‘There’s a beautiful Bewick swan,’ observed Guy, then raising his voice for the benefit of the
‘Jourdain describes the call as a “varied din of honking notes”,’ volunteered one of the men with knobbly knees.
Kitty caught Meredith’s eye and, in order not to laugh, turned to examine a wall chart listing sightings, together with descriptions of the species and the numbers seen.
Running her eyes down the list which included great-crested grebes, all kinds of swans, ducks and geese, herons and even a kingfisher, she suddenly started to shake with helpless laughter, until she was gasping and clutching her sides.
‘Whatever’s the matter?’ asked Marigold alarmed.
‘Look.’ Kitty pointed to halfway down the list where in a very round hand someone had written DONALD DUCK. As a description they had put:
‘That’s not really funny, Brickie,’ reproved Guy. ‘People take birdwatching very seriously.’
‘Lysander could have been here.’ Kitty wiped her eyes on her sleeve. Having started laughing, she found she couldn’t stop.
‘Better take her home,’ whispered Marigold.
‘Come on, old girl.’ Larry put his arm round her shoulders, ‘Don’t want to overdo it.’
‘Off her trolley,’ mouthed Guy to Meredith.
‘Wouldn’t you be,’ said Meredith with unusual sharpness, ‘if you were married to that?’ He nodded at Rannaldini and Hermione who were straightening their clothes and smirking as they emerged from the Goose Observation Tower next door.
The birds look so happy, thought Kitty, meekly allowing Larry to lead her back. They’ve done their bonking and now they’ve got their little families. She watched a drake and a duck striking out from the shore, proudly leading a convoy of tiny fluffy ducklings.
They had sanctuary here at Slimbridge but they could leave when they want to. Suddenly she remembered the cow loose in the barley during the drought last summer who had rolled its way over the cattle-grid. It had looked so carefree. Anyone could get out if they wanted to enough.
‘Tong, tong, tong, bong, bong, ongong, ongong,’ muttered Kitty.
Larry glanced at her nervously.
‘I’ll take over,’ whispered Georgie, taking Kitty’s arm. ‘David Hawkley is so attractive,’ she told Kitty, lowering her voice. ‘If you can imagine a macho, intellectual Lysander.’
‘Lysander’s perfect as he is,’ said Kitty indignantly.
A sharp breeze was already scattering pink cherry blossom over the dark water like confetti.
‘You know I really love Guy,’ admitted Georgie. ‘The most important thing in marriage is companionship and a huge bit on the side to cheer one through the bad patches. Divorce is so damaging for children.’
They were passing the Slimbridge shop which still had a Mothering Sunday sticker in the window.
I don’t want no bits on the side and I’ll never even have children to damage if I stay married to Rannaldini, thought Kitty numbly, and a Canada goose that flies in and out of a bird sanctuary isn’t enough.
A pretty young mother was coming out of the shop. She had a sweet child who was trailing a black toy pig by the hand.
Over the hills and far away she danced with Pigling Bland, thought Kitty, biting her lip to stop herself crying.
‘The most important thing,’ Hermione came up on the left, ‘is that Rannaldini needs you. It’s wonderful to feel you are indispensable to a genius.’
‘Bob must find it a huge comfort,’ snapped Georgie.
Hermione bowed her head. ‘He does, he does.’
I’m not their age, thought Kitty. I don’t remember advertisements about things looking better on a man. I’m still young and I love Lysander.
Rannaldini, Guy, Georgie and Hermione, bored with anonymity, were not displeased when a big party of foreign tourists stopped them for autographs. Where foreigners had rushed in the shy English were not slow to follow.
‘We really must go,’ laughed Hermione five minutes later.
I love Lysander, he is the father of my child, thought Kitty. Rannaldini had lied and cheated and betrayed her and been utterly, utterly reprehensible. Now he was asking a busty Swedish girl her name so he could personally inscribe her autograph book.
‘We’re having our sixteenth anniversary in October,’ Marigold was saying. ‘Ay suppose we should be awfully grateful to Lysander. We maight not be havin’ it at all if he hadn’t made Larry so jealous.’
‘Home for tea at Valhalla,’ said Rannaldini, putting a warm caressing hand on the back of Kitty’s neck as they walked towards the cars.
‘What a lovely afternoon,’ cried Hermione, smirking as he stroked her bottom with the other hand. ‘Let’s make a regular thing of it.’
Georgie shivered. ‘It’s getting cold.’
‘How d’you think I feel with no coat,’ murmured Guy, then smiling at Kitty. ‘The best part is going home to crumpets and Brickie’s chocolate cake.’
They were all smiling at her now, some of them realizing the extent of her unhappiness and trying to boost her spirits.
‘You look tired, Kitty,’ said Rannaldini when they got back to Valhalla. ‘Miss Bates will get tea. You sit by the fire. Come and see my new toy,’ he added to the others.
65
They all trooped off to admire Rannaldini’s new helicopter. As Kitty went wearily into the house, Lassie danced towards her, striped body weaving and snaking, black-rimmed eyes full of love, peeing on the flagstones in her delight.
I can’t leave her, thought Kitty.
Not even pausing to wipe up the puddle, she ran down the dark passage. Outside Rannaldini’s boot room Lassie had chewed up what Kitty first thought was a twig. Then she realized it was the baton Toscanini had given Rannaldini on his death bed.
‘It’ll be your deaff bed, Lassie, if we don’t get out of here.’
Gathering up the puppy in panic and rushing into the kitchen, she found Miss Bates still looking dreadfully embarrassed.
‘Mrs Rannaldini, there’s something I must tell you. Then I’ll get you all tea.’
‘You’ve looked after Rannaldini and me so well,’ stammered Kitty, terrified of any delay, ‘we’re so griteful. Can’t it wait till tomorrow?’
‘No!’ Miss Bates was so insistent that in the end Kitty sat her down at the kitchen table.
‘Mrs Rannaldini,’ said Miss Bates, frantically rotating the gold bracelet on her slender wrist. ‘I have to tell you that while you were fast asleep in bed, knocked out by one of Mr Rannaldini’s sleeping pills, I went to bed with Mr Rannaldini.’ Her voice faltered. ‘I’m desperately sorry, he’s just so attractive.’
For a minute Kitty looked at Miss Bates incredulously, then she burst out laughing.
‘Is that all? For an ’orrible moment I fort you was going to ‘and in your notice. Promise to stay and look after ’im.’
In the utility room Kitty found an ancient cat basket and, wiping it down, shut a quaking Lassie inside, who
