A Week in Winter(84)

‘Were you frightened and lonely at the time?’ he asked, sitting down next to her and putting his arms around her.

‘A bit, but he wasn’t free, you see. Your father was already married. It wouldn’t have been fair to break up everything he had. Then Maureen died in England and so we pretended you were hers. For Mam’s sake. Mam got her grandchild, I got my son – we all did fine.’ By now Irene was smiling through her tears.

‘Does Nasey know?’

‘Yes, I told him early on. He said you had probably guessed, and imagine, he was right.’

‘Will Nasey come and live here?’

‘If you don’t mind,’ Irene said. ‘He’s great with your gran.’

‘Don’t I know it? I love the way you play three-handed bridge at night like demons. Watching you is better than being in Las Vegas.’ He said that he was delighted Nasey would be there, since he had been hoping to travel. There was a chance of a trip to America. Now he felt free to make his plans.

For eighteen years Irene had been dreading the day she must tell Kenny this news, and now it had passed almost without comment. Life was very strange.

Irene wore her engagement ring to work; Miss Howe made no comment and Irene did not bring the subject up. All the teachers noticed it, of course; Irene told them that her mother was going to be her matron of honour, and that Nasey’s nephew Rigger was coming over from Stoneybridge and that Dingo was to be his best man, and that they would be having sandwiches and cake in a pub on the last Saturday in August and she would love all the teachers to come to that. They got into a fever of excitement planning a wedding present.

With Irene, it would be easy: she liked everything. It could be a holiday in Spain, a garden shed, a painting of Conne-mara, a weekend in a castle, a set of luggage with wheels, a croquet set, a big, ornate mirror with cherubs on it. Irene would love any one of them and praise the gift to the skies.

They were still no nearer any decision about Miss Howe’s retirement gift.

There was a lot of pressure on Irene to make a decision on what it should be; she in turn didn’t care one way or the other but she felt that for the teachers and students, she had to come up with some sort of an idea and she didn’t want to disappoint them. It was so wonderful to be able to tell Nasey everything when she finished work in the evenings.

Nasey said he’d give the matter some thought. In the meantime, he had news of his own. His nephew Rigger had been on the phone.

‘They’re in a panic over at Stone House. They don’t have any proper bookings for the week that it opens. He and Chicky are afraid it’s going to be a flop after all their hard work.’

‘Well,’ said Irene, ‘we should ask Rigger for some brochures, and I can hand them around at school. It’s the sort of thing some of the teachers would enjoy.’

‘Why don’t you send Miss Howe there?’ Nasey said triumphantly.

‘But if she’s so awful, should we inflict her on them?’

‘She mightn’t be too bad outside the school. I mean, she could go walking; she wouldn’t annoy too many people.’ Nasey’s optimism wouldn’t allow him to think too badly of Irene’s boss.

‘I’ll suggest it. It might be the perfect solution,’ Irene said.

‘Let’s keep our fingers crossed that she doesn’t close the place down overnight,’ Nasey said with a big smile. Then they put their minds to their wedding.

The teachers noted that Her Own Worst Enemy was even more buttoned up than usual these days, more unforgiving about high spirits at the end of the school year than ever before. More concerned about examination results than the children’s future, and if possible even more ungiving of herself on any front.

They reported that her car was seen later and later at night in the school yard, and arrived there earlier in the mornings. Miss Howe must only spend seven or eight hours out of Wood Park every day.

It was not natural.

Finally she spoke to Irene about the wedding.

‘One of the parents tells me that you are thinking of getting married, Irene,’ Miss Howe said with a little laugh. ‘Can she be serious?’

‘Yes indeed, Miss Howe, at the end of August,’ Irene said.

‘And you never thought to tell me?’ There was disapproval and sorrow in her voice.

‘Well, no. As you said, I am not your colleague or your friend. I merely work for you. And as it will all take place during the holidays, I didn’t really see any point in telling you.’

Although it was not exactly discourteous, there was something abrupt in Irene’s tone that made Miss Howe look up sharply. This was the time for her to say that she was very pleased and wished Irene happiness. This was even the time when she might say that indeed she did consider Irene a friend and a colleague.

But no; years of being her own worst enemy clicked in, and so she laughed again.

‘Well, I don’t suppose you have any intention of starting a family at this late stage of your life,’ she said, amused at the very thought of it.

Irene met her look but without smiling. ‘No indeed, Miss Howe. I already have been blessed with a son, who is eighteen now. Nasey and I do not hope to have any more children.’

‘Nasey!’ Miss Howe could hardly contain herself. ‘Is that his name? Goodness!’

‘Yes, that’s his name, and goodness is a very good way to describe him. He is very good. To me, my son Kenny and my mother. He works as a butcher, in case you find that funny too.’