Bridesmaids Revisited by Dorothy Cannell Read Free Book Online Page B

with an enigmatical expression on first spotting it.
    “I just wore this for laughs.” Mrs. M.’s voice bounced across the room in a series of thuds. “My son George never went to no university, no more than I did. But he’s made a huge success of himself has that boy, as Mrs. H. could tell you. Got his own factory, he has, for making exercise equipment. Still, I’m not saying there isn’t a need for places like Oxford and Cambridge, so long as there’s them that can’t make it on their own after being at regular school all them years and getting extra tutoring to help them get jobs. Late bloomers is what I think they’re called. Not meaning your brood, of course.” She beamed at her hosts.
    Silence flooded the room. Even Barney looked a trifle disenchanted with Mrs. Malloy. For a moment, I thought I might be taking her on to Knells with me after all, but husband and wife rallied commendably.
    “Dear Roxie! Didn’t I say, Fiddler, that the Queen couldn’t impress her? That’s because she’s studied at the school of hard knocks.”
    “One of the toughest learning institutions going, darling. Only the strongest survive and not many make it through in such wonderful shape.”
    “All those nasty husbands.” Gwen managed to look truly pained. “And now there’s this Leonard Skinner, the worst of the lot from the sound of him, trying to weasel his way back into her life. We won’t have it, will we, Fiddler? Roxie can stay here where we can spoil her to bits, until she’s sure of being well rid of him. She’ll have breakfast in bed every morning and lovely afternoon naps until she feels like her old self again.”
    “How about a cushion for her back?” Barney plucked one off the sofa and settled it behind Mrs. Malloy while continuing to address his wife. “She’s had a long drive. So why don’t you bring her lunch in here, darling? I’ll pull up that little table for her, and after she’s eaten every tasty morsel you can fetch a nice soft blanket and settle her down for the afternoon. Perhaps it might even be an idea to light the fire, as it looks as though it may rain on and off all afternoon.”
    “A good idea, Fiddler.”
    “Yes, it sounds just the ticket.” The person being talked about in cosseting tones swung her legs off the footstool and heaved herself upright. “But first I need to go and say goodbye to Mrs. H.”
    “You’re sure you won’t stay for lunch?” Barney pumped my hand.
    “I expect they’ll have a meal waiting for her at the Old Rectory.” Gwen eased him aside to make her own farewells and on her way out the door returned the photo to the piano. Her eyes lingered on it fondly before she picked up another and held it out for my inspection.
    “This here’s my cousin Edna and the man’s her husband. It was taken when she and Ted got engaged.”
    “She looks in love.” This time I wasn’t being polite. The girl in the black-and-white photo radiated a dreamy-eyed passion. She was also pretty in a dairymaid sort of way. The man, on the other hand, wasn’t good-looking and seemed as though he had been ordered to smile.
    “Well, what romance there was didn’t last. Ted made her life hell all their married life.” With this Gwen offered me directions to my destination and asked me to say hello to Edna for her, then gave Mrs. Malloy a hug before shushing us gaily from the room into the hall. I stood at the front door, eyeing Mrs. M. sternly.
    “You were awful in there about that Cambridge stuff.”
    “I spoke me mind.”
    “After just telling me that you thought Gwen was troubled and needed your support?”
    “That’s not the same thing as sitting there listening to her brag.” Mrs. Malloy drew herself up on her high heels. “If I hadn’t nipped that in the bud it would have gone on as long as I’m here. And where would that lead to but a blazing row? That’s what happens to a lot of friendships. Little things escalate into big things until there’s no turning