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Back The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry Save as PDF
Chapters (34)
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  2. Table of Contents
  3. 1
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Harold wondered why she had taken the rap for him, and whether she understood how much he regretted what he had done. Again he asked why, all those years ago, she had not stopped to say goodbye. And thinking all this, he shook his head and kept walking north.

She had been fired on the spot. Napier’s abuse was heard all over the brewery. There was even a rumour he hurled a small round object, an ashtray possibly but maybe a small paperweight, that narrowly missed Queenie’s forehead. Mr Napier’s secretary confirmed afterwards to a few of the reps that he had never liked the woman. She also confirmed that Queenie stood her ground. She couldn’t hear Queenie’s exact words because the door was closed, but from Mr Napier’s screaming you could get the gist of what Queenie had said, and it was along the lines of ‘I don’t know what the fuss is about. I was only trying to help’. “If she’d been a man,” someone told Harold, “Mr Napier would have kicked the living shit out of her.” Harold had been sitting in a pub at the time. Feeling sick, he had reached for his double brandy and downed it in one.

Harold’s shoulders hunched at the memory; he had been an unforgivable coward, but at least he was doing something about that now.

The city of Bath came into view, the crescents and streets cutting into the hillside like small teeth; the cream stone blazing against the morning sun. It was going to be a hot day.

“Dad! Dad!”

He looked round, startled, with the clear impression that someone was calling. The passing traffic rustled the trees, but there was no one.

16

Harold and the Physician and the Very Famous Actor

Harold intended to keep his stay in Bath brief. He had learned from Exeter that a city diluted his purpose. He needed to get his shoes resoled but the cobbler was closed until midday, due to family affairs. While Harold waited, he would use the time to choose another souvenir for Queenie and Maureen. The sun fell in stark slabs of light in the abbey churchyard. It was so dazzling he had to shield his eyes with his hand.

“Could I ask you all to form a proper line?”