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Back A Terrible Kindness Save as PDF
Chapters (77)
  1. Landing Page
  2. A TERRIBLE KINDNESS
  3. Dedication
  4. Contents
  5. ABERFAN
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. CAMBRIDGE CHOIR
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. FAMILY BUSINESS
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. MIDNIGHT CHOIR
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. 58
  67. ABERFAN
  68. 59
  69. 60
  70. 61
  71. 62
  72. 63
  73. 64
  74. 65
  75. Acknowledgements
  76. About the Author
  77. Copyright

This morning, he forces the old sash window down a few inches, and studies the lemon centres of the milky magnolia flowers. Leaving the window open, he gathers up his and Martin’s bowls, rinses them off under the tap, then sits down at the table.

The phone’s shrill ring makes him jump.

‘Cambridge 57912?’

‘William! How are you?’

‘Uncle Robert, hello. I’m OK, what about you?’

‘Missing you. Keeping our heads above water.’

‘How’s the locum?’

William hears his uncle inhale before he speaks. ‘I’ve let him go; he wasn’t much help I’m afraid. Gloria’s father has been coming from London for two days a week, but can’t do it much longer. If it comes to it, we’ll just have to give some business to Bunts.’

‘I’m so sorry.’ Robert’s time is usually spent working out how to take business off Bunts, not give it to them. Robert doesn’t respond. ‘I’ll be back soon. How’s Gloria?’

‘Still away. Comes back in two days. But heartbroken, William. Heartbroken.’

He’s empty, can’t think of anything to say.

‘Just stay in touch, all right?’

‘I’ve promised.’

‘You’d better. Anyway, the reason I’m calling is to let you know I’ve just forwarded something to you in the post from your mother, and I’m not asking, I’m telling. You must open this one, William. And if you need to talk about it, I’m on the end of the line. Any time, night or day.’

His mouth has gone dry. Is she ill? He’s spent years ignoring his mother and justifying his behaviour to himself, but he’s always known at some point, he’ll have to square up to it all.

‘Suppose there’s no point me asking you what it is?’ He attempts a lightness of tone.

‘It’s her news, not mine.’

53

‘So,’ says Martin to the group, scraping his hand through his thick hair. ‘There’s a spring festival at my old college next week, which means we get another chance to hear the “Miserere”. Hands up who wants to come?’

Every hand goes up. Fifteen here tonight. Colin leans towards William smiling, and grasps his cuff to lift his hand up. William snatches it away so quickly Colin flinches.

Martin hasn’t warned him about this. He feels tricked. ‘I’m not going.’

‘Why not?’ asks Colin. Everyone’s listening. ‘It’s free.’

‘I know. I just don’t fancy it.’ William looks round and sees Jenny’s watchful gaze on him.

‘So, seventeen of us then,’ Martin says without so much as a glance his way. ‘Marvellous. And cocoa afterwards at the Copper Kettle.’

A few of them cheer.

‘Are you really not going to come?’ Martin sits with a cup of tea on the settee later that night.

William shakes his head, still embarrassed at his reaction to Colin.