, and I’m sorry if I made you jump but I’ve got it all worked out’ She bites her lip ‘Please go to the toilet’

‘I shall a’ter, gal’ he grimaces with relief and lumbers towards the door ‘Le’ me go ave a Jimmy Riddle an’ then I’ll go make us a nice cup o’tea an’ we c’n talk some more. We’ll ‘ave it up ere, shall us?’

‘That would be very nice, George’ Jessie smoothes the bedclothes.

Rose Cottage, Albans Lane

Chapter Twenty-nine

‘Of course we’re damned well going on honeymoon!’ Kester rounds on Helen furiously and slams the wardrobe door.

‘But, Kester, we can’t!’ Helen gathers the dirty washing from their suitcase and faces him with it held in her arms ‘Not now’

‘Why not, for Christ’s sake?’

She lets the washing fall back into the case and takes the few steps towards him ‘Your mother has just died, it wouldn’t be right’ she says, laying her hand on his arm.

‘Right?’ he glowers thunderously ’who says it wouldn’t be right?

‘Think how would it look’ her hand rubs soothingly as her eyes meet his in appeal.

‘Look?’

‘We don’t yet know when the funeral will be able to take place’

Kester throws off her hand ‘I’m not going to any bloody funeral’ he grunts and pushes past her to snatch his spongebag from the case and take into the en-suite to unpack.

‘Kester, you have to’ Helen stands at the door.

‘Have to?’ Toothpaste and deodorant clatter next to the washbasin.

‘Are you going to repeat everything I say?’

‘That’s because I can’t damned well believe what I’m hearing!’ his aftershave chinks against the shelf and the door closes noisily as he returns the spongebag to the cupboard under the basin. ‘I don’t have to do anything. I’m no hypocrite’ he stalks past her into the bedroom again ‘I hated her when she was alive, why the hell would I want to pretend I care now?’ He tosses his damp flannel onto the pile of washing.

‘For your father’s sake?’

‘If he’s going’

‘Of course he will go’ Helen continues her soft-toned argument ‘He will go because his children will need his support and you should go for the same reason. The press will be watching, if you are conspicuous by your absence, they will make something out of nothing and start talking family rifts. You know what they’re like’ she offers a thin smile.

‘They won’t care if I’m there or not, I’m a fucking plumber for God’s sake!’ Kester throws his hands in the air ‘Nobody knows who I am’

‘Please don’t swear’ Helen sighs and sits on the side of the bed.

‘You’re enough to make a sodding saint swear’

‘Maybe I am but I can see this family falling apart again, you and Ellis…. your father…..Lynn… I don’t want to see you missing out on that closeness again…and you will. This is the time for a united front if ever there was one. I’m not asking for some over the top display of emotion, I don’t want you to pretend anything. It’s some respect for your father…some love and understanding for Ellis…that’s all I’m asking’

‘All? What about respect for your parents?’ Kester fists his hands on his hips. ‘Are you going to tell your mother we’re not going? Because I sure as hell won’t!

‘My parents will understand. If they’ve heard the news, they will probably know without me telling them’

‘This honeymoon is bought and paid for, we’re going, and that’s that’ he glares mutinously.

Helen looks down at her hands ‘I’m sorry, Kester, if you want a holiday then you go but I will be supporting your father’

‘Then fuck you!’ Kester storms out of the room.

Helen sits with her head lowered, wincing as the front door crashes open and slams closed. She crosses to the window to the sound of crunching gears and wheels spinning as Kester's car rockets out of the courtyard.

Tawny House, Manor Road

The Annexe