Praise be! Ralph had come home at last. Muriel
stood gazing up at his bedroom window, Pericles, beside her on his
lead impatiently awaiting his morning run. The bedroom curtains were
closed, so he was still in bed. She'd checked his house every morning
for the last five days and now her vigil had been rewarded. Muriel
glanced at her watch, a quarter to nine. She'd take Pericles for his
usual walk and then when she'd dried his feet and shut him in the
house, a visit to the store would be next on her agenda. A nice home-made
cheese cake, some fresh rolls, with some of Jimbo's special oak smoked
ham on the bone would make a nice lunch for her and Ralph.
As Muriel gazed up at Ralph's bedroom window she felt an unexpected
surge of excitement. It filled her heart and spread all over her.
Suddenly she wanted Ralph's arms around her and thought it would be
the best thing that had ever happened. So reassuring, so comforting,
so right, yes, that was it, so right for her and for him too, she
hoped. Muriel tried to imagine what Ralph's face looked like, but
the image of it had almost disappeared from her memory. Surely that
couldn't happen in one month. Then the clean sharp smell of his after
shave seemed to envelope her and with it his face and the whole feel
of him came back to her. He was the first man, no, the first person
she had wanted to be close to in all her life. How could she have
said no so emphatically? This business of not knowing her own mind
would have to stop. Sometimes she really was a fool.
Pericles, bored with waiting, lay down on the pavement. Muriel felt
the pull of the lead and looked down at him. 'Ralph's back Perry,
isn't that lovely? Come along let's be off. Quickly now, no time for
lying down.' Pericles stood up and shook himself, but the red wool
coat he wore stopped it from being the refreshing activity he had
hoped for. He trotted after Muriel pleased that her dilly-dallying
was over.
As they walked past the Store, Jimbo came out to inspect his window
display.
He raised his straw boater. 'Good morning Muriel. How's things?'
'Very well thank you, Jimbo. Isn't it a lovely day?'
'It is indeed. You seem very chipper this morning, looking forward
to the New Year Party?'
'New Year. . .oh yes, that's right, I am. I'll be in later.' She left
Jimbo still assessing his new display. Harriet came out to join him.
Harriet tucked her arm in his. 'Darling, I really think you've done
the best display ever. I like the way you've tilted that basket with
the dried flowers, and the way you've stacked the cheeses, kind of
haphazard but planned if you get my meaning. Very effective.' She
peered closely at the flower arrangement. 'I seem to recognise those
dried poppy seed heads. Jimbo! They're from my display on the landing,
it will be ruined now. Really. The corn dollies are a nice touch,
bit out of season but appropriate.'
'Considering I was in a merchant bank a little more than three years
ago plaiting nothing but paper, I've got quite good at this window
lark haven't I?'
'Well, if this doesn't sell off the Christmas cheeses I don't know
what will. We'll do a tasting shall we?'
'Why not? Organise it if you please.'
'Certainly sir. Oh there's Linda. 'Morning Linda.'
Linda waved to the two of them. Jimbo with his striped apron, his
white shirt and the bow tie matching the ribbon on his straw boater,
bowed to her, Harriet in her 'taking out the Range Rover to pick up
the fresh supplies from the farms outfit', curtsied and the three
of them laughed.
Harriet said, 'They're queuing for their pensions already Linda.'
'Sorry I'm late.' Linda rushed in to begin the business of the day.
Harriet went to start up the Range Rover and Jimbo went inside, well
satisfied with having stayed up until twelve the night before to finish
the window.
An hour later the doorbell jangled and Jimbo looked up from serving
a customer to find Ralph had entered the Store. Ralph was thinner,
much thinner but tanned, his white hair even whiter if that was possible.
But he was looking as aristocratic as ever. His holiday, or whatever
it was that had made him disappear so surprisingly, had obviously
done him good.
Jimbo went to shake hands with him.
'Delighted to have you back Ralph, we've missed you, specially over
Christmas. How are you?'
'Very well, thank you Jimbo. You appear to be in tip-top condition.
Nothing seems to have changed in my absence.'
Jimbo clapped his hand to his forehead in mock despair. 'I slaved
until midnight last night doing that window display and you say nothing
has changed!'
'Blame it on jet lag, I've not come round yet.'
'Been somewhere exciting?'
'Visiting friends. I need to shop for my breakfast Jimbo, I've nothing
fresh in at all.'
'Oh, I see . . . didn't Muriel get you anything in?'
'No, she doesn't know I'm back.' Ralph took a basket and began collecting
what he needed from the shelves. Jimbo went to serve another customer.
When Ralph went to the cash till to pay for his breakfast Jimbo wished
to ask why he had gone off so suddenly, but a tactful phrase simply
wouldn't come to mind, so he had to reluctantly open the door for
him and wish him good morning. In the hurly-burly of a busy pre-New
Year shopping spree, Jimbo scarcely noticed that Muriel had been in
to buy lunch. Working without Harriet, combined with having given
his part-time girl an extra day off for working so hard before Christmas,
he battled on by himself with little time for conversation. Muriel
on her part was glad to escape without having to give an explanation
of why she was buying two slices of cheesecake instead of her usual
single slice.
When she got home she put the ham in the fridge and the cheese cake
out on the worktop to defrost and then having been in the bathroom
to titivate herself and spray on some of the perfume Caroline, dear
Caroline, had given her on Christmas Day she sauntered as casually
as she could down to Ralph's house. She wore her new, well, newest
coat, wine red with a black fur collar and carried the black leather
bag Ralph had brought her back from London. Muriel's fair hair, well,
nearly white hair, peeped out from under her fake fur hat. She hoped
her dark red lipstick didn't exaggerate her pale skin. One day I shall
try some blusher she thought, but right now she was blushing without
any artificial aid and trembling inside too. Oh good, he was up. The
knock on Ralph's door had not been loud enough. She tried again. Oh
dear, that was enough to wake the dead. The door was opened abruptly
and there he stood, smiling tentatively down at her, his lovely fine-boned
hands held out in greeting.
'Muriel my dear, come in.' as he took her hand Muriel burst into tears.
She hadn't expected to, so she'd no handkerchief available. Ralph
gave her his own and his thoughtfulness made her cry even more.
'Oh, Ralph, I have been a fool. Such a fool.'
'Never, Muriel, never a fool my dear.'
'Yes, yes. A complete fool.' She wiped her eyes dry and smiled shakily
at him. 'Could you possibly come for lunch?'
'I've just finished breakfast, but for you I'll eat lunch too.'
'Oh not yet, I meant later about one o'clock.'
'I'll bring some wine shall I?'
Muriel was scandalised. 'In the middle of the day?'
'You drank it in the middle of the day when we were in Rome.'
'Of course I did. Yes then, bring some wine.'
'So be it.'
Muriel studied his face. She reached out to touch his arm. 'Ralph
you've lost weight, have you been ill?'
'In my heart'
'Your heart? Have you got heart trouble?'
'Don't you remember almost the last word you said to me?'
Filled with sadness she answered 'I said, 'No''.
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