But Minnie didn’t touch him. He heard the springs protest as she sat down on the bed. He heard her exhale and then there was silence.
He waited for a few minutes, watching the circular patterns that throbbed before his eyes when he pressed his knees into them. He felt the pain of pressure in his eyeballs, yet did not stop. The muscles in his back were straining from curving around his thighs. Slowly, he raised his head. She was sitting with her back to him. He could see her twirling the gold band on her left hand. He had begun to like her hands, the red roughness of them. He liked the feel of them against his cheek and in his hair, as if only hands as rough as hers could bring him comfort now.
Now he watched her with his chin on his knees. She was still, turned from him, watching some invisible fancy in the air. He could see the rise and fall of her chest and the dwindling sun shining in her grey hair, so that it seemed almost white, reflecting all the light.
‘I just want to stay with you,’ he said finally.
‘Oh, Danny,’ she said, with her back still to him, ‘I’m glad you’ve settled here; I wanted you to. But this is a real chance for you. This is a family; imagine what it would be like to have two experienced, professional parents all to yourself. Better than this mucky old farm, and nobody but old me to talk to – I’ll tell you that for nothin’.’
‘I like the farm …’
‘These are real outdoor people, you know? Professional, smart people.’
‘So? Who cares?’
Minnie turned to him. She patted the bed beside her. ‘C’m’ere.’
Daniel uncoiled and sat beside her. She nudged him with her shoulder and asked, ‘You tellin’ me you’re afraid of a weekend away with nice new people? Nobody’s sending you anywhere. This is an opportunity for the taking.’
‘So I can come back if I don’t like them?’
‘To be sure, but who says they’ll like you? Grumpy little bugger that you are!’
Daniel smiled then, and Minnie nudged him again. He folded into the expanse of her, tucking his arms between her hips and her bosom, his face pressed into the softness of her upper arm.
On Saturday morning, Daniel stood with his elbows on the bedroom window sill watching out for the car. He could see Minnie’s front garden with its vegetable patches and raspberry canes. The gnarled hand of the rowan tree was at the far side, reaching out of the earth with desperate sinew strewn with the blood-red berries. The parents who wanted to meet him were called Jim and Val Thornton. They were not yet late, but Daniel had been waiting for an hour. With no car in sight, he stared at the rowan tree waving at him in the wind. He remembered climbing the rowan and picking the berries and Minnie telling him they were poisonous. She had said that the tree was there to keep the witches away, so how could she be a witch? Daniel watched as the sparrows and the magpies stripped the branches of their berries. He wondered how tiny birds could survive feasting on the berries that Minnie said could kill humans.
Daniel was thinking about this when a large black car pulled up in front of the farm. He hid behind the curtain, but continued to stare at the tall man with blond hair who got out of the car and then the woman, who wore her hair up and a brightly coloured scarf. When they disappeared from Daniel’s view he left the bedroom to sit at the top of the stairs. His bag was packed at the bottom of the stairs, but Minnie had said she would have a chat with them first.
The front door was open as Minnie had gone out to meet them. Their pleasantries drifted inside like early autumn leaves. Blitz stood half inside, half out, so all Daniel could see was his wagging tail. His stomach hurt with nerves and he leaned over on to his knees in an effort to release the tension in it. He hid out of sight as Minnie showed them into the living room.
He was expecting to be called, but Blitz came for him first, panting in his face at the top of the stairs. Daniel massaged the dog’s black and white mane and Blitz dipped his head to allow it. Then the call came.
‘Danny? Do you want to come down, pet?’
Blitz started down the stairs on hearing Minnie’s voice. Daniel waited a moment and took a deep breath before heading down. He was in his stocking feet and stepped in such a way as not to make the floorboards creak. Minnie was at the bottom of the stairs with a strange smile on her face. He had never seen her smile like that before – as if she was pleased with herself, or as if there was someone watching her other than him. Daniel frowned, put his hands in his pockets and followed her into the living room.
‘Well, hello there …’
The man tensed and threw out his arms and seemed about to stand until the woman put her hand on his forearm. Daniel was glad that he stayed seated. Minnie had both hands on his shoulders and was rubbing them. Daniel nodded his hello and scuffed his socks against the living-room rug.
‘I’m Val,’ the woman said, with a smile like the one Minnie had been wearing, only harsher; Daniel thought her teeth were too white, and he could see her gums. ‘And this is Jim, my husband – we’re both very pleased you’ve decided to spend the weekend with us.’
Daniel nodded as Minnie steered him towards the couch. She went into the kitchen to make tea. Daniel leaned back into the couch as Jim and Val stared at him.
‘So, do you want to know about us at all?’ asked Val.
‘I know everything already,’ said Daniel. ‘You have four kids. There’s only one kid at home and he’s a boy about eighteen. You have a big house and Jim’s an accountant.’
Val and Jim laughed together, nervously. Daniel balanced one foot on top of the other. He was sitting so far back into the couch that his chin was on his chest.
‘Why don’t you tell us about you?’ said Val. ‘What do you like to do?’
‘Football, feed the animals, sell stuff at the market.’
‘We live in Carlisle,’ Jim said, leaning forward, elbows on his knees. ‘We’re always out walking or cycling, so I’m definitely up for a game of football some time. Maybe we can do that this weekend, if you like?’
Daniel tried to shrug, but his shoulders were wedged into the couch.
Minnie brought piping hot tea and a plate of German biscuits. Daniel remained sunk into the couch and so Minnie chatted, louder than she usually did, about the farm and how long she’d been fostering and Ireland, which she hadn’t set foot in since 1968. Daniel sat still beside her, running his forefinger over a hole in the couch, which Minnie told him had been made years ago by her husband’s cigarette.
‘We’ve got your room all ready for you,’ said Val. ‘It’s the biggest bedroom – the one that used to belong to our oldest boy, so you have your own TV in there.’
‘Is it colour?’ asked Daniel.
‘It is.’
Daniel looked at Minnie and smiled. He watched as Jim reached out for a German biscuit. He ate it all without a crumb to Blitz, who sat salivating at his feet.
‘Do you have any pets?’ Daniel asked, sitting up for the first time.
‘No, the boys always wanted a dog, but Val’s allergic …’
‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ said Minnie, taking Blitz’s ruff in her fist. ‘I’ll put him out.’
‘No, no, a short time is fine; as long as she doesn’t pet him … We’re really so pleased you could come for the weekend though, Daniel; it’ll be so nice to have a child around again.’ Jim’s nostrils stretched when he smiled.
17
Heathcote Street Chambers was holding a party – a regular September event – to allow their barristers to network with key solicitors and judges. Daniel went with Veronica, his senior partner, hoping that he would catch Irene there. He had brought a copy of confidential papers on a social work investigation into the Crolls that had been sourced by a clerk in his office.