39 Eden Close, SE21
‘Lunch was fun.’ ‘Yes, well…’ ‘And whose fault was it this time?’ ‘There seemed to be only a little tension,’ she said. ‘Well, let’s see: you said nothing. The kids said nothing, apart from being rude about the fish.’ ‘And you?’ ‘I’d say I made a valiant effort at pleasantries. At least I tried, even if my words were only met by silence.’ He stared out of the window at the two enormous fir trees, standing apart on either side of the drive. ‘I thought that it was a perfectly nice meal. The fish was well cooked, and we used the good silver. What else do you want?’ ‘Why on earth does that matter, about the fish and the cutlery?’ he demanded. ‘Who cares? I’d much prefer it if there were a tolerable dynamic to our family.’ ‘Well I see no problem; can’t we just quieten down and read a little?’ They were sitting in the living room; she sat on the white sofa, wearing a cashmere shawl over a blue dress. She reached up and fiddled with the pearls around her neck. He slumped in his chair by the window, having changed into a lumberjack shirt and his old gardening shorts. The room was exquisite, an exemplar of Dulwich life: their white carpet offset the velvet coffee of
11 17
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker