Page 14 of See the Stars

To know that we know what we know, and to know that we do not know what we do not know, that is true knowledge.

NICOLAUS COPERNICUS

‘ H ey, sis.’ Alice looked up from her book as Eddy walked into the living room. He ruffled her hair as if she were still nine years old. ‘You don’t look too bad for someone who’s just had a heart attack.’

‘A stroke,’ corrected Alice, trying to put her hair back as it had been. ‘Well, actually a transient ischaemic attack,’ she added, feeling like a broken record. ‘Not quite a stroke, but . . . ’

‘I’m glad you’re OK,’ he said, settling himself on the sofa.

‘Thanks,’ said Alice. ‘That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me,’ she added. ‘How are you ?’

‘The garage is doing OK,’ he said, putting his feet on the coffee table in a way that would get him told off if Sheila were in the room. ‘I can’t complain. Where’s that fancy boyfriend of yours?’

‘Back in London,’ said Alice. ‘And he’s not fancy.’ She picked at a loose thread on the armchair. ‘So is Matt definitely coming?’

‘I didn’t even know he was in town till you told me,’ said Eddy. ‘But yes, I sent him a message and he’s coming. Even bringing someone, apparently.’ He picked up the TV remote and started flicking through the channels, volume on silent.

‘Oh,’ said Alice, surprised. ‘He said he was living with his sister.’

‘With Jennie?’ said Eddy. He switched the telly off and left the remote on the sofa next to him. ‘Last time I heard, she was working as a nurse over in Leeds.’

‘Matt said they were both in their mum’s old place,’ said Alice, getting up to rescue the remote before it slipped down between the cushions. She put it on the coffee table and sat down on the sofa next to her brother.

‘You know more than me,’ Eddy said. ‘I tried to see him after the accident. I sent him a ton of messages, but he never replied. I would have gone round if I’d known he was back.’

‘What accident?’

‘Didn’t Mum tell you?’

‘Clearly not,’ said Alice. ‘What accident? Is that why he has that stick?’

The doorbell rang. ‘I’ll get it,’ said Eddy. ‘We’ll talk later.’

Alice wandered into the kitchen. ‘Do you think he still likes apple crumble?’ asked her mum, leaning into the oven. ‘I’ve made it just in case.’

‘That’s nice,’ said Alice. ‘You didn’t tell me that Matt had had an accident.’

‘Awful it was,’ said her mum, standing up. ‘I’m out of custard, do you think ice cream will be OK?’ She opened the freezer, pulling out a large tub of raspberry ripple and dusting tiny shards of ice from the lid.

‘What happened?’

‘They were all out of the tins at the shops, and I thought I had some powdered, but I must have thrown it out last year when I had a big clear-out.’

‘I meant the accident—’

‘There he is!’ interrupted Sheila. Matt was standing awkwardly in the doorway to the kitchen. ‘Matthew Stanton!’ she exclaimed, walking over to give him a hug before standing back to inspect him. ‘You’re looking so well,’ she lied.

‘Hi,’ said Alice, feeling shy at the sight of him again. ‘Thanks for coming.’

‘My sister saw the message on my phone and insisted,’ he said, rather ungraciously.

‘Oh,’ said Alice. She looked out into the corridor. ‘Where’s your girlfriend?’

‘What?’

‘Eddy said you were bringing someone.’

He didn’t reply, looking instead at Sheila. ‘I’ve brought two guests in the end,’ he told her. ‘I hope that’s OK?’

‘Of course,’ said Sheila, her voice breezy. Alice could tell she was inwardly panicking about place settings and bread rolls. ‘I always make plenty.’

‘Where are they?’ asked Alice, wondering who it was.

‘In the bushes outside. It’s not my girlfriend, though.’

Alice puzzled for a moment. ‘You brought your dogs?’ she guessed, using the clues he’d given her. Amusement mingled with concern for Basalt.

‘No.’ He paused. ‘It’s my sister and her son.’

‘Jennie is here?’ asked Eddy. He ran his fingers through his hair.

‘Almost,’ said Matt. ‘Like I said. They’re in the bushes. My sister made me bring my nephew, but then at the last minute he wouldn’t leave the house without his mum, so she’s had to come too.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘It took Berti ages even to let me pick him up from the library after school.’

‘Berti?’ queried Alice. She walked past him, opened the front door and looked out.

A woman was crouching down next to the camellia bush in the front garden. She looked up at Alice. ‘He just needs a moment,’ she explained, her face flushed. ‘New places are sometimes challenging.’

Alice stood in the doorway and watched. Jennie unfolded herself elegantly and strolled over to her. ‘Nice to see you again,’ she said warmly, kissing Alice on the cheek. She was flushed and had leaves in her long dark hair.

‘You too,’ said Alice, though Jennie had been several years above her at school and she didn’t think they’d ever spoken before.

‘Hi, Jennie,’ said Eddy, joining them. He leaned in and gave her an awkward peck on each cheek. ‘It’s been ages. You look great.’ He stood back and looked at her. ‘I’ve got my own garage now,’ he added. ‘We mainly repair classic cars. It’s doing pretty well.’

‘It’s good to see you again too,’ said Jennie, reaching out to touch his arm gently in greeting. Alice watched her brother blush.

She left them to it and walked towards the camellia. ‘Berti?’ she called, wondering if it could possibly be the same boy. In London it would never happen, but this was a small place.

A familiar head poked out of the shrubbery.

‘Just wait till he’s ready,’ called Jennie, turning away from Eddy for a moment. ‘We haven’t tried to eat away from home for a while, but I think it will do him good. Matt too,’ she added, almost under her breath.

‘Alice?’ said Berti. He exited the camellia, brushing off pieces of leaf as though crouching in the shrubbery before dinner was perfectly normal.

‘You two know each other?’ asked Jennie.

‘We met in the library,’ said Alice as Berti walked up to her, beaming.

‘I didn’t believe in fate until now,’ he told them both, striding confidently inside. ‘But our friendship is clearly meant to be.’

Berti sat at the table with Basalt purring on his lap while Sheila dished out stew from a heavy cast-iron dish. ‘I’ve never seen Basalt take to anyone like he has you,’ said Alice. ‘It’s a good thing you’re not a dog,’ she added, thinking of her confusion earlier.

Berti frowned at her. ‘Why would I be a dog?’ he asked.

‘Sorry,’ said Alice. ‘Private joke.’ She glanced at Matt, hoping for a laugh, but he was concentrating on moving his stew around his plate. ‘And not a very funny one.’

‘Berti’s very good with animals,’ said Jennie, in a way that implied she was used to talking for her son. They all watched as Berti fished a piece of beef from the stew with his fingers and fed it to a delighted Basalt. ‘Not at the table, please,’ said Jennie. ‘Sorry, Sheila.’

Berti ignored her. ‘Cats are very clever.’ He looked around the table, as if sizing them all up. ‘This animal is probably cleverer than sixty per cent of the people here.’

‘Berti, remember what we discussed?’ said Jennie. ‘It’s fine to share your opinions, but just think about whether it is a nice thing to say first.’

‘I didn’t specify which sixty per cent,’ explained Berti. ‘So no one should be offended.’

‘No one is,’ said Eddy, his voice jolly.

‘Alice was top of her class,’ said her mother, passing a bowl of buttered new potatoes around. Berti carefully counted out four, hesitated a moment, then added two more and arranged them in two equal lines on his plate.

‘She almost got a PhD,’ added Eddy.

‘Almost?’ queried Berti. ‘Maybe the percentage needs to be adjusted.’

Jennie gave her son a look. ‘Berti,’ she warned. ‘You know better than that.’ Basalt was licking Berti’s fingers, much to the boy’s delight. ‘And please stop feeding that cat at the table. I know you love animals, but I’m sure Basalt has his own food for dinner.’

‘Alice didn’t need the PhD to get on the graduate scheme at Blackrock,’ interjected her mother. ‘You’ll never guess her starting salary. Four times what I made in the factory, even after all those years. And now she’s an analyst, well . . . ’

Eddy looked at Jennie. ‘You were good at school too, weren’t you? I remember that.’

‘You couldn’t possibly,’ said Berti, frowning at Eddy. ‘Mum is two years older than you. You’d never have been in the same class, unless you’re some kind of child prodigy.’ He gave Eddy a searching look for a moment. ‘Which seems unlikely,’ he added.

Alice did her best to suppress a laugh and failed. Even Matt looked slightly amused.

Eddy smiled too. ‘School wasn’t really my thing,’ he admitted good-naturedly.

‘Don’t do yourself down,’ said Sheila. She glanced at her son, and then at Jennie. ‘He’s very bright,’ she told her.

‘Eddy seems very nice,’ said Berti. ‘But he doesn’t seem particularly bright.’

‘Berti!’ said Jennie. ‘Don’t be rude about Eddy. You’ve only just met him.’

‘Plenty of time to be rude to me once you know me better,’ said Eddy, giving Berti a wink. They all laughed.

‘I said he was nice. What’s rude about that?’ Berti looked confused and fished another piece of beef from the bowl with his fingers, offering it to Basalt.

‘Eddy almost passed his A levels,’ added Sheila.

‘There’s a lot of almost in this family,’ said Berti.

‘Berti,’ said Jennie. ‘Remember what we said about how things can come across. I don’t want to have to tell you again. Sorry,’ she added, to the rest of the table.

‘Quite all right,’ said Eddy. ‘Isn’t it, Alice?’

‘Fine by me,’ said Alice. ‘This is a great stew, Mum.’

‘Thank you,’ said Sheila. ‘I added extra parsley to the . . . Oh!’

Basalt took that moment to jump on the table and place his head directly in a delighted Berti’s bowl of stew. Jennie tried to brush the cat away, and in Basalt’s haste to escape, he knocked the bowl onto the floor with a crash.

They all looked at the spilled stew for a moment, dramatically spreading out on the floor like blood. Basalt sauntered over to it and began lapping up the juices.