Page 33 of A Class Act

BEDDINGFIELD, WEST YORKSHIRE

12

‘Oh? Oh?’ Jess, opening the front door of her cottage in Beddingfield the following evening, appeared able to utter only the monosyllabic word, her head moving comically from myself to Jayden as we stood on the doorstep. Finally she opened the door fully against the early September evening chill and we trooped past her in silence, walking along the narrow carpeted hallway and into the kitchen where Jayden put down my hastily packed suitcase. It might have been packed hastily with the help of Jayden once I’d been released from A&E, but it contained my life.

Or what was left of it.

‘How comeyou’rehere?’ Jess turned to Jayden. ‘We certainly didn’t expectyou.’

‘He was in the audience last night.’ I shrugged tiredly, not wanting the third degree. ‘I didn’t know he was there, Jess, and yes, yes, I know, Jess, when has he ever taken an interest before? Good job he was there: he saw me fall, saw me knacker my knee good and proper this time.’

‘Oh, you’re joking, Robyn?’ Jess pulled a face. ‘But you’ll be able to go back? Surely?’

‘I’m a dancer, Jess. An ACL injury?—’

‘ACL? Speak English, Robyn.’

‘Damaged Anterior Cruciate Ligament,’ I said bleakly, lifting the unwieldy brace on my left leg as proof. ‘Twelve months of rest and recuperation, apparently. And can you see any director taking me on after that?’ I sat down at the kitchen table because I didn’t know what else to do, where to put myself.

‘I got her straight to A&E.’ Jayden, always mindful of Jess’s sharp tongue where he was concerned, endeavoured to earn a few brownie points. ‘Stayed with her until the early hours while they X-rayed and did what they had to do and then, knowing what’s happening up here with your mum…’ He trailed off under Jess’s hard stare.

‘About time you did your bit with Sorrel, Jayden,’ Jess went on. ‘When was the last time you saw your youngest daughter? Or Mum?’

‘He’s been in touch with me, Jess,’ I said wearily. ‘Give him a break. I’m not sure how I’d have managed without him.’

‘Well, of course he has,’ she snapped. ‘Show business, singing; you doing well, it’s right up his street. When there’s his wife – sorry, his woman, you never did get round to marrying Mum, did you? – and his fifteen-year-old daughter needing his support, it’s a different story.’ She turned to look me in the eye. ‘And where was your barrister in all this, Robyn? Why didn’t he come galloping to the rescue on his white charger?’

‘You know I’m away, touring most of the time,’ Jayden started to protest, but quailed under Jess’s continued hard stare. ‘I called in last month, Jess. Has Sorrel come back? We don’t have to worry about her any more?’

‘Notworryabout her? Jayden, Mum’s in hospital again and just a week after starting back at school for the autumn term, Sorrel’s actually been excluded again.’

‘Where is she now?’ I asked. ‘Next door?’

‘Out somewhere again.’

‘Can’t you keep her in?’ I snapped, looking at my phone. ‘It’s going up to nine, Jess. Sunday night and school tomorrow.’

‘Have you ever tried keeping a bolshy fifteen-year-old in when she’s just as determined to stay out?’ Jess snapped back. ‘AndIshould be at work doing the night shift I do a couple of times a month – no choice. I’ve had to ring in to say I’ve got Covid – the one thing guaranteed to let me off the hook.’

‘You haven’t, have you?’ Jayden stepped away from the table in alarm. ‘Got Covid, I mean. Plays havoc with the vocal cords, I believe.’

‘No, of course I haven’t,’ Jess said, sitting down as all the fight seemed to go out of her. ‘Look, I need some help here.’

‘Where’s Lola?’ I asked.

‘In bed, of course.’

‘No, she’s not.’ Jayden grinned. ‘Hello, darling. Come to see your grandpa?’ He scooped my pyjama-clad niece up into his arms and, delighted at seeing him, Lola snuggled into his embrace before glancing shyly in my direction. I realised I might be calling out Jayden for his lack of interest in his family, but I’d not been doing much better. I hadn’t been back home since Easter – since meeting Fabian, in fact.

My heart lurched.

I wanted him so badly.

‘So, you’re back for a while, then, Robyn?’ Jess’s voice softened as she turned Lola from Jayden’s embrace, directing her back towards the stairs and bed. ‘I’m so sorry about your knee; what rotten luck. But I’m really not sorry you’re here: I’m getting to the stage where I just can’t cope with work, with…’ she put two hands over Lola’s ears ‘…with Dean buggering off again, with finding childcare for this one while I do my night shifts now Mum’s back in hospital.’ She sighed. ‘And trying to look after Mum and Sorrel as well.’

‘Look, you get yourself off to bed, Jess.’ Jayden smiled winningly in her direction. ‘Get a good night’s sleep. Robyn and I will go next door, wait for Sorrel to come back and I’ll stay the night…’ He trailed off. ‘But I’ve a gig up in Aberdeen tomorrow evening…’

‘The Scots are into reggae?’ I pulled a face.

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