Despite the Angels - By Madeline A Stringer Page 0,120

he’s going to do it.”

“I don’t think it’s going to work, not in the short term,” Trynor answered, “Watch.”

Lucy pulled herself up in the bed, so that her eyes were level with Martin’s. “Please explain.”

“I told you,” Martin said, “I’m going to take this new course, become a jeweller. You can charge good prices for unique items in precious metals. We’ll be rich!”

“And in the meanwhile?”

“Well, I’ll keep my job during the course. It runs weekdays, six till nine. And one Saturday a month, unless we ask for more.”

“So I’m going to be on my own, nearly all the time. With a tiny baby. You said you were going to be supportive; I don’t think I’ll feel supported. And how much does it cost?”

Martin looked at his hands. “Not too much. The savings account covered the first term.”

“What do you mean, the savings, and ‘covered’?” Lucy was worried now.

“I took out the money from our account and paid the deposit for the course with it. Simple.”

“That was our money, Martin. More than half of it was mine. You should have asked. We should have discussed this. We had all sorts of plans for that money. Including a decent couch. A new cooker. Not a pipe dream. And now it’s gone. We’re stuck with a couch that should be in a skip. A cooker that doesn’t always come on. You’ll have to start saving again, harder.”

“Oh, I won’t be saving for a while. I have the two other terms to pay for.”

“How much?” When Martin told her, Lucy winced. “But that won’t leave us enough for the mortgage. Never mind the bills.” Tears began to creep down her cheeks.

“But you have a good job. We’ll be fine.” Martin put out a hand and rubbed Lucy’s shoulder. “My girl is great, a real Liberated Woman!”

“He’s doing it again, Roki,” said Trynor, “Having his own life at her expense. Stole her job last time, stealing her freedom and choices this time. You should stop him.”

“It doesn’t feel liberated, to be sitting here with a new baby, being told I’ve been robbed. That I’m going to have to go on working full time. That my baby is going to have to have a minder.”

“It’s only for a year. Then I’ll be working with gold and precious stones and we’ll be in clover. Come on, Lucy, give me a smile. I’ll make something beautiful for you first. You should be pleased you have a husband with get up and go.”

“I was pleased to have a husband with a secure job. Plenty of people don’t. Jen’s Peter was made redundant last week.”

There was a tentative knock at the door. “Can we come in?” Betty Browne put her head round the door and went straight over to the little cot, smiling down at it and stroking the baby’s hand. Robert came to the bed and leant past Martin to kiss Lucy.

“So, how’s my girl? And my other girl?”

“I’m fine, Dad. And Aisling is great. The feeding is going really well.” She smiled and looked over at her mother, who now had Aisling in her arms and was crooning softly to her. Lucy hoped the tears would not show on her face. She didn’t feel up to explanations just now. Or having to stand up for Martin. She needed to get used to the way life was going to be now. Busy. Working full time, if she could get the hours; minding the baby on her own in the evenings. Oh, please, she thought, let him just do the course but stay in his job afterwards. Then we can get back to normal. Maybe he could make his jewellery in the evenings, as a hobby. It would be a good hobby, maybe I can get him to teach me. I wouldn’t mind having a go. I wonder would I be any good?

“You would be spectacular, my darling. But there is no point. You have done that, in Crete, in ancient Rome, one of the times in China, when you weren’t making the fabulous pottery and once I think in Germany. Enough. Time to do something else. Just enjoy wearing the jewellery this time.”

Chapter 43

Late 1987.

“You’re a selfish bastard, d’you know?” Kathleen slammed a plate down in front of David, so that the piece of battered fish on it jumped. “You completely ignore what I want, don’t do anything I ask, even when it’s for a really good reason, and I’m here sorting out everything about the house for