The Angel in the Corner - Monica Dickens [86]
‘That’s torn it,’ Joe said aloud. He sat down again and beat his fist slowly on his knee, waiting for her to come back.
When Virginia came down again she was flushed, and her eyes were shining. She looked invigorated, as if she had been for a walk in the fresh air.
‘Well, I did it!’ she said triumphantly. ‘I didn’t know I had it in me. I’ve never had a real slanging match with a woman before. I told her what I thought of her, and she told me what she thought of me. Didn’t you hear us shouting? Poor Paul put his head under the bedclothes. That creature … of all the nerve … that vile woman …’ She prowled round the room like an angry leopard, too aroused to keep still.
Joe caught hold of her and swung her round to face him. ‘Who came with you in the taxi?’ he asked. His voice was more controlled now.
‘Only Derek.’ She blinked in surprise at being jerked out of her furious concentration on Mollie. ‘I tried to make him come in for a drink, but he wouldn’t. He’s a bit scared of you, I think.’
‘He’d better be.’
‘Oh, don’t be silly,’ Virginia said. ‘He was only being kind. For some reason, I suddenly felt faint after dinner, and I wanted to come home. Derek wouldn’t let me come alone.’ She laughed. ‘I think he thought I was pregnant.’
‘Are you?’
‘Of course not. You know that. But poor Derek was quite worried. He kept talking to me in a soothing voice, as if he — Joe, what is the matter? Why are you looking like that? Surely you can’t mind if a simple creature like Derek brings me home?’
‘Why shouldn’t I mind? I’ve taken just about all I can stand from dear, simple, kind Derek, and all the rest of that fancy crowd you run around with, for that matter. I don’t want you to go back to that office.’
‘That’s nonsense. How can you be so childish? You’re drunk. You’ll forget all about it in the morning.’ She turned away, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her round again.
‘I said you’re not going back!’
‘Don’t shout at me. I heard you. And you heard me say it was nonsense. I’m not going to lose my job just because you choose to sit here with a whisky bottle and sulk yourself into a state of pointless jealously.’ She stood in front of him, with her cool, smooth shoulders and her cool, defiant face.
‘I said you’re not going back.’ Joe did not shout it this time. He could not. The pounding in his head was in his throat too, robbing him of breath, filling his ears with the sound of Mollie’s mocking voice. Don’t you know she thinks she’s much too good for you?
Virginia smiled. ‘I’ll do what I like.’ The smile disappeared under his hand as her head jerked backwards and she stumbled to the floor.
It was the first time he had ever hit her. Even as his hand touched her mouth, he had the terrible feeling that now that he had done it once, it would be more easy to do it again.
When the door opened, Virginia was still sitting on the floor with her hand to her mouth and her head hanging forward, the sparkling clip swinging on the end of her heavy lock of hair. She was half hidden behind a chair, and Joe went quickly to the door, so that Mollie should not come into the room and see her.
‘You can clear out,’ Mollie was shouting, her head jerking on her scrawny neck, and her eyes staring hatred. ‘You can clear out of my house – or be put out! People like you should be thrown on the street, that’s what I’m telling you, thrown on the street!’
‘Look here, Mollie, what on earth –?’
‘Don’t Mollie me, you lout. Don’t think I’m going to listen to anything from you after the things your wife said to me. If Paul was half a man, he’d come down here and kick your teeth in. As it is, I’m kicking you out. No one can speak to me like that and get away with it. A month’s notice, that’s the law. If you haven’t found anyone before that who’s fool enough to take