The Angel in the Corner - Monica Dickens [109]
‘Well – no. When I got home from work, I came straight out here to see you.’
‘Why in such a hurry?’ Mrs Benberg drew down her thick, untidy brows and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. ‘Why?’ she repeated, as Virginia did not answer.
‘I just felt I wanted to see someone. Joe wasn’t home, you see. He’s been away for three days. Five days, actually. He went to a race-meeting on Friday, and he – he was supposed to come back on Sunday.’ She could not keep her voice casual.
She finished quickly, with a little urgent gasp: ‘I’m terribly worried about him.’
‘Of course you are! No need to tell me that. Great heavens, child, don’t you think I could see something was wrong as soon as you came over my doorstep? I love you, Virginia. You probably think I’m as mad as a hatter, but Father and I – it doesn’t take us long to make up our minds about someone, and we’ve loved you ever since he brought you here that night. Remember the snow? You looked so pretty going off through the snow, and you were so young and hopeful. You’re young and hopeful still. I see that. But I see, too, that you’re having quite a fight to keep your hopes. Want to talk about it?’ She gazed into the fire, winding the heavy necklace round her fingers.
As Virginia was silent, wondering what to say, Mr Benberg cleared her throat and said gently: ‘Perhaps Miss – Mrs – perhaps Virginia doesn’t want to tell us anything.’
Mrs Benberg circled an arm backwards at him. ‘Of course she does. Everyone needs to share their troubles, and she’s told us her mother is in America, so who better to share them with than us, who care about her?’ She turned to Virginia, and said briskly: ‘So your boy has disappeared, has he? Well, men have done that before now, but they always come rolling home when they’re hungry. I wouldn’t worry too much about that.’
‘I think you’re too liberal, my dear.’ Mr Benberg leaned forward, blinking and earnest. ‘A man shouldn’t go off without telling his wife where he is, especially when she –’ His lip twitched down. He looked away shyly.
‘Liberal be damned! What else can you be with men? They’re not in captivity, just because they’re married.’ Mrs Benberg struggled to her feet, shaking her skirt free of crumbs, which the dog picked neatly off the carpet. ‘I tell you what, my darling girl.’ She stood with her back to the fire, and wagged her finger at Virginia. ‘If you nag at him this time when he does come back, next time, he may not come back at all.’
‘I do try not to nag Joe,’ Virginia said. ‘He can’t stand it.’
‘Who can? Who can?’ Mrs Benberg lifted her skirt a little to warm the back of her legs. ‘This girl’s got sense, Father. We don’t need to tell her her business. If it was Jim now,’ she nodded at the photograph of her cheery son, ‘he hasn’t a ha’p’orth of sense where his love-life is concerned. He’s broken his heart three times already, but he always comes up smiling, with not a lesson learned.’
‘I don’t think I’ve got much sense,’ Virginia said. ‘I meant to do so much for Joe, but I don’t seem to have done anything.’
‘Who says that? You’ve stuck to this rascal, haven’t you? And you don’t have to tell me he’s made it tough for you, because it’s written all over your face. Don’t tell me the details, because I don’t want to hear.’
‘I wasn’t going to,’ Virginia said. ‘There’s nothing to tell.’
‘Oh, yes, there is. I know all about this young man without clapping an eye on him. But, heigh ho! we can’t change him, so we must make the best of it. What’s done can’t be undone, no use crying over spilt milk, two wrongs don’t make a right, and all the other old saws that spring to my mind at the drop of a hat. So cheer up, love, and I’ll get the ginger wine. Things will come out all right for you. I told you that before, didn’t I, so why worry? God helps those who help themselves, if you want another old saw, from B. Franklin, who wrote most of ‘em.’
She scrabbled in a cupboard