Blog 6. Joshua gets a mistress

20th July 2004

Sarah trembled slightly as we walked hand in hand into the kitchen on Sunday morning. Jenny sat at the table looking through the paper and drinking her coffee. She looked up and grinned mischievously when we she saw us. "Oh, has my big brother been a naughty boy and spent the night with his girlfriend? I hope you made him sleep on the couch Sarah," she teased.

"Certainly not Jenny. Did you think I would pass up the chance to cuddle a teddy bear in bed?" I was glad Sarah could respond in kind to Jenny's remark.

"Where's mother?" I mouthed silently in case she was within earshot. I expected her to be getting ready for church at this time.

"They're both in their bedroom," Jenny replied, still smiling. "They came down about half past eight in their dressing gowns and made a pot of tea and some toast then went back to bed again. Mum's bum is still tender. She forgot herself and sat down a bit hard and had to jump up again and rub herself. Sounded as if Dad was doing it again a bit later." Sarah looked a bit puzzled by Jenny's remark but I didn't enlighten her until we were alone. "It's all quiet again now. What you up to today?"

"Going to Sandswick. Would you mind chatting to Sarah while I shave and change?" I suddenly remembered that it was a question. Luckily her honest answer was more or less what she would have given without the ring's influence.

"Sure brother dear. Perhaps I can find out what you got up to last night, as if I can't guess!" They were deep in conversation when I came back into the room but I resisted asking them what it was all about. From Sarah's thoughts it didn't appear she had been told about Friday nights episode but had discussed wedding dresses.

"Jenny asked me if I could make her wedding gown. Would your mother mind if I did?" Sarah asked.

"Probably but I daresay we can handle it. Mother's buying the dress and has been getting anxious that Jenny hasn't found one she liked that was within mother's budget but let's forget mother for the time being and enjoy a day at Sandswick. We can watch them fishing from the pier and the boats coming in to the dock and they have the finest fish and chips in the whole county at Martha's hut."

We spent two very enjoyable days together. Sunday at the seaside town and Monday, which was her day off, by going to Braithwick market where Jenny bought a load of material for dressmaking. "Good job we came by car," she laughed, "I would have only been able to carry half of this stuff if I'd gone by bus."

"And you'd only have spent half the money."

"But I saved on bus fares and had a strong lad to carry things for me."

We arrived at my home about five and I kept hold of Sarah's hand as we walked in. Mother was the only one home and she was bustling about in the kitchen making the meal so there was no avoiding her. She eyed me warily and then looked at Sarah with some disdain. <<"How did he make me tell all those things? Will he make me do it again? In front of her?">> Despite her reservations as to my ability mother still tried to make a snide remark about Sarah. "Was it necessary to bring that shop girl here Derek?"

Before I could reply Sarah answered. "Miriam, I am not my father. I am his daughter. Just because he chucked you doesn't mean you have to take it out on me and in any case it all happened twenty-seven years ago and I'm sure you've done worse things since." For a few moments there was complete silence in the room. Mother's thoughts came through. <<"Did he tell her all about the bridge club or perhaps her father told her of some of the things I did with him after marrying Ray.>> I only told Sarah the barest details of what happened on Friday. Sarah went on, "I came here because Derek invited me to and I came here to talk with Jenny about the design for her wedding dress that I am going to make." For once mother was at a loss for words. Jenny hadn't told her about ordering her dress from Sarah. "Miriam, Derek and I have been together for less than a week but we seem to get on well together. We enjoy each other's company. I like him a lot and I think he likes me too but after one failed marriage I am not going to rush into another one. I'm sure Derek wouldn't wish that either and I'll try and make damned sure I find a person who I can live with for the rest of my life before committing myself again. When we've known each other for six months or a year or more, then we can think about marriage. Certainly I am not going to try and get pregnant and trap him."

Mother went bright red and fled upstairs. When I explained to Sarah about my being conceived before mum and dad married, she was most upset at her unwitting faux pas but once again took charge and went upstairs and into mother's room. They were there for some little time before both came down together and mother put the kettle on. There seemed to be a sort of truce between them. "Would you all like to stay for dinner?" mother asked, "Jenny and father will be in shortly." <<"Dyslexia, she has dyslexia, word blindness,">> came from mother's mind and suddenly I also knew why Sarah had dropped out of school. Dyslexia made reading difficult but would not affect her natural intelligence or her practical ability.

It was this afternoon before I could scan a few more pages of the book. Sarah was at work, the builders had started to move into Jean's and mother was shopping so I had the house to myself.