Dot (Araminta Hall)

mixture of relief and deep worry and she’d felt ashamed of both emotions. But now she knew she couldn’t avoid it any longer. She walked back home from playgroup via Alice’s house, telling herself all the way that she was being stupid and of course there would be a perfectly rational explanation for everything. Mavis was tired and dragged her feet, whining to be picked up, which made Sandra’s back ache.
    Clarice answered the door and even though she was dressed in her usual silk shirt and smart skirt something looked awry. Dot was clutching on to her leg and there was an air of desolation that rushed out of the house like smoke.
    ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ said Sandra, without knowing what she was apologising for. ‘I just wanted to check that Alice is OK. She didn’t come to playgroup this morning.’
    Clarice looked tired, that’s what it was, Sandra realised. Her skin was drawn on her bones, almost as if she’d aged. ‘She’s come down with a bug. Since the party, actually. I’d ask you in, but she’s in bed.’
    Sandra took an involuntary step backwards. Mavis was pulling at her hair and the sun was hot on her head. ‘Oh no, that’s fine. I was just worried – silly really.’
    ‘Not at all.’
    ‘Well, tell her I said hello. Maybe she could call when she feels better?’
    ‘Thank you,’ said Clarice, but she was already shutting the door and Sandra couldn’t wait to leave; she even wondered if maybe the house was haunted.
    Gerry came home early from the pub on Thursday. Sandra was reading in bed and she heard him come in and run straight up the stairs. He fell on to the bed, still in his jacket and shoes, lying next to her on his stomach, his eyes twinkling. ‘You will never guess what I heard tonight,’ he said.
    ‘What?’
    ‘Charles told me that Tony has run off with the barmaid I was telling you about.’
    Sandra sat up at this. ‘You’re joking.’
    Gerry rolled on to his back. She knew he was enjoying this and sure enough he started to laugh. ‘I know, bloody priceless. You live with a supermodel and you run off with Bet Lynch.’
    Sandra hit him on the shoulder. ‘That’s my friend you’re talking about.’
    ‘I told you he was weird,’ said Gerry.
    ‘How sure are you?’
    ‘Charles said Tony came storming in at around half one last Sunday and Silver followed him outside and they had this really deep-looking conversation on the green and then walked off together. Neither of them has been seen since and apparently he used to come in most nights and sit at the bar and whenever she wasn’t serving they’d be chatting and laughing. And once, when Charles was going home, he saw them talking down the back of the pub.’
    ‘There’s no law against talking.’
    ‘Oh come on, San, you’d be OK to find me talking to some woman in the middle of the night, would you?’
    ‘Oh shit,’ said Sandra, ‘poor Alice.’
    There was nothing for it but to go back to Alice’s house the next day. Clarice answered the door again.
    ‘I know what’s happened,’ Sandra said simply.
    Clarice opened the door wider. ‘Come in.’
    The house felt cold even though the August sunshine was warm. Dot and Mavis were pleased to see each other and ran off into the garden. Clarice led Sandra into the kitchen. ‘Would you like some coffee?’
    ‘Oh no, thanks. I just wanted to see how Alice is.’
    ‘How did you hear?’ asked Clarice and Sandra thought she looked relieved that someone else finally knew.
    ‘My husband told me. He heard it from some men in the pub.’
    ‘Yes. Charles Wheeler’s mother, Lillian, is a friend of mine. He came round and told me.’
    Sandra looked out of the window at the girls playing in the beautiful garden. Everything felt very illusory. ‘How’s Alice?’
    Clarice sighed and Sandra could see how hard all of this was for her. ‘Not good. To tell the truth, I don’t know what to do with her. She went to bed after the party and she hasn’t got up since. I’ve had the doctor round, but he says there’s nothing physically wrong with her.’
    ‘She’s not getting up at all? Is she eating?’
    ‘Barely.’
    ‘How about Dot?’
    ‘I’ve been keeping her away. I didn’t want to scare the child.’
    Which of course was a mistake, in Sandra’s estimation. A child was a reason for any mother to get up, if you asked her. ‘Would it be all right if I went up to see her?’
    Clarice shrugged as if she was so out of her depth she might as well be underwater.