Page 56 of One December Morning
‘No, don’t do that,’ said Henry. ‘It’s not her fault at all. And to be fair, she did ask repeatedly if I was okay.’
‘And you told her you were?’
‘I thought I was.’ Henry dropped his head. ‘I underestimated how much even conversation tires me.’
He looked so disgusted with himself that Peg immediately felt contrite, mentally pushing back the conversation she needed to have with him about Sofia and Adam. It would keep for another day. She was, however, still keen to know what had happened while he and Mim had been with Blanche, but maybe it wasn’t the time for that either. She gave him a softer look.
‘Have you eaten?’ she asked.
‘A fat slab of Christmas cake this time,’ said Mim, replying on his behalf. It was clear she felt as bad as Peg did. ‘But she made it herself and it was very nice.’
‘Well, that’s something,’ said Peg. ‘Dinner won’t be for a while yet, so hopefully that will give you two time enough to have a rest.’
‘I’ll make some tea,’ said Mim, even though she would struggle to do so with only her left hand.
Henry wearily took off his coat, and even that seemed an effort.
‘Would you like a bath?’ offered Peg. ‘Perhaps a long soak will make you feel better. Then I would have a nap, if I were you.’
Henry looked like a small boy who’d just admitted to scrumping apples. It tugged at Peg’s heart more than ever.
‘Actually, that would be heavenly. Would you mind?’
‘Of course not. I wouldn’t have offered if I did. Sit down a minute and I’ll go and run one for you.’
By the time Peg returned, Mim had joined Henry at the table, and a pot of tea stood between them.IfMim had managed it by herself, then it only lent weight to the argument that she would soon want to be home, and Peg wasn’t sure she was ready to think about that yet. All the talk of Henry moving had been unsettling enough; she didn’t want to contemplate her own relocation. Then again, taking Mim home would make the logistics of looking after Henry very difficult, and Mim must know that. So perhaps the longer he stayed, the longer Mimwould stay too…Time was fast slipping through Peg’s fingers, but if she couldn’t stop the flow entirely, then she at least might be able to slow it down.
‘He’s not like Julian, you know,’ said Mim as Peg returned to the kitchen again after checking that Henry had a clean towel.
‘I should hope not,’ she said. ‘They’re different people.’
‘You know what I mean,’ Mim replied, patting the chair beside her so that Peg would sit down. ‘He’s very conscious of what you think, and the last thing he wants is to be difficult.’
‘Julian wasn’t difficult. He was frustrated by his illness, Mim. I understood that.’
‘But he still took it out on you when he shouldn’t have. And he was a belligerent so-and-so before he got ill. Don’t pretend he wasn’t.’
‘And we all have our faults,’ Peg replied. ‘You’re a stubborn mule at times, Mim, and you know it.’
Mim gave her a stern look. ‘We weren’t talking about me.’
‘No, and we’re not talking about Julian either.’
‘All I’m saying is that you turned your life inside out caring for Julian, at times. And did he thank you for it? Did he change his ways? No, he didn’t, and even though you never stopped doing everything you could, he still went and died on you. But this is not going to happen with Henry. He’s doing okay, honestly.’
‘Mim…’ For heaven’s sake, was she a mind-reader now? ‘I’m well aware of that. It’s a completely different set of circumstances.’
‘Perhaps…Some of it is, anyway.’
Peg looked at her aunt, exasperated. What was that supposed to mean? Sometimes she was next to impossible.
‘I can see how anxious you are about Henry,’ Mim added. ‘But he’s a really nice man. Not that Julian wasn’t,’ she added quickly.
‘I’m glad you think so because otherwise you and I might have a falling-out.’
Mim patted her hand. ‘That came out wrong, you know what I’m like. What I mean is that I understand how strange it must feel having Henry here, but that you’re not to worry. I think it’s a good thing.’ She gave Peg a bright smile.
Peg gavehera sideways glance. ‘Good, I’m glad we’ve cleared that up.’ She returned the smile though, just to show Mim there were no hard feelings. Peg found it very difficult to stay cross with her aunt for long.
