The Other Family

‘Pretty sure.’

There was a smal silence, tinged with disappointment. Then Bernie said robustly, ‘Wel , she can’t have doubts about her own abilities, can she?

It may be smal , but that’s a cracking little business she has.’

‘No,’ Scott said, ‘I don’t think the possibility of inadequacy crossed her mind. Quite rightly.’

‘Oh,’ Bernie said with energy, ‘quite rightly, I agree. Wel , if it’s not me and it’s not her, what is it?’

Scott said careful y, ‘Sometimes you find you just don’t want to do something, however great the offer is.’

Bernie regarded him.

‘But that’s not like your mother.’

Scott shrugged.

Bernie said, ‘Has she been affected by your father’s death? I mean, badly affected?’

Scott looked out of the window. He said, ‘It’s something to come to terms with. Obviously.’

‘You’re not helping me much, young man.’

Scott looked back. He said, ‘I can’t answer your question because I don’t know much more than you do. She was very pleased and very flattered by your offer, but she doesn’t want to accept it. Maybe she doesn’t know why any more than we do.’

Bernie shook his head. He stood up and put his hands in his trouser pockets, and jangled his keys and his change.

‘I’m baffled.’

He shook his head again, as if to clear a buzzing in his ears.

‘It isn’t me, and it isn’t her, and it isn’t your dad’s death—’

‘Or it’s al three of them.’

‘Maybe.’

‘But it won’t be personal, if you see what I mean. Mam’s not like that. She won’t have said no for any reason that isn’t straight, she wouldn’t do it just to spite you or something like that.’

Bernie shook his keys again.

‘That’s one of the reasons I asked her. Because she’s so straight, and everyone knows that. I want her reputation as much as I want her expertise and her input and her presence.’

Scott made to get up.

‘If it’s OK by you, Mr Harrison—’

Bernie looked at him again. He took his hands out of his pockets and jabbed a forefinger towards Scott.

‘If this is how it is, my lad, I’m not giving up. If it was a concrete reason, I’m not saying I wouldn’t have another go, but I’d respect it. But as it’s al this vague, don’t-know, wishy-washy stuff, I’m going to keep trying. And I’d be grateful if you’d put in a word for me with her now and then. I want to keep the pot boiling.’

Scott said, standing now, ‘I’m happy to see you today, Mr Harrison, but this is between you and my mother. Whatever I think may be good for her is real y neither here nor there. It’s what she thinks is good herself that counts, and she’s had years of practice deciding that. I’d like to see her here, Mr Harrison, but only if that’s what she real y wants.’

Bernie looked at him in silence for a few moments. Then he touched Scott’s arm.

‘Anyone tel you how like your dad you are, to look at?’

Threading his way through the ambling crowds in the Eldon Square shopping centre, Scott felt his phone vibrating in his top pocket. He paused to take it out and put it to his ear.

‘Hel o?’

A female voice with a slight London accent said, ‘That Scott?’

Scott moved into a quieter spot in the doorway of a children’s clothes shop.

‘Who is this?’

‘My name’s Sue,’ Sue said. ‘I’m a friend of your stepmother’s.’

‘My—’

‘Of Chrissie’s,’ Sue said. ‘Of your father’s wife.’

Scott shut his eyes briefly. This was no moment to say forcibly to a stranger on the telephone that his father had only ever had one wife, and it wasn’t Chrissie.

‘You stil there?’ Sue said.

‘Yes—’

‘Wel , I just rang—’

‘How did you get my number?’

There was a short pause, and then Sue said, ‘Amy’s phone.’