‘I wonder what Graham Vernon will think,’ said Andrew.
‘What do you mean, Dad?’
J ‘
‘Well, it’s awkward. You know - just imagine what state he’s in over the girl. And then it has to be my own father-in-law who finds her.’
‘What does that matter to him, for heaven’s sake? Their daughter’s dead — it won’t make any difference to them who
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found her.’
‘Well, it’s just awkward, that’s all.’
‘Andrew thinks his role is to be Graham Vernon’s loyal lackey,’ said Margaret. ‘Being involved in the murder of his daughter rather ruins the image, doesn’t it?’
o o ‘
‘Involved? Well, hardly,’ protested Andrew.
‘However distantly, of course,’ said Margaret, with a smile of satisfaction. The suppose it’s bound to make you feel tainted by association.’
‘Stop it, Margaret.’
‘Perhaps it would have been better if Dad had just walked on and ignored it, and said nothing. Better for you, anyway. I’m surprised he didn’t think of your reputation at the time. It was very remiss of you, Dad.’
Harry took his empty pipe out and sucked on its stem, looking from one to the other. Helen thought he was the only one of them who was enjoying the conversation.
‘Anyway, they haven’t much of a reputation up there to be worried about, have they?’ said Margaret.
‘That’s not fair. The Vernons are very well-respected.’
Margaret snorted contemptuously. ‘Respected. Not in this house. What do you say, Dad?’
‘Rich buggers. Ignorant rubbish.’
Helen smiled. ‘That needed saying too. They’ve done enough to this familv. Why should we let something like this affect us?
^ J o
I’m sorry for their trouble, but it’s their trouble, not ours. It’s nothing to do with Granddad. Blow the Vernons. We have to see that Grandma and Granddad are all right.’
O
62
‘Of course we do. Andrew?’
‘Well, all right.’
‘We’re lucky we’re a proper family and can stand together,’ said Margaret. ‘Not like them up there. That’s been their problem, of course. That’s been the cause of all the trouble in the past. They don’t know what a family should be. And that’s the cause of this bit of trouble, too, you’ll see.’
‘We should talk about it,’ said Helen. ‘We should have talked about it before.’
‘He won’t,’ said Gwen. ‘He won’t talk about it to anybody.’
^
‘There’s no need for it,’ said Harry. ‘Let it rest.’
Helen stood by his chair and put her hand on his arm. ‘Granddad?’
He patted her hand and smiled up at her. ‘Believe me, lass, there’s no need.’
She sighed. ‘No, we’ve never talked about anything important, have we? Not ever, in this family. Except when we were angry or vipset. And that’s not the time to talk. It’s not the time to do anything.’ ‘Well, I don’t know what you mean by that, I’m sure,’ said Margaret. ‘I’m as capable as anyone of talking things over without getting upset about it.’
Margaret’s voice was becoming high-pitched. She tossed her head and fiddled with an earring, glaring at her husband as
o’ o o
if challenging him not to support her. But Andrew turned away with sagging shoulders and found himself staring into
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the mournful eyes of Jess, who had crept into the corner of the room to listen. The dog’s ears twitched from side to side
o
as she assessed the sound of their voices, trying to judge the
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mood and looking dejected at what she heard.
