Page 78

Chapter 78

July 2021

Tess’s eyes are streaming with onion tears when her phone rings.

She sniffs loudly and debates whether or not to answer it.

She has never quite worked out why sniffing might suck the tears back up, but it does seem to help.

‘Damn.’

She taps the green icon and shouts at the phone, ‘Hi Fiona can you wait a minute I’m chopping onions give me a sec to sort myself out,’ all in one burst without stopping.

She washes her hands in the scullery sink and comes back into the kitchen and sits down at the table.

‘Right. I’m here, what can I do for you?

’

‘There’s Mount Washington in the utility room and the Great Ironing Pile may turn into an avalanche, but I don’t want you to feel guilty about it at all .

’

Tess groans. ‘I’m really sorry, but I’m just trying to limit the number of people I see.

I still think of Georgia and Stan as being vulnerable, you know?

’

‘It’s OK. I understand, I’m just winding you up.

You’ll be dealing with a big backlog when this pandemic is over, though, I should warn you.

’

‘I will have my yellow Marigolds ready.’

‘How are they getting on?’

‘Pretty well, I think. Georgia seems quite happy now they’ve moved to the new place, and Stan’s relieved to be allowed back on his allotment.

What about you?’

‘Still working. Family law is classed as an essential service, so I’m just as busy as ever, but at least it’s better than last year when I was mostly working from home in between teaching my offspring about the finer points of sourdough baking and whether Hamlet would have made a good king.

Speaking of work, I know I go on a bit, but you really should make your will.

I’ve been nagging you for years.

’

‘I know, I know. I’ll do it, promise.

’ Tess sits down on the chair beside the kitchen table.

The old hand-crank sewing machine she found in a cupboard upstairs is set up at one end, and her chopping board is at the other.

‘But that’s not why you rang me, is it?

’

‘No, it’s not.’

‘Go on .?.?.’

‘Alasdair is off sick so he asked me to call you. We know you haven’t had any lodgers for a while but this is a bit of an emergency.

’

‘No one since Yvette moved out just before the pandemic. Lovely girl.’

‘What’s she doing now?

’

‘She moved into her own place in Musselburgh, and she’s making hand-dyed embroidery threads to sell online.

’

‘The secret rent stockpile will have helped with that, I suppose?’

‘Yes, although I confess that this time I did tell her about it a couple of months before she moved. I don’t usually, but she was talking about getting a business start-up loan from the bank, and it seemed unkind to keep her in the dark.

’

‘That’s why I’m ringing.

It’s about a possible lodger.

I’m wondering if you might consider it again?

’

‘I’m not sure I can.

I mean, is it allowed?

’

‘It is. Of course there’s guidance for viewings about masks and Covid testing.

It’s different for actually moving house.

’

‘I don’t know. I’m really concerned about catching it.

I have a friend who ended up in hospital on oxygen and she was double-masking and stripping off in her hall when she got back from the shops and putting her clothes in the wash immediately and then showering every single time.

And she was bleaching all the groceries too, so if she can catch it there’s no hope for any of us.

’

‘That was before the vaccines, though, wasn’t it?

’

‘I suppose so.’

‘I wouldn’t ask but this man is quite desperate.

’

‘A man? I’ve only ever had female lodgers.

It was Georgia’s rule, I suppose.

The only other men were Keith and his friend Rab, and that was at the very beginning.

It’s never occurred to me to have men.

’

‘I suppose Alasdair knows about Georgia’s wishes and never sent any your way.

It may have become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

’

Tess imagines her friend doodling on the pad in front of her.

Fiona is so talented she could have gone to art school instead of doing law.

‘So would you consider it?’

‘I might. We live in strange times.’

‘His name is Benjamin Weaver. He has two children who go to South Morningside Primary Sch—’

‘Wait!’ Tess stands up and starts to pace around the kitchen.

‘Children? I’m not sure about children.

’

‘Two girls. They’re six and nine.

’

‘Why does he need somewhere to stay?’

‘He’s a widower and has used all his savings to pay his rent until now.

He has his own business and is really quite desperate.

’

‘And the government won’t help?

There are grants, aren’t there?

’

‘He’s one of those people who hasn’t been self-employed for long enough to have done his first tax return so he’s fallen through the cracks of official support.

’

‘How long would he want to stay? It’s two years, you know that.

I don’t want people here for less time, it’s too disruptive.

Georgia always says that it’s not an emergency bed for a month or two, it’s a proper commitment.

’

‘I told him that.’

‘And what did he say?’

‘To be honest, Tess, I think he was quite relieved.’

‘I suppose I should at least think about it, and I’ll ring Georgia to discuss it, of course.

She’s coming over at the weekend with Stan.

We’re having lunch in the garden.

It’s allowed now.’

‘So, you’ll meet him?

’

‘Is he allowed to come into the house?’

‘Government rules say it’s permitted, because people have to look at properties.

’

Tess thinks about the dust bunnies which will undoubtedly have gathered in the corners of the rooms upstairs.

She has definitely let things slide.

‘I’ll speak to Georgia this evening.

It’s such a nice day that I’m sure she’ll be at the allotment with Stan just now.

If she says it’s OK, then he can come on Saturday, while she’s here.

He can have lunch with us.

’

‘With the children? I don’t think he has anyone to leave them with.

’

‘I guess he’ll have to bring them with him, then.

Tell him to come around the back. ’