EPISODE TWENTY-FIVE

Ted sensed trouble as soon as he arrived home. He could hear conspiratorial voices coming from the kitchen, which stopped as he shut the front door.
‘We’re in here,’ Marjorie called out.
He dropped his bag next to the hallstand. He could smell fresh coffee and he wondered who merited such treatment.
‘Come and join us.’
Marjorie’s voice bubbled and boiled excitedly. Ted braced himself for whatever she had in store for him and, his expression bland, walked slowly down the hall towards the kitchen.
‘I believe you two have already met,’ Marjorie said with overpowering relish.
Ted stopped in the doorway. His eyes met Bamber’s.
‘Hello, Ted. I said I’d pop in and meet the wife, and here I am.’
Marjorie watched her husband closely, her eyes cold and hard. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ she demanded.
‘Tell you? Tell you what?’
‘You know very well what I’m talking about, so don’t try and deny it.’
‘There’s nothing to deny.’
‘Oh isn’t there! And what about this bloke’s friend? ’She pointed at Bamber. ‘How long have you known him?’
Bamber stood up. ‘I...er...think I’ll be off now.’
‘Now that you’ve come round to stir up trouble,’ Ted snapped.
Ignoring him, Bamber addressed Marjorie with exaggerated politeness. ‘Thanks ever so much for the coffee. Sorry I knocked the first one over. Must be going through a clumsy time. I’ll leave you to it then.’
Marjorie pushed her chair back from the table.
‘Don’t bother to get up. I can see myself out.’
Bamber grinned at Ted, who avoided his look and stared at the floor.
‘Ouch!’ Bamber complained as he collided with the doorframe. ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately.’
‘Thank you for calling round,’ said Marjorie. ‘It’s been most interesting. ’She glanced at Ted. ‘Most interesting.’
‘My pleasure,’ came Bamber’s reply from down the hall, followed by the slam of the front door. Then a long, uncomfortable silence. Marjorie stared at her husband with undisguised loathing.
‘Well?’ she demanded eventually.
Ted shoved his hands into his trouser pockets and returned her look with one of defiance. ‘Well what?’
‘How long have you been one of them?’
Ted laughed, which took Marjorie by surprise.
‘I’m not one of “them” as you call it. Donald and I happen to like Shakespeare, that’s all.’
‘Huh! Expect me to believe that.’
She tried to imagine what this man and her husband got up to. Subliminally obscene pictures clouded her brain and she chased them away.
‘My family always said you was a dark horse..’
‘What’s that got to do with anything?’
‘They’ve always said you was a bit...funny.’
Ted snorted dismissively. ‘Your family’s as thick as two...
‘Ted!’
‘Well, you’re not going to pay any attention to what that fat slob said, are you? He could hardly stand up straight. He was drunk.’
‘I couldn’t smell nothing on his breath.’
‘Anything.’
Marjorie looked confused. ‘What?’
‘It’s...I couldn’t smell anything on his breath. You said “nothing”, which is bad grammar.’
Marjorie was stunned. Ted had never spoken to her like this before. His eyes blazed with defiance and she suspected his new friend and lifestyle had something to do with it.
‘You’re disgusting,’ she sneered, her eyes narrowing. ‘You and this other man...Ugh! Just the thought of it makes me...’
She shuddered theatrically. This made Ted angrier, but he kept himself in check, his fists tightly clenched in his pockets.
‘Donald is my friend. I like him. But only as a friend...’
She got up from the table and started to clear away the coffee cups.
‘I don’t want to talk about it anymore.  It’s disgusting.’
Ted brought his hands out of his pockets. She had turned away to put the cups in the sink. He tried to imagine what it would be like to put them around her neck and squeeze. If he did it from behind, it wouldn’t be so bad.  But supposing, in the struggle, she managed to turn and face him. No. He knew he’d never be able to do it. Then he remembered how successful the food poisoning had been and a barely visible smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
‘Marjorie,’ he began fawningly. ‘You’re right. I don’t think I’d better see Donald again. Not that there’s anything...you know...between us. But if it upsets you, well...’
She turned to face him, smiling the smile of the victor, mistakenly thinking she had won this round and Ted was now back in her power.
‘Let’s forget it, shall we? I know, as it’s your day off tomorrow, why don’t we pop down to Hastings and play bingo? Bloody Shakespeare, indeed!’

*

Dinner at the Longridge’s that night was a strain. Chloe had come home for the weekend, and the family sat around the table making small talk in between the awkward silences. As soon as dinner was over, Claire suggested to Mike that he take Andrew out for a drink. Mike didn’t need to be told twice.
‘Does Andrew know?’ Chloe asked, as soon as they had gone.
Claire nodded. ‘I’m sorry. I had to tell him.’
‘Oh thanks, blabbermouth!’
‘He’d have known something was up. Anyway, Andrew’s a lot more sensitive than you give him credit for.’
‘Oh yeah, and George Bush is a communist.’
‘That’s unfair, Chloe. Andrew can be very sympathetic when he wants to be.
Chloe sighed. ‘So what happens now, Mum?’
‘I suppose we have to look at the options.’
‘Like one of them I thought of on the journey home. I could always pretend to Mark that it’s his baby.’
Claire was shocked at how calculating her daughter could be.
‘And suppose he finds out the truth?’
‘It would be a lot worse if he found out I’d had an abortion. He belongs to the New Life Church. He’s a Born Again Christian.’

IN EPISODE TWENTY-SIX

Gary’s funeral is a farce and Claire upsets her son..

Episode Twenty-six  Homepage