Free The Red House by Mark Haddon Page B

padding. At home the temperature was always a little cooler when the two of them were together. She’d been at Bella’s house one day when she was eleven. Bella’s father slipped an arm round her mum’s waist and kissed her for way too long. Daisy was horrified at first, then she realized and it made her sad.
    It’s good for Richard being here . Louisa poured herself another glass. Stop him worrying about things .
    I can’t imagine Richard worrying , said Dominic. He could feel something stuck between his front teeth. Not like the rest of us worry .
    Oh, there’s this case at work , said Louisa. Some legal thing . Had she said too much?
    What kind of legal thing?
    We’re going to have the stage near the trees at the edge of the playing field , said Melissa. She closed her eyes in order to see the plan more clearly. The sun will be out at the beginning of the play, which is when we’re in the city, and it’ll set during the play which is when everything moves to the wild forest. Cool, no?
    That sounds really interesting , said Angela. Melissa was just a child, wasn’t she. Queen of the castle and dirty rascals. So tell me about being vegetarian .
    I just think it’s ridiculous eating animals .
    No , said Angela. Give me a reasoned argument. Imagine you’re trying to convert me .
    Well … Melissa paused and gathered herself.
    It was so easy. Get them on their own and treat them like adults. Except you couldn’t do it with your own family, could you. You crossedyour own doorstep and took off the cape and you were Clark Kent again.
    So, what happens if you’re not cleared? asked Dominic.
    I think that’s highly unlikely .
    But hypothetically . Dominic could see that he was making Richard uncomfortable but he was slightly drunk and the opportunities for enjoying this kind of advantage were few and far between.
    I suppose ultimately, if one had been grossly negligent, one could be struck off . Richard could think of no way of ending the conversation without giving the impression that he was avoiding the subject.
    I suppose most of these cases are settled out of court . Dominic mopped up the last of the tomato sauce with a folded piece of bread.
    I would much rather be publicly exonerated. Sadly, it will be the word of an honest man against that of a liar and a hypocrite .
    Louisa reappeared with an apple tart in one hand and a tub of vanilla ice cream in the other. Richard got slowly to his feet. Let me fetch the bowls .
    Angela placed a stack of dirty plates in front of Benjy because she was determined that at least one of her sons would leave home with a few domestic skills. Put these in the dishwasher. Carefully and one at a time, OK?
    I’ll do the greasy stuff in this sink , said Daisy. You can do the glasses in that one .
    Let’s play the story game , said Benjy.
    Concentrate , said Angela. If you drop any it’ll be coming out of your pocket money .
    Which story game? said Daisy.
    The one where you say a word and I say a word then Mum says a word and we have to make up a silly story .
    So long as it doesn’t have poo in it, all right?
    But I like stories with poo in .
    We know , said Angela, patting his head, but that’s a personal problem and I really do think you should keep it to yourself .
    OK, then, but I start .
    Go on then .
    Once …
    There …
    Was …
    Tangerines …
    You can’t have “was tangerines.”
    Why not?
    Because it’s grammatically incorrect .
    OK. Once there was a …
    Grapefruit …
    But I wanted “tangerine.”
    It’s not your go. You have to wait till your next turn and then add something ridiculous. So … Once there was a grapefruit …
    Whose …
    Trousers …
    Were …
    Made …
    By …
    A …
    Squirrel …
    Who …
    Lived …
    In …
    A …
    Handbag …
    Made …
    Of …
    Poo …
    Benjy …
    Melissa popped open the second Rotring tin, took one of the joints out and smelled it. Resin. Like the stuff you used on violin bows in itslittle velvet