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tell him to heat his dinner in a saucepan because Theresa and the children had gone
on a picnic. He’d felt quite miffed actually. They could at least have asked him if he wanted to go instead of just gadding off without him. True, he might not have gone. He had some
paperwork to do. But it would have been nice to have been asked all the same. More to the point he might very well have refused Miss Rachel permission to go after her misbehaviour. If her mother
knew about it she might not have taken their daughter on a picnic.
    He hadn’t had the chance to tell Theresa about Rachel’s misdemeanour because he’d had to go to a board of management meeting for the school at seven p.m. and they still
weren’t home from their picnic then. By the time he’d got back at nine, Rachel and Ronan were in bed fast asleep and his wife wasn’t in a very chatty mood. Even now, when he told
her that she was very quiet in herself, she just sat staring into the middle distance as if she hadn’t heard a word he’d said.
    ‘Are you listening to me at all? I said you’re very quiet in yourself.’ William handed his wife her Ovaltine and sat down in the armchair opposite her. The sun had set and
dusky shadows of umber and terracotta darkened the room. William stretched up his hand and switched on the lamp above his head, arching an enquiring eyebrow at his wife.
    ‘I’m just a bit tired, that’s all,’ Theresa murmured, sipping her hot drink.
    ‘Well what can you expect going all over the countryside on a picnic? You know you’re not supposed to exert yourself,’ he lectured self-righteously. ‘At least if you had
waited until I came home I could have carried the picnic basket.’
    ‘I didn’t know what time you’d be home from school what with it being your last day and I wanted to give the children a bit of a treat to start off their holidays. They deserve
it,’ his wife answered.
    ‘Indeed and Miss Rachel didn’t deserve it,’ William retorted. ‘I had to put her standing in the corner today for disobedience.’
    ‘You did what?’ Theresa looked horrified.
    ‘I had to put her standing in the corner for getting out of her seat when she and the rest of the class were expressly told not to,’ William said coldly, rather taken aback by his
wife’s reaction.
    ‘Did you ask her
why
she was out of her seat?’ Theresa demanded, jumping to her feet. ‘She probably had a perfectly good explanation. How can you do that to your own
daughter? You’re always picking on her. You bully her and you always have done.’ Two pink spots stained the pallor of Theresa’s face as she glowered at her husband.
    William was shocked. What on earth was wrong with Theresa? This was most extraordinary behaviour. Usually she was extremely placid. He felt very hurt by her accusations. Didn’t she realize
that he couldn’t possibly treat his daughter, or son for that matter, any differently from the other pupils. ‘That’s a most unfair accusation, Theresa. I don’t know why
you’re making it,’ he said huffily. ‘You know I can’t give Rachel and Ronan special treatment at school just because I’m their father. I have to treat them like the
other children.’
    ‘That’s just an excuse, William, you never miss an opportunity to put her down or correct her. And don’t think I don’t know why, because I do!’ Theresa was beside
herself with anger.
    ‘What on earth are you talking about, woman? What’s got into you?’ William growled, totally mystified as to why his normally mild wife should have turned into this virago
standing in front of him, with blazing eyes.
    Theresa pointed an accusing finger. ‘I know you’ve always blamed Rachel because we can’t have marital relations. I know you feel it was her fault because of the hard time I had
giving birth to her. You’ve never shown the poor little scrap any love or affection. Don’t think for one minute that you’ve fooled me because you haven’t. You hold