Second Chances (37 page)

‘Yes,
absolutely,’
Alice
waded
in.
Anyone
could
see
James
had
been
drinking,
which
always
made
him
argumentative.
And
he
should
most
definitely
not
have
been
driving.
Alice
rose
and
quietly
removed
the
decanter
that
James
had
plonked
down
beside
him
and
replaced
it
on
the
drinks
tray.
There
was
no
stopping
him,
she
knew
that.
But
she
didn't
need
to
leave
the
fuel
so
close
to
encourage
him.
She
was,
however,
guiltily
aware
that
James
was
only
voicing
what
she
and
Victoria
had
already
discussed.
It
did
look
odd.

'Well,'
Victoria
went
on
glaring
at
James
to
shut
up.
'If
he
wants
to
help
speed
things
up,
then
fine.
Just
crack
the
whip
a
bit,
Mum.
You
have
to
admit
he
is
a
bit
slow.
I
mean
we’ve
all
got
to
pay
bills
-
what?’

She
frowned
at
Alice
who
had
closed
her
eyes
in
disbelief.
There
was
a
generous,
very
generous
side
to
Victoria’s
nature
as
so
many
of
her
friends
would
testify.
The
first
to
send
flowers
to
cheer
good
news
or
to
comfort
bad,
a
generous
hostess
to
those
who
preferred
her
home
to
a
hotel
when
they
were
in
town,
but
sensitivity
had
no
chance
to
surface
in
moments
when
her
own
interests
were
under
threat.

’Oh,
sorry
Al.
I
forgot,’
said
Victoria
completely
missing
the
point.
‘But
look,
‘she
added
kindly.
‘If
you
get
stuck
you
can
always
ask
me.’

'No
thank
you,’
Alice
said
firmly.
'What
I
meant,
Mum,
was
we're
here,
and
Esther.
All
your
friends
keep
asking.
We
want
to
help.
Don’t
we?’
she
looked
at
the
others.
‘You’ve
got
us.’

‘I
know,’
Molly
said.
‘But
I
don’t
want
to
end
up
one
of
those
widows
dependent
on
her
children
for
any
kind
of
life.
It
wouldn’t
be
fair
on
you
–
no’.
She
raised
her
voice
above
their
protests.
‘You
say
that
now.
But
believe
me,
it
happens.
And
Conrad's
been
through
much
worse
than
me.
He
was
widowed
as
well.'

She
paused,
clearly
hesitant
about
what
she
said
next.
'His
first
wife
died,'
she
said
carefully.
'Years
ago,
of
course.
He
tried
to
make
a
go
of
it
here
–
but,
well,
it
didn’t
work
out,
and
so
he
took
a
job
in
Chicago
to
get
away
from
it
all.
But
at
such
a
young
age.
Not
quite
thirty.
And
with
a
little
girl
to
raise.
Let
me
tell
you,
it
takes
a
very
special
person
to
raise
a
child
alone.’

‘Awful,’
Alice
agreed.

‘Dreadful,’
James
said.
'Can't
tell
me
about
raising
children
alone
-
‘

‘You
don't,’
Victoria
snapped.
‘Lena
does.
Don’t
exaggerate.’

‘Oh,
suddenly
we’re
the
expert,
are
we?’
he
retorted.

‘Stop
it,’
Molly
almost
shrieked.
‘All
I
was
saying
is
that
his
daughter
is
a
credit
to
him;
has
got
a
little
boy
of
her
own
now;
Olivia,
she’s
called
Livvie
-
and
she's
turned
out
really
well
-'

'You
don't
know
that,'
James
said.
'She
could
be
on
drugs.
Anything.'

'Don't
be
silly
James,'
Molly
said
coldly.
She
began
to
stack
a
pile
of
newspapers
and
magazines
that
needed
no
further
stacking.
'I
just
know.
Conrad
would
have
said
-
I
mean
her
divorce
was
sad
obviously
but
so
was
Conrad's.
Not
long
ago.
It
only
lasted
a
year
or
two,
his
marriage.
Now,'
she
said
briskly,
‘Tea.
You
must
all
be
starving.
I
won’t
be
a
moment.
I
even
managed
a
cake
yesterday.
Conrad,
poor
man,
was
the
guinea
pig.
But
he
seemed
to
enjoy
it.’

*

James
was
let
off
with
a
hefty
fine,
the
maximum
points
on
his
licence
and
a
caution.
At
the
back
of
the
stuffy,
half-empty
courtroom,
Alice
let
her
breath
out.

'It's
not
the
fine,'
she
told
him
worriedly
as
they
searched
for
a
cab
outside.
'Don't
you
understand?
Next
time
it'll
be
your
licence,
even
jail.’

'I
know,
I
know,'
James
agreed
wearily.
'Don't
lecture
me.
I've
had
enough
from
that
bloody
magistrate.
Anyway,
what
are
you
doing
here?
Who
told
you?'