Something sticking out of her desk drawer caught her eye. It was Mrs Abraham’s journal. She opened it near the beginning, and began to read.
Walter gave me this diary, and told me to write it every day. He said it would help. And he said to tell the truth, because only the truth would do.
Lois frowned. As on other occasions, she felt ashamed, as if overhearing a private conversation. Probably why I’ve not handed it over to Cowgill, she thought. Perhaps she should give it back to Walter, let him decide whether to make it public. But no, it had to go to Cowgill. Should have gone before. She read on, leafing through a few pages.
So here goes. The truth is that I don’t love Walter any more. Edward is everything to me. I don’t need anyone else. Walter knows it, too, though he won’t admit it, won’t let me go. I don’t want him near me any more. There, Walter! You said to tell the truth, so that’s it. All for now.
Lois realized she was trembling. Poor old man. She opened it again at random. The handwriting was wild, all over the place.
I wish Walter and Enid would go away and leave me with my Teddy! While she’s here he loves her more than me. He says he doesn’t, but I know different. Always the same, even when they were babies! That look between them! Why did I have to have twins? Walter’s fault…Twins in his family, not in mine. I wish…
The entry ended with smudged ink. Tears. What a pitiful woman, thought Lois, and shut the diary wearily. She left her office and met Cowgill coming to find her.
“I think Enid needs help,” he said.
She looked at him bleakly, handing over the diary. “She always has,” she replied.
§
Weeks later, weeks of tension and unhappiness for all of them, and another staff meeting had come round. Monday, midday, and the team was assembled in Lois’s office.
“Right,” said Lois briskly, “let’s get on with it. I’m interviewing some new possibles, you’ll be glad to hear. Now let’s look at the schedules for next week. Bill…”
There was a light knock at the door. “Come in,” said Lois, irritated at the interruption.
“Hello, everybody.” It was Enid, and she came forward tentatively, apparently unaware of their shocked faces. “Move up, Sheila,” she said, sitting down in her usual place. “Sorry I’m late.”
Lois hesitated. “Are you sure you’re…?”
“Quite sure,” said Enid quietly. “Now, Wednesday at the Charringtons, as usual?”
EOF
Table of Contents
Lois Meade
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
Twenty-Five
Twenty-Six
Twenty-Seven
Twenty-Eight
Twenty-Nine
Thirty
Thirty-One
Thirty-Two
Thirty-Three
Thirty-Four
Thirty-Five
Thirty-Six
Thirty-Seven
Thirty-Eight
Thirty-Nine
Forty
Forty-One
Forty-Two
Forty-Three
Forty-Four
Forty-Five
Forty-Six
Forty-Seven
Forty-Eight
Forty-Nine
Fifty