By the Lake (45 page)

“There’s no great need or rush with the shed, Patrick,” Kate said uncertainly, surprised by her own forwardness. “Maybe it could be left there for another summer in deference to Johnny?”

He stood amazed but did not speak. The chatter of the wildfowl out on the lake was loud in the strain of the silence. With slow economy of movement he turned his back on Kate and spoke to Ruttledge, slowly and carefully. “You must do what you have to do, lad. Meet me at nine at the corner of the lake with the car and trailer if you want. It’s completely matterless whether you turn up or not. If you don’t turn up I have plenty of places to go to. I’ll go and entertain them all in their own houses.”

Then he was gone, walking slowly round the shore in the half-light.

The Ruttledges did not speak as they climbed the hill.

“What are you going to do?” Kate asked as they passed beneath the alder tree.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “We can talk it through. We don’t have to decide on anything till morning.”

At the porch, before entering the house, they both turned to look back across the lake, even though they knew that both Jamesie and Mary had long since disappeared from the sky.