Page 69 of Loving Netta Wilde

‘Nah. I kept away until a few years ago.’

‘What you do that for?’

‘I thought she’d be better off without me.’

‘What kind of damn fool thing is that to say? Are you completely stupid?’

‘Yeah, I think I must be.’ Trust Priscilla to say it like it was.

‘You know what I think, Dougal? I think you’ve made some very bad choices.’

Doogie grinned. She was so right. Pity it took till now to have it pointed out to him. ‘Oh Priscilla, I really wish I’d met you twenty years ago.’

‘I would have scared the life out of you.’

‘I know.’

She eyed him over her teacup for what seemed like longer than it probably was. ‘Fetch it over here.’

‘Fetch what?’

‘The letter. You think I don’t know you check it every time you come in here? If you want to see it so bad, go and get it.’

Doogie sighed and fetched the letter. He held it out for her. Priscilla stared at it like it was a thing from outer space. ‘Read it.’

‘Me?’

‘Yes, you. Read it.’

He opened the envelope. Inside was a single sheet of paper. It looked like it had been torn out of an exercise book and someone had tried to tidy the rough edge with scissors but had made a bad job of it. He cleared his throat:

My dear Priscilla,

I should have been a better husband and father. I tried, but I gave up too quick.

I’m sorry.

Samuel x

Priscilla still had the teacup in her hand. ‘That’s it? Not one single mention of love or forgiveness?’

Doogie turned the letter around for her to see. ‘He’s put a kiss on there.’

‘Sixty years of marriage and that’s all I get? One kiss and I coulda been better.’

‘I think by saying sorry he’s implying he’s asking for forgiveness.’

She put the cup down. ‘Oh you do, do you? And what would you know?’

39

I GAVE UP TOO QUICK

Priscilla’s list of jobs kept Doogie busy all afternoon. She’d stayed mostly out of his way. He’d assumed he’d annoyed her again but by the time he’d finished, she seemed to have got over it enough to present him with a new list. He wondered what her kids did for her when they visited. Maybe she didn’t want to ask them. Although from what he’d seen of her, that was unlikely. He didn’t want to judge though. It wasn’t as if he ever offered to do jobs for his mum and Clive when he visited them. It wasn’t deliberate, it just didn’t occur to him. They were younger than Priscilla. His mum had been really young when she’d had him. Younger than his own daughter was now. He never really thought of her as old, but he guessed it wouldn’t be long before that changed. Clive was about the same age as his mum, and he kept himself fit. His dad though was about ten years older. Since Doogie hadn’t seen him in a long time, he had no idea how he was doing.

There were more cars in Netta’s road than usual. It had probably been a through-road, once, but the one end was blocked off now. It wasn’t close enough to park for the shops on the main road, unless you liked walking, so you didn’t seem toget a lot of visitors here. He recognised Arthur’s car parked next to another one that looked sort of familiar. Netta’s door opened, and he instantly remembered where he knew the car from. Oh fuck. The cavalry was here, and she didn’t look very happy.

Claire was blocking his way into the house. ‘Surprise!’ If it was supposed to be a friendly greeting it didn’t come off as one, but then it was unlikely that friendly had been her intention.

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