The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper(62)

ARTHUR PHONED BERNADETTE that evening but there was no reply. He considered calling around but that might raise her suspicions and Nathan made him swear not to mention the hospital appointments.

She’ll probably be at her belly-dancing class, he told himself. He thought that actually she might look rather nice dressed in jewel colors and small brass bells, shaking off her worries. He wrote himself a note to phone her the next day.

While watching NCIS, which he rather enjoyed even though it was more grisly than it needed to be, he looked up the number for Scarborough College in the phone book. There wasn’t a number for a jewelry department listed but there was one for Art and Design.

He sat with the phone receiver in his hand for fifteen minutes before he plucked up the courage to make the call. When he’d phoned Mr. Mehra in India it had sparked the start of a long journey of discoveries about his wife’s life. Sylvie’s words about him not liking what he might find out rang in his head. If Miriam and Sonny were friends, why would he not like what he heard?

His heart thumped as he dialed the number. Don’t worry, there will be no one there at this time of evening, he told himself.

He expelled his breath when an answerphone message announced the college was open between the hours of nine and five and would he like to leave a message stating the department and person he wanted to contact.

He asked that Sonny Yardley phone Arthur Pepper as soon as possible. He left his home and mobile numbers.

At ten-thirty the next day, when he had received no reply, he left another message and then one at just past four, also. In between he rang Bernadette, but again she wasn’t there.

The day after that he decided to call around to Bernadette’s in person. When he left the house, Terry was mowing his lawn.

“How are things with your daughter, Arthur?”

“All good, thanks. We went to Paris for a long weekend.”

“Ah, yes, she said you had. It sounds fantastic.”

“She told you about our break?” Arthur frowned. He hadn’t realized that Lucy and Terry were acquainted. “When?”

“I bumped into her at school. I was looking after my niece and we got chatting.” He gazed off into the distance for a moment, then refocused on Arthur. “Is she coming ’round for tea soon, then?”

“Probably.”

“So, does she live far?”

“Oh. No. Not too far.”

“That’s good. It’s nice for family to live close together.”

Arthur nodded at the lawn. “Why do you keep mowing it?” he asked. “It doesn’t need doing that often.”

“No. It keeps me busy. I like things neat and tidy. My wife used to have me doing it this often, when we were together.”

“I didn’t know you were married.”

“We moved back up here from the Midlands and things didn’t work out. I’ve been divorced for over a year now. I’ve been single long enough. It would be nice to meet someone new to share things with. Is Lucy, er, with anyone at the moment?”

“She split up with her husband a while back.”

Terry shook his head. “That’s tough.”

“It was. She’s a lovely girl.”

“She seems very caring, Arthur. Families should be like that, shouldn’t they? Looking out for one another. We moved to look after my mum when she had her fall. I wanted to do it. I couldn’t let her struggle on her own or have a stranger doing it. My ex-wife had a bit of a grumble about relocating, but she liked it here after all.” He gave a wry smile. “She met someone else and left me for him.”

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.”

Terry shrugged. “I tried hard to make it work, but it wasn’t to be.”

“And your mum...?”Arthur said cautiously.

“Oh, she’s as right as rain.” Terry laughed. “I see her most days. She’s even got a boyfriend. He’s a lovely fella who lives two doors down from her. We all go for lunch most Sundays. Anyway, I’d better get back to work, mowing my lawn, hunting for tortoises. Will you tell Lucy that I asked after her?”

“Yes. Will do. Cheerio.” As Arthur started to walk away he wondered if Terry’s well-wishes for Lucy were more than just friendly, and he decided that he didn’t mind if they were.

At Bernadette’s house he knocked on the door. The windows to the sitting room were open so he would imagine that someone was inside. He pictured her in the hallway, her back pressed against the wall, hiding from him. How had he been so cruel and ridiculous? He could hear the faint tinny sound of rock music and he stood and shouted out, “Nathan?” But there was no reply.

Feeling it was too forward to go around the back of the house, he returned home. The red light on his answer machine was unblinking. Sonny Yardley still hadn’t returned his call.

He would have to take matters into his own hands.

*

Scarborough College was a swarm of students. They moved as if one, through the reception area and into the corridors that led off it like a termite mound. The youth and vitality surrounding Arthur made him feel very, very old. These young people would think they had their whole lives in front of them, unaware that it would pass in the blink of an eye.

It was easy to picture Miriam among them. Some of the fashions were the same—dark eyes, heavy fringes kissing eyelashes, short neat skirts. She had started to wear more grown-up clothes when they started dating, as if she had shelved part of her personality when they met. There were some trends that surprised him, too—holes through eyebrows, tattoos everywhere.