The Library of Lost and Found(23)
Thomas nodded, an understanding smile on his face. “You know, that’s one of the things I love about you, Betty. You’re always so considerate, thinking of others. But you do such a great job at home. You should enjoy your time with the girls, while they’re young. Let me take care of all the boring adult stuff. I loved that my mum stayed at home. She didn’t work and the whole family really benefited from it. Besides…” he hesitated.
“Yes?”
“Well…” His pause went on for too long. “You’re not getting any younger, and you don’t really have any experience.”
Betty could admit this was true. She was only nineteen, fresh out of secretarial college, when Martha appeared. She suspected the skills she’d learned there would be out-of-date in today’s workplace. She hadn’t had a chance to put any of them into practice. “I could learn on the job,” she said. “And it would be nice to meet new people and have a few adult conversations during the day.”
Thomas gave a roar of laughter. “Yes, you can’t really call conversations with your mother adult, can you? All I’m saying is, there’s no rush. Lilian is only six. Why not wait until she starts secondary school?”
Betty gave a wry smile as she fingered the ball of wrapping paper. As usual, he made sense. “It was just a thought.”
“And a very practical one.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Now, I thought that the girls and I could take you to the beach, for a picnic lunch. I can’t think of a nicer place to spend your birthday afternoon.”
Betty’s smile froze on her lips. “Oh. I said I’d take them to the funfair in town, with Mum. I thought you’d be in work today.”
“I took the day off especially, as a surprise,” Thomas said. “I’m sure your mother will understand.”
Betty stopped herself from sucking in through her teeth. “I’ve already arranged to meet her there. We were going to get hot dogs and candy floss.”
Thomas pursed his lips. “Really? You want the girls to eat that stuff? Those types of places aren’t clean. And then, there’s the people…”
“What do you mean?”
“The awful types who run those places.” He sniffed. “I’m sure Martha and Lilian would prefer a lovely family picnic instead.”
Betty closed her eyes, feeling pulled in two between Thomas and her mother. “It is my birthday,” she whispered, to see if he might reconsider.
“Of course it is.” Thomas walked over and planted a kiss in her hair. “So, it’s totally your choice, birthday girl. I know you’ll make the right one.”
* * *
Martha folded her arms and huffed when Betty told her that they weren’t going to the fair. Lilian let out an indignant, “No.” She stomped around for a while and threw a doll on her bed.
Betty gritted her teeth while she made the sandwiches and sausage rolls. She picked up the phone and called her mother.
“Your husband thinks he’s in charge,” Zelda said, when Betty explained Thomas had taken time off work for a picnic. “The girls want to go to the fair.”
“It’s a beautiful day, and they’ll love sandwiches down on the—”
“It’s your day,” Zelda interrupted. “You should decide.”
Betty felt her temples begin to throb. “It’s fine, Mum. I don’t mind.”
“I wanted to take them for candy floss.”
“They can have an ice cream instead.”
“Okay then. I’ll get them a cone each with syrup and sprinkles. And a chocolate flake.”
Betty screwed an eye shut as a sharp pain pierced her forehead. “Um, I think Thomas wants the picnic to be for just the four of us.”
“Oh, just ignore him for once.” Zelda sighed. “I’m sure he won’t mind if I tag along, too.”
* * *
It had been a long, hot summer. Dogs panted into rock pools and lollies melted on their sticks as soon as their wrappers came off. Betty and Thomas carried the wicker picnic basket between them, holding a handle each. Betty’s head pounded as she spread out a tartan blanket on the sand and she wished she’d taken a paracetamol. She wriggled to get comfortable in her new dress.
Martha and Lilian discovered a broken purple bucket and spade and they started to play with them before their dad could tell them the toys were dirty.
Thomas sat in a deck chair with his ankles crossed. He wore his suit and work shoes even though the sun beat down, making sticky fingers out of his black hair.
Zelda appeared beside the mermaid statue and waved.
Thomas sat up taller and his eyes narrowed. “Is that bloody Zelda?”
“Um,” Betty glanced over. She hadn’t been able to find the words to tell him that her mother was coming along and she felt her shoulders shrink. “Oh yes, it is.”
“Did you invite her?”
Betty’s mouth grew dry as Thomas’s eyes bored into her. She jumped to her feet and waved both arms, an attempt to tell her mother not to buy any sweet stuff. They should eat the sandwiches first. But it was too late. Zelda vanished behind the ice cream van. “She kind of invited herself,” Betty said.
Zelda reappeared a few minutes later. Her long turquoise dress billowed in the breeze as she carried back five cones, each with two chocolate flakes and multicolored sugar sprinkles on top.