BY VANISHING TO LONDON Mavis created a vacuum in the Kennedy household. Without her daughter Ann Kennedy became depressed. She went to bed late, got up later still, wasted hours slumped in front of the television. ‘I know we argued,’ she said to Claud, catching him on his way upstairs. ‘We used to spar quite a bit, it kept us on our toes. Now look at me, I am collapsing into old age without Mavis to goad me along.’

‘I wouldn’t say that, Mrs Kennedy, I wouldn’t call it collapse.’ Claud fidgeted, anxious to reach his typewriter and note down an idea for his current chapter before he lost it.

‘Call me Ann, you’ve been in the loft long enough to call me Ann. You can’t deny the old age bit. Guess how old I am.’

Claud thought he was too wise to guess; Ann Kennedy looked as old as his mother on a bad day, every day. ‘Okay, Ann, thanks. It’s not old age. You are lonely, that’s all. It’s natural to miss her, she’s your only child.’

‘Does your mother miss you?’

‘Not so you’d notice. I wouldn’t know.’

‘Thought not. Would you like me to cook you your breakfast now Mavis is gone? It must cost you quite a bit going to the wine bar every morning.’

‘I quite like the wine bar.’ His privacy threatened, Claud stiffened.

‘With Mavis gone? It would be no trouble to get your breakfast.’

My God, she thinks I go to the wine bar because of Mavis. How crazy, she obviously doesn’t connect me with Laura.

‘I thought you went to the wine bar so you could watch Mavis looking pretty in her overall and have her take your order and say, Yes, sir and no, sir.’

‘She never said Yes, sir and no, sir. She was inclined to be bossy and hurry one up so that someone else could have the table.’

‘Oh, really?’ Mrs Kennedy took this as an insult. ‘Bossy, was she? That’s not what other people say—’

‘Not bossy in any derogatory sense, Mrs Kennedy.’

‘Ann. There only is a derogatory sense to bossy, quote me another—’

‘All right. Ann. She was bossy in a rather jolly and amusing way. The customers, as you say, liked it.’ (If she doesn’t let me get to my manuscript, I shall hit her.)

‘The customers were mostly her friends, they would like it.’

‘Mrs Kennedy, Ann, I’ve put my foot in it. I have ruffled you,’ he apologised.

‘I’m not ruffled, I just said—’

‘I found Mavis lovely, a stunner.’ Claud raised his voice, ‘She was pliant and appealing in her overall and I do assure you pretty, no, not pretty, absolutely competent as well.’ Claud moved towards the door; they had been standing in the kitchen. Mrs Kennedy barred his way to the stairs.

‘Oh.’