The Angel in the Corner - Monica Dickens [107]
What a good thing that was not true, Virginia thought. If her child were born with this present load of worry indelibly on its mind, it would not have much chance. Perhaps it was only because of the child that she was worrying. She was fanciful, just as Mrs Batey said she would be. There was no real cause for worry. When she got home tonight, Joe would be there with a reasonable excuse. He and Ed Morris had gone to another race-meeting. Ed’s car had broken down. They had met friends and stayed with them. Joe had telephoned the Dales, and they had forgotten to give the message. Joe had sent a telegram and it had not been delivered.
She hurried home, and felt her heart beating more quickly as she went up the stairs. She could hardly bring herself to open the door of the flat. As she did, she hastily made her face bright for his greeting. Her mouth was even open to speak to him.
Her mouth remained open as she stood in the room and looked at her note, still lying flat in the middle of the table with the sugar-bowl to keep it down.
Listlessly, Virginia took off her coat. The thought of another evening of waiting and wondering alone in the flat was unbearable. She could not go to any of her neighbours for company, because they would ask her where Joe was. Ever ready for scandal, they would see through any explanation she might give.
She was reaching to hang her coat on the peg behind the door, when she suddenly took it down again and held it for a moment, thinking. Well, why not? She had not seen the Ben-bergs for more than a year. It was odd that she should suddenly think of them now, but they would not think it strange if she went to see them. They were not the kind of people to forget you, even if you seemed to have forgotten them.
She put on her coat again, and looked to see if she had money for the long bus ride. She left the note where it was on the table. It would be just like life if Joe were to come back when she was out after she had waited in three anxious evenings for him. Well, let him wait and worry for a change. She had had enough of it.
*
‘But my darling, my darling,’ Mrs Benberg cried, even before Virginia was properly into the house, ‘what in the name of mercy has happened to you? You are a perfect skeleton.’
‘Hardly.’ Virginia took off her coat and saw Mrs Benberg’s eyes widen. Since her baby had begun to be apparent, she had grown so used to that quick dropping of eyes from her face to her figure and then hastily up again, that it did not embarrass her any more.
Mrs Benberg’s chocolate-brown eyes leaped back to Virginia’s face, and they were shining with enthusiasm. ‘So you’re married!’ she cried. She flung her arms round Virginia and hugged her. ‘Oh, splendid, splendid! If only I’d known, I would have come and cheered outside the church. Who is the happy fellow?’
‘A man called Joe. Joe Colonna.’
‘Why didn’t you bring him with you? You haven’t left him outside, have you? I’ve known women to do that.’ Before Virginia could answer, Mrs Benberg darted to the door, opened it, and slammed it shut again with a crash that shook the flimsy little house.
‘Father!’ she called. ‘Come and see who’s here!’
The noise of his wife’s welcome had already drawn Mr Benberg from his desk. As she called him, he opened the door of his little writing-room at the end of the hall, pressing a finger and thumb into his eyes with the gesture of a tired author.
‘Well, well.’ He came forward, rubbing his hands, his mouth jerking with pleasure. ‘This is a delightful surprise. How are you, my dear Miss Martin? How are you indeed?’
‘No need to ask her how she is,’ Mrs Benberg said, leading the way into the sitting-room with her loose woollen skirt trailing at the back and a massive ornamental chain clanking at her neck. ‘Just look at her. She’s monstrously frail. And don’t call her Miss Martin. She’s married.’
Mr Benberg continued to rub his hands and murmur, ‘Well, well’, while Mrs Benberg rushed at the fire, which was burning sulkily, and attacked