Alphabet Weekends - Elizabeth Noble [74]
Susannah opened the door to them. ‘Darlings!’ She pulled Natalie to her and hugged her tightly. ‘I am so, so pleased to see you, sweetie.’
‘Ab-fabulous to see you too, Suze!’
‘And Tom! I haven’t seen you in ages. Welcome.’
She ushered them in. The flat smelt of joss sticks. Natalie rolled her eyes at Tom. ‘Very souk in here.’
‘I know. Isn’t it beautiful? And you cannot imagine how cheap.’ Susannah pushed her hair back from her face, a thousand silver bangles jingling on each wrist. ‘Mint tea?’
‘I don’t suppose you have PG Tips?’
‘Absolutely not. You should try the mint. It’s delish.’
‘Mint tea it is, then.’
‘Make yourselves comfortable.’
Tom doubted that was possible.
‘Where’s Casper?’
‘In the pub.’ Casper might have been educated at Stowe, but his inner Stan craved the odd pint of Boddington’s.
‘Bloody good idea,’ Tom whispered.
Natalie grimaced at him, then said, ‘The one at the end of the road?’
‘Yep. Think so.’ ‘I might join him for a quick one.’ And Tom was off.
‘Good. Now we can have a chat.’ Susannah brought the mugs over to the cushions, and sat down beside her sister. ‘It’s so good to see you. I’ve missed you.’
‘Have you seen Bridge?’ Natalie asked.
‘I’m going up next week – I’ve got a couple of days. How is she?’
‘Knackered. Happy. You know!’
‘I bought the baby the most beautiful white linen things in the souk.’
‘White linen? I’m no earth mother, but even I know white linen and newborns don’t mix.’
‘Rubbish! At that price, they’re practically disposable anyway. And they’re adorable. Made me and Cas quite broody.’
‘Really?’
‘Well, not really, no, of course not. I haven’t done nearly enough nude scenes yet to think about ruining my body.’
There was a certain Susannah-like logic to that. ‘What about Casper?’
‘He’s fine with it. I think he still wants me all to himself. Not ready to share me yet with some mewling, needy little ankle-biter.’
‘You two really are the most selfish people on the planet, aren’t you?’ Natalie was laughing.
‘I’m hurt, sweetie.’
‘I don’t know how we came out of the same womb. Me and Bridget, I can see. You? You must have been adopted.’
‘I wish. So much more glamorous than being born in suburbia to married parents. A foundling. I’d have loved that…’
Natalie slapped her leg lightly. ‘Sssh.’
‘Speaking of the married parents, how’s Dad?’
‘They’re both okay. Mum’s brighter. I think it’s having Dad to look after again. And he’s doing well. It wasn’t bad, as strokes go. A warning, I think. They only kept him in for a day or two, and he’s taking bucketloads of pills and stuff. He always seemed so well, didn’t he? They’ll be looking forward to seeing you, I should think. You still coming home for Easter?’
‘I said I would, and I will.’
‘That’ll be good. They’ve had a funny old year. First the cancer scare, then Mum’s turn, now this.’
‘Did you ever get to the bottom of what that was about? It’s about fifteen years too late for the menopause.’
Susannah was so removed from it, Natalie thought. It wasn’t that she didn’t care – or she hoped it wasn’t. ‘It isn’t that.’
‘This all started when she had the scare, last year, didn’t it? Do you think there’s something she’s not telling us?’
‘What? Like she really has got cancer?’
‘It’s possible.’
‘It’s not. She isn’t ill. She hasn’t been going to the hospital or even the doctor. She hasn’t lost weight. It isn’t that, I’m sure. Dad would know, and I don’t think he’d be able to keep it to himself.’
Susannah shrugged. ‘What, then?’
‘She’s depressed, Suze.’
‘Really?’
‘Yeah, chemically. You know, properly depressed.’
‘Have you told her that?’
‘Stop it! It’s not funny. The doctor told her, put her on something.’
‘Mum? On Prozac? She’d hate that.’
‘She is, although it’s called something else. And she does hate it, but she recognises that she won’t get better unless she does something