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Authors: Tim Jeal

For Love or Money (20 page)

BOOK: For Love or Money
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‘I’ve brought you these. I don’t expect they’re all that good. But I’ll bring back more every day and much nicer. Lots of grapes and pears.’

Suddenly George was laughing. It was all so intolerably funny. He remembered the woman at the zoo and the gorilla and then about his present situation. Then he thought of something else.

‘Do you remember when you used to bring me fruit twenty years ago?’

‘And in hospital too. How could I ever forget the days that changed my life?’

 *

David was sitting listening to a concert when Ruth got back to the flat. She hadn’t waited for the lift, but had run up the stairs.

‘David, darling,’ she gasped. ‘He’s coming back. George is coming back … I can hardly believe it, but it’s true.’

She ran across the room lightly and flopped into a chair. Beethoven thundered on unheard. David’s mouth hung open, slowly the corners turned upwards into a smile.

‘Everything is going to be all right after all,’ he said quietly. He repeated the words several times to convince himself. Then quite suddenly he leapt to his feet and,
running
over to the radio, turned it up as high as it would go and, with generous sweeping movements, started to conduct.

G
EORGE
had been out of hospital a week already and Ruth felt that he was ready for the journey. Of course they would stop off on the way at hotels, so that he did not get overtired.

 *

The car was loaded by 9.00 a.m. so they would get a nice early start.

Carefully Ruth lifted George’s feet up into the car. The marvellous thing about it all was that he did not mind being helped. She had been awfully worried in case he had tried to do everything himself. But George was so sensible over
everything
.

The cottage in Wales had been kept a careful secret. So had the sale of Trelawn. He might blame himself or get angry unless it was made impossible for him. But how could he possibly be annoyed if they were already on their way for the first holiday together since their reunion? Ruth smiled at her ingenuity.

 *

Nearly an hour later George was looking down at the water under Staines Bridge as they drove on west. Funny to think that a month ago he had been certain that he would never be making the journey to Trelawn again. But life was like that. It just happens, just a lot of chances. An attack of earache, a bottle of scent, a careless lorry driver and a pile of old newspapers. Perhaps it was the
unexpectedness of everything that made it all worth while.

 *

As the suburbs gave way to the fields he glanced at Ruth’s hands on the wheel, holding it with the strength of the past. She still wore the rings he had seen when he first met her. Today she seemed so strong and resolute, so dependable in her large fur coat. Her face wore an expression of quiet thoughtfulness.

‘What are you thinking of?’ he asked.

‘Oh, nothing dear. Only how we used to play games with the children on this road. A penny for every cow, two for a goat … you remember?’

‘I remember.’

And George also remembered Steven. A momentary
feeling
of disquiet led him to ask:

‘What happened to Steven?’

‘He went away.’

‘I see. I’m sorry.’

Ruth nodded. Poor Steven, thought George, what chance had he got against the unpredictability of lorry drivers and newspapers in drawers?

He looked at Ruth and was surprised to see that she was smiling.

‘Nothing else has changed, darling, has it?’

‘Nothing really,’ said George, looking down at his legs.

‘Promise you’ll never ever try to run away again?’

George thought of the wheelchair in the back of the car.

‘I promise.’

‘Even if I take you to live in a tiny doll’s house without much money?’

‘Yes, yes,’ said George, laughing. He had forgotten how funny Ruth could be.

This ebook edition first published in 2013
by Faber and Faber Ltd
Bloomsbury House
74–77 Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DA

All rights reserved
© Tim Jeal, 1967
Preface © Tim Jeal, 2013

The right of Tim Jeal to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly

ISBN 978–0–571–30388–5

BOOK: For Love or Money
2.67Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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