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When Granddad had first begun his recovery fro for himself Mum had done it all ‘Your mother is a saint,’ Dad said, which I took tofrom the house I was pretty sure nobody had ever described me as such I cut Granddad’s food up for hi else, I wasn’t sure I was redients
Granta House was on the other side of Stortfold Castle, close to theunpavemented stretch that co in the middle of the tourist area I had passed this house ait Noalking past the car park and the miniature railway, both of which were empty and as bleak as only a suer than I had iined, red brick with a double front, the kind of house you saw in old copies of Country Life while waiting at the doctor’s
I walked up the long drive, trying not to think about whether anybody atching out of theWalking up a long drive puts you at a disadvantage; it auto whether to actually tug at my forelock, when the door opened and I jumped
A woman, not much older thanwhite slacks and atunic and carried a coat and a folder under her arave a polite s,’ a voice said, from inside ‘We’ll be in touch Ah’ A woed but beautiful, under expensive precision-cut hair She earing a trouser suit that I guessed cost more than my dad earned in a month
‘You must be Miss Clark’
‘Louisa’ I shot out a hand, aspeople never offered up a hand these days, reed In the old days you wouldn’t have dreamt of a ‘hiya’ or, worse, an air kiss This woman did not look like she would have welcoht Yes Do come in’ She withdrew her hand froer uponh? We’ll talk in the drawing room My name is Camilla Traynor’ She seemed weary, as if she had uttered the sah to a huge roo French s Heavy curtains draped elegantly froany curtain poles, and the floors were carpeted with intricately decorated Persian rugs It sant side tables everywhere, their burnished surfaces covered with ornamental boxes I wondered briefly where on earth the Traynors put their cups of tea
‘So you have coht? Do sit down’
While she flicked through her folder of papers, I gazed surreptitiously around the rooht be a bit like a care home, all hoists and wipe-clean surfaces But this was like one of those scarily expensive hotels, steeped in old s that looked valuable in their own right There were silver-fraraphs on a sideboard, but they were too far away for es, I shifted in et a better look
And it was then that I heard it – the unlanced down to see the two pieces ofhad torn apart, sending frayed pieces of silk thread shooting upwards in an ungainly fringe I felt my face flood with colour
‘So … Miss Clark … do you have any experience with quadriplegia?’
I turned to face Mrs Traynor, wriggling so that my jacket covered as much of the skirt as possible
‘No’
‘Have you been a carer for long?’
‘U, as if I could hear Syed’s voice in my ear, ‘but I’ic is?’
I faltered ‘When … you’re stuck in a wheelchair?’
‘I suppose that’s one way of putting it There are varying degrees, but in this case we are talking about cos, and very limited use of the hands and arms Would that bother you?’
‘Well, not as much as it would bother him, obviously’ I raised a smile, but Mrs Traynor’s face was expressionless ‘Sorry – I didn’t mean –’
‘Can you drive, Miss Clark?’
‘Yes’
‘Clean licence?’
I nodded
Carowing I could see it creeping inexorably up h At this rate, by the tiirl
‘Are you all right?’ Mrs Traynor was gazing at me
‘I’m just a little warm Do you , I wrenched the jacket off in one fluidthe split in the skirt ‘So hot,’ I said, s in from outside You know’
There was the faintest pause, and then Mrs Traynor looked back at her folder ‘How old are you?’
‘I’m twenty-six’
‘And you were in your previous job for six years’
‘Yes You should have a copy of my reference’
‘Mm … ’ Mrs Traynor held it up and squinted ‘Your previous e presence"’
‘Yes, I paid hiht
It was as if I were being studied Not necessarily in a good way My mother’s shirt felt suddenly cheap, the synthetic threads shining in the thin light I should just have wornbut this suit