Page 123 of The Stranger in Room Six
‘I want to talk to her,’ I say, skirting round the question. ‘I need to know every single detail, such as when their affair started and if she really had a child. Recently, she said she didn’t have any.’
‘Maybe she’s just confused.’
‘Does she have any visitors?’
‘I haven’t seen any,’ says Mabel. ‘Then again, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have family. There are plenty here who just get dumped.’
I’ve seen it. Some of the residents get jealous when they don’t get visitors and others do. It’s impossibly sad to watch.
‘Do you know what I would do if I found Karen when she’s a bit more with-it?’ asks Mabel.
‘What?’
‘I’d ask her to tell mewhyshe had an affair with your husband. There’s usually a reason behind someone’s actions.’
‘Hah,’ I scoff. ‘Clearly, she saw Gerald as a money machine and zoned in. The fool fell for it – he even left her the house in his will.’
Mabel tilts her head quizzically, suggesting I might want to think twice. ‘You could be surprised,’ she says. ‘People don’t always act in the way you might think. Now, what are we going to do about Imran?’
We?
‘You’re getting older,’ she continues. ‘If you don’t allow yourself to be loved now, will you ever?’
‘I don’t know,’ I whisper.
‘Send him your address and phone number,’ commands Mabel, patting my hand. ‘You need to take that leap. Listen to what happened tomenext, and you’ll understand.’
85
Mabel
1950s
The Old Rectory, in its new form as a convalescent home, helped to distract Mabel from her broken heart. Together, she and Cook ploughed their energies into helping those who were damaged.
But when children visited – especially small, ruddy-faced boys who were the same age as her son would have been – Mabel found herself retreating to her room.
‘I understand, miss,’ Cook would say at the end of the day, giving her a warm hug. Mabel had noticed that she’d begun calling her that instead of ‘maid’ or another endearment. Perhaps it was because she was now in charge. ‘Please,’ she said. ‘Let’s not stand on formality.’
Cook looked both flattered and concerned at the same time. ‘If you say so.’
Meanwhile, Mabel kept writing to the authorities – both British and Italian – to see if anyone knew where Antonio and his family were, but she had no success. And despite her pleas, the adoption society confirmed that she was not allowed to know where her son was.
She had to accept that they were both gone for ever. The only way to cope was to try and help others.
After a few years, the demand for convalescent homes began to ease off. People had to get jobs. They were expectedto ‘get on with it’, even though the after-effects of war would never go away. Then Mabel had an idea.
They would open up the Old Rectory to families who had not necessarily been hurt by the war, but simply needed a rest. To her delight, they were given a ‘rejuvenation’ grant by the authorities, to add to what was left of Clarissa’s money.
‘You must keep some for yourself,’ said Cook.
‘But I don’t feel I deserve it.’
‘Nonsense. Of course you do.’
If only Cook knew her secret, thought Mabel guiltily, then she might think differently.
Meanwhile, she continued to make sure that Frannie’s mother and her remaining children at home had plenty of fuel and food.
