Free Full House [Quick Read] by Maeve Binchy Page A

people maybe?’
    ‘I like them, Mam, we play great music – it’s just that they don’t seem to notice the state of the place. What do you think I should do?’
    ‘I know what you should do, which is what I told you already. Just once. Clean it, sort out the cleaning rota, and they could well be so pleased they’ll keep it that way.’
    ‘But you see, Mam—’ he began.
    ‘I know, Anthony, I know they might get annoyed with you … There might be a lot of fuss, it’s kind of easier to leave things the way they are.’
    He was surprised that she understood. Then a thought came to him.
    ‘Was that the way it was with us, when we all lived here?’ he asked.
    ‘A bit like that, yes. Why disturb things? Anything for an easy life.’
    ‘And what changed it?’
    ‘I don’t know. Not any one thing. Just a feeling, you know, that it was always going to be like this. No milk in the fridge, no one doing anything, no one paying anything, and me getting more bitter and twisted every day. I had thought it would be different, a bit shinier somehow.’
    ‘Sorry, Mam.’
    ‘No, it was all my fault. And if you let those guys live in filth around you, then it’s your fault. That’s all I’m saying.’
    ‘What’s the best thing for burned saucepans, Mam?’ he asked.
    ‘Cooking over a low heat and taking the pan off on time,’ she said.
    ‘I mean the ones that are burned already,’ he said, sadly.
    ‘Wire wool and a scourer,’ Dee suggested.
    Anthony listened as if this was divine wisdom.
    ‘You’re great, Mam,’ he said.
    ‘I am,’ Dee said happily. ‘That’s what I am, I’m great.’
     
    Helen came back with all her clothes.
    ‘I don’t want my old room back, Mam,’ she said immediately.
    ‘No, indeed,’ Dee said.
    ‘But you did say something about the bed in the scullery—’
    ‘The back room,’ Dee corrected.
    ‘Yes, whatever. You did say that if we were ever stuck we could have a few nights there.’
    ‘And you are stuck?’ Dee enquired.
    ‘Not really, it’s just that I want Maud and Marco to have more space, and, you see, Maud’s brother Simon came home …’
    ‘You mentioned that all right,’ Dee said.
    ‘And I wouldn’t want him to think that I was … you know, settling in on them or anything.’
    ‘No, indeed.’ Dee nodded gravely. ‘Settling in on people would look bad all right.’
    Something about the way she said it made Helen look at her mother’s face. She could find nothing to help her there, it made her slightly uneasy.
    ‘I mean, I wouldn’t exactly be settling in, when I sleep in the scullery,’ Helen said defensively.
    ‘Back room,’ Dee corrected automatically.
    ‘Er … yes of course, the back room,’ Helen said.
    ‘So how long will you need it for?’ Dee was perfectly polite, hospitable even, but there was certainly a time limit hovering in the air.
    ‘About a week if that’s all right.’
    ‘That should be fine. I’ll check with your dad.’
    ‘I’ll check,’ Helen offered.
    Dad was out in his shed working on an old radio that was of huge sentimental value to someone in Miss Mason’s apartment block. He looked up, pleased, when he saw Helen.
    ‘Great to see you, love, and how are the little monsters?’
    ‘They’re not monsters, Dad, they’re great. Full of imagination and hopes and dreams. I love them.’
    ‘You’re great when you talk about teaching.’ Liam Nolan sounded genuinely admiring. ‘You’re a different person.’
    ‘Different from what?’ Helen wondered.
    ‘Well, you know, fussing and complaining about money and everything.’
    ‘It’s just I don’t have any money to speak of,’ Helen said.
    ‘None of us have any money to speak of, love, but we manage, and we don’t go on about it, you know.’
    Helen was stunned.
    Did she go on about it? No, of course she didn’t. It was just all that business about the travel agency.
    Then she remembered something Marco had said about money recently and how Maud had changed the