Free The Centre of the Green by John Bowen Page B

sitting there on the bed, and Julian in pyjamas, fascinated and evasive; the gentle questions following one another, prodding and tasting as she experienced it all at second hand. But not all. Not from Julian, who never told all, and to whom truth and half-truth were the same, and who had been playing this game with Mrs. Baker for a long time. (“Oh, Ju,” Charles had once said, “why are you such a liar?”and Julian had answered, “But you can’t tell the truth to mother. She likes getting at things her own way.”)
    “It seems she’s quite a common girl,” Mrs. Baker said, “and one night Julian was a bit tight—it was when Penny had that trouble with her eyes, and naturally he was upset, and probably drank too much—you know how weak he is….”
How weak we all are, Mothe
r, Charles thought:
you have always protected us
: and suddenly, shatteringly , out of nowhere remembered a New Year’s Eve at the end of the war, and he, at fifteen, had been allowed to stay up for it. There had been a paratroop officer, red-faced and silly-serious with drinking. He had seized Charles by the shoulder, pointed across the room at Mrs. Baker, and said, “That woman—she’s an angel. Don’t you ever forget it. She’s an angel, your mother.”
She
loves us; she really does
, Charles thought. How they took advantage of that, all three of them, using it quite unscrupulously to get away from her when the time came. “It was so easy with Penny in hospital,” Mrs. Baker said. “The girl even led Julian upstairs. He said himself that if he’d been sober he’d have been more careful. I don’t mean he wouldn’t have had anything to do with her then, of course, but at least he’d have been more careful.”
    “What a mess!” the Colonel said unhappily, “what a mess!”
    “Justin, is Charles right about the police? Will they follow him? Will they come here?”
    “I don’t know. They might. I mean, they could send a message.”
    “It would be all round the village.”
    Charles said, “At the moment I should think it depends on the girl’s father.”
    “Mr. Monney, or whatever his name is.”
    “Yes. You don’t think that might be the answer?”
    “Money, you mean?” the Colonel said. “Pay him?”
    “Yes.”
    “Don’t like doing that.”
    “Of course it’s the answer,” Mrs. Baker said. “That’s all these people want. What good would it do him to go to the police?”
    “He may have been already.”
    “Well, don’t just sit there when you could be doing something,” Mrs. Baker said. “I’ve never asked you to do anything for the boys before. And now when there is something——”
    There was a sudden ring at the bell. All three of them jumped. Mrs. Baker said, “Don’t answer it”.
    “Don’t be silly, Mother. I’ll go.”
    “Don’t let them in. He’s not here, remember.”
    Colonel Baker said, “My dear, we can’t——”
    “He’s not here.”
    Charles said, “Really, Mother!” and went to answer the door. Colonel Baker tried to avoid looking at his wife. He said, “There’s no need to get alarmed, Teresa. I’m sure it isn’t anything important.” Mrs. Baker began to weep silently and helplessly, not attempting to wipe away the tears. “I should have known you wouldn’t be any use,” she said. “I should never have asked you. Now it’s too late.” The kitchen door reopened, and she got up to face it, but it was only Charles who entered. He said, “Father, it’s someone for you”.
    “Not——?”
    “It’s Mr. Albert Monney, Father. He says he’d like to have a word with Julian, if he can spare the time.”
    *
    Mr. Monney had determined to say nothing to Penny; it wouldn’t be fair, not without talking to Julian first, and in any case how could he talk to a woman about such a thing, particularly the wife? There were so many confusing things, and perhaps Julian, who was a better educatedman, would be able to see them more clearly. There were medical things to be