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Back A Terrible Kindness
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

In spite of being able to remain fully clothed, on balance William still regrets being the only one to switch gender. As a male character, he most certainly would have had some opportunity to be amorous towards one of the twins, and perhaps even better, have one of them be amorous towards him. Instead he is left having to feed Edward spaghetti and have his bottom pinched by Martin. At the eleventh hour, during the dress rehearsal, Richard decides that for the close of the play, everyone delivers a kiss on the lips to the person they love. William would have preferred to have left it at the bottom-pinching, but now he has to take Richard’s face in both hands and smack a hearty kiss on the lips. And he has to endure the same treatment from Martin. At least the idea makes Isobel laugh, and at least they only have to do it once. In rehearsal they are allowed to air-kiss, with the proviso that when it comes to it, there’ll be no holding back.

By late afternoon, William’s overcome with a longing to go to his room for a while and be on his own. They’re all wonderful, but so noisy and lively and demanding. His face hurts from all the expressions he’s had to make in the many conversations he’s had, and he still hasn’t got used to just how many of them there are. How Martin must have missed them when he first came to Cambridge. How quiet and lonely the dorms must have seemed compared to this mayhem.

Over supper, they aren’t allowed to talk about the play so as not to spoil it for the audience, who are outnumbered by the cast. But something must have leaked, because Flo serves lasagne, which William discovers is an Italian dish. He isn’t sure about the slippery sheets of pasta and he’s starting to get very nervous.

27

Imogen is an astonishing few inches from his face, concentrating, tongue poking out of the side of her mouth.

‘Blue suits you, William.’ She waves something in front of his face but it’s a blur. ‘Now, mascara. Whatever you do, don’t blink. Trust me and keep your eyes open.’

‘OK,’ he says, palms tingling to rest on her hips that are there, right in front of him. But as she puts the brush on his lashes, both eyes slam shut.

‘You nincompoop.’ Imogen laughs. ‘Look!’ She holds a mirror to his face.

The black smear runs from under his eye all the way to his nose, but it’s the blue arcs of his eyelids that alarm him.

‘What are you doing to me?’

‘Making you look like a woman, what do you think I’m doing?’ She’s enjoying his consternation and he decides to milk it.